Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom Vol. 1: Collection

Dynamite's Barsoom

by Robert Place Napton, Roberto Castro (Illustrator)

124 pages! 100,000 years before the time of John Carter! Barsoom is a dying world: its once mighty oceans are receding and its atmosphere grows more tenuous by the day. The Orovars, who have dominated for a million years, are on the verge of extinction at the hands of the Green Hordes and the emerging Red Martians. Two Orovars - a Scientist and a General - race against time to save their people before Mars plunges into barbarism!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

139 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2012

Reviews

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story set in the distant past of the red planet. Good read. Recommended

[47Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

100,000 years before Carter first came to Mars, an alliance between three empires is broken, the First Born and the Okarians are banished from the Orovar court. The oceans are evaporating and the air is becoming unbreathable, but a young scientist named Tak Nan Lee is working on a device that can save the planet.

To make matters worse, the Green hordes are attacking and the Orovar are losing ground fast. A battle with the Green destroys the advance Orovar army and the winners occupy the city of Thark. One tribe decides to take the name of Thark while the other seeks to kill the rest of the Orovar, dissolving the Green alliance.

While on his way to the atmosphere plant, Tak saves a Red female named Anouk from Green attackers. She will have an important role soon. The reaction to create atmosphere isn't properly stabilized yet, so the inhabitants of the planet start to suffer from lack of oxygen and society descends into chaos. Tak finally stabilizes the reaction, but the Orovar leader has another plan - to suffocate the Greens before starting the plant. Forseeing this, Tak teaches Anouk the means to run the atmosphere plant. This act saves the people of Barsoom.

[Ευθυμία Δεσποτάκη · Rating 2 out of 5]

Όπως είπα στην σελίδα 100, το γάμησες και ψόφησε. Καλό για μια ματιά πίσω στο χρόνο του Μπαρσούμ, κάκιστο στα μηνύματά του, αστείο στην περιγραφή ενός παρελθόντος που μοιάζει με Blade Runner με σπαθιά.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set 100,000 years before John Carter's arrival, this original comic mini-series expands the back-story of Edgar Rice Burrough's Barsoom saga, covering the decline of the Orovar White Martians and the construction of the atmosphere generator that keeps Mars habitable for the millennia to follow. Unfortunately an interesting premise and appealing artwork are let down by a rushed, incoherent plot and weak characterization. The characters' motivations are generally opaque, with the antagonists in particular acting evil and genocidal for little apparent reason. Even dedicated Barsoom fans can safely skip this story.

[Mhorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dynamite does it again

A great prequel to the masses of the novels. With mars atmosphere fading its up to a brilliant orovar scientist to complete work on the atmosphere plant than can save the planet.

[Thalla Rothach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explains how the ancestors of the red Martians put their planet on life support. A very good story about a dying civilization and what one tries to leave behind.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the art quite a bit and that helped earn the four stars. The story was also decent and introduced some good characters in a short span of time. However, the motivations of the characters weren't always established well. I'd probably give it 3 stars for the writing. Generally a good read, though.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty decent, although simple story line. Not too many mysteries solved with this plot but not a bad read. The art work was at a superb level. Overall an enjoyable comic.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic series set on barsoom while it still had water and the red man of mars was still a young race.

[Tony Calder · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is quite good, but the story is only so-so. An interesting premise, hopefully it has done well enough that Dynamite will consider further exploring the history of Barsoom.