Jane Porter: The Primordial Peril #1 is an Arctic adventure for the love interest of Tarzan, on her own, and equal to him in exploring dangerous corners of the world! It was part of a Kickstarter campaign that launched on July 22nd last year. So disclaimer, I am a supporter after seeing the cover image alone. It features Jane Porter whom you might know as Lady Greystoke, the wife (por-kalan) and love interest of Tarzan, both of whom were introduced in the novel, Tarzan of the Apes (1912) by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I think of her very much like Lois Lane to Superman, a later relationship of course, but Tarzan would not have his adventures without her. Still, Jane has been toughened by life in the jungle, she is capable as the apeman.
An unofficial comic book from Dynamite, Swords of Sorrow: Pantha & Jane Porter #1 (2015) had Jane in a multiverse encounter. There was a novel by Robin Maxwell, Jane: The Woman Who Love Tarzan (2012), from Jane’s perspective. It was authorized by the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate. This special issue is part of the ERB Universe, the adventures of all of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ heroines and heroes and events from novels and comic books. The comic book has a story, series concept, and expanded canon by Christopher Paul Carey, author and Creative Director of the ERB Universe, and Mike Wolfer, writer/artist and ERB Universe editor for the American Mythology comic publisher. Wolfer also wrote the script for the comic book. The art is by Roy Allan Martinez who has provided artwork for Marvel and Image Comics as well as other publishers.
The cover by Martinez has Jane in winter gear with sabertooths and a mammoth and a snowy background with a geodesic dome. The contrast of an Arctic adventure outside of the jungle is such a contrast. A stunning image! The story opens with a letter head of the Robeson Museum at Baltimore, Maryland, Jane is a director of Archeleology and Zoological Field Studies there, influenced by her father, Professor Archimedes Porter. She was convinced by her daughter-in-law, Meriem, wife of Korak, to write of her own adventures. This introduction is very similar to the openings of the ERB novels. This shifts to a rocky islet in the Bering Sea, 1952. Jane defiantly questions several men for disturbing her dig. One man is on a walkie talkie and draws a gun. Jane leads them to the dome. She explains that she piloted her seaplane and identifies the men as military types. Her team had drained a passageway and this group discovered something there.
They reach an underground base where Jane recognizes the leader, Anton Helvig, a dashing type in a red sweater, I’m getting Bulloq vibes from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). He has set up the base in six months and orders his henchman, Smith, to put away his gun. It seems Helvig and Jane have a rivalry that also makes me think of Marion Ravenwood. Helvig explains that he believes the area was sunk by plate tectonics and has found Late Pleistocene fossils. Jane is escorted to the barracks while Helvig deals with a situation. She plays on his greed and points out what she says is a vein of gold, but then takes his gun to tie up the goon. At a lab, Helvig and Dr. Severov have found a sabertooth tiger has wakened!, a little Jurassic Park, but I’m getting shades of the BBC sci fi series, Primeval. There are some distinctive character expressions by Martinez. Two rifleman are sent to deal with the sabertooth tiger. Jane pushes them aside and then speaks to the prehistoric beast in Mangani, the language of the Great Apes. I looked up the translation, very cool.
She is able to calm the sabertooth tiger with a scent made from African herbs and flowers from her wrist. The less violent way Jane deals with the threat is awesome. Jane explains all of this to Helvig who also determined that she used certain tones in her voice speaking the Great Ape words. Dr. Severov is impressed to meet Jane Porter. He shows her to a room where they have a caged wooly mammoth and another sabertooth tiger. A closeup of the wooly mammoth’s black eye has the look of a real animal. Dr. Severov explains his process of using ultra-sonic vibration and temperature controls to revive the prehistoric beasts. The science and the scenario are solid sci fi. Jane says she wants to help, earlier she called the operation an “atrocity”, and turns over the gun to Helvig. Dr. Severov finds out that Helvig’s plan is to sell the animals, a Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) situation. She has to care for these lost world animals against the gunmen and the crazed Helvig! Jane Porter’s adventures continue with the three issue mini-series, Jane Porter and the City of Fire, hinted at by her post-scriptum, can’t wait! "Ink-Tag, yato!"
Four African herbs and flowers out of Five!
#JanePorterThePrimordialPeril, #ChistopherPaulCarey, #MikeWolfer, #RoyAllanMartinez, #AntonHelvig, #DoctorSeverov, #Mangani
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