THE MOON MAID #3

“The Three Keys”

Writer: Mike Wolfer

Artist: Mirana Puglia

Loh-ee-nah manages to convince the Va-gas to stay and defend the city of Groethe from the Kalkars. They man cannons that fire poison darts but the Kalkars use gourds filled with explosives and poison gas. The male Va-gas die fighting and it looks like the two girls don’t have long. So Loh-ee-nah goes to a vault and opens it with three keys. This is where she hid when the Kalkars came and killed her family. This vault protects them from the weapon that is activated. As the sunlight comes through the crater it unleashes lighting that destroys the Kalkars. We find out at the end that Loh-ee-nah was preserving a library that had the last books on Va-nah. Now she and her companion are all that is left to preserve the knowledge for future generations.

So ends this series of The Moon Maid with a new character. A fun and enjoyable story with a likable character fighting against the evil Communist Kalkars. I was a bit confused by the ending with the sunlight turned into deadly energy. It wasn’t really explained how that happened. Loh-ee-nah and Voh-nay are interesting and likable characters. I hope to see future stories with then. Also interested in how this is tied in to the Burrough’s books. We learn from the Kalkars that Or-tis is already in charge so this must take place in 2050. I would love to see how this is tied in to the canon universe that American Mythology is creating.

THE MOON MAID #2

“The Three Keys”

Writer: Mike Wolfer

Artist: Miriana Puglia

Loh-ee-nah has taken four Va-gas to her dead city to heal one. The leader of the Va-gas decides to go exploring against the objection of Loh-ee-nah. He finds a statue depicting one of the inhabitants holding the head of a Va-gas. This starts a fight that is ended when the female comes and says that her cure worked. They decide to work together and they seem to develop a grudging respect for each other. Only the Kalkars have come back. The Va-gas manage to kill most of the recon party. The survivor makes it back to his people and the Kalkars plan a major incursion into the city. Loh-ee-nah is about to tell the secret of her city.

This was a fascinating issue. Wolfer has decided to give the Va-gas more emotion and intelligence than Burroughs did in his stories. The Va-gas are portrayed as an oppressed group in the past. A little woke maybe but does make for an interesting story and never does Wolfer ever show anything but respect for Burroughs works. A bond is developing between the female Va-gas and Loh-ee-nah and it ends with the prospect of a big battle with the Kalkars and reveal of some secret. A good solid story from the Vah-nah world of Burrough’s Moon series.

THE MOON MAID #1

“The Three Keys”

Writer: Mike Wolfer

Artist: Miriana Puglia

We start with a radio transmission from Townsend Harper telling us about the world of Va-nah or as we know it the Moon. He starts with the girl Loh-ee-nah as she is scavenging for food in the forest. She is attacked by a giant toad but manages to get away. As she gets a drink from a spring she runs into four Va-gas. They want to eat her but she manages to convince them not to. She also offers to help their female who was bitten by a Tor-ho the loin of Va-nah. They need to go to her home. Along the way we find out that the Kalkars massacred the Va-gas tribe with terrible weapons. Loh-ee-nah also tells them that the Kalkars destroyed her home and family. They go through a cave and into a neat and modern living space. Loh-ee-nah prepares the cure as one of the Va-gas checks out a door. It leads to an abandoned city which we find out is named Groethe.

This was a great start to a new Moon Maid series. It starts out just like a Burroughs story with a Gridley wave transmission. Narrated by the guy from the Monster Men series which piques my interest on how he got involved. A great introduction to our heroine. We find out she is the last of her people and she helps the last of a Va-gas tribe. I do think that the Va-gas should be portrayed more horselike then the artist draws them. Otherwise everything has such a feel and look that Burroughs created for Va-nah. Ends with what looks like some evil Kalkars approaching. Definitely love these Burroughs series.

THE MOON MAID #3

“Catacombs of the Moon”
Writer: Christopher Mills
Artist: Gabriel Rearte

Nah-ee-lah wakes up after her ordeal with the little people underground to find herself captive of the Aa-Gas a tribe of four armed monkeys. The Aa-gas prove friendly and agree to help her rescue her companion Pal-don from the Kalkars. The Aa-gas prove to be fierce fighters and manage to slaughter the Kalkars. Nah-ee-lah rescues Pal-don and he recognizes some of the landmarks and knows where they are. So the two leave their new found friends and head off to Laythe.

