Comic Review: Warriors of Mars #2

The second comic book review of the week-and not the last-finds us back with our hero searching for his beloved princess...

After losing Heru and being knocked unconscious, Gulliver Jones wakes up find himself floating down the River of Death-or since this is also Barsoom the River Iss when he strikes a shaky deal with a grave robber to find the Thither people. Once he does he fools them into thinking he's a spirit that will haunt them unless they release Heru. They comply and he and the princess return home. But when the Thithers find out it was all a ruse they launch an attack that almost seals Gulliver's fate...and a possible meeting with another Earthman on Mars.

Picking up after the first action packed issue, I was a little disappointed here. I guess my major issue was how fast writer Robert Napton speeds through the Gulliver of Mars storyline. I had hoped for something similar to the multi-issue adaptation that were being done in the Warlord of Mars comics but instead the entire story is wrapped up quickly. I suppose this was done to get John Carter into the story and bring him and Gulliver together but I still wouldn't have mind a longer time. That said Napton still does a good job bringing the two worlds together and keeping the plot moving forward.

I do have to give a big A+ plus though for artist Jack Jadson whose artwork is nice, vibrant and has a pleasing quality to it. The characters are established pretty well and while there isn't much action until the end his work carries the reader through.

So that's the verdict for this one. I still thought it was a fun "what if" combination but I hope at some point someone does a long-run Gulliver of Mars series. Next time we return to Mars-Marvel style!