A sizable threat looms!
Creative Staff:
Story: Amy Chu
Art: Pasquale Qualano
Colors: Valentina Pinto
Letterer: Thomas Napolitano
What They Say:
Lies, lies, lies – as the relationship between Helium and Zodanga deteriorate, Dejah Thoris learns a harsh lesson in diplomacy. Keel Kors professes his love for the Princess, but can she trust him? Meanwhile, Dekana reveals her true colors.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
One of the things that makes reading Dejah Thoris and the John Carter books enjoyable is that it is all pretty new to me. I’ve read a handful over the years but there’s a rich history that’s been created, something that Amy Chu is able to tap into easily for new stories. This arc has been interesting so far but bringing in the Black Martians had me going to look as to when they were first introduced as I had never heard of them before. Pasquale Qualano continues to put together a great looking book and the scale of everything is really stepped up nicely with this installment thanks to the new arrivals here. It’s definitely an important piece to set right and Qualano does it up just right.
With the attack as happened the last time around, this issue starts with a decent little hsitory lesson about the Black Martians, or the First born, and the rumor of them being from one of the moon’s, which isn’t true from what I can tell. Their story of mingling with yellows and whites that ends up with reds down the line is interesting but also that we get a lot that are still pure in a sense. And they’re definitely intense as they’re taller, meaner, and work on what seems like a larger scale in terms of ships and what they’ve been up to in this area for some time. The way the ship is captured after evacuating most of the people shows that they’re very focused on what they’re after and have the confidence to pull it off.
It’s definitely engaging to watch as the Jeddak and the rest decide what to do, though all deference is there of course. His meeting with the Black Martians makes it clear they want the weapon that was built and those being it with Ando, currently a prisoner, included in the demand. Of course, the Jeddak isn’t up for that and it sets into motion the conflict that will come, especially with him wounded early and a lot now put onto Dejah to ensure that the Black Martians don’t acquire the weapon or the architect behind it. With some good adventure within the ship so far and an interesting crew that Dejah has had to deal with, and with the idea that Dekana is about to shift her own goals here, it’s a pretty intense story overall that’s coming into focus more and more.
In Summary:
While the Dejah Thoris stories overall have been a bit uneven in some ways there’s been plenty to like in each arc. This one in particular is definitely working better for me as we’re seeing more expansions on the world at large, drawing us into new areas and peoples, while also setting up for some pretty intense fights to come with how the Black Martians are being presented. Amy Chu’s work feels more and more confident as it goes on, taking more time to breathe in a way, while Pasquale Qualano gets to illustrate more and more interesting elements of Barsoom and all that it entails. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: September 12th, 2018
MSRP: Free
