John Carter - Warlord of Mars #14 - A Review

John Carter and Dejah Thoris have returned home to Helium. Yet the streets are deserted and there is something else odd about their home city, which defies their senses and calls into question the very nature of reality around them! Is there some science or sorcery at play? Or has too much time in the desert wastes driven the royal couple mad?!

Ron Marz and Ian Edginton deliver an epic conclusion to their original saga of Barsoom. I'm sad to see this series end but I'm glad to see it go out on a high note, with the quality undiminished. It's truly amazing what these two writers accomplished together, crafting tales true to the spirit of Edger Rice Burroughs.

The artwork by Ariel Medel remains equally impressive.  Medel's a great artist, capable of rendering loud action and quiet reflection with equal ease. He's also one of the few artists who can draw a Dejah Thoris who can look sexy and strong without being objectified. The final art is realized by the excellent colors of Nanjan Jamberi.

John Cater: Warlord of Mars #6 - A Review

An army of both Tharks and Warhoons stand united against the invading Kahori. But even as the Green Martin hordes lay siege to the city of Helium, John Carter faces his rival Joshua Clark in a duel for the fate of all Mars. Meanwhile, a treacherous scientist with designs on Dejah Thoris plots to flee the city with John Carter's wife as his prize!


The final chapter of Ron Marz's opening arc on this new Warlord of Mars series proves as thrilling as its previous installments. The book is full of action and incredibly well-paced. And Dejah Thoris, despite being a hostage for most of the book, proves to be no damsel in distress who requires rescuing.


Curiously, this final issue was illustrated by a different artist - Roberto Castro.  Castro's style is far rougher and sketchier than the smooth, rounded aesthetic favored by Abhishek Malsuni.  This issue doesn't look bad but it's a jarring change after five months and I must confess a personal preference for Malsuni's artwork.

John Cater: Warlord of Mars #5 - A Review

John Carter has arrived just in time to stop the execution of his true love, the princess Dejah Thoris. But will he be able to escape with his life and his love? Not if the conniving Captain Clark - an old enemy from John Carter's days as a Captain in the Confederate Army - has anything to say about it!


With his creation of Captain Josuha Clark, writer Ron Marz has crafted a worthy arch-enemy for John Carter. Clark is everything that Carter is not while seemingly having much in common with his fellow Captain. Chief among these differences are their motivations, with Carter being motivated to battle by love and a desire to protect those in need.  Clark, on the other hand, is motivated by hatred and a need to win, being more barbaric than Carter despite his veneer of civilized courtesy.


The artwork on this books continues to impress. Abhishek Malsuni brings the world of Barsoom to life as few artists have. The inks by Zsolt H. Garisa perfectly enhance the original art. And Nanjan Jamberi provides one of the finest color art jobs I have ever seen.

John Carter: Warlord of Mars 2015 Special - A Review

The Warlord of Mars and his queen are newly returned home from an adventure on another world, with little on their minds but rest and taking comfort in one another. Alas, it is not to be. For the Morgors of Sasoom haven chosen this night to invade Barsoom! And to retake their world, John Carter and Dejah Thoris must travel the stars again in search of allies... however unlikely they may be.



I have mixed feelings about the script by Robert Place Napton.  This issue draws upon the setting of Edgar Rice Burrough's Barsoom quite well and Place takes care to explain various minutia (i.e. who all the various leaders are, what race lives on what planet, etc.) for those who have not read all of the original stories, both through the dialogue and the caption boxes. At the same time, I have to wonder if it was really a good idea to do such a continuity-rich story with the monthly John Carter: Warlord of Mars comic only recently rebooted and many newer readers ignorant of who Bandolian and Ul Vas are.



The artwork is similarly conflicted. Rod Rodolfo's original art is clear and serviceable enough. Yet his inks obscure more of the pencils than it enhances in some panels.  This is particularly vexing given the bright colors used by colorist Nanjan Jamberi, which seem at odds with Rodolfo's heavy inks.

Despite these flaws, the John Carter: Warlord of Mars 2015 Special is an enjoyable enough read. However, it is better suited to those who have already traveled to Barsoom rather than new readers, who would do well to check out the monthly series.

