JOHN CARTER OF MARS #5, from Dynamite Comics on August 31st, 2022, concludes the collision between two worlds as John Carter and his allies fight a desperate battle against the rogue Therns. Meanwhile, the Earth soldiers enact a plan to get their hands on the Ninth hands.
The Details
- Written by: Chuck Brown
- Art by: George Kambadais
- Colors by: George Kambadais
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Vincenzo Carratù (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: August 31, 2022
Is It Good?
Well, it’s finally over. True to form, JOHN CARTER OF MARS #5 is as much of a mess as the previous issues for several reasons. Let’s get into it.
First, Kambadais’s art at least looks finished, so on that point, this issue is an improvement. It may seem like a backhanded compliment to say “the art looks finished” is a positive for the issue, but looking over the majority of the art, it’s a step above the rest. Kambadais’s style was still a very poor choice for this type of material.
Brown’s writing takes a few bizarre turns in this finale. More bizarre than usual.
First, John was knocked unconscious at the end of the last issue. Now, he has to work his way out of a dream world by apologizing on a cotton-picking plantation for his complicity in slavery during the Civil War. There’s no record of John Carter ever owning slaves or supporting slavery, other than fighting as a conscripted Confederate soldier during the Civil War. Does John Carter’s military service mean he supported slavery? That’s a weighty question and too layered to have it thrown into a few pages of a comic as an afterthought. Again, bizarre.
John Carter and his allies’ plans save the day but not before they recognize a massive Ninth asteroid is headed for Mars. The way Brown chooses to deal with the extinction-level threat is weird, makes little sense because that’s not how gravity works, and ends in a manner that will have you shaking your head.
When a series ends, we try to take a look back and assess the overall success (or not) of the run. This series is a mess because there’s almost nothing good to say about it. The writing ranges from bizarre to confused to nonsensical, and the art flat-out does not work. John Carter is a fan favorite character for us, so it’s shame to see such an ill-conceived series miss on practically every level.
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 JOHN CARTER OF MARS #4 review to learn about our heroes’ plan.
We begin with John stuck in a dream after getting knocked unconscious in the last issue. The narrator of the dream tells John he needs to make things right within himself before he can wake up – starting with apologizing for slavery during the Civil War and his part in it by being drafted into fighting as a Confederate.
John wakes up and immediately leaps into action to fight on mars alongside Dejah Thoris and Tars Tarkas. Meanwhile, Charlie and Hines sneak into the Thern temple to find the Ninth hands used as the power source to bridge Earth and mars for the Thern invasion. They find the hands and teleport them into space to cut off the rebel Therns’ strength and keep the worlds apart.
When the day seems saved, John receives a report that the giant Ninth asteroid is heading straight for Mars. We conclude the issue with John concocting a plan that you absolutely won’t believe.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
JOHN CARTER OF MARS #5 ends the series the way it began – with bizarre, confusing writing and wildly mismatched art for the material. If Dynamite brings John Carter back out for another series, they would do well to find a completely different creative team.
Related Information
Is John Carter based on a book?
Yes, John Carter is based on a series of books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. John Carter’s first appeared in A Princess of Mars in 1912.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.