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Alex Raymond
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Alex Ross
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On the Planet Mongo (The Complete Flash Gordon Library) Hardcover – September 25, 2012

by Alex Raymond (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars 163 ratings

Beginning the complete library of the greatest science fiction hero of all time. 

Volume One will spotlight the work of Alex Raymond, legendary for some of the finest storytelling of the 20th century. Raymond illustrated the Sunday strips until 1944; with his clear and much-imitated style forming the original aesthetic of the most popular and easily recognised science fiction hero for decades to come. 

Introducing Flash Gordon, Dale Arden, Dr. Hans Zarkov, and Ming the Merciless, this volume will catapult readers to the deadly planet Mongo.

These are the strips that influenced George Lucas to create Star Wars, and which illustrator Al Williamson said were "the reason I became an artist."



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  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Complete Flash Gordon Library
  2. Print length
    208 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Titan Books
  5. Publication date
    September 25, 2012
  6. Dimensions
    11.32 x 1.01 x 10.22 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    9780857681546
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0857681546
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A wonderful new way to experience Alex Raymond’s creation, and does grand justice to the artistic brilliance of the strip. It’s a must-have for fans, and a must-see for those who’ve never had the pleasure of reading the original series before." – Forbes.com

‘this is wonderful escapism, packed to the rafters with action, last minute escapes and lurid kinkiness.’ – SFX

'This is an absolute “must have” for anyone who considers themselves a comics aficionado or armchair science fiction historian.' – B&N Book Blog

"Titan Books gives this collection the star treatment it deserves, faithfully reproducing the original strips on a high-quality stock of gently off-white paper that avoids the too-bright reproduction of other collections. If you don't have the time to read all 200+ pages of this "coffee-table" book in one sitting, merely dig in at any point and be wowed by Raymond's phantasmal world called Mongo." – MTV

'Recaptured in the glorious, four-color tones that evoke the sense of old newsprint, Titan has managed to retain the look and feel of what it must have been like to read the series as it unfolded from week to week, where Raymond managed to cram non-stop action and adventure into a single page of panels and stlll get a reader to return each week.  This lovingly-presented volume should appeal to both new readers and those who might have even read it when it first came out 75 years ago.' – Fanboy Comics

'if the first volume is any indication, this series will be prized by longtime fans of Golden Age comics and new admirers alike.' – Playback STL

"As far as presentation goes, this is one huge and good looking book. Much like Titan’s other library editions to have come out and impress fans over the years." – Comic Attack

About the Author

Alex Raymond is one of the most famous artists in the history of comic strips. He created Flash Gordon, Secret Agent X-9, Rip Kirby, and Jungle Jim. George Lucas has indicated that Flash Gordon was the inspiration for the Star Wars movies, and Raymond's work has inspired decades of writers, artist, and filmmakers.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0857681540
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Titan Books; Illustrated edition (September 25, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780857681546
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0857681546
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.9 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11.32 x 1.01 x 10.22 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 163 ratings

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  1. Alex Raymond

    Alex Raymond

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  2. Alex Ross

    Alex Ross

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    Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book writer/artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries Marvels, on which he collaborated with writer Kurt Busiek for Marvel Comics. He has since done a variety of projects for both Marvel and DC Comics, such as the 1996 miniseries Kingdom Come, which Ross co-wrote. Since then he has done covers and character designs for Busiek's series Astro City, and various projects for Dynamite Entertainment. His feature film work includes concept and narrative art for Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, and DVD packaging art for the M. Night Shyamalan film, Unbreakable. He has done covers for TV Guide, promotional artwork for the Academy Awards, posters and packaging design for video games, and his renditions of superheroes have been merchandised as action figures.

    Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Ruby Bradford [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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  3. Don Moore

    Don Moore

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    Don Moore has been interested in Latin America since he discovered the region's shortwave radio stations as a high school student. That lead him to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras for three years in the early 1980s. After leaving Honduras, he journeyed through South America for six months in 1985 and made several shorter trips in the following decades. During this time he wrote and published numerous articles on Latin American broadcasting and culture. These can be found at his DonMooreDXer website. Since retiring in 2017, he now focuses on making long journeys to less traveled places. He has now written two books and has plans for several more.

