The Creators – Amy Chu – Writer, Pasquale Qualano – Artist, Valentina Pinto – Colours, Thomas Napolitano – Letters

The Players – Dejah Thoris

The Story – Before she was the princess that everyone knows and loves today, Dejah Thoris was just a girl growing up and learning about the world which this series looks to focus upon.

The Take – Once upon a time, Mars was a green and growing world and Dejah Thoris would see it be one once again. Just how she is supposed to accomplish that goal could rest in the past, from a time before she was born when people both red and green alike came together to create the gardens of Ephysium – a means to sustain that which was slowly disappearing. Yet for all intents and purposes, Ephysium is just a legend and there are those that will exploit her innocence about the subject to further their own goals. Chronicling these new-old adventures of Dejah Thoris is author Amy Chu and artist Pasquale Qualano who create a very accessible story for readers whether new to the franchise or not. There is no complicated background or political sub-plots present which is a nice change of pace, simply the story of a young woman coming into her own and wanting to do a little good for the benefit of her world. Chu injects a lot of lightheartedness into the tale, something rarely seen in the property since its time at Dynamite and to say it is welcome is an extreme understatement. The one thing that has been missing from the various Warlord of Mars books has been a sense of fun and to see that finally manifest in this title is exactly what was needed. Adding to the words that Chu has put down are the pencils courtesy of Qualano who gives it a very clean and breezy look, a very uncluttered style that suits the story perfectly. It is very easy to tell each of the characters apart with each being very distinctive in their look and when it comes to the other races like the Tharks and the White Apes, they have never looked better than they have under Qualano’s pen. As it is, Chu and Qualano tell a quickly-paced story that sets up a nice little mystery for Dejah to solve, as well as leaving it on a bit of a cliff-hanger which should see her getting into a bit of trouble and as a reader, it could not have been any better.

Worth It? – Yes