DEJAH THORIS (VOL. 4) #4, from Dynamite Comics on 6/21/23, brings Dejah, Rroo, and Hudd under the refuge of the Kangaroo Men while they plan their next move.
The Details
- Written by: Chuck Brown
- Art by: Emiliana Pinna
- Colors by: Ellie Wright
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Jung-Geun Yoon (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: June 21, 2023
Is It Good?
DEJAH THORIS (VOL. 4) #4 introduces readers to the Gooli, aka the Kangaroo Men, as potential allies for Dejah Thoris and her friends. Chuck Brown’s concept has merit for introducing a little comic relief into Dejah’s dire situation, but an oddly directionless script and shockingly bad art make this issue a downer.
When last we left Dejah Throis and her alien friends, they managed to make peace with the Martian equivalent of a lion pride. Meanwhile, the head of the Kaldanes busied himself making a new host body with superior strength. Now, Dejah and her friends ride the Banths to meet the Gooli, a race of Martians with kangaroo legs, for rest, weapons, and support, but Dejah soon learns her ways are not Gooli ways.
If you read the first paragraph above (but of course you did), you already know this is not going to be a positive review. Chuck Brown doesn’t appear to have a story to tell and is instead hopping from one weird corner of Mars to another to give readers a walking tour of ERB’s version of Mars. There are no obvious stakes, urgency flairs up in moments of danger, only to dissipate in the very next scene, the slapstick-ish tone of the Kangaroo Men feels out of place, and Dejah Thoris increasingly feels like a supporting character next to Rroo.
The story is not great, but Emiliana Pinna’s art is worse by comparison. It’s unclear if this series needed to come out under unreasonable deadlines or if there’s some issue behind the scenes, but the figure work and anatomy in this issue are terrible. Faces look distorted, anatomy proportions are amateurishly bad, and the action choreography doesn’t make sense in spots. The last time we saw art this awful was in last year’s John Carter series, so it’s unclear why Dynamite is choosing to let the art suffer on two of ERB’s most recognizable characters.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our DEJAH THORIS (VOL. 4) #3 review to find out how Dejah made friends with a pride of Banths.
We begin with Dejah Throis, Rroo, and Hudd riding Banths to a meeting place where Rroo has arranged a meeting with King Clang, leader of the Grooli tribe of Kangaroo Men. At the rendezvous point, King Clang jumps into the meeting with a display of weapons prowess, but Rrroo delivers a swift kick to his stomach to knock the wind out of him. The Grooli look impressive, but they’re a tribe of cowards.
King Clang agrees to offer Dejah and her friends temporary refuge while they consider their next move. As a token gift of friendship, King Clang sent his son on a mission to retrieve a special gift. While the Barsoomians wait, the Grooli tribe is attacked by Man-Eaters.
We conclude the issue with an argument over respecting cultures, a body that must be broken, and an unusual arrival.
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Final Thoughts
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DEJAH THORIS (VOL. 4) #4 introduces readers to one of the more unusual tribes on Barsoom as Dejah and her friends seek refuge. The Grooli are certainly imaginative, but the arc has lost almost all sense of direction, the slapstick nature of the Grooli contradicts the tone of Dejah’s dire situation, and the art is terrible.
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