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
163 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers love the artwork in this Flash Gordon book, with one noting how the blacks remain sharp and distinct. Moreover, the stories receive positive feedback, with one customer describing it as a beautiful book of original Flash Gordon stories. Additionally, customers appreciate the art direction, with one highlighting Alex Raymond's legendary talent as an illustrator. Customers find the book worth its price.

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21 customers mention "Artwork quality"19 positive2 negative

Customers love the artwork in this book, describing it as beautiful, with one customer noting how the blacks remain sharp and distinct.

"...Raymond's artwork is marvelous -- tight lines, sweeping curves, fabulous alien landscapes, and bizarre creatures and humanoids...." Read more

"...Everything looks just right, much better than on my old Kitchen Sink hardcovers on too glossy paper, and much more faithful than the recent IDW..." Read more

"...of mine since highschool, this book makes reading and looking at these strips an utter joy! I personally love the printing...." Read more

"I'll start by saying the cover is nicely designed but apparently prone to easy wear...." Read more

14 customers mention "Story quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the stories in this book, describing them as excellent classic science fiction, with one customer noting it's a beautiful collection of original Flash Gordon tales.

"Retro sci-fi at its best full of rocket ships, monsters, death rays, peril at every turn, and floating cities...." Read more

"Quality scans and restorations of the original Flash Gordon Sunday Comics. If you're looking at this book, you're already going to buy it...." Read more

"Loved Flash Gordon serials as kid - great reproduction of the comic strips!" Read more

"...Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon is a must for any aficionado of classic comic books." Read more

7 customers mention "Value for money"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth its price.

"...arrived a full 13 months since my pre-order -- but it was well worth the wait. "..." Read more

"...The Titan Flash Gordon volume(s) are worth it if you have nothing else and want to see the strips for the sake of seeing them...." Read more

"...IDW has two volumes out so far and I think it's the best Flash for your money to date." Read more

"Wonderful presentation format. The price is great in exchange for the amount of beautiful pages...." Read more

3 customers mention "Art direction"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the art direction in the book, with one customer highlighting Alex Raymond's legendary work and another noting his singular talent as an illustrator.

"...Alex Raymond is a singular talent as an illustrator, and there has never been another comic with his level of craftsmanship...." Read more

"...Raymond's work is legendary, and deservedly so...." Read more

"Great and legendary work and art of alex raymond" Read more

Definitely getting volumes 2 and 3
5 out of 5 stars
Definitely getting volumes 2 and 3
Wonderful presentation format. The price is great in exchange for the amount of beautiful pages. Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon is a must for any aficionado of classic comic books.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kenneth Sall
    5.0 out of 5 stars Flash Gordon - Titan vs. Checker; Worth the Wait
    Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I truly enjoy the pre-WWII Alex Raymond Flash Gordon. The new Titan Books edition finally arrived a full 13 months since my pre-order -- but it was well worth the wait. "On the Planet Mongo" is 205 pages including 10 pages of informative background material by Alex Ross and Doug Murray. Volume 1 of the four announced comprises 9 story arcs from 1/7/1934 to 4/18/1937. Raymond's artwork is marvelous -- tight lines, sweeping curves, fabulous alien landscapes, and bizarre creatures and humanoids. Pacing is effectively controlled by a variable number of panels per page and different panel layouts (especially by the end of his first year). Unlike modern comic books, Raymond's Sunday strips feature heroes and heroines that are anatomically correct and yet beautiful.