So this series ended with Nah-ee-lah finding some friendly monkeys and they manage to rescue her friend. A good interesting story with beautiful artwork. My only complaint was it was resolved a little too easy. The Aa-gas were just so powerful and overwhelming that our main heroine didn’t really have much to do. The series was still an enjoyable tale. It had the feel of a Burrough’s story with its evil Kalkars and other strange creatures. The ERB Universe is still a big success for American Mythology in my opinion.

THE MOON MAID #2

“Catacombs of the Moon”
Writer: Christopher Mills
Artist: Gabriel Rearte

Nah-ee-lah has fallen into a pool of water in an isolated chamber while escaping her dungeon. To make matters worst the chamber is filled with viscous bats. She sees a light underwater and dives under. Swimming through an underground cavern she comes into a chamber filled with little people. Soon after her is a viscous monster called the Nitratha. The creature grabs one of the little people and Nah-ee-lah picks up the fallen spear and throws it into it’s eye. It releases the man and goes back underwater. The little people are grateful and take Nah-ee-lah to their leader a very old woman. From her we find out the history of these people. They inhabited the city above ground until the Kalkars and their revolution. The ancestors were pacifists and fled underground where they deteriorated to the state they are now in.

The old woman wants to keep Nah-ee-lah there to breed new children. But the man she saved instead shows her the passage to the surface. Nah-ee-lah finds herself in the jungle and decides to take a nap. In the bushes sinister eyes watch.

So the second issue has our heroine escaping the bats to find a lost race of people. She has to fight off a monster and the old crone who rules the place wants to use her to breed some new blood into the race. Naturally Nah-ee-lah wants nothing to do with that and fortunately the man she rescued returns the favor. This is an enjoyable series. It stays true to what Burrough’s created. The strange people, creatures and situations are what you would find in a Burrough’s book. The art tells the story with a minimum of dialogue and exposition. Another excellent issue.

THE MOON MAID #1

“Catacombs of the Moon”
Writer: Christopher Mills
Artist: Gabriel Rearte

Nah-ee-lah and Pal-don are heading back to Laythe after their adventures with Abby and Ethan from the Fear on Four Worlds series. Going through a swamp the two are attacked by a giant toad creature. They are saved by a hunting party of Kalkars. They take the two back to a ruined city. There the commander gets information from Nah-ee-lah by threatening to torture Pal-don. The two are thrown into the dungeon as the Kalkar commander plans to use Nah-ee-lah to find the secret entrance to Laythe. Nah-ee-lah finds an opening in her cell and crawls through it. She ends up falling threw the floor into a pool surrounded by bats.

So we get the first mini-series on the Moon. So far it looks good. The art and story are top notch. It has a feel of Burrough’s world that he created. The weird creatures. The evil Kalkars. The ruined cities. I am so excited that Burrough’s creations are getting the proper treatment they deserve. A very good time to be a Burroughs fan.

THE MOON MAID #1

“Fear on Four Worlds Part II”
Writer: Christopher Mills
Artist: Gabriel Rearte

Abby and Ethan find themselves confronted by purple centaur like creatures demanding flesh. Fortunately they have the R-ray pistol from Amtor. Also the gravity is way lower than Earth and the two have super strength. They rescue the captive girl who is Nah-ee-lah, the daughter of the Jemadar of Laythe. She was on a trip with a hunter named Pal-dan using their artificial wings. Only they were ambushed by the Kalkars and she was separated and now lost. Nah-ee-lah tells of the history of Vah-nah the world they are on. She is interrupted by a snake creature that forces them to flee. Ethan and Nah-ee-lah fall into a pond. Then a octopus like fish attacks them and Ethan uses the R-ray pistol. Getting out they discover Abby was captured by the Va-gas the flesh eating centaurs. Tracking them to their camp they find Abby and Pal-dan captives. Only a Mahar is now in charge of the Va-gas. Ethan uses his strength to throw boulders and Nah-ee-lah the R-ray pistol to kill the Mahar. With Nah-ee-lah reunited with her companion they can resume the journey back to Laythe. Ethan and Abby find a portal and go through. They find themselves in Pellucidar and meet up with Dian. Just then a giant ant breaks through the ground.

So another Burrough’s world is added to the universe. I know that a Moon Maid series is coming out soon. This was one of Burrough’s more overlooked creation. I love that it stays true to his vision. A nice touch to explain them understanding the Moon language as having it similar to Caspak. The artwork was beautiful and I am looking forward to more stories set on this world.