DEJAH THORIS VS. JOHN CARTER OF MARS #4 – Review

In DEJAH THORIS VS. JOHN CARTER OF MARS #4, available from Dynamite Comics on October 27th, 2021, things are heating up as Rotak Gall captures John Carter for his unholy experiment to aid the Longborn’s conquest of Mars.

The Details

• Written By: Dan Abnett
• Art By: Alessandro Miracolo
• Colors By: Dearbhla Kelly
• Letters By: Simon Bowland
• Cover Art By: Lucio Parrillo (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: October 27, 2021

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Was It Good?

Issue #4 in the “versus” series is an exciting, action-packed adventure comic in the spirit of the classic pulp series on which the material is based.

Our heroes are captured by an evil mad scientist and have to make a daring escape to save their world or die trying. Yes, this issue really is that classic in terms of plot, action, thrills, and spills. Just like other properties inspired by the pulp adventure serials of the early 20th Century (e.g. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark), the main characters have lovable chemistry and an easy charm about their relationship. You can feel they’re made for each other, and that’s a testament to how well Abnett captures their personal relationship.

However, make no mistake, this is an adventure story and there’s plenty of tricky escapes, sword fights, a torture scene led by an evil mad scientist that’s so true to form, he’d be twirling his moustache if he had one. There’s even a villain monologue where he spills the beans on his plan to be part of the new world order once the Longborn invasion begins. Again, it’s practically perfect pulp adventure in every way.

What helps sell the excitement of the story is Miracolo’s eye for action sequences. The visuals that stand out are anything that flows, specifically hair and clothes. Every scene looks like it’s in mid-movement with fluttering hems and windswept hair to give you the impression of constant motion. Only when the characters are truly standing still do the scenes calm down, and Miracolo times those quiet moments expertly to let the drama of the conversations breathe. Miracolo was an excellent choice to draw this title.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

Captured?!? Yes, both Dejah Thoris and John Carter are captured, and you can find out how in our DEJAH THORIS VS. JOHN CARTER OF MARS #3 review.

We begin with Carter and Thoris restrained on examination tables inside Gall’s lab. While they two are alone, Thoris admits she feels they’ve had a rift between them since Carter was “resurrected”. However, his recklessly rabid attempt to rescue her has proven that he still loves her deeply, and the two appear to have released some of the tension of recent weeks.

Gall arrives to humorously gloat over the reunited lovers and monologue his way through the next few scenes. His plan is simple – create genetically unstoppable host bodies for the Longborn to possess when they enter this dimension and move to take over Mars by force. Gall’s first attempts relied on Black Pirate genetics, but now that he has John Carter, his next attempts at clones will be unbeatable when grown with a mixture of Black Pirate and John Carter DNA. Of course, extracting the genetic material turns out to be quite painful… for Carter.

After Gall leaves to run some tests, Thoris digs out a lockpick she has hidden in her skin. Freed, Carter and Thoris fight their way through the stronghold looking for a way out of this pocket dimension. We conclude the issue with wave after wave of attacking clones, the discovery of useful Arcanotech, and a Thern receiving a message of last resort.

Final Thoughts

DEJAH THORIS VS. JOHN CARTER OF MARS #4 is a classic pulp serial adventure in the best sense of the phrase. The action is thrilling, the mad scientist villain is gleefully evil (and a little bit funny), and the cliffhanger promises a buildup to a world-shaking finale.

Score: 8.5/10

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