I have just seen news that Titan Books will reprint the original “Mandrake the Magician” Sunday comic strips. The first collection will be released in February, 2012, and cover the first two years of publication, 1935–1937.
As the release says:
From the very beginning in 1934, these are the original adventures of the famous comic strip detective — collected in full for the very first time!
Mandrake is a master of hypnosis, whose ability causes his opponents to encounter wild illusions, giving the heroes the upper hand in a fight. His enemies cover a broad spectrum, including gangsters, mad scientists, alien creatures, and characters from other adventures. His greatest ally is Lothar, “Prince of the Seven Nations” who gave up his crown to join Mandrake in his globe-trotting adventures. They are accompanied by the beautiful Narda, princess of a European nation and Mandrake’s romantic interest.
Mandrake was created by Lee Falk, who is also the creator of The Phantom, and is the classic example of the stage magician hero. He has the ability to hypnotize his opponents which adds to his mystic aura, yet he is also capable of actual feats of magic and mysticism, making him a superheroic character before the acknowledged first superhero, Superman, was published. This is something I am seriously looking forward to seeing