Holy shit, Defenders of the Earth is back

There’s a new Defenders of the Earth comic from Mad Cave Studios, and a central DC Comics figure is on writing chores.

I’ve got a soft spot for Defenders of the Earth. I’ve probably waxed poetic about my weird appreciation for The Phantom, a character who most people in my age demographic only know of as the star of a pretty poorly received ’90s film.

Mad Cave Studios is bringing the series back, it announced Friday. What’s more, Dan DiDio, the former DC Comics co-publisher, will be handling the writing chores.

In the broad scope of comics, DiDio is a fairly divisive figure. He was a driving force behind rolling back DC’s beloved slate of legacy characters, including the likes of Wally West, Kyle Rayner, and Connor Hawke, in favor of returning Silver Age mainstays to the limelight.

(There’s also some non-comics controversy that I’m not that familiar with as of this writing, so I’ll let you make your own judgment while I form my opinion, but…yeesh!)

DiDio does have an impressive roster of writing credits, including a relatively well-received 2019 run on Metal Men and the New 52 relaunch of O.M.A.C. He’s arguably a good pick as a writer for reviving a series on old characters.

If you’re not a million years old like I am: Defenders of the Earth was a 1986 animated series that brought together various King Features comic strip heroes — The Phantom, Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician and Lothar — to battle villains that included Ming the Merciless and Graviton.

The original Defenders of the Earth series ran for 65 episodes and did have one previous tie-in comic. If you’re looking for a grittier take on the property, a pseudo-revival was launched in 2013 under the banner Kings Watch, and it’s honestly really good.

Defenders of the Earth #1 by Dan DiDio, Jim Calafiore, and Carlos M. Mangual, is available in August from Mad Cave. You can pre-order it here.