Is this crew really something that needs to be assembled for an event that might deserve to be on your pull-list?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

Panic spreads across the world. Strange phenomena fills the skies. Millions have nightmares of wild lands filled with horrible creatures… then wake to find the monsters are real. What are three men willing to sacrifice to save us all? Superstar writer Jeff Parker (Dark Avengers, Red She-Hulk) and artist Marc Laming (Planet of the Apes) deliver the earth-crushing event of 2013, featuring Flash Gordon, The Phantom, and Mandrake the Magician like you’ve never seen them!

Are you ready for something that embraces the past but re-imagines it in the contemporary times? Whether you are or not, I guess doesn’t really matter at this point because here it is and trust me what the creative team delivers is both unique and rather exceptional in ways I honestly didn’t expect.

Whether you’re a fan of Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician or The Phantom Jeff Parker certainly has something for you.  Within the confines of this stellar script he hits enough notes to establish these unique personas and blend them seamlessly into one coherent adventure.  There are some stumbles along the way, specifically, a bloated conversation works hard to establish a secondary protagonist but ultimately bogs down the overall pace. Despite how crazy some of the concepts are, somehow this scribe makes it work.

The art by Marc Laming is engrossing.  We have very refined visualizations that may not be too bold with their subtle changes but details that are added give this world a vision that’s worthy of the context.  As the demons haunt the dreams of men we see an illustrator step up to the plate in a way that shows a steady hand and a chaotic spirit.  In short: he accomplishes a lot that easily makes this release in a truly visceral treat.

Kings Watch #1 is not perfect but it’s a powerful, potent and certainly competent piece of work that’s destined to excite adventure enthusiasts of all ages.  Highly recommended.

4.5/5