John Carter, Warlord of Mars #17 - Oct. 1978

"What Price Victory?" by Chris Claremont, Ernie Colon, and Bob Layton.

Last issue of John Carter, Warlord of Mars ended with Carter and Dejah unconscious from their flier crashing. Now he has awakened to some unwelcome visitors:

Carter finds himself in a lush garden, decorated with statues and reminding him of Kyoto, Japan. He is startled by a warm welcome from a man named Garthon, who claims to have taken care of Carter and Dejah once they reached the city.

Before he can say anymore, someone calls out to Garthon, which makes him hastily depart. The voice comes from a hulking, winged man named Gar Karus who guides Carter to a banquet room. Carter's very existence creates a problem for the people of this city, who believe there is little or nothing on Mars outside its walls.

Those with red skin are considered little more than animals, so Dejah has been put into slaves' quarters. For once, Carter does not act with uncontrolled rage, preferring to quietly listen to his host's racist beliefs while deciding what to do.

Gar whisks Carter to the royal palace. Once they arrive, Carter's winglessness causes others to mock him, which tests Carter's patience. Its tested even further when he learns that he is to present for a slave auction, including his beloved Dejah!:

...to be continued!


This is my probably my favorite issue of John Carter, art-wise at least: I've always been a fan of Ernie Colon's work, and to me its perfectly suited for this series. Bob Layton's inks are much less heavy than Rudy Nebres', so this issue is much more of a showcase for Colon. I wish he could have done the rest of the series!