Michael Kane 2: Blades of Mars aka Lord of Spiders

Michael Kane 2
Blades of Mars aka Lord of Spiders
by Michael Moorcock as Edward P. Bradbury
1965 Compact

Michael Kane returns to ancient Mars, landing on a different part of the red planet. He encounters the blue giants, who are more civilized in this area, and assists a prince to fight off invaders. They find laser wielding ghouls in a desert fortress, find an airship built by ancient advanced technology, are blown off course, fight spider men, then return to pick up the plot.

The femme fatale Horguhl from the last installment shows up and Kane uses a magic mirror to thwart her plans of domination. Strongest in episodic adventures, less so when the main plot takes over.

Paperback from Amazon

Series Shadow: Swordsman of Mars vs Warriors of Mars

The Swordsman and the Warriors were very similar.  More characterization from the Swordman, but better action from the Warriors, and that's what I'm here for.  The Eternal Champion moves forward.

Warriors of Mars by Michael Moorcock

 Warriors of Mars aka City of the Beast
by Michael Moorcock (as Edward P. Bradbury)
1965 Compact

Michael Kane is an Olympic level fencer and physicist who creates an experimental matter transmittal device that teleports him to ancient Mars. He involves himself with the locals, defends a city from an invasion of blue-skinned giants, and rescues a captured princess.

Fun, unpretentious, and well written action, with a great siege scene.  This is my first Moorcock, and lacks the depth and trippyness of his later works.  Kane is supposed to be an aspect of Moorcock's Eternal Champion, and Kane is definitely an archetype, if by that you mean incredibly generic.

Paperback from AbeBooks

The Swordsman of Mars by Otis Adelbert Kline

 The Swordsman of Mars
by Otis Adelbert Kline
1933 Argosy

Down on his luck Harry Thorne is kidnapped by a mad scientist who psychically switches his consciousness with his double who lived on ancient Mars.  His mission, to kill the subject of a previous swap who plans on using ray gun technology to threaten Earth.

More violent than I was expecting, with heads being cut off or in half and rolling all over the place.  Not as fantastical or literate as Princess of Mars.  Perhaps due to the read of the audiobook it evoked the idea of a Planet & Sword/Gangbusters crossover, but that was not to be.

Kindle and Audiobook from Amazon

Audiobook currently on Hoopla, check your library