Comic Review: Warlord of Mars #28

Hey the Warlord's back! And still trying to solve the mystery of "Savages of Mars."

Still in Okar, John Carter and Tars Tarkas attempt to question the Okarian female Encennia, only to find her killed. Getting assistance from Marik, another Okarian, Carter and Tars discover a secret compartment and a shock-a frozen Thark head! After a brief talk with Dejah over the "wireless" (can you hear me now?) another secret room is discovered, a laboratory with Tharks and apts experiments, including a hybrid monstrosity that-quicker than you can say Frankenstein-comes alive and attempts to wipe our heroes. Will John and Tars get to the bottom of this mystery? Can they trust Marik?

As with this week's Lord of Mars issue, this one seems more setup than payoff as John Carter and Tars Tarkas play Holmes and Watson in their attempt to solve the mystery that has brought them to Okar. The mystery aspect is a pretty cool one, adding something different than the usual story lines that most comics have these days. I also liked how Arvid Nelson brought up Tars' own prejudice against the Okarians and how they might jeopardize the investigation and the peace Carter and Helium has with them. It was also good to see Dejah brought in to provide a clue so all in all another winner story wise.

With the art this issue lists two artists, Leonardo Oliveria and Rafael Lanhellas. While sometimes having two artists working on the same issue might cause problems with the art I couldn't find any. The characters were well handled, especially Carter and Dejah (and can I say it was the best looking Dejah in a long time?). The big action set piece with the Thark-Apt creature also rocked, bringing a breath of action and tension to the issue, thanks to the design and handling of the artists. I know sometimes the art in this series has gotten criticized, even by myself, but here it's really good.

I have to say I'm enjoying the "Savages of Mars" storyline. It's capturing the spirit of Edgar Rice Burroughs and having fun with these characters. The cool setup, mystery aspect and the unique twists and turns gives this story a big A plus. Until next time (and I'm four stories into the Worlds of ERB so I'll have that review up soon.)