Warlord of Mars #2
Let me start by saying, very simply, that if you read and liked the first issue of Warlord of Mars then you’re going to like this issue as well. This issue is almost identical in form with the first issue. Half of this issue deals with former Confederate cavalry officer John Carter while the other half deals with the Martian warrior Tars Tarkas. This format may have been how Edgar Rice Burroughs originally introduced John Carter but it really has not worked in this comic series. I know that these two separate storylines will eventually merge into one single cohesive storyline but until then the John Carter storyline really drags. If I didn’t find the Tars Tarkas portion of issue number one exciting and compelling I would not have picked-up number two. I can say the exact same thing about issue number two; it was the Tar Tarkas storyline that I found exciting and compelling and will get me to read the third issue.
When something is adapted from one medium to another I want the adaptation to be as faithful to the original material as possible. In this case, if this was how Burroughs originally introduced John Carter then writer Arvid Nelson really needed to take into account the differences between the mediums and introduce John Carter in a different way. On the other hand, if introducing John Carter in this manner was Nelson’s idea then, I have to say, it was a bad one. What I’m about to write is really going to have Burroughs purist up in arms; Arvid Nelson could have also gotten John Carter to Mars in a somewhat more science fiction oriented manner and less of a fantasy oriented one. I know that Burrough's various Mars based stories are more fantasy with a thin veneer of science fiction but I think modern audiences, myself included, could use a little more science fiction.
Still, let me repeat, the second half of the issue, dealing with Tars Tarkas, was exciting and compelling. I’ve not only liked the character of Tars Tarkas but I’m intrigued by the Martian’s society. In the end, this issue was good enough to get me to read the next one but I do look forward to when John Carter finally gets to Mars. When the two separate storylines merge into one I think the series will take a huge leap in quality.
Keith Forney