John Cater: Warlord of Mars #4 - A Review

There's not much action to be found in John Carter: Warlord of Mars #4. What action we do have comes in the form of a flashback. It is here we see how Captain John Carter of Virginia came to blows with Captain Joshua Clark of Pennsylvania during the American Civil War and how both men have a certain shared nobility, with Clark seeing himself as a great liberator and Carter being against slavery personally but also being determined to protect his home. This scene encourages some slight sympathy for Clark, who until now had been portrayed solely as a vindictive madman with a grudge.  Which he is, of course, but knowing the motive for his madness enriches his character.


Such moral complexity is typical of Ron Marz. It would be relatively easy to spin a simple tale of princesses held hostage and great warriors doing battle in a weird world as countless other pastiche authors have done so before. But Marz is above such lazy writing and his Dejah Thoris is no damsel to be rescued no matter how distressed she may be. Even in the darkest hour, she still has the baring and dignity of a warrior queen.


The artwork is equally complex while seemingly simple.  Penciler Abhishek Malsuni's character designs are crisp and clear, while possessing an extraordinary amount of fine detail.  The inks of Zsolt H, Garisa perfectly enhance the pencils without a single moment of overshading. The colors by Nanjan Jamberi are all well-chosen. Even the lettering by Rob Steen is impressive, with slight variances in boldness and font size emphasizing key words.

John Cater: Warlord of Mars #3 - A Review

The cover of this book may read John Carter: Warlord of Mars, but the focus of this issue is firmly upon John Carter's wife, Dejah Thoris. Though she may be held hostage in the dungeons of Helium, Dejah is no princess to be rescued!  She is a warrior queen, as cunning as she is bold, but even she will be tested as never before as she makes her escape to join her husband in taking back their home.


Many of the covers for this series have either depicted Dejah in provocative poses and/or in bondage.  Artist Abhisher Malsuni is to be commended for avoiding such silliness.  His Dejah is beautiful, yes, but clearly depicted as a woman of action.  Malsuni's work is further enhanced by the wonderful palette choices of Nanjan Jamberi and deepened by the inks of Zsolt H. Garisa.


Dejanh's strength of character is further revealed through Ron Marz's script. This issue proves the power that was only hinted at earlier in the series, as Dejah joins the fighting herself.  Dejah is revealed as a woman of poise and dignity - a true queen worthy of the respect and adoration of her people.

John Carter: Warlord of Mars #2 - A Review

John Carter is used to facing bad odds. Yet  the current state of affairs on Barsoom is bleak by even his standards. The city-state of Helium has been captured, his warrior-queen Dejah is in bondage and the enemy responsible is a treacherous soldier who has chased him all the way from Earth seeking revenge. Thankfully, John Carter is also used to finding allies in the most unexpected places and he will need the gift of diplomacy as much as his superhuman abilities and fighting skills to succeed.


Ron Marz's script captures the aesthetic of the old pulp adventures with style.  The story here is not a subtle one but it is not meant to be.  This tale is a melodrama where the heroes are heroic, the women as bold as they are beautiful and the villain is one step away from twirling his mustache as he kills a captive just to prove he is willing and capable of doing so.


The artwork matches the script in its epic scope.  Abhishek Malsuni perfectly portrays the awesome grandeur of Edgar Rice Burrough's world.  The inks by Zsolt H. Garisa enhance the artwork without obscuring the original pencils.  And the dry, dead world of Mars has never seemed quite so alive with color as under Nanjan Jamberi's palettes.

John Carter: Warlord of Mars #1 - A Review

Some may call reviving John Carter: Warlord of Mars a fool's errand.  Did the public not already make it clear they had no interest in this property after Disney's John Carter bombed?  Weren't Marvel's John Carter comics a creative disaster on every level? Did anyone buy Dynamite Comics' earlier Warlord of Mars and Dejah Thoris comics for reasons other than collecting all the fan-service heavy covers?

