Dying Quicker Than Before With Dejah Thoris #1
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Dejah Thoris is exploring the northern reaches of Barsoom to investigate the planet’s decaying climate. Barsoom has gotten significantly colder of late, and Dejah wants to know why. She is joined by warrior Kantos Kan, her faithful companion. What they find confirms many of Dejah’s fears. In Gathol, Dejah’s daughter and granddaughter, Tara and Liana respectively, debate about meeting with Dejah. In Thark, the region’s new Jeddak riles the Tharks into a frenzy over the prospect of going to war with Helium. In Helium, Dejah reports her findings to the new Jeddak, Kurz Kurtos. He hears, but he does not listen or pay much mind. Kurtos would have Dejah killed if it were convenient, and he is also readying the city for war with the Tharks.
Dejah Thoris #1 sets the stage for a new crisis on Barsoom. The planet has always been dying, but it is doing more quickly now. Instead of investigating the causes, Helium and Thark ready for war with one another for the remaining scraps of Barsoom. Dejah Thoris is among the only voices of reason on the planet, and the Jeddaks of both Helium and Thark would be happier with her dead.
This opening issue is a bit of a slow and exposition-heavy read, as it has a lot to set up for the new story. Things are different than they once were in Helium and Thark, and Dejah Thoris is now a royal in exile.
The narration is fairly dry, and there’s not a lot of humor to be shared in the comic. Neither is an innately negative quality, but it does exacerbate how little momentum the plot has in this first installment.
Vasco Georgiev is the artist on this new Dejah series, and the comic greatly benefits from the talent. Dejah is expressive, dynamic, and looks badass in the action scenes. Dejah is given an awesome cold-weather suit in this issue, and we get to see some of the cool monsters of Barsoom. Dearbhla Kelly’s color art is vibrant and appealing, giving the book an extra shot of energy.
Dejah Thoris #1 is a slow, expository read that nevertheless does have some engaging qualities. The story being set up is interesting and Dejah Thoris’ place in it all speaks to how compelling a character she can be. As such, this one still gets a recommendation. Pick it up.
Dejah Thoris #1 comes to us from writer Dan Abnett, artist Vasco Georgiev, color artist Dearbhla Kelly, letterer Simon Bowland, cover artist Lucio Parillo, and variant cover artists Joseph Michael Linsner; Adam Hughes; and Billy Tucci.
Final Score: 7/10
