John Carter: A Princess of Mars #1 of 5 – Review

By: Roger Langridge (writer), Filipe Andrade (artist), Sunny Cho (colors), Sana Amanat (editor), Edgar Rice Burroughs (creator)

The Story: John Carter is the captive of the green men of Mars and must learn their language.

Some Comments Before the Review: I am a long-time Barsoom fan. I discovered John Carter through Marvel’s excellent 1977 series, which led me to Burroughs’ novels and to novel-reading in general. For this reason, I am also reading and reviewing Dynamite’s excellent “Warlord of Mars”, “Dejah Thoris” and “Fall of Barsoom.” Literature is often described as a dialogue, where one creative vision responds, positively or negatively, to another. I’m approaching Marvel’s all-ages “Princess of Mars” as a part of that ongoing conversation.

The Review: The most striking creative choice in this issue is, hands down, the art style. Andrade’s style is so different, in its approach to perspective, exaggeration, anatomy, and polished roughness, that at no point can the other parts of the book be disentangled from it. Andrade’s art is, without reference to positive or negative, fascinating. I found myself questioning both the artist’s motives for creative choices, as well as the editor’s for having chosen such a style. John Carter is an exaggerated, cartoony figure that reminded me equally of the angularity of some of the stringy physiognomies of Heavy Metal’s European works, mixed with Disney’s Hercules. Dejah Thoris is not the incomparable daughter of Helium in her awesome beauty, but something closer to an art nouveau 1920s flapper in faux-futuristic wear. Tars Tarkas appeared (and sounded) priestly and sage rather than fearsome, and the Tharks overall borrowed an insectoid flavor for their hands and posture. I was unsure if this was a strikingly creative character-design choice or whether this was a further exploration of the exaggeration of posture and anatomy for style’s sake. And I think this nailed down for me the central artistic tension I felt. I’ve read unreliable narrators. I now feel I’ve seen an unreliable artist, who makes me question or distrust what I’ve seen. This is not the same charm as a beautifully drawn figure or action sequence, but it is an element of fascination nonetheless and a volley in the stylistic conversation of how Carter has been depicted before.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger #4 – Review

By Roger Langridge (writer), Chris Samnee (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: It’s Boys’ Night Out for the God of Thunder as The Warriors Three drop by to take Thor out for an evening of mass mead consumption.

The Good: Every month, this comic just keeps getting better and continues to be one of the few comics I eagerly anticipate reading! This month’s issue sets a new benchmark in quality for “The Mighty Avenger”, firing on all cylinders to tell a story that was pure entertainment from start to finish. Free from the constraints of continuity that burden its sister titles, this comic is free to flirt and play with Thor’s history as it sees fit without ever being dragged down by it. The Warriors Three are, of course, long-term mainstays in Thor’s world, but here in this comic their appearance feels fresh, yet strangely familiar, like meeting three good friends again for the first time. Here, Langridge writes Thor’s buddies like three older brothers who adore and idolize their younger brother and wouldn’t think twice to throw down with Captain Britain for the sake of their young friend. It’s that well-crafted sense of camaraderie that Langridge executes here that made me view Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg as more than obedient sidekicks, and I like when a comic can get me to look at old characters in new ways.

I mentioned this issue was entertaining, right? More to the point, it was absolutely hilarious, but I suppose that was inevitable in a story about a bunch of guys going out to drink for the night. You know guys like this. You’re probably friends them and have had a few of these nights over the course of your infamous friendships with them. Yeah, they might be gods, but Langridge writes them as a motley crew of loyal friends first, and that’s a quality that we can all get behind and endorse. They’re a rowdy bunch though, and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at Samnee’s glorious splash page of the Warriors Three spurring Thor on to beat the crap out of Captain Britain. Samnee’s work continues to captivate me, and I love how easily he can transition from an intense brawl between Thor and Captain Britain to a tender moment between Thor and Jane. His work bursts with energy and emotion in a style that is deceptively simple but always worth a view.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger #2 – Review

By Roger Langridge (writer), Chris Samnee (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: Jane Foster extends a hand of friendship to her mythic savior while Hyde stalks the city, hell-bent on finishing what he started.

The Good: I’m perplexed and delighted by the sheer existence of this comic! Charming, thoughtful, light-hearted, and strangely tragic, it’s fast becoming the definitive origin of Asgard’s favorite son for a new generation of readers, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Dealing with characters that, in many cases, are over forty years old like Thor is, I think it’s natural to want to dust these characters off and reintroduce them to legions of new readers, and this comic is doing a quality job of that. With the impending movie fast approaching, movie fans and new comic readers alike are going to want to know more about Thor’s origins, and what better way to do that than with a comic like this that invites new readers and rewards them with friendly, approachable artwork and likable, well-defined characters? Told largely through the perspective of Jane Foster, Langridge’s story is effective in casting Thor as a truly alien being, lost in the tides of humanity’s filth, yet struggling to once again know the beauty of a life he can barely remember. I read Langridge’s story and fully believe that this god has been cast down against his will or understanding and forced to endure an existence amongst a form of life that he barely comprehends, much less appreciates. I’ve always believed that the more alien and otherworldly a writer can portray Thor, the more enjoyable the god of thunder is to read, and in this department Langridge excels. He is aided in his vision by the stellar artwork of Chris Samnee, whose bold, simple style is fast becoming one of my favorite comic experiences this year. Samnee’s art has the rare quality of toning down the inherently epic qualities of a Thor comic and emphasizing the quest for humanity that Thor has struggled to understand ever since Kirby and the Liebers brought him to life in ’62. This theme was most poignantly expressed for me on the last page when a disgruntled Thor wonders what wonders Earth possibly has to offer him, and a knowing Jane is fully ready to share them with him. I see what this book is trying to achieve, and I sincerely like it.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger #1 – Review

By Roger Langridge (writer), Chris Samnee (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: Jane Foster, curator of the Norse department of the Bergen War Memorial Museum, finds her life taking a turn for the weird when she runs into a homeless man with a powerful, mythic secret.

The Good: What an interesting, charming comic! What Christopher Nolan did for DC in the movie Batman Begins, I feel like Roger Langridge has done for Thor with this comic. It’s a relaunch of the franchise and a reimagining of the character that stays true to the classic origins of Thor while placing his story in a more contemporary setting. And the best part by far is that it doesn’t require you to have any working knowledge of Thor continuity to appreciate it. You can come to this comic cold turkey and get the jist well enough to want to come back for the next issue. I applaud Langridge’s decision to write this comic from Jane Foster’s perspective; I hate to say it but I’d never appreciated her as a serious character until I’d read this issue, and now I’d genuinely love to know more about her provided Langridge was writing her. Also, it’s interesting to read about Thor from the perspective of one of his supporting cast. Thor’s very presence in our world seems more… I dunno, alien when viewed through her eyes. And yet, his humanity seems more poignant from Foster’s perspective. I think the most amusing and touching moment came early on when Thor was being restrained by the security guards and grinned amicably when Jane asked him to drop his walking stick. In a way, this comic seems to be less about Thor than about how he is viewed by Humanity, and I rather like that. Samnee’s art is a delight to look at; light-hearted and animated, it reminds me of Bruce Timm’s work on the Batman animated series, and I mean that in an incredibly good way. If and when the action picks up on this book, this is definitely the kind of comic that I would be happy to share with younger readers, and one that I think they would enjoy.