At first John Carter: Warlord of Mars #1 offers little hope that it will be better, as it opens with warrior princess Dejah Thoris in bondage and at the mercy of an unseen villain. And then, an amazing thing as one turns the pages.  She test the chains.  She stands up when the villain enters her cell.  She carries herself as a queen and a warrior as she questions him. And she strikes out at her captor, revealing why they should have chained her legs as well as her arms.

It was at that point that I knew we were in for something special.  No fan-service heavy fantasy here, boys and girls!  This was to be pulp action the way it was meant to be.  And if the opening scenes were not proof of that, the exposition regarding the world of Barsoom killed whatever doubts I had left.


With this book, Ron Marz crafts an epic worth of the name.  His script is filled to the brim with the same dry humor and raw action that made the original novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs so memorable and the inspiration for a goodly portion of modern science fiction and fantasy. They even call Carter a superman, in reference to the fact that it was he - not Kal-El Of Krypton - who first leaped tall buildings in a single bound to protect his adopted home planet.


The artwork by Abhishek Malsuni perfectly captures the essence of Barsoom. His depictions of the various exotic creatures and races of Mars stays true to the general descriptions in the novels while remaining unique.  His Dejah Thoris is drawn as a shapely but strong woman, with strength and steel under her silky skin.  The strong pencils and defining inks are further enhanced by a wonderful color mix, chosen by color artist Nanjan Jamberi.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord of Mars #5

BAD THING: It just hit me how very slow-paced this book is. Really, not much has changed in the last few issues regarding John Carter's position as a warlord/prisoner of the green Martians. While I think the pace would suit a true graphic novel adaptation of the original stories, it seems very drawn out for a monthly periodical comic.





GOOD THING: Thankfully, there is a lot of good drama and sword-and-sorcery style romance here. And while the pacing is sedate, it still manages not to be dull.







The Final Verdict: A good book, but I think I'll be picking it up in TP format from now on. Amazingly, I have the patience to wait for a complete book but not for the next month's issue given the leisurely pacing from chapter to chapter.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord of Mars #4

BAD THING: Quite a bit of the artwork is over-inked and over-shadowed.





GOOD THING: After three-issues of cheesecake covers featuring her, the Martian warrior princess Dejah Thoris finally enters the action.







The Final Verdict: If you like Pulp Comics, you'll love Warlord of Mars!

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord of Mars #3

BAD THING: The covers. Great Kirby's Ghost, the covers! I know given the setting and the genre there's going to be some degree of cheesecake in the artwork. But this is just gratuitous. Particularly since said warrior princess character hasn't shown up in the book yet!

GOOD THING: Once you're past the cover, you're in for a real treat in terms of story and artwork. And hey - equal opportunity exploitation - John Carter spends most of this issue naked and there's many a shot of his muscular backside for the ladies and gay men to drool over, should they be so inclined.







The Final Verdict: Great book. Bad covers. Nuff said!

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord of Mars #2

BAD THING: As with last issue, the covers don't match the content of the book.

GOOD THING: Again, as with last issue, the interior of the book is awesome. More western action as Jon Carter makes his way to Mars through astral-projection and we get a look at green Martian politics as Tars Tarkas earns his new name.

The Final Verdict: Another solid issue of a promising series that is ill-served by its' cheesecake covers. Thankfully, it seems like this will be less of an issue as our hero will be reaching Mars shortly.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord of Mars #1

BAD THING: The cover is a bit of false advertising. Those hoping for a classic tale of Jon Carter fighting weird monsters with a busty Martian princess by his side will be disappointed once they get past the admittedly beautiful cover...

GOOD THING: ... and read two solid stories dealing with the origins of two of Edgar Rice Burroughs' protagonists - John Carter before he came to Mars and the Martian warrior Tars Tarkas, long before they met in the first story ERB wrote involving the two warriors of two worlds.

The Final Verdict: I was expecting a classic sword and sorcery tale after I looked at the cover. Imagine my surprise when instead I got a scene from a western and a scene from a science-fiction story. I wasn't disappointed by this. I don't think you will be either. This could quickly become the equal of Dark Horse's Conan Series.