With only a handful of issues remaining, does the quality of the series start to rise? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

Now that the evil Voro’s dead, Dejah Thoris has her own green men: the Hok Squad, a secret Delta Force of Tharks for special missions. The nastiest warriors to throw at the nastiest jobs. Radical green separatists led by a red woman. What could go wrong?

The franchise picks up considerable pace, as both the text and the visuals undergo a bit of an evolution. With all that’s befallen our heroine, the creative team has made the decision to push this concept even further and the results are functional but also engaging in their own right.  I’ve had my share of criticisms for this property but now I’m actually looking forward to the next installment.

Mark Rahner pens the script and the scribe delivers a basic piece that’s quick to the finish.  But along the way, the talent makes use of his time by highlighting the self-destructive tendencies that have befallen Dejah Thoris.  Through the use of the written word we get some development regarding her relationship with John Carter and some steady movement toward the final acts of this arc.  I was a tad bit underwhelmed by some of the back and forth dialogue as it came off overly stiff, but for the most part it did what it needed to do in order to gain the authenticity this release required.

The art by Jethro Morales is steady, as he illustrates our heroine in the right way. Truth be told it’s hard to avoid over sexualization, especially when considering her wardrobe, but this is without a doubt a far more tame interpretation.  While giving us a solid form for our protagonist the talent captures the ferocity of the Green Men while maintaining enough skill to not hinder or counter prior renditions.  There were sequences that seemed rushed but the overall work was competent.

Dejah Thoris and the Green Men of Mars #9 is a good entry that proves there’s worth in the title.  Recommended.

3.5/5