Comic Reviews

Warlords of Mars: Fall of Barsoom

    To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t expecting a whole heck of a lot from this graphic novel.  Generally, Dynamite hasn’t wowed me.  They seem to produce primarily glossy but juvenile comics, mostly full of big muscled superheroes and big breasted women.  But this is an impression based on little more than glancing at their books occasionally, as little I’ve seen has ever drawn me closer to the books than cursory inspection.
 

    Other than my love of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ creation, and building anticipation (mixed with dread) of the release of the new film, I’m not sure why I latched on to this title as one to buy.  Perhaps it’s the setting, ‘100,000 years before the time of John Carter.’  As the story opens, we find ourselves in the last days of Old Mars, with the green men on the warpath, the First Born and the Okarians retreating to their polar homes, the red men living in savagery, and the civilization that built the Atmosphere Plant being consumed by the madness of its ruler. 

    There were surprisingly interesting characters balanced well across the scope of a world ending.  And in the way few prequels succeed, this felt true to the original works while adding a bit of depth and understanding to the whole.  It was cool seeing the old cities and tech while still in working order, too. 

    For fans of Burroughs’ Mars books, Fall of Barsoom should be a fun little excursion into the ancient history of that world.  The art is pretty good and the writing certainly a step or two higher than I had expected.  And while you should already know how things work out, at least in the grand scheme of things, seeing it play out is actually pretty cool.  The sense of impending events hangs over all, an inevitable tide of time.

Warlords of Mars: Fall of Barsoom
Author: Robert Place Napton
Artist: Robert Castro
Publisher Dynamite
ISBN: 978-1-60690-268-4
Pages:


I Killed Adolf Hitler

    Mad Norwegian Jason has crafted an oddly touching love story involving a time machine, Hitler, hitmen, and uncomfortable silence.  For some reason, all of Jason’s people have animal heads, but that has nothing to do with anything. 

    The artwork is simple, but effective.  The characters are all kind of sad, but weirdly cute at the same time.  Dysfunctional, to say the very least. 

    Do yourself a favor and seek this one out.  It’s crazy.  Jason is a writer/artist to watch.  Can’t wait to read some more. 

I Killed Adolf Hitler
Author/Artist: Jason
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 978-1-56097-828-2
Pages: 48


The Last Musketeer

    So, Athos (yes, the Musketeer) is living as a drunk in modern day France.  When Mars attacks, he gets a new lease on life, finally able to defend France from her enemies again.  A quick hop in a rocket ship pits him against Ming the Merciless and a mysterious figure from Athos’ past. 

    Yup.  Jason, the crazy comic creator from Norway has struck again.  Funny, vaguely sad, subtle yet completely outrageous.  This bit of madness works on many levels.  Satisfying and strange.  And the sequences with Ming and his guard are straight-up genius. 

    If you’re not reading Jason’s work, you’ve got to do something about it.  Go out and get some.  Totally worth it.

The Last Musketeer
Author/Artist: Jason
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 978-1-56097-889-3
Pages: 48

-Matt