Comics
Review: ‘Lord of Mars’ #1
“Lords of Mars” begins this month with an exposition-heavy issue. The presence of two disconnected stories damages the pacing. Yet, the series revives old pulp heroes in a big, bold way.
WRITTEN BY: Arvid Nelson
ART BY: Roberto Castro
PUBLISHER: Dynamite
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: Aug 7, 2013
“Lords of Mars” opens on the legendary Tarzan adjusting to his new life as the lord of Greystroke. Nelson uses the lens of English gentlemen to show that Tarzan may not be quite as civilized as he once believed. The most interesting moments in the script come from Tarzan’s juxtaposition against any other hunter. He’s much more useful with his bare hands.
Of course, things get out of hand and Tarzan quarrels with the other gentlemen over a moral issue. Tarzan quickly jumps into action, and finds himself fleeing into a cave with Jane.
Here we cut to Mars. John Carter is forced to respond to a threat from his enemies. The politics of Mars take center stage here. The imagery is fantastic but most panels are so full of dialogue that the issue slows down.
The main gripe I have with the script is its reluctance to kickstart the story. In a book that promises meshing two very separate heroes together it sure takes a long time to do it. By the end of the issue it is still not clear what will bring our two heroes together. Not only that but Tarzan’s story is that he is stuck in a cave. Hardly pulse pounding stuff.
Castro’s art is pretty fantastic and fluid. The opening moments with Tarzan bounding through the forest feel kinetic and exciting. Castro displays Tarzan’s full power all in the first page. The peering eyes, and the pounce say it all. The talking between all the gentlemen is only interesting because of Castro’s choice of angles.
Once on Mars, Castro has many more opportunities to flex his muscles. Mars is cool, foreign, and beautiful. His birds eye view panel of people disembarking a ship gives Mars a grand sense of scale that was lacking in the earlier stuff on Earth. John’s outstretched hand pointing to his fleet shows us everything we need to know. John isn’t close to losing this battle.
The book is sold as bold and promises the team up of a lifetime. So much time is spent building story that the promise hardly comes together. John and Tarzan’s stories are still too separate and unrelated to make good on this team up. Instead of capitalizing on the two hero dealing with the same issue, we’re treating to a long winded bout of world building.
The promise of the book remains. If issue #2 picks the pacing up we may actually have the book we were sold. As it stands however, “Lords of Mars” fails to serve as an interesting chapter in either hero’s journey. With a couple of tweaks and little more action the series could get much better. Approach with caution.
1.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jimbus_Christ
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.
Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.
In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”
The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”
Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”
“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.
Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”
Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.
-
Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
-
Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
-
Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
-
Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
-
Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
-
Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
-
Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
-
Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)
Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
4 New Horror Movies Releasing This Week Including ‘Late Night with the Devil’ at Home
‘Ready or Not’: Radio Silence Filmmakers Tease the “Absolute Banger” of a Sequel That’s Taking Shape
‘Sting’ Review – Throwback Creature Feature Entertains With an Impressive Practical Monster
“We Built Every Creature” – ‘Alien: Romulus’ Goes Heavy on the Old School Practical Effects!
‘Terrifier 3’: Filming Has Wrapped on Damien Leone’s Christmas Slasher Sequel!
You must be logged in to post a comment.