Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Review of John Carter: World of Mars #1, Marvel's new offensive in Barsoomian comic book war


JCOM Reader, a blog devoted to news and reviews from Barsoom, Mongo & other planets, has an excellent review of John Carter: World of Mars #1, the premiere issue in Marvel’s new 4-issue comic book series that is a prequel, not to the original John Carter of Mars novels penned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, but to the long-awaited Hollywood film John Carter (2012). Here’s a snippet:
I have to admit I was weary when this series was first announced. Maybe it was the fact that it seemed like another cash-in by Marvel and Disney to tie-in to the upcoming John Carter movie. Or maybe it was the fact that I was growing cynical after hearing so much about the movie that wasn't encouraging. And following the lackluster first issue of John Carter: A Princess of Mars I figured this one would be another tossed off comic. Well surprise: This one actually rocks!
Set on Barsoom in the centuries before the arrival of John Carter, the John Carter: World of Mars series is being scripted by writer Peter David, a huge fan of ERB, with interior artwork by Luke Ross and cover art by Esad Ribic. The project has the full support and cooperation of Disney and film director Andrew Stanton, and is a response to the new Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom comic book prequel series being published by competitor Dynamite Comics.

5 comments:

  1. What could I say, except that I already *hate* the cover art? Looks like unimaginative and poorly executed computer-assisted drawing. Nothing to compare with the covers of 'Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris'.

    And I find unpleasantly artificial (dishonest) to mention John Carter in the title of a series set 'on Barsoom in the centuries before the arrival of John Carter'.

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  2. Well, the difference between you guys and the reviewer is that the reviewer actually read the book. Yes, it's a prequel, but Carter is not only in the book, he's the narrator. So he's very much a part of the series; it's not "dishonest" at all. I know this because I, like the reviewer, read it. I also wrote it.

    PAD

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  3. Peter, thanks for taking the time to comment.

    You are correct, I have not read #1. In my comment above, I was agreeing with abdul666 that the cover sucks, looks like juvenile digital art, and is nothing compared to the Dynamite covers.

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  4. OK - time travel. Indeed it *can* be already the case in the 'canon', as I remember it's nowhere precised that John Carter moved to 'contemporary' Barsoom. Surprising at first glance, or at least intriguing (not a bad thing at all), nonetheless.

    [English is not my native tongue, mine is certainly 'heavy' and barbaric :)]

    Regards.

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