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Mad Cave Studios is only on issue 3?! Yes, they are with a banger of a story! Defenders of the Earth has been the best throwback series I’ve read in a long time! WHY? Because the stakes are higher, and we’re not trying to sell action figures. Instead, it’s telling a story and is layered and nuanced for the modern reader!
The Story
Having to write for eight characters each episode, I mean issue. It can be a balancing act! Dan Didio has smartly decided to focus on a few characters at a time. Using their lack of proximity as an easy way to stay focused on the ever-developing storylines.
We do get a great flashback to understand why Kit (The Phantom) has been MIA and what has led his brother to usurp his title. Rick Gordon is getting in deeper and more over his head. Top it off with weird doors followed by blown-up doors, and next thing you know, you’re on the last page!
The Art
Wow, what can I say? There is a beautiful use of shadows that doesn’t drag down the issue but gives you the sense that something ominous is afoot, which is offset by the stunning colors that bring life and texture to the panels.
Several panels use light from monitors or holograms so well they pop off the page and emanate a glow over the rest of the scene. So, reading expressions off the characters’ faces just hits you in the feelings.
Thoughts from Monitor
I love this series, plain and simple. Dan Didio has taken a franchise and has written the story for the reader who grew up eating sugar-frosted sugar bombs, because the 80’s. But instead of picking up right where we left off at episode 65. Grow the characters, the risks, and the plot to a level I wouldn’t have considered.
The idea that the Phantom is now beholden by magic and can’t leave Mandrake’s home is genius! Leaving the “Ghost that Walks” in a cage?! Coupled with the weight of knowing he’s helpless on 2 fronts concerning his daughter is devastating.
The dynamic between Flash and Rick right now is tense, with the outer influences trying to break them apart. Add random “Legion” Ice Warriors?
Dan Didio is running these characters through the wringer, and I can’t wait to see the end result. Did I mention the idea of the excellent word use for Phantom Pains?!
And how long did it take to decide how many different Phantom designs had to cover that 2-page spread?!
Defenders of the Earth #3 is a 9.5 out of 10
I can ramble on and on, but do yourself a favor. GET THIS BOOK! I’m not sure how many issues this book is slated for or if its ongoing, but let’s keep it going!
Are you excited that the DoE are back? Was that banger of a theme song stuck in your head since the first page? How do you feel the storyline MIGHT go? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and please consider following me personally at OFF THE CUFF TOM on social media. Don’t forget to support your LCS and morph back to the Nerd Initiative for all your Pop Culture Positivity!
