PELLUCIDAR #4

“Across Savage Seas Part 4”

Writers: Christopher Paul Carey and Mike Wolfer

Artist: Miriana Puglia

Omlot who was set adrift on a raft is attacked by a beast. Nadok the guy who was taken by a pterosaur manages to free himself and drops on the beast and the two kill it. Omlot finds out that Nadok is not the bad guy but the one they trusted Toran is. The humans on the island are not slaves but voluntarily work for the crab-men in exchange for valuable powders.

Gretchen is captive of Toran who has been taken over by the Azlaks an octopoid race that takes over the bodies of humans. They attack the crab-men with many human bodies they managed to take over. Gretchen after escaping meets up with Omlot and Nadok to defeat the possessed Toran and the other Azlaks. Later the Flavonia finds her and rescues her. They also take Nadok who has fallen in love with Gretchen back to Sari. Twenty years later Gretchen finished narrating the story to their daughter Victory.

The final issue for this series comes to an exciting and satisfying conclusion. We find out a lot of stuff that wasn’t clear. That the humans and crab-men are allies. Toran managed to deceive Gretchen and Omlot about Nadok. I have to say the writers did an excellent job of misdirection. I thought the humans were slaves and Nadok the bad guy. Yet at the end he ends up marrying Gretchen. The crab-men are good and ends with introducing that Victory is Gretchen’s daughter. Which will take us into the next ERB story.

PELLUCIDAR #3

“Across Savage Seas Part 3”

Writers: Christopher Paul Carey and MIke Wolfer

Artist: Miriana Puglia

The crab-men are examining the pistol of Gretchen’s when it goes off and kill one of them. This frightens them and they order Toran the Tall to take the pistol and toss it into the sea. He leaves but not before recruiting other humans to go with him. Gretchen and Omlot are wandering around waiting for Toran. Instead Nadok finds them. They start to question him about the crab-men when a thipdar comes and carries him away. They later find Toran with his group and Gretchen goes to follow. Omlat takes a nap and wakes to find himself a prisoner of the crab-men. They set him on a raft. Gretchen follows Toran and finds that he has allied himself with some octopus creatures called Azlaks. They have taken over the minds of Toran and others to defeat the crab-men. Now they plan to take over Gretchen.

This was another exciting issue. We find out that Omlat ended up on the island because he was disillusioned with serving the Mahars after their defeat. He sympathizes with the enslaved humans which is why he agreed to help Gretchen. We also find out what these weird octopus’ creatures are. Ends with an exciting cliffhanger in the tradition of Burroughs.

PELLUCIDAR #2

“Across Savage Seas Part 2”

Writers: Christopher Paul Carey and Mike Wolfer

Artist: Miriana Puglia

Gretchen lands on a beach after parachuting out of the Flavonia. She is attacked by a giant crab but gets rescued by a Sagoth. She can understand the Sagoth whose name is Omlot. They dine one giant crab but are soon captured by crab men. They are taken to the crab men city for trial in the death of the giant crab. The Krataklaks as this race is called is using captured human slaves to dig their city. Surprisingly the Krataklaks decide to banish Gretchen and Omlot from the island. Gretchen though vows to stay and free the humans. One of them seems to be her friend while another an enemy. The friend though at the end has some type of dealings with aquatic creatures.

This was an enjoyable story. The Krataklaks are very much a Burrough’s type creature. Gretchen has made a friend in the Sagoth Omlot. She also seems to have one in the Gilak (Human) named Toran. She also seems to have an enemy in the Gilak Nadok. Yet I feel that there is something not revealed with either of these guys. So far loving this story.

PELLUCIDAR #1

“Across Savage Seas Part 1”

Writer: Mike Wolfer & Christopher Paul Carey

Artist: Miriana Puglia

Gretchen Von Harben is a young 22-year-old who just graduated from college with an anthropology degree. Before heading off to graduate school she jumps at the chance to visit Pellucidar. On The Flavonia a new dirigible with Jason Gridley she gets her wish. A thipdar or pterodactyl manages to crash through the double insulated glass windshield. It wrecks the controls before being killed. At this time some of the new structure of the ship collapses and traps Gretchen in the rear observation bubble. Before they can cut her out, another thipdar attacks the rear. Gretchn has to parachute out over the Sojar Az or Sea. She lands on an island and faces a giant crab.

Another Pellucidar story from Wolfer. He really understands Burroughs. This was based on a story idea from the director of publishing at ERB Inc. It uses an actual character that Burroughs created from Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins with Jad-Bal-Ja, the Golden Lion. One of the very few stories he wrote that I haven’t read. Sister to Erich Von Harben the inventor of the miracle alloy Harbenite. So far, this story was brilliant. It established the main character and her predicament. Feels just like something Burroughs would have written. A young women forced by extraordinary circumstances to get lost in the vast expanse of Pellucidar. Plenty of adventure awaits in this series. Just love these new Burrough stories.

PELLUCIDAR #3

“Wings of Death”
Writer: Mike Wolfer
Artist: Vincenzo Carratu

Dian manages to avoid the Horibs after her escape from her cell. But she runs into a Mahar who delivers her to the Sagoths. She is to die in the arena. Tanar and Navano also get captured by the Sagoths and taken to the arena to die. So first a pack of jaloks are sent in. The Weiroo manages to get a spear to them but gets thrown into the arena to die with them. The group manages to kill the jaloks then the thag that is sent in. The Weiroo tries to take Dian but gets killed. Finally the Horibs arrive and attack the Mahars. Navano finally gets to have his revenge on the creatures that killed his fellow Va-gas. The Horibs are killed and the Mahars decide to set Dian and Tanar free for their help in defeating the Horibs.

