Lord of the Jungle #3 continues the story of the older Tarzan and his time as Lord of the Jungle, finding new allies and danger! Dynamite’s series, Lord of the Jungle, parts the back story of Tarzan, and also brings in a 1950’s narrative of his revenge! We saw his beginnings raised by his ape-like Mangani mother, Kala, when Tarzan has lost his parents. In the second issue, there is also Bouanga, a childhood friend, who has now found Tarzan on his path to revenge.
In the past, Tarzan faced hunters led by a man named Shaw, Kala is killed by the hunters. The cover of Lord of the Jungle #3 is by John Burns which has Tarzan, underwater, raising his fists, one with his knife. He is above the jaws of Gimla, the Mangani word for crocodile! It is night with a building in 1950’s Africa protected by guards. The story is by Dan Jurgens with Benito Gallego as artist. The narrator, Bouanga, says he has known all inds of men, some that are evil. We see a man in a dark suit, just the eye holes showing his face like a ninja, incredible colors by Francesco Segala, he just blends with the darkness.
The man violently knocks out the guards before the guard dog starts to bark! Bouanga notes his friend. The stealthy man calms the dog down and gives a treat. There is of course kindness to animals compared to the guards. He leaps up, an incredible James Bond-like fet to reach the upper floor. The man enters a room of antiquities and removes his mask to find the item he is going to steal, it is the older, grey-haired Tarzan.
The panel storytelling is great having medium shots and then larger panels of Tarzan’s face in mask and unmasked. This flashes back to Bouanga as a young man forced to work with Lt. Henry Carson. He says Lt. Carson is one of the “decent men” under Colonel Shaw. They go to set a lion trap for Shaw. Carson says Shaw is a tyrant. Shaw has decided to kill animals for trophies instead of the Treasures of the Mist. They hear a growl, a lion roars as Carson tells Bouanga to run, and it leaps on him!
Then, we get a splash page to have Tarzan leaping in shouting, “Numa Dan-Do!” Numa I knew as “lion” and realized that he is saying “stop”! I’m surprised that Tarzan would save a hunter, but he also defends the weak. The lion has its jaws open, but turns to Tarzan. Then, the two jungle combatants face each other, Tarzan with his knife. He repeats his warning, Bouanga is stunned as Tarzan has leaped on the lion and then brings his knife down. The red panels of violence are perfect. Bouanga notes that Tarzan did not revel in the death of Numa.
They introduce themselves, but Bouanga doesn’t understand Tarzan. He picks up the wounded Carson had Bouanga follows him. At his parent’s cabin, Tarzan puts the healing leaves on Carson and we get Bouanga and later Carson teaching Tarzan English. The novel, Tarzan of the Apes (1912), Tarzan learned to speak English on his travels to find Jane. Again, I like this change with two men learning about his past through his father’s diary and the photo of Lord Greystoke and Alice Greystoke. I also love the splashes of grey in the panels that make me think of the Gold Key Tarzan comics!
Lt. Carson recovers and they start back to Colonel Shaw whom he expects to take Tarzan to England. They explain to Tarzan that his grandparents might be alive and Tarzan pauses to wonder that Kala is not his mother! Carson says it is miracle that Kala raised him and that she was his adoptive guardian. They find Shaw with his hunters, two of the Mangani are in cages, others are howling in the branches of a tree! Tarzan starts to call Shaw a killer. Bouanga realizes what happened. Carson tries to explain Tarzan’s life, but Shaw scoff at him.
Tarzan goes to the cage and shouts to “Free them!” Shaw refuses, Tarzan brings along his Mangani brothers to free the prisoners, the hunters ready their rifles. Tarzan is faster and knocks them down. Tarzan faces Shaw, both combatants are in red!, Shaw draws his pistol. Carson calms them down. Shaw realizes that Tarzan is a Greystoke and valuable. He points to his men that are ready to kill on his orders. Shaw tries to make a deal to free the Mangani for his real objective! Lord of the Apes #3 weaves a new backstory, Tarzan’s revenge, and the promise of more adventure!
Five Journals out of Five!
#LordOfTheJungle, #DanJurgens, #BenitoGallego, #Tarzan, #Bouanga, #LtCarson, #ColonelShaw, #TreasuresOfTheMist
Comments
Post a Comment