Dejah Thoris versus John Carter #5

Lucio Parrillo's cover for issue #5 sets the stage perfectly: Dejah Thoris, golden-armored and blade in hand, stands shoulder-to-shoulder with a shackled, sword-wielding John Carter inside what appears to be a vast arena, dark birds circling ominously overhead. The "versus" in the title takes on a fascinating tension when these two formidable figures look less like opponents and more like reluctant allies backed into the same corner. Dan Abnett's script, brought to life by Alessandro Miracolo's art and Dearbhla Kelly's colors, promises the kind of Barsoomian adventure that keeps this 2021 Dynamite series firing on all cylinders.