Comic Review: Dejah Thoris & the White Apes #2

I thought I would go ahead and get this review posted. So are you ready for more blood thirsty creatures chasing scantly clad women? (Why does that sound like the plot for a Roger Corman movie?)

Having just seen their guards turned into white ape chow, Dejah and company do what any other sensible person would do-they run! Attempting to find a place to hide until help arrives Dejah tries to keep the group together but their numbers begin to dwindle as the apes crash through, leading to a chase through the abandoned castle they've found until Dejah finds herself suddenly facing a possible death herself...

A friend who picked up this issue said he disliked the bland backgrounds and the relative lack of dialogue in this issue. I have to disagree at least where the dialogue is concerned. The lack of it actually increases the suspense as Dejah and company try to survive without any defenses or help. Writer Mark Rahner wisely keeps the story focused, portraying the apes as savage, brutal killing machines while showing the hopeless situation the characters have fallen into but their determination to survive. I don't know about anyone else but it has me hooked.

As for the bland backgrounds, well I do agree they don't pop as much. I get the feeling artist Lui Antonio was busy making sure Dejah, her friends and the apes stand out and they do-for a variety of reasons. The Great White Apes come across a little less vividly than I would like but once they start their bloody work they still manage to look beastly and effective. Dejah and company are handled well, even though to paraphrase Michael Palin from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, they do have huge tracts of land. I can understand why some feel portraying Dejah this way can be distracting but I guess as long as her character is there I can overlook it. Besides it fits in with the horror movie feel this series seems to be aiming for.

In fact I would say horror fans who enjoy watching or reading about relentless monsters chasing their victims will probably enjoy this series the most. While it may not equal the best of those films or stories (or Burroughs for that matter) it is still turning into a fun attempt to combine both.