Review Fix Exclusive: Inside ‘Knights of the Golden Sun’

Review Fix chats with Mark London who lets us know all about the creative process behind his new series, “Knights of the Golden Sun.”

Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this arc?



Mark London: Well, that’s a long and complicated answer, if I could sum it up best I would say, my wife. She convinced me that the supernatural does exist, and I guess my inspiration for the story was to write a piece that would honor everything that she’s taught me. This story is for her.


Review Fix: What do you think makes it special?

London: It’s common for stories that deal with biblical or mythological themes to follow a specific pattern, and in some cases, every story that deals with God might seem dull or preachy but, the way I see it, God loves fantasy and these stories can be fascinating in their own way. He is the most extravagant storyteller of all time, you know?  And whether you want to believe this story is based on actual events or if it’s pure fiction, well, that depends on you.

Review Fix: Without giving anything away, what is the crux of the story?



London: For the world and for humanity to be saved, a prophecy must be fulfilled. As long as God is watching, the guardians, your archangels, your knights, they know exactly what needs to be done in order to maintain the proverbial “peace” on earth. But Father (God), left the throne for unknown reasons and 400 years of solitude fell upon the earth. This is how much time lapsed between the old and new testaments. So, what happens when the archangels have no leader? When Lucifer and the Fallen angels realize that this all mighty and benevolent force is no longer keeping them from taking over the world or most importantly, Providence (heaven)? Our story is all about God’s plans and how we strive to persevere even if the odds are stacked against us.


Review Fix: Did any comics you read as a kid play a role in this one?



London: Comic books had a significant influence on me growing up in the ‘80s and reading The Silver Surfer made a substantial impact on how I approach storytelling. I was enamored with these grandiose stories set in the vastness of space also the size and power of beings like the Titans, Galactus, The Watcher, and even Thanos. They all were these God-like beings that took my imagination to new heights. But, the definitive influence for Knights of the Golden Sun is a Japanese manga called Saint Seiya. It has a lot of mythology and their characters are on a journey to protect one of their Gods from other powerful warriors, of all sorts, who fight for their own Gods. It’s pretty cool.

Review Fix: What type of comic book fans will enjoy this the most?

London: Knights appeals to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted fantasy adventure with depth, over the top action and interesting characters. It’s a story for those who might’ve faced a time of uncertainty in their lives or daily struggles. This story is about the knight in all of us who wants to thrive.

Review Fix: What is special about the art here?



London: Mauricio Villarreal is a very particular artist who loves to make his job harder than what it should be (bear with me for a minute). He puts a ton of details on each panel just for the visual pleasure and delight of others. If you take a careful look at, let’s say, any of the characters’ clothes, you will find a level of detail in the fabric that is both ridiculously intricate and beautiful. I’ve never asked him for any of this, he just goes the extra mile for anyone who is willing to take a chance on this series. I love working with Mauricio, and I hope he continues bringing Mad Cave stories to life for many years to come. In fact, Mauricio and I will be announcing our next project very soon and we believe you are in for a real treat.



Review Fix: What’s next?



London: After the release of Knights of the Golden Sun, our next stop is a very exciting 2019. We plan to release six new titles along with the continuation of our flagship series, Battlecats. Next year is huge for us, we will see new arcs for Battlecats Vol. 2, Honor and Curse, Wolvenhart, RV9, Nuke Lands, and two more that I can’t disclose at the moment. 

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

London: I hope whoever picks up Knights of the Golden Sun can see the world through the eyes of the characters and that they enjoy the crazy ride we have in store for them.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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