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From: ciaraldi@rochester.UUCP (Mike Ciaraldi)
Newsgroups: net.comics
Subject: MARS
Message-ID: <3112@rochester.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Sep-83 21:23:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: rocheste.3112
Posted: Wed Sep 28 21:23:02 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Sep-83 01:17:23 EDT
Sender: ciaraldi@rocheste.UUCP
Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept.
Lines: 28

From: Mike Ciaraldi  <ciaraldi>
I just got the first issue of MARS, by Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel
(might have the "k" and "c" backward, there!).
Published by First, if I remember right.

Thoughts on it:
1) Art style unique, takes a little getting-used-to, but it grew
on me, and seemed to improve toward the back of the book.
2) Interesting premise--Woman with legs paralyzed in an accident
happens to be a scientist who works on robotics/AI/mind transfer.
Develops leg stimulators, but has to move to the Moon to walk because
of lower gravity. Develops robots that can have a human mind transferred into
them temporarily, so is sent on first Mars expedition, which uses
robots to terraform Mars. Expedition loses touch with Earth, so decides
to go into suspended anmimation. She wakes up 10,000 years in the
future, and just manages to survive crashlanding on Martian surface.
Where is the rest of the crew? What new life forms have developed
on Mars? Is the whole planet out to get her?
3) Writing style good, but with occasional lapses, e.g. future terminology
that could be easily explained but isn't. Not a major annoyance, but
a good editor should have caught it.

Overall--Recommended. The bottom line is that this comic is out-of-the-ordinary,but still well-done and accessible (which distinguishes it from Raw and
Thriller, in my opinion).  If people can support Cerebus, Elfquest, American 
Flagg, and Jon Sable, Mars should be able to find its niche.

Mike Ciaraldi
ciaraldi@rochester