Writer – Dan Jurgens
Artist – Dan Jurgens
Inker – Bruce D. Patterson
Colours – Anthony Tollin
Letters – John Workman

Dale and Flash are having a moment as they traverse the arctic region of Mongo when they encounter a White Ape-like creature straight out of an Edgar Rice Burroughs novel. While it could be their last moment among the living, Flash manages to get the better of the monster despite its size and strength. They continue on to the brink of exhaustion before finally coming to a domed city, waking up within its walls to discover a race of people without a care in the world. Though something is off about this idyllic society, it is soon discovered to be Ming, the man’s vile presence felt everywhere and in every corner of Mongo. Out of everything that author Dan Jurgens has introduced thus far in this series, what these people go through is the most tragic of all as they simply exist to be an organ farm, one that is evergreen with the people absolutely clueless about what is happening. Dale and Flash are outraged and more than angry about it all. How can a people willingly give themselves over to death and not question it? When they find it is Ming behind it all, they swear to take him down but also need to expose the truth and when one of Ming’s ships arrives to collect the latest volunteers, they now have the perfect opportunity to do that. Arriving at the facility, they head inside with Xeo, the current leader of his people and it is there that he finally witnesses and understands the horror of what has been happening to his people for over four hundred years. While all of this is going on, Jurgens has not forgotten the rest of the cast for whom the wheels keep spinning, some of those being Prince Barin, Vultan, Dr. Zarkov and Princess Aura. None of them really trust the others and yet there will come a point where it seems they will have to if they are to remove Ming from his position as emperor. While the main story featuring Flash and Dale takes up the bulk of the book, enough is going on in the background that the bigger picture is not forgotten and Jurgens does a great job of juggling it all. The artwork is great, the story fun while horrific at times and altogether, with only three issues to go until the end, it is keeping readers on the hook which is a good thing.

3.5 out of 5