Customer Reviews

Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years Volume 1 (v. 1)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Way back in 1929 Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Tarzan of the Apes" was adapted in newspaper comic strip form by illustrator Hal Foster. A full-page Sunday strip began in 1931 drawn by Rex Mason, and since then Burne Hogarth, Russ Manning, and Mike Grell have been some of the big names that have drawn the Lord of the Jungle. The only problem is that I never lived anywhere that had Tarzan in the Sunday comics, so for me Joe Kubert is THE artist that I associate with Tarzan. By the time Kubert's took over the book with issue #207 of "Tarzan of the Apes" (April 1972), I had read all of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan novels, so even though I was only buying Marvel comics at that time when I saw the 1st DC issue with its 52 BIG pages ("Don't take less! Only 25c), I picked it up and Kubert's faithful four-part adaptation of the first ERB novel sold me on the comic. After all, not only did you have the first 26-page part of the adaptation, but an introduction to ERB in "The Dum-Dum" (written by "Marvin Wolfman"), which would be the book's letters page, an adaptation of "Tarzan's First Christmas" from Hall Foster's December 27, 1931 Sunday strip, and the first chapter of an adaptation of ERB's "A Princess of Mars" starring John Carter by Murray Anderson. What more could an ERB fan possibly hope for in one comic book?

What we have in "Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years, Volume 1" are the Kubert's first eight issues, #207-14. Prior to this time I had associated Kubert with his work on "Sgt. Rock," but his distinctive style was perfect for Tarzan. The story begins with a safari being attacked by a panther and Tarzan showing up out of nowhere to save a pretty young blond woman in a pith helmet. Her guide then tells the story of "The Origin of Tarzan of the Apes," starting in 1888 when a ship left Dover, England, with John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, and his wife Lady Alice. The first chapter covers the birth of Tarzan, the death of his parents, how he came to be raised by Kala of the great apes, and his battle to the death with Bolgani, his rival in the tribe. "A Son's Vengeance" (#208) is where Tarzan learns to read and that he is not an ape but a "man," and avenges the death of Kala when she is killed by a "hairless ape." "A Mate for the Ape-Man" (#209) begins with Tarzan defeating Kerchak and Terkoz, before leaving the tribe to find his destiny as a man. This is where we pick up the story with Jane Porter, her father Professor Porter, her fiance William Clayton (Tarzan's cousin), and the rest of their abandoned expedition, up to the point where Tarzan rescues Jane from Terkoz. "Civilization" (#210) finds Tarzan spending some quality time with Jane, but then rescuing D'Arnot from the natives and finally learning how to speak French (he already reads and writes in English). In the end he tracks down in America, learns she is about to be married to William and his own true identity as the real Lord Greystoke, and refuses to ruin her future.

Kubert is faithful to the action and the dialogue, such as Tarzan's final line, and does not have a problem drawing the young Tarzan as running around naked (drawn strategically, of course) until the point in the story where he gets his first loin cloth. The pace of the story really picks up in the final part: the first three sections covered the first 156 pages of my paperback edition of "Tarzan of the Apes," while the fourth chapter covers 89 pages (I have the page numbers written on the back covers of my original comic books). But since the whole last section is about Tarzan NOT getting Jane, while getting educated so that he finally speaks English too, there is not a lot of real action after the opening pages. The framing device of the guide and the blonde is finally resolved (no, she is not Jane, just another white woman who has lost her father in the jungles of Africa), and allows Tarzan to make the point that the jungle is more civilized than the real world. So the set up for the comic book is not Tarzan and Jane, but the time before our hero gets domesticated. This makes sense since ERB regretted the relationship between Tarzan and Jane (he thought La, High Priestess of Opar was a better match), and even killed Jane off at one point in the series.

The other four issues contained here suffer by comparison, but then anything would. "Land of the Giants" (#211) involves an evil little man named Kalban and the Kolosans, a race of giants. The little guy drinks their forbidden water and grows to be a giant as well, but by the time you get to the end of this one, where Tarzan battles a monster giant gorilla on top of a flying airplane, you are praying Kubert will get back to ERB's original stories. That happens with "The Captive" (#212) and the next two issues after that, all of which are taken from the "Jungle Tales of Tarzan," which happens in the same time frame as the first half of the first novel. This one features a great cover of Tarzan taking down a rhinoceros, and the story is about how the natives capture Tarzan and he calls Tantor on them. "Balu of the Great Apes" (#213) is a nice little story about Tarzan protecting a balu (baby) of his tribe and finding his place as their leader. "The Nightmare" (#214) is the story of what happens the first time Tarzan eats cooked meat and it disagrees with his stomach. So, except for that non-ERB inspired story in #211, this is a solid collection of Kubert doing Burroughs. I would not say that it is downhill from here, but rather than things are never as geaat as this awesome start.

The four part adaptation of the first Tarzan novel was well written and well drawn and Kubert's love of the source material is evident.
The writing and art are so fluid and vibrant that these stories seem as though they were published last year and not more than thirty years ago. The adaptations are strong and detailed, and hold up much better than the more abreviated adaptations of Robert E. Howard's Conan story adaptations for Marvel, done around the same time.

I would point out that the four part adaptation is something rare for a comic book from the 1970's, which generally kept to a two part story at the longest, so Joe was allowed plenty of breathing space to do justice to the original book.

I don't understand the $50 price tag on DC's (and now Darkhore's) archive editions. THe price seems so exesssive for such a small offering of 200+ pages. One wishes Darkhorse could have added a few more issues into this volume, but worth the cover price regardless.

