Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #35 Review

Without John Carter, is this really a comic book that needs to exist? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

Following recent events, Dejah Thoris has sheltered a young orphan, but she may have gotten more than she bargained for when the resourceful child proves to have her own agenda and escapes. Meanwhile, an assassin with a score to settle has set his sights on the same young girl. Dejah must find her before the assassin does!

Before we delve into the meatier portions of this tale I’m going to assume that any who read this book understand the blatant eye candy and corny nature of the material within their hands. And with that said I can gleefully report: that this one successful outing. The creative team delivers an entry that makes use of all the characters at their disposal while building up a present threat within this royal family.

Robert Place Napton does an excellent job making the whole narrative not only functional but on some level rather suspenseful. Sure we know that certain characters carry a level of guaranteed survival, but it’s not the potential for their death that sparks this fire or builds to any sort of a crescendo. In short: it’s the ticking time bomb found in a Barsoomian orphan. It’s an arc that focuses on familial ties while also touching ideas of mental stability and even therapy.

The art by Carlos Rafael is a source of mixed emotions for me. On one hand I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, that the skilled hands that illustrate this piece are perfectly suited to the material. But more often than not, we see our heroine displayed in awkward positions in an effort to exentuate her assets. Minus that fact the visual component is still striking and undeniably strong, so much so that I understand if someone tells me they buy this just for the pictures inside.

Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #35 is a good outing that doesn’t break the mold or set a standard but it earns a recommendation from me.

3.5/5