DEJAH THORIS VS. JOHN CARTER OF MARS #1 – Review

In DEJAH THORIS VS. JOHN CARTER OF MARS #1, available from Dynamite Comics on July 21st, 2021, the war with the Longborn is at hand, and Dejah Thoris is hunting down every enemy that may hold the key to stopping Barsoom’s destruction.

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The Details

• Written By: Dan Abnett
• Art By: Alessandro Miracolo
• Colors By: Dearbhla Kelly
• Letters By: Simon Bowland
• Cover Art By: Lucio Parrillo
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: July 21, 2021

Was It Good?

Yes, this comic is a better-than-average pulp adventure, and we need more of this type of comic on the market.

Dejah Thoris is painted (in word and deed) as a Queen determined to save her world by any means necessary. The creators do an excellent job portraying Dejah as an authoritative figure that commands the respect of her council and her army. You can believe she’s a queen worth following into war.

Part of the majesty and nobility of Dajah in this book is realized through Miracolo’s excellent art. He makes Dejah as beautiful as she is commanding, and the art is some of the best we’ve seen on this title.

The story is mostly good with one down point. John Carter is now free from the mind control of the witch-queen, Sabal Than, but he’s wallowing in the guilt of what he did under her control. Regret is understandable, but here, John Carter some off as self-pitying and almost a bit whiney. It may fit the central conflict of the story but it seems out of place given the history and the nature of John Carter as a character.

The implication (based on the title of this series) that Dejah Thoris and John Carter will butt heads doesn’t really come up in this issue. However, it’s difficult to see how or why they would clash when Dejah is on a proper path as queen and John is sulking in a corner.

That said, the art is great and the writing is well done from cover to cover, so this was definitely an enjoyable first issue.

What’s It About?

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

We pick up after the previous series with Dejah Thoris in charge of Barsoom after deposing Kurz Kantos. John Carter has been freed from the witch-queen’s mind control, and the Green Nations are united under the leadership of Tars Tarkas.

Dejah sets out with a contingent of warriors to track down the malignant scientist, Rotak Gall, hoping they can stop him from using his genetic weapons in service to the Longborn.

Meanwhile, John Carter takes recovers from his ordeal by sharing his concerns with his old friend, Tark Tarkas, about remaining on Mars. John doesn’t trust himself, and he fears he may be susceptible to doing more harm if he stays.

Dejah’s ship enters a wild and uncharted area of Mars when they’re attacked by a menagerie of genetically engineered beasts. They manage to fend off the attack. We conclude the issue with Dejah’s forces finding a mysterious building in the jungle with a peculiar resident.

Final Thoughts

DEJAH THORIS VS. JOHN CARTER OF MARS #1 is a fine example of strong character work with grit in the pulp adventure genre. The characters are admirable to the point of nobility, and the art is some of the finest work Dynamite has out right now. this is a great start to a new series.

Score: 9.5/10