Tarzan like you've never seen him is expanded upon and portrayed in living color by dynamic graphic artist Joe Kubert, who produces a vivid set of tales and provides archived drawings with color restoration based off of Tatjana Wood's original colors. This collection reprints the first eight issues of Joe Kubert's classic Tarzan comic series: works done at the height of his career. Two audiences will relish this collection and must own it: Kubert fans, and Tarzan fans. Each will find the full-color presentation provides high-quality reproduction and an uninterrupted set of adventures. Very highly recommended: a classic keepsake.

This wonderful collection of legendary artist and storyteller, Joe Kubert is a must have for hardcore Tarzan fans. I cut my teeth on these comics way back in the early 70's as a young boy.(I still have all of the original editions!)

There are only a few number of artists that could truly capture the primitive and primordal great Tarzan. Only Neal Adams, Russ Manning and the late great Conan artist, John Buscema could actually draw the apeman.

But Joe Kubert had a style all of his own. With backgrounds and rough-like sketches that made Tarzan and the jungle around him actually permeate right through the comic pages, Kubert could totally transport you to Africa and high adventure of yesteryear. Classic in every sense of the word.

Thank God for Joe Kubert. And his sons have also become fantastic artists all their own.

Now, if only ONE Hollywood movie could finally capture the true essence of Tarzan the Apeman, then the Tarzan phenomenon would begin all over again. Perhaps someday...

This is a book for which I've waited decades, having grown up on the Kubert DC books. Very well made and edited, this collection of DC Tarzan issues would go along quite well on the shelf with DC's Archive books. Whether you are a Tarzan fan or an afficianado of DC's Silver Age, you would do well to check out this book. Of course, if you are a fan of both, I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, and you have already acquired this wonderful edition Dark Horse has offered us. Buying this was a no brainer, and my only question was why it took so long to get published, when the Manning stuff had already been reprinted years ago. If only those had been released in a volume as beautiful as this! Perhaps it's not too late to get the Horse to release the Hal Foster strips in a similar fashion to this Kubert collection. Are you listening, DH?

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years, Volume One is a graphic novel archive of Joe Kubert's 1970's Tarzan comics, in full color. Stories include an adaptation of Burroughs' first Tarzan novel and others inspired by the classic adventures of the powerful, intelligent and honorable hero, all written and drawn by Kubert himself. The at times philosophical plots and action-packed art style bring Tarzan's adventures to life without unduly sacrificing realism, in this collection that forms as rousing a read today as it did thirty years ago. Highly recommended.

All three volumes of the Joe Kubert Tarzan series are must haves for any true Tarzan fan. I bought them not really knowing what I was going to get and I can honestly say that I was not disappointed. I only wish there were more! The price being offered at Amazon I feel is very reasonable and the volumes arrived very quickly and in great condition.

Each volume comes with a insightful introduction by Mr. Kubert himself and each is filled with some of the best storytelling of the Tarzan mythos to ever grace the pages of a comic book. The artwork is superb (each of the characters are drawn in careful detail and presented in brilliant color) and the atmospheric quality of the work allows the reader to fully immerse himself in the jungle world of Tarzan, which is exactly what Mr. Kubert said he hoped to accomplish in drawing the stories. Three of the original Edgar Rice Burrough's novels: TARZAN THE APE MAN, THE RETURN OF TARZAN, and TARZAN AND THE LION MAN are featured (one per volume in multiple chapters)and do justice to the novels. Granted, a couple of the non-Burroughs stories can seem a bit lame, but the great artwork makes up for that.

Dark Horse has again created a well-produced book that any collector should be proud to own.

Although I am not an avid collector of comic books, I used to enjoy them as a child. And Tarzan happens to be one of my childhood favorites along with other DC heroes. This particular volume is nice to have for its binding as well as its content. Kubert shows his audience what a great writer/illustrator he was through these series.

Issues 207-210 retell Edgar Rice Burrough's original text. Kubert introduces Tarzan's origins in the form of flashback, being narrated by a guide who is helping a woman find his father. Kubert's poetic language, rich in metaphors, similes, and personifications, is a perfect match to Burroughs, who also wrote with the same poetic intensity. In fact, Kubert's language, accompanied with impressionistic and surrealistic details, is quite a challenge to the young reader these comic books addressed during the seventies. His apes, elephants, and host of animal jungles may not resemble the real ones all the time, but that's because Kubert stresses the savagery and violence of the jungle. Bolgani the gorilla appears to be quite an impressive ape, whereas Kerchak is smaller in size, but his physical appearance resembles that of a demon. Of course, Kubert's metaphoric language, filled with similes, personifications, and hyperboles presents a slight drawback, and that is that the guide narrating the story doesn't appear to be well-educated as to use this kind of language. The guide's voice resembles Kubert's own, but this slight is too small, and I don't think readers have a chance to think about it once they get into the story.

Issues 211-214 narrate a set of surrealistic tales where Tarzan meets giants in Land of the Giants (Sep 1972). In The Captive (Oct 1972) he shows superhuman qualities as he confronts an entire tribe of natives, faces possible death in their hands, and is finally saved by an enormous elephant (Tantor). In Balu of the Great Apes (Nov 1972) Tarzan is challenged by another ape for leadership, but later has to confront a pride of panthers. In The Nightmare (December 1972) Tarzan's challenged by his own nightmares, and later has to confront a white ape. In every issue, Tarzan lives up to the DC pantheon of superheroes as he confronts animals and foes larger than life. As usual, Kubert's illustrations are accompanied by intense poetic language.

This book, although more expensive than other DC collections, is worth reading.