YMMV / Dan Dare

• Awesome Art: The art, particularly the coloring, in the original series is just gorgeous.
• Complete Monster:
  • Garth Ennis's 2007-2008 miniseries): The Mekon, vile ex-tyrant of the Treen people, is the epitome of a cruel little green man. The Mekon attempts to conquer Earth and the Treens once again through the use of a black hole; destroys Pluto so the Earthmen take his threats seriously; viciously tortures Dan Dare even after the latter willingly surrenders himself; and vows to burn all of Earth and reduce humanity to chattel. No less merciless towards his minions, the Mekon flushes them out into space, blasts them in the face, and fires upon them in open warfare for the slightest and pettiest of reasons.
  • Pilot of the Future: The Mekon, the tyrannical ruler of the Treens from the north of Venus, aims to conquer the universe. Under the Mekon's rule, the Treens wage war on the peaceful Therons, with Treen children experimented on to create the perfect soldiers, one of whom is his bodyguard Sondar. When a human mission on Venus is intercepted by his forces, the Mekon plots to use technology from their ship to destroy the Therons and invade Earth. When Dan Dare punches him, the Mekon attempts to painfully execute him, as well as Sondar for his slow reaction. The Mekon then tries to enslave both the Therons and Earth: Methods include include using an ancient superweapon; trying to starve the Therons; and weaponizing a disease, almost destroying the afflicted village in the process. When the Mekon's campaign to Jupiter ends with him destroying a peaceful colony and being pursued by more powerful enemies, he manipulates his way into Space Fleet Command and tries to launch nuclear warheads against Jupiter. After his mining of the north of Venus leaves it uninhabitable, the Mekon joins forces with the treacherous Earth senator to fake his death and frame Dan for a war crime so Earth will lower its defences, allowing his fleet to attack Earth—reducing entire cities to rubble. When forced to call off the invasion, the Mekon sends a satellite crashing into Earth, gloating that the entire planet would be destroyed.
• Older Than They Think: The original series features many tropes associated with the Star Trek franchise, which it predates by 15 years. A One World Order on Earth, a Multinational Team making up the main cast, a logical stoic alien whose name starts with S, and the Mildly Military nature of the space exploration organization are all featured here first.
• Tear Jerker: In the Ennis run, Digby's final stand. He and Dan Dare are commanding a refugee fleet pursued by a Treen loyalist warship. In an attempt at buying time, Digby evacuates his ship of all but essential personnel, then turns it around to face the warship head-on. As the ship blows up around them, the pilot admits that she is afraid to die. Digby covers her eyes and does his best to consol her as the bridge is destroyed.

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