    I've compared this first Titan Books edition to the Checker Books versions, 7 volumes of which were published from 2004-2006 (and still available on Amazon, such as Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon, Vol. 1). The Titan version has more subdued coloring, probably closer to the original Sunday newsprint. By comparison, the Checker version has more vibrant coloring that jumps out at you a bit more. The Checker Books are less than 90 pages of artwork each. Titan volume 1 is about 25 pages longer than Checker vol. 1 and 2 combined. Overall I prefer the Titan edition both in terms of the more accurate restoration and the page count, as well as for the introductory material. Still, the Checker Books versions are worth considering; the price per page is roughly the same.

    I'm also a fan of the Mac Raboy version of Flash Gordon, still available on Amazon as over-sized black and white paperbacks (e.g., Mac Raboy's Flash Gordon, vol. 1). I own several of the recent Flash Gordon Comic Book Archives volumes; they do not compare to either the Raymond or Raboy renderings, although many of the painted covers are quite attractive. For example, see Flash Gordon Comic Book Archives Volume 1.

    One problem with the new Titan edition -- despite careful handling, a few of the flecks of gold have already fallen off the gold and red logo. Not a big problem but annoying.
    39 people found this helpful
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  • jmm
    5.0 out of 5 stars BEST Flash Gordon reprint EVER, bar none
    Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Unlike other readers and reviewers here on Amazon and some other places around the web, I LOVE the scanning, the printing quality and the paper stock on this first Titan collection of legendary Alex Raymond's FLASH GORDON. Everything looks just right, much better than on my old Kitchen Sink hardcovers on too glossy paper, and much more faithful than the recent IDW oversized reprint, whose only advantage is its tabloid size, but is marred by too garish colors and a really ugly, almost amateurish layout and design, whereas Titan's graphic appearance is way more elegant.

    The art on this book looks as close as possible to the original publication on newsprint, as any good archival reprint edition should do: strive for faithfulness to original presentation.

    Don't get me wrong, I would love some pristine edition printing Raymond's art in all its detail and glory from new scans of the original art plates, the way IDW's "Artist Edition" series is doing with some celebrated comic book runs (Walt Simonson's THOR, David Mazzuccheli's DAREDEVIL or Joe Kubert's TARZAN, three books that I own and enjoy), but that should always be considered as an "art book", a side project, not a proper archival presentation of the materials.

    As a side note, I have read some buyer on Amazon UK listing for this complaining about a supposed misprint, but I am baffled, because it certainly is not present on my copy, and, what's more, the dates he gives for the Sunday strips doesn't match actual publication:

    "At first I liked this edition very much for the quality of drawings, but I was really upset when I discovered that there are at least 2 sunday strips missing:
    - 04 august 1934 strips are missing (at there place there are the duplicated strips of 09 february 36)
    - 25 august 1934 strips are missing (at there place there are the duplicated strips of 18 august 1934)"

    That's what he claims, but again, I have not found that error on my copy. Maybe he got the dates mixed and there is indeed some misprint affecting other pages? I have yet to check thoroughly, but I guess that would explain why the book is no longer available from Amazon USA?

    That, or maybe the spotty peeling on the gold-foil lettering on the cover, that seems to have affected most of the copies (I guess the printer did not use the right fixer for the matallic ink, but the lack of shrinkwrap didn't help, either).

    I edit my review to add: mystery solved! I have found out that there was indeed a first printing on April, 2012 affected by the aforementioned misprint errors, but it was later recalled by Titan and replaced with the current, fixed edition, so I guess it's safe to order it now.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Judson Wilkerson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A gloriously good time!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    A Holy Grail of mine since highschool, this book makes reading and looking at these strips an utter joy! I personally love the printing. The ultra clear scans on bright white paper in other editions seem to be inauthentic, this edition gets it right with the feel of newsprint lines and colors.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Matt M
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for Alex Raymond fans.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I'll start by saying the cover is nicely designed but apparently prone to easy wear. Out of the box my cover had numerous metalic ink flecks that had rubbed away.

    That wasn't enough to keep me from enjoying the actual content of the book. The pages were clean and digital cleanup was done with restraint. As an Alex Raymond fan I wanted to see these Sunday strips as they originally appeared rather than with modern re-coloring. A common impuse in reprints is to over-process content to the point of losing the authenticity. Titan Books has done a great job here.

