JANE PORTER AND THE CITY OF FIRE, from Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. in Spring 2023, recounts a tale of interdimensional adventure. When Jane and her crew’s trip through a portal to Pellucidar accidentally sends them to another world, it’s up to Jane Porter to find a way home in the middle of an alien war.
The Details
- Written by: Mike Wolfer
- Art by: Miriana Puglia
- Colors by: Arthur Hesli
- Letters by: Natalie Jane
- Cover art by: Miriana Puglia (cover A)
- Comic Rating: All Ages
- Cover price: $22.95
- Release date: Spring 2023 (estimated)
Is It Good?
JANE PORTER AND THE CITY OF FIRE isn’t just good. It’s great. If he were alive, Edgar Rice Burroughs would be pleased as punch at this graphic novel from Mike Wolfer and the entire creative team from ERB, Inc.
Following on from the stellar one-shot, Jane Porter: The Primordial Peril, Mike Wolfer takes Jane on a wild ride to transport prehistoric animals to Pellucidar for more suitable natural habitat. Unfortunately, their trip through a portal runs into interference that sends Jane’s airship very far from home.
When you purchase a graphic novel, sometimes you want to rifle through it to get to the meat of the story. This isn’t that type of graphic novel. JANE PORTER AND THE CITY OF FIRE is the type of graphic novel you take your time to savor because it’s filled with so many callbacks and references to the greater Burroughs lore. ERB Inc. publications are considered canon, so it’s a special treat to see Wolfer put so much care and attention into making sure the references and callbacks are done right.
That said, this is smart science fiction which does mean less emphasis on big space battles and more emphasis on nuance and thinking through problems. Therefore, readers used to a lot of action in their science fiction may find the pacing slower than they would like. However, readers who are fans of Burroughs’s work will feel comfortably at home with the pacing, dialog, and spirit of adventure here.
Second to Wolfer’s excellent script is an equally outstanding showing from Puglia, Hesli, and Jane. The art team is firing on all cylinders with super-clean pencils/inks, bright, hopeful, vibrant coloring, and pristine lettering. If this art team stays together for every ERB project, consider their presence an absolute win.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our JANE PORTER: THE PRIMORDIAL PERIL review to find out how Jane came to possess a few sabretooth tigers and wooly mammoths.
We begin with Jane making plans to relocate the megafauna discovered in the ice to Pellucidar for care and non-invasive study. As the trip approaches, we meet the eclectic band of adventurers assigned to her crew and the special airship designed for the ship, the Favonia.
With the help of special equipment, courtesy of Victory Harben, the airship will take a quicker path to Pellucidar via a time-space portal. Unfortunately, Russian forces detect the ship and send out a radio detection signal to research what’s happening. The Russian signal accidentally scrambles the Pellucidar portal, sending the Favonia to an alien world.
Realizing she has a golden archaeological opportunity in front of her, Jane Porter requests time to land and research nearby ruins while the ship engineers figure out how to undo the portal accidentally. On the ground, Jane suddenly finds herself surrounded by aliens with a terrible tale to tell and a request for help, but not all is as it seems.
We conclude the issue with forcefields that protect and destroy, monster mutations, and war.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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JANE PORTER AND THE CITY OF FIRE is an Edgar Rice Burroughs fan’s dream of a graphic novel. The sci-fi/fantasy elements fit perfectly within ERB canon, the adventure carries the same weight, tone, and thoughtfulness as an ERB adventure, and the art is a joy.
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