Comic Review: Warlord of Mars #12

Well that was fast as issue 11 was just released a few weeks ago. With that said, let's dive into the finale of "The Heretic of Mars!"

As Dejah Thoris and Sola bid Zat Arras good night, the pair instead make a short detour into the quarters of the late Vem Drost, only to find someone rummaging through his things. The thief escapes and Dejah finds a box containing several Zodangan gold coins, leading her to suspect Zat Arras is behind the framing of John Carter. Meanwhile at the Atmosphere Factory, Carthoris and Tars Tarkas are reading a journal left behind that reveals that the amulets to enter the factory were created by the Therns and passed down through the ages, leading Carthoris to suspect the Therns are behind the plot and the killings of the caretaker of the factory. Eventually both mother and son discover the true culprit, whose real goal seems to be to reveal the truth about the Therns...

With this third and final issue of the "Heretic" arc, Arvid Nelson wraps it up pretty nicely. With subtle hints about the Therns that were revealed when John Carter returned to the action, this issue is jam packed with enough goodies that fans of the books and non-fans I'm sure will enjoy the twists and turns. He also leaves us with a touching moment between mother and son and a setup for the story that is coming up.

The character artwork is also top notch, again by Stephen Sandowski. Dejah, Carthoris, Tars Tarkas and Sola are rendered quite well and are appealing drawn. The backgrounds aren't as well done though, being pretty bland but considering the action and character interaction I don't think that is too much of a drawback.

So I'll wrap up by just saying get this issue and you'll have a good time. And next time get ready as John Carter returns and meets The Gods of Mars!