REVIEW: Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #6

Then there was that time the girl in the gold bikini struck a pose…

The first major arc of the Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris is complete. Now what is a pretty, pretty, princess to do?

WARLORD OF MARS: DEJAH THORIS #6
Writer: Arvid Nelson
Illustrator: Carlos Rafael
Colorist: Carlos Lopez
Letterer: Marshall Dillon
Covers: Joe Jusko, Paul Renaud, Ale Garza
Editor: Joseph Rybrandt
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99

Previously in Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris: Thousands of years before John Carter would find himself on Mars, the Red Martians found themselves in the middle of a civil war, with the supreme leader suddenly going crazy in the head, and unleashing a giant golem upon the land. Now that he has been defeated, it is time for the citizens to pick up the pieces.

THE GIRL WITH THE GOLD PASTIES

It’s time to rebuild, and for Greater Helium it’s going to take a great number of resources, energy, and money to fix the fallen city. The place is in utter ruins, and the Jeddak, Tardos Mors, the grandfather of Dejah Thoris, doesn’t have money in the coffers to do a complete rebuild. At most only ten percent of the city can be restored. The first order of business isn’t fixing homes, or rebuilding the financial district, but making sure public sanitation is available and that water is flowing.

Except it isn’t.

Tardos Mors instructs Dejah to take a ship to the great pumping station to see why the water isn’t flowing. And that is where the mystery of the issue begins. When Dejah and crew arrive, they find the workers locked in a closet (a very big closet), a mysterious coin, and a crew of pirates who are more interested in taking Dejah Thoris prisoner than bringing a city to its knees.

There’s really not a lot of story in this issue, but the action that propels the reader to the big cliffhanger makes for a fun read. Not only are readers introduced to the governing system, but we also get a better look at the way the society functions, as well as some new alien species we haven’t seen before – including a moon monkey guy and the pirate captain who gives Dejah Thoris a run for her money in the “let’s draw sexy ladies” category.

YOU SAY YOU LIKE BONDAGE?

The first arc of the Warlord of Mars series featured a lot of guys running around in next to nothing, with Dejah Thoris (wearing even less than nothing) serving as the only female character for readers to cast their gaze upon. Because this story focuses more on Dejah than the last arc, Carlos Rafael gets to go to town in drawing the female form. And he does a good job at it. A really good job…

Now, while I do like everything about the art, I think there are going to be a few people bothered by the bondage moments that pop up near issues end. It’s one thing to tie a prisoner up, but quite a different matter to tie her up against a big column with her arms suspended above her head so her gold pasties are sticking out as far as naturally possible.

BOTTOM LINE: PICK IT UP

While the first arc of Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris series was interesting, I found this first issue to be better than the previous five issues combined. The mystery, the action, and the art kept my attention, and hooked me enough to want to pick up the next issue. Even if you haven’t read the first arc, this issue is worth picking up and checking out. I’m giving Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #6 3.5 out of 5 Stars.