John Carter, Warlord of Mars #12 - May 1978

"City of Skulls!" by Marv Wolfman, Carmine Infantino, and Rudy Nebres.

With this issue, we're back to the present, with John Carter and Dejah Thoris about to separate, albeit temporarily:

Hmm...I think we know. But this is a Code-approved comic, after all.

Later, Carter is practicing with his friend Kantos. Their games are interrupted when Dejah asks if either of them has seen Sola, who was due back days ago. Carter hops into an air flier to search for her.

He heads for Thark, consulting her father Tars Tarkas. But Tarkas says he has not seen her in a long time. Carter resumes his search, but Tarkas insists on coming along.

While in their air flier, a huge sandstorm whips up, causing Carter to lose control, and tossing the ship about. When the storm subsides, Carter and Tarkas find themselves in front of an unbelievable sight:

The flier crashes into the sand, but luckily both Carter and Tarkas survive (Tarkas even mocks Carter's ability to constantly cheat death). They make their way into the imposing castle, and find it is made entirely of bone and skulls!

The aura of death is so pervasive it unnerves both Tars and even Carter. They want to search for Sola, and then quickly depart. They separate to cover more ground, and while Tars' back is turned, a half-dead looking being rises out of the floor, zapping Tars with beams from its eyes!

Meanwhile, Carter is similarly attacked, but by animated skeletons who have suddenly come to life!

...to be continued!


This issue features the first two-page spread of the series; a nice way to reveal the awesome spectacle that is the City of Skulls.

On the letters page ("Barsoomian Chronicles"), letter writer R.E. Miller states there isn't a single good thing about this series, moaning that John Carter is "[D]oomed never to be adequately presented in comic book form." I wonder what he thought of the Sabato/Lords movie?