More on the new Flash Gordon comics

From an interview with writer Brendan Deneen:

• The first arc is more-or-less our “origin story” for Flash, the supporting characters, and Mongo. All of the classic elements are there… Flash, Dale and Dr. Zarkov are transported to the fantastical world of Mongo, which is ruled by the intelligent and evil Ming, although a number of factions are seeking to overthrow him. However, there are some significant changes as well. Ming’s beautiful daughter, Princess Aura, was recently killed by Arborian Rangers; Prince Barin is a rebel who’s been exiled to Frigia, an arctic wasteland on the outskirts of Mongo; and our three main heroes (Flash, Dale and Zarkov) are separated pretty much immediately after their arrival on this strange planet. All of the characters’ divergent storylines will thread through one another’s until they’re finally all reunited at the end of the first arc. I promise a lot of twists and turns, and a couple of surprises as well.
• In keeping with the spirit of the original comic strip, in which Flash was a professional polo player, I’ve made the new version of the character a former Olympic athlete. Also, in the very first strip from the 1930s, it’s mentioned that Flash is a Yale graduate, so I’ve actually made him a Professor of Political History & Theory at Yale University (and he also coaches the polo team there). In this new version, Dale Arden is a CIA Agent, and that’s how she and Flash know each other. They met and fell in love while in training to join the Company but Flash either quit or was kicked out before he became an Agent (it depends if you ask Flash or Dale about the truth behind him leaving!). He decided to segue into academia but he still has a taste for adventure. Dr. Hans Zarkov was a friend of Flash’s but Zarkov seemingly began to lose his mind, spiraling into paranoia, and vanished years ago. As for Ming, in my version he’s actually called “Ming the Merciful” and sees himself (or at least presents himself) as a benevolent dictator who is constantly being attacked by insurgents. His relationship with Dale will actually play on that theme as he attempts to seduce her, since both her beauty and her CIA skills appeal to Ming. However, his true colors will surface soon enough. Meanwhile, Flash will be holed up with the rebels, and his knowledge of military tactics will come into play when they take the fight to Ming. There are also a number of cool Mongon characters and species, some of which will be familiar to fans of the 1980 film, and also many others inspired by the original comic strip.

I never seen the original comic strip or any other Flash Gordon but this is getting more and more interesting.