MARS

Kicking off this series with “The Sad, Sad Song of Widow Johnson, Part One,” writers Ben Acker and Ben Blacker introduce readers to Sparks Nevada. J. Bone draws the action in “The Thrilling Adventure Hour Presents: Sparks Nevada: Marshal on Mars” #1, which follows the #0 issue from last year and serves as a continuation of investigations into the origin of one of the more popular stars of “The Thrilling Adventure Hour” podcast. In addition to twenty pages of new story in the continuing adventures of Sparks Nevada, Croach the Tracker and a handful of supporting characters, the issue also gives readers a reprint of “The Thrilling Adventure Hour Presents: Sparks Nevada: Marshal on Mars” #0, making this comic a one-stop shop for readers to leap into action alongside Mars’ most entertaining marshal. Acker and Blacker continue to plum the early days of Nevada’s training as this comic opens on Earth in the thirty-first century. Sparks Nevada is at the United Solar System Alliance Academy,

In “John Carter: Warlord of Mars” #1 John Carter returns to Dynamite Entertainment’s publishing line, but this time it bears creator credit to Edgar Rice Burroughs, a result of Dynamite Entertainment’s agreement with Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Already familiar with the Burroughs’ group through other creative endeavors, writer Ron Marz displays another sort of familiarity in his knowledge of Barsoom. Marz introduces readers to the conflicts on Barsoom (which some call “Mars” or maybe even “G’loot Praktaw”) through Dejah Thoris, the princess of Mars, and as of this comic, John Carter’s wife. Dejah is inflicted with a truth serum that incites her to reveal the truth of all she knows to an invader. The identity of that invader is revealed at the end of the book, setting this series up for a very personal conflict to come. The vehicle of the truth serum makes for a fantastically natural plot device to enable readers to quickly and efficiently get up to speed on the adventures of John Car

Variant covers used to be all the rage and still have a hold in collectors’ hearts and wallets, but “Mars Attacks” #1 has fifty-nine different options to blaze multiple holes into the wallets and pockets of crazed collectors everywhere. Thankfully, I consider myself a reader and not a collector. All the same, it certainly is fun to see a comic cover displaying the art from one of the original 1962 trading cards. Those cards serve as a transitional motif throughout this issue. John McCrea uses the concept of the cards to lead into each scene. You can almost hear McCrea and writer John Layman, with wads of waxy, pink gum from the card packs in their mouths, trading ideas of the story surrounding the image depicted. Opening with a dynamic scene of Earth being conquered by the Martians the story slides into a flashback of 1961 where two men find the Martian we will come to know as Zar. McCrea follows up the prologue and sets the rest of this story in motion with a credit sequence evoca

“John Carter: The Gods of Mars” is plucked from a sequel to the story currently making the rounds in movie theaters. Of course, the original story predates every single character published by Marvel and most of their creators but that doesn’t stop the House of Ideas from properly celebrating one of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ most intriguing creations. Sam Humphries creatively adapts the story from Burroughs’ works, including a passing reflection from Burroughs’ notes as the author did when he originally penned “A Princess of Mars” and the original manuscript for “The Gods of Mars.” The device works well to advance the action of the story, juxtaposed with imagery depicting Carter’s struggles against the Plant Men — imagery is beautifully drawn by Ramón Perez and collaboratively colored by Jordie Bellaire. Perez and Bellaire melt into one another, making the art an indistinguishable cooperative. Cory Petit plays alongside the two, adding sound effects (or perhaps preserving those effects i

For many, the upcoming “John Carter” movie will be their first exposure to the Edgar Rice Burroughs creation. This story is designed to help smooth out the introduction, serving as the “Official Prequel to Disney’s highly anticipated film,” as pasted on the cover to this first of four issues. The Disney logo does appear on the cover to this comic, but I have to say I am pretty sure that is the smallest usage of the logo I have ever seen. Disney-approved or Marvel-produced, it matters little for this comic book, which is a nice primer to all things Barsoom (that’s Mars as the Mars-dwellers call it). It starts off with John Carter, but it quickly shifts focus from Carter over to the two characters that most impact the life of Carter on Mars: Dejah Thoris, princess of the city of Helium; and Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of the Tharks. Through this story, and reinforced by the glossary at the back of this first issue, we are introduced to the three races of Mars: Zodangans, Heliumites, and Thar

Opening up “John Carter: A Princess of Mars” #1, I had no idea what I was getting into. A kinetic and incredibly fun Skottie Young cover, an intriguing title, and a (far too slight) familiarity with Edgar Rice Burroughs’ work suggested it was something I should try out, though, and I’m glad I did. In this issue, our hero, John Carter, wakes up in a very strange place and has no idea how he got there. His last memory is of prospecting in Arizona and then being accosted by strange fumes in a cave. In short order, Carter realizes he’s on Mars. Because he seems to be able to jump to incredible heights and read his captors minds, he is kept as a prisoner, guarded by a giant “dog” he calls Woola. He defeats some giant apes and, out of respect, the Martians agree to call him John Carter, instead of “mammal.” When some ships from the great Martian city of Helium crash land and a prisoner — “The Princess” of the title — emerges and is human, John finds his priorities and interests shifting, t

I’ve never read any of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “John Carter of Mars” stories, although of course I’d heard of the old pulp novels back in the day, and knew some of the basics. Reading “Warlord of Mars” #1, though, showed me just how many of the basics I still didn’t know about the character. Like, for instance, that he was a captain in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, which had recently ended as the comic begins. Arvid Nelson could have probably left that part of the story out, or at least skimmed it over in his adaptation of Burroughs’ prose into comics, but instead we leap right into the middle as Carter and his friend and fellow former Confederate officer James Powell get into a fight with several Union officers while stopping for a beer in Arizona Territory. It’s interesting, because at a glance it’s hard to not focus on just Carter being a Confederate soldier. As the story unfolds, though, it becomes clearer that Carter has two very specific allegiances, and the

“Red Mass for Mars” was the fourth Image book from Jonathan Hickman, the third of a small wave of them released back in 2008 alongside “Pax Romana” and “Transhuman,” and while the other two finished up in late 2008, this one has lagged behind. So, here it is, two years after the first issue shipped and, during that time, Hickman has gone on to become a little bit of a mucky muck at Marvel, writing “Secret Warriors,” “S.H.I.E.L.D.,” and, of course, “Fantastic Four.” Hopefully, with his larger profile, readers will flock to this series in trade as it tells the story of 33 superhumans defending Earth from a superior alien invasion in the year 2118. The first three issues of the series have been the set-up for this final confrontation as Mars, the Superman-esque hero that landed on Earth in the 9th century, has decided to stand beside the rest of the heroes after some, including his son, have already fallen in a failed attempt to destroy the Hun-Du fleet as it makes its way to Earth. The