Review: The Once and Future Tarzan TPB
Lord Greystoke is kind of minding his own business and contemplating life’s little wonders when a group of natives invades his domain and he must take them out in true Tarzan style. The natives stop fighting when they realize that Tarzan speaks their language and he isn’t the threat they thought he was. A fun beginning to this volume, leading into an intriguing story set in the ruins of a future London.
The Creative Team:
Alan Gordon brings us into this story with a little twist. The natives are seeking a man/ape hybrid to lead them on an epic journey. Little do they know that the one they decided to fight is the one they are seeking. What brings us into the story is the opening tension which gives way to trust a few pages on. Gordon keeps us curious as to where the natives want our protagonist to take them and were entertained all the way there with exotic locales and unforeseen dangers like man-eating plants. Great stuff includes the all-female tribe which seems to be a cross between Wonder Woman’s Amazons and Black Panthers Dora Milaje. Also, Tarzan’ big reveal at the end of chapter one.
Bo Hampton and Thomas Yeates give us some different styles in this tale. Hampton’s pages are gorgeous paintings which bring us into the jungles of Africa and some breathless scenery while Yeates is more traditional comic book art, also some gorgeous pages, but of a more traditional style. It can be a little unsettling at first, but the difference in style grows on you. Highlights include the Lord of the Jungle’s fight with an alligator and the final battle between Tarzan and the poachers.
In Conclusion:
A great trade to be sure. The entire story is here uncut and is a must add to any Tarzan fans collection. It’s a classic Tarzan tale which pays homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs. So many in this industry and the film industry take a franchise and ruin it. Just look at the current state of Star Wars films. Reworking it into something unrecognizable until fans of the original become disappointed and disillusioned. So, it’s nice to see someone who respects the source material and can give us a fresh story without transgressing. Though its setting is in some kind of post-apocalyptic era, we see familiar Tarzan Tropes. There are his old friends Jad (the Lion) and Tantor (The Elephant) plus the romanticized and transcendental aspects of Emerson and Thoreau so prominent in the original series. ERB would be proud. The getting back to nature theme is one of the most important aspects of the character. Though he can live like a civilized human, he prefers the wild. He hates wearing much more than a loincloth and a knife. In this story, he’s forced back into the wild and we see him welcome the adventure in his element. When he lives among civilized human beings for too long, he gets restless and thirsts for the hunt. All these aspects of the Jungle Lord are present and well written in this volume. This trade will appeal to new fans with an exciting story and fans of the original will be thrilled at another great adventure for Tarzan of the Apes. **** (9.2 rating)
The Once and Future Tarzan TPB
A surprising new tale that drops the lord of the jungle into an unfamiliar setting: the future! Can Tarzan’s vine-swinging skills serve him in the half-flooded ruins of a future London?
Collects the complete story from the pages of Dark Horse Presents, along with over 40 pages of new material.
Creators
Writer: Alan Gordon
Artist: Bo Hampton, Thomas Yeates
Colorist: Thomas Yeates, Steve Oliff, Lori Almeida
Cover Artist: Thomas Yeates
Genre: Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Publication Date: November 28, 2018
Format: FC, 128 pages; TPB; 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″
Price: $17.99
Age range: 14
ISBN-10: 1-50671-156-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-50671-156-0
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About the Author
Kevin Given 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 2 novels and 8 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.
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