cover image Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years Volume 1

Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years Volume 1

Joe Kubert, . . Dark Horse Books, $49.95 (200pp) ISBN 978-1-59307-404-3

Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan of the Apes first appeared in prose form in 1912, launching a publishing and film empire. Tarzan comics have been published since 1929, and while the jungle lord's adventures have been illustrated by several legendary artists, perhaps none resonates as powerfully with comics readers as Kubert (Yossel , Sgt. Rock ). Long a Tarzan fan himself, Kubert leapt at the chance to delineate the series in 1972 while working at DC Comics, and the results are simply stunning. Based on Burroughs's first Tarzan novel and a subsequent collection of short stories, this vibrantly colorful edition thrusts readers headfirst into a lush jungle setting in which danger lurks behind each tree, and the only law is that of the wild. Tarzan's world is a violent and unforgiving one, a point savagely driven home on every page as the narrative retells the hero's origins and rise to power as the uncontested master of his domain. This is grandly entertaining stuff for both old and new readers alike; a cornucopia of excitement that has not aged a day, collected in an edition that can be reread and savored for years to come. (Nov.)