    Alex Raymond is a singular talent as an illustrator, and there has never been another comic with his level of craftsmanship. This is a comic that is not just read. You will be stopped in your tracks by the art. Raymond's amazing full page splashes of Hawkmen diving from the sky are without equal.

    I look forward to the other three volumes and hope the cover problem is resolved for those.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • The Modren Man
    5.0 out of 5 stars Raygun Gothic Art Deco Sexy Awesomeness
    Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Retro sci-fi at its best full of rocket ships, monsters, death rays, peril at every turn, and floating cities. The art by Alex Raymond is wonderful and by the end of the book you can see how Flash became an iconic piece of science fiction. The characters are one dimensional and somewhat outdated but if you can place it in the proper context of the time its a thrilling story.
    5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Rangarao Challapalli
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in India on August 13, 2015
    Verified Purchase
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  • Joachim L.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Endlich gescheite Farben!
    Reviewed in Germany on May 12, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Wunderschön colorierte Ausgabe. Nah an den Sonntagsseiten der Zeitung. Meine dritte und bislang schönste Ausgabe dieses Meisterwerks eines der Pioniere der Comickultur. Stilbildend und Vorbild für Generationen.
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  • mickey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Most definitive deluxe HC of Alex Raymond Flash Gordon and a sheer beauty of a book
    Reviewed in Singapore on July 19, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This has to be the best alex raymond flash gordon reprint, in terms of quality repros, surpassing even the 1970s nostalgia press hc editions. certainly better than the IDW super size hcs that came out about the same time because the former uses glossy paper quite like the checkers edition that does not bring out the essence of the story and art but this super beautiful deluxe hc edition uses archival matte paper that serves the material best for that classic oomph enjoyment for comics of this classic 20th century genre. And if there is one flash gordon book to keep in your personal library, it is this book, doing alex raymond art justice. Volumes 2 is aso not bad, i will rate all three A.R. FG volumes in the same numerical order: 1. vol 1, 2: vol.2 , 3rd Vol.3.
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  • Angel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
    Reviewed in Spain on October 4, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Clásico imprescindible para los amantes de Flash Gordon. La reedición es impresionante.
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  • Lewis Stringer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic artwork, simple storylines
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I'm giving this book five stars for the artwork and production values of the book. If you're looking for a collection of high quality comic art that's historically important then you need this book (and the subsequent follow up volumes) on your bookshelf. If you're expecting a deeply complex storyline for adults then you'll be disappointed. On the one hand, Flash Gordon is very much of its time; simplistic plots, embarrassingly misogynistic attitudes, and nonsensical "science" to its science fiction. On the other hand, it was a pioneering strip that set a high standard of artwork for others to aspire to. Flash Gordon and his allies breathlessly go from one grim situation to another, encountering various tribes and creatures on the planet Mongo. The book collects the weekly pages that appeared in U.S. Sunday newspapers. It's fast paced stuff, intended for people who discarded each episode after reading it. In collected form, the leaps in logic are glaring; not least the way that Flash and Dale Ardern are suddenly devoted lovers only days after meeting, before they've barely had any conversation or as much as held hands, with Dale forever pining for Flash to marry her. In fact marriage seems to be the goal of everyone on Planet Mongo. Ming wants to marry Dale, but she wants to marry Flash. Princess Aura also wants to marry Flash, but Prince Barin wants to marry Aura. (Perhaps "marry" is an metaphor for something more basic that couldn't be said in family newspapers of the time.) I don't wish to sound negative but I know there are some comic fans who are solely interested in story rather than art. If so, you might be disappointed. If you're interested in great comic art that has great significance in the history of comics then this book is unmissable. One fascinating thing is how the strip develops visually. Starting out as a basic adventure strip with tiny panels but later blossoming into lush grand illustrations with each panel being a masterpiece of figurework and style. Superb!
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