DEJAH THORIS #5

“Untitled”

Writer: Dan Abnett

Artist: Vasco Georgiev

Dejah, Llana and Kantos are surrounded by spiderkin in the dead city of Golpas. Llana manages to kill the giant queen spider which just makes all the little ones angry. A voice speaks to them in their head offering to help. The spiderkin freeze and allow the group to escape. They find out their savior is a Kaldane named Morokh. He has left Bantoom becaues of the End Winter and is looking to save Barsoom. He convinces Dejah to abandon her quest for vengeance and instead help him save Barsoom.

Thuvia with her banth friends come on Sola and Tars Tarkas. Jeddara Sabal Than of Zodanga is the one in charge of the jeweled armored men. She sends one to kill Dejah. Dejah and company take the airship of Morokh to Tel Haht an old Thark hatchery. He senses that there may be some lost Thern technology that can help save Barsoom. Only the jeweled warrior knocks off the head of Morokh and attacks Dejah.

This is a fairly interesting story. We get introduced to a Kaldane a race that has telepathic powers and have heads with spider legs. They ride headless bodies and this one was fairly consistent with how Burroughs portrayed them. We also get introduced to another villain in the Jeddara of Zodanga. She is the one behind the mysterious jeweled warriors.

What I don’t like is Llana. She is really annoying me. She just has this personality that grates on me like fingernails on a chalkboard. Super perfect and can easily tear apart a giant spider. Oh, and she is a lesbian. Big surprise. We find this out when Kantos asks about Pan Dan Chee. Yep, another beautiful love story that Burroughs created sacrificed on the altar of intersectionality.