Review: Tarzan and the Lion Man TP
Synopsis:
I continue to relive those golden days of yesteryear with IDW bringing back the iconic comic books. God bless ’em for doing so. By far the best comic book adaptation of Tarzan was DC’s rendition, who took over from Gold Key in 1972. Tarzan comics began publication in 1947 with Dell Comics first bringing Edgar Rice Burroughs’s iconic character to life. By far, Tarzan is one of the most adapted characters since his tales have been running almost steady since then. Other publishers that brought the loin clothed jungle man to life include Marvel, Charlton and Dark Horse. DC’s run lasted five years, ending in 1977. But further adaptations have paled in comparison to what Joe Kubert brought to the mythos. Even though DC only had the title for those short five years, it was those five years that saw the character reach an epiphany in the world of comics. Here is Kubert’s adaptation of one of the most popular of Burroughs characters.
The Creative Team:
Joe Kubert is one of the most legendary comic book creators in the history of the medium and this adaptation begins with Tarzan kneeling at a river and getting a drink of water. Rogue apes are swinging by overhead carrying a pretty young lady with them. Naturally, Lord Greystoke leaps into action and follows them. He challenges the apes who appear alarmed at his presence. The Lord of the Jungle wastes no time Taking out Tambor, leader of this ape tribe and strikes fear in the rest of the apes, who bow before Tarzan in fear. He discovers that the young lady in question is the handmaid of La, priestess of the Sun Temple and the priestess has sent her to seek Tarzan’s aid. Since La once saved his life, he wastes no time grabbing the handmaid and swings via vine to the city of Opar. Kubert brings Tarzan to life-like no other comic book writer and his sense of adventure is strong, he wastes no time with this adaptation and puts the ape-man into Opar within five pages of this issue. Great stuff includes the confrontation between Tarzan and Rokar also Tarzan’s fight with B’Tunga warriors.
Joe Kubert the artist. Joe Kubert’s layouts had a panache for the dramatic and brought great characters to life including Sgt. Rock and his own character of Tor. What he brought to Tarzan, and especially this issue, was a unique take on the character that no other artist has brought to the title before or since. His impressionistic style was perfect for the Lord of the Jungle and this title brings that to the forefront. Highlights include Tarzan and his apes vs. the B’Tunga and his solo fight with a sabre tooth tiger.
In Conclusion:
I haven’t read a Joe Kubert Tarzan in so long. I used to have all the Gold Key, DC and Marvel versions as I was a huge Tarzan fan, but with the great purging of the bottom three drawers of my dresser (only the top two were reserved for clothes, the rest had my comics.) of 1979 (or thereabouts,) done by those pesky adults known of as my parents, I haven’t owned a Joe Kubert comic since. But I have fond memories and, next to Batman, my Tarzan’s were by far the favorite of the DC line. I highly recommend to anyone, weather you’re a collector of the Dark Horse and Dynamite versions, or you’ve never read a Tarzan comic in your life, this volume. It’s a great introduction to the character and I believe you will enjoy them as much as I did.
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Writer – Edgar Rice Burroughs, Joe Kubert
Art – Joe Kubert
Letters – Joe Kubert
Publisher – IDW/DC
Author Profile
- Kevin Given has studied with “ Longridge Writers Group †and “ Writer’s Boot Camp †a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the “ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter †franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of “ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter †# 1 and “ Files of Karl Vincent †# 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series “ Dracula Rising †(working title) and developing “ Foul Blood †into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given
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