Review – Dejah Thoris #1 (Dynamite)

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Frank J. Barbiere
Artist: Francesco Manna
Release Date: 3rd February, 2016

Dejah Thoris has been many things in her 99-year history; Drop dead gorgeous damsel in distress, drop dead gorgeous princess, drop dead gorgeous scientist, lover, adventurer, mother, and now in this comic, drop dead gorgeous treasonous adopted orphan.

The official blurb from Dynamite goes as follows; “Prepare yourself for Dejah Thoris as you’ve never seen her before! A shocking conspiracy unravels in Helium as Dejah’s father has gone missing. In the wake of assuming the throne, Dejah learns secret information from her past that will have resounding effects on the kingdom – and her life!”

I wouldn’t quite call it a shocking conspiracy, but rather one that appears to be quite obvious and contrived from the outset with a perpetrator that hopefully isn’t as blindingly obvious as it appears to be. The situation that Dejah finds herself in forces her from Helium and away from John Carter, who at this point appears to be little more than a bumbling appendage to be used for exposition only.

Francesco Manna is an accomplished artist who has worked on Dejah Thoris before as well as Vampirella, Red Sonja and Jungle Girl in Swords of Sorrow. So obviously, he has skills at drawing a scantily clad female form.

Frank J. Barbiere has written many a fine comic, and his run on Avengers World was one I have recently enjoyed. In Dejah Thoris, he uses the characters to provide a lot of the exposition, so they are doing a lot of talking. A lot of talking in an archaic way which, for me, is a bit jarring. It just feels a bit artificial, a bit creaky.

I hoped for the best with Dejah Thoris. It wasn’t awful, but it didn’t exactly set the world alight either. It may be interesting to see where Barbiere takes this book, but in all honesty, I would say it’s likely to be of more interest to collectors and readers of the other Dynamite Barsoom comic books.

Rating: 3/5.

ARTWORK PREVIEW
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