“The Monster Men”
Writer: Mike Wolfer
Artist: Roy Allen Martinez

A preview of the upcoming Monster Men comic. It has black and white excerpts with three pages of script.

So the final end to this story arc has our heroes get recaptured. Then they fight off all sorts of creatures and a big final with Horibs, Sagoths and Mahars. Dian and Tanar get their freedom for helping defeat the Horibs. I didn’t really see that coming. An enjoyable issue that told the story with a minimum of exposition and let the visuals do the work. Which is what I like to see in comics. Another excellent Burroughs Universe story from American Mythology. Wolfer has a strong grasp of the world and characters. I look forward to more that’s coming.

PELLUCIDAR #2

“Wings of Death”
Writer: Mike Wolfer
Artist: Vincenzo Carratu

Dian the Beautiful is now a captive of the Mahars. She is thrown into the dungeon to await her fate which the Sagoths gloat will be death. She is visited by a Weiroo who was the ambassador from his people to the Mahars. He wants Dian to help him escape and go back home. As a token of his good faith he leaves her a knife. Tanar has been freed from the gorobar by the Va-gas from the moon named Na-Va-No. The two manage to infiltrate the Mahar city of Kazra. They get into a fight with the Sagoths when discovered and are forced into the underground river that threatens to pull them under. The Weiroo has gone to the Mahars to get them to give Dian to him as a slave. They refuse and when he goes back to her cell he finds the Sagoth guard dead and Dian escaped. Dian making her way out of the city runs into the party of invading Horibs.

The second issue of this mini-series does not fail to amuse me. The story is filled with exciting action and interesting characters. Beautiful artwork and the various strange creatures that Burroughs created. The writer clearly understands and is a fan of Burrough’s work. I am really enjoying these new stories set in the Burrough’s universe.

PELLUCIDAR #1

“Wings of Death”
Writer: Mike Wolfer
Artist: Bruno Bull

We last left Dian falling from a cliff and Tanar captured by Horibs from the Fear on Four Worlds series. Dian gets grabbed as she falls by a thipdar and taken to its nest. She climbs down and runs into a thag. The thag and thipdar battle with the thag winning. As Dian moves into the jungle she runs into a party of Sagoths. They capture her and take her to the Mahars. Tanar is also taken to the Mahar city. The Horibs tie him to a gorobar and let it loose to distract the Mahar guard so the Horibs can enter the city. The Mahar guard does go to Tanar but a Va-ga from the moon the last survivor saves him by killing the Mahar. He then demands to know where he is before he eats Tanar.

The first issue in the new Pellucidar series starts off with plenty of action. Both Dian and Tanar have adventures and are captured by enemy races. They have run ins with the various creatures and there is a battle brewing between the Horibs and Mahars for control of Pellucidar. Plus a wayward Va-gas those half-man half-horse creatures from the Moon. The story moves quick with one adventure after another just as in Burroughs books. I really am enjoying these new Burroughs shared universe series from American Mythology.

PELLUCIDAR #1

“Fear on Four Worlds Part III”
Writer: Mike Wolfer
Artist: Cyrus Mesarcia

Abby and Ethan have just met up with Dian and Tanar. They have no time the explain as a giant ant breaks through the ground. They flee to the safety of the forest. Shortly later the Va-gas come through a portal. So the four find shelter in a cave and explain what happened to each other. Its decided that Abby and Ethan can get back to Caspak through the tunnels. As they try to reach the tunnels they are ambushed by Horibs. These lizard-men riding giant toads attack but must fight the Va-gas that attack them. Only the Va-gas are not used to the heavier gravity and lose the fight to the Horibs. The Horibs go after Dian and Tanar while another group decides to pursue Abby and Ethan through the tunnels.

So the next installment of the shared universe saga sees them in Pellucidar. They get to battle the Horibs which were a favorite of mine from the series. They take some time to talk about how they can learn the language of all these worlds so quickly. They theorize that these worlds have some type of telepathy. I like that this is addressed. It ends with Abby and Ethan going back home and Dian and Tanar in danger from the Horibs. Sets up nicely the end of this series and a continuation of the next Pellucidar series.

PELLUCIDAR #1

“At the Earth’s Core”
Writer: Mike Wolfer
Artist: Gabriel Rearte

Dian and Tanar are in the caves between the surface and Pellucidar. After successfully driving out the Mahar invasion of Caspak the two are hunting the Mahar. They don’t want it returning to its home and launching another invasion. They find many Coripies and have no trouble taking them out. They come on a fork with two tunnels and split up. Tanar is attacked by giant ants but fortunately his giant ant-eater comes to the rescue. Dian finds the Mahar and is put under it’s hypnotic spell. The spell is broken when the ant-eater comes crashing through the ceiling. The Mahar is fleeing when a portal opens up and sucks it in. Dian and Tanar continue on to the surface and find Abby and Ethan there.

So this story picks up after the crossover series. We now find out what happened to Dian and Tanar. The action is quick and exciting. The issue has a minimum of dialogue and relies heavily on letting the images tell the story. We find out how the Mahar was teleported to the other worlds. It ends with them meeting Abby and Ethan which is also how Fear on Four Worlds story ended in the Moon Maid. Looking forward to see the further adventures in Pellucidar.