Comic Review: Dejah Thoris #3

Since we have some time I'll go ahead and give you want you want-more hot Martians!

As this issue opens, the Green Men have laid siege to Helium and are demanding a face to face with the evil Jeddak of Yorn. But he has merged with the Colossus and immediately lays waste to them. But the Jeddak isn't done. He orders his men to wipe out all the Green Men, including the women and children since he feels that both the red and green races can not co-exist While that's going on Dejah, Mors Kojak and Tardors Mors frees the Jed of Greater Helium, Khanid Thal, and his men and escape but long simmering suspicions that Khanid had a hand in the death of Mors Kojak's wife leads to an uneasy alliance. Eventually they all know what must be done and as Tardors says "find out who are friends are..."

At this point with the story pretty much established and the next two issues the promised wrap-up, issue 3 is pretty much a mid point with no opening and no ending. The story has improved somewhat from issue 2-no Dejah swords in skull action-but the bonding of the Jeddak and the Colossus as an unstoppable force is reminding me too much of John Carter and the Giant of Mars. And that maybe is why some have not warmed to this series as much. Also the subplot about Mors' wife seems to come out of left field. Was this the reason for the war between Greater and Lesser Helium? I might have missed it mentioned in the first two issues but it seems to be thrown in as an afterthought-even though I feel sorry for the poor woman. She gets poisoned here and shot in the Marvel series.

On the plus side and I know I'm sounding like a stuck record but Carlos Rafael's artwork is still the major draw. In this issue he presents us with snarling calots, a full action Colossus and enough Dejah to at least make the issue visually appealing. The green men are still without their antennae but they do look better than the regular Warlord of Mars series. And the cover artwork by Joe Jusko and Paul Renoud (which is shown above) is the best. If anything that is reason enough to get this issue.