Warlord of Mars Vol. 1

Set 100,000 years before John Carter's arrival, this original comic mini-series expands the back-story of Edgar Rice Burrough's Barsoom saga, covering the decline of the Orovar White Martians and the construction of the atmosphere generator that keeps Mars habitable for the millennia to follow. Unfortunately an interesting premise and appealing artwork are let down by a rushed, incoherent plot and weak characterization. The characters' motivations are generally opaque, with the antagonists in particular acting evil and genocidal for little apparent reason. Even dedicated Barsoom fans can safely skip this story.