Comic Review: Warlord of Mars #0

No clever opening, just a one-shot starring every one's favorite swordsman of two worlds. However to talk about this is to reveal some of the plot so SPOILER ALERTS!

As our story opens, John Carter is sitting on a throne...in an Earth asylum! With the doctors not believing his wild stories of being on Mars, Carter engineers his own escape as he attempts to get back to Barsoom. This parallels his trip to investigate an unexplored region north of Helium, but as usual he finds trouble and  possible death. With his beloved Dejah Thoris and friend Tars Tarkas looking for him and his own fading time on Earth closing in, Carter must find a way to break free and save himself.

Written by Matt Brady, this one shot tale is an interesting take on John Carter of Mars, presenting a "what if" tale of him on Earth and how others would react to his wild tales, contrasted with his usual reckless nature on Barsoom. From the offbeat opening to the big reveal at the end, Brady presents a look at what makes John Carter who he is, his fears and his ambitions. That doesn't get it in the way of the action or the plot twists, so fans will find something to sink their teeth into.

Helping is artist Jack Jadson, who brings a nice design and flair to the characters and locations. From the brief shots of the asylum to the final monster, Jadson handles everything well. Characters are also nicely done, even though his clothing and hair choices for Carter on Barsoom resembles Taylor Kitsch's movie look (is this going to be a new trend in the comics?), so movie fans might even like the reference.

To say more would be to spoil it. So while we wait for the fall for the new launch (I suspect we'll hear more at San Diego's Comic-Con in a few weeks) fans of John Carter of Mars should seek out this issue and sit back and enjoy the ride. Until next time faithful readers.