Dejah Thoris enters into a new phase of her life when her whole world crashes down around her. Read on for our review of “Dejah Thoris” #1 but be warned, there will be spoilers.
Written by Frank Barbiere
Illustrated Francesco Manna and Morgan Hickman
Prepare yourself for Dejah Thoris as you’ve never seen her before! A shocking conspiracy unravels in Helium as Dejah’s father has gone missing. In the wake of assuming the throne, Dejah learns secret information from her past that will have resounding effects on the kingdom – and her life! Join Frank J. Barbiere (The Howling Commandos of SHIELD, The Precinct) and Francesco Manna (Vampirella #100) as Dejah discovers a secret past that will have her leaving Helium for an all-new adventure on her own
Edgar Rice Burrough’s creation, Dejah Thoris has seen a few different comic book series over the last few years. In fact, she has probably had much more comic book attention on her in the last few years than John Carter, the star of those novels. After the very solid crossover, “Swords of Sorrow”, Dynamite is relaunching three of it’s biggest female stars. Red Sonja, Dejah Thoris and Vampirella have all received new ongoing series with new looks and new creative teams. This week, Dejah Thoris takes the center stage in a story that questions all that she’s ever been. “Dejah Thoris” #1 is a solid first issue that allows for new readers to be engaged and sets up a story that will revisit the history of the character.
“Dejah Thoris” #1 begins with Dejah fallen from grace. She’s seemingly a warrior now, in new armor and going by a different name. In the past, we find out what happened. The Jed is gone and John Carter tells Dejah that she has to rule in his absence. This is thrown off by Valoris, who takes Dejah into custody, in a dramatic scene rendered in a beautiful way by Francesco Manna and makes claims about her parentage that force her to go on the run.
What works about “Dejah Thoris” #1 is that Frank Barbiere does not write a story that asks you to learn the history of the character. He lets us see what her very cushy life is like as Princess and then he takes right into this story rife with political intrigue and familial secrets. You don’t need to know who the Jed is, you just need to know that he’s her father and in charge – his history does not come into play. Barbiere drops the right amount of information at the right time, such as how John Carter comes into the story and at the end when the bombshell revelation is dropped on Dejah. This plot offers for plenty twists and turns and promises that you won’t be reading a Dejah Thoris that will waste your time. Barbiere has Dejah Thoris turn John Carter away because this is her journey and that makes this immediately feel like a true solo story.
What’s clever about this story direction is that is strips away the history of Dejah Thoris just so it can be rebuilt again through her journey. Even if you know nothing about the character, you’ll learn plenty in her journey and it’s a great way to engage the reader. “Dejah Thoris” #1 is not reinventing science fiction and by no means does it have to. What it offers is a story with a classic character that allows new readers in, something Dynamite books have struggled with over the years. I’ve found it tough to get into the stories of characters like Dejah Thoris, The Shadow and more because there’s been a reliance on knowing the history. Like “Solar”, Barbiere invites new readers in and that’s very important in today’s market.
The art by Francesco Manna, visually, gives us a Terry Dodson vibe and so there is a fair amount of cheesecake. Depending on your own likes and dislikes, this is going to work for you or it’s going to turn you off. I think Manna toes the line just fine because of the situations that Dejah finds herself in. Due to the way the plot unfolds, Dejah Thoris does spent a good amount of time in her classic, skimpy princess attire. There is still an influence of classic pulp art in this issue but again, Manna is able to keep it under control. Dejah is featured in some great action scenes and unlike some older minis, she is not chained up in a bondage-y sort of way or made an object. Manna creates this beautiful backgrounds for these characters to exist in and you do feel as if you’ve been transported somewhere else with a real sci fi feeling. The character designs are very good and for the most part, the expressions are excellent but there are a couple panels where the expressions are a little too big for the dialogue. Morgan Hickman’s colors are bold and he adds a sense of airiness to Mars that feels so perfect. The armor feels thick, the backgrounds are tangible and not washed out. My only complaint about the colors is I would have liked a little more vibrancy on the skin tones in comparison to the sandy backgrounds.
All in all, “Dejah Thoris” #1 is a very solid start to a new chapter in this character’s history. There’s a lot here for fans of pulp and science fiction to enjoy and I’m eager to read more.
Final Verdict: 7.7 “Dejah Thoris” #1 is a solid new start for the character thanks to the exciting twist Frank Barbiere delivers and Francesco Manna’s exciting art.
