Tarzan vs. Predator: At the Earth's Core

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan: Comics

by Walter Simonson, Lee Weeks

In the center of the earth lies Pellucidar, the last bastion of primeval forest in the world. To Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, this is sacred ground. But to the Predators, it's hunting ground. You'll feel the jungle heat in this deluxe trade paperback!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure

104 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 1997

About the author

Walt Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' Thor from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned work Star Slammers, which he inaugurated in 1972 as a Rhode Island School of Design thesis. He has also worked on other Marvel titles such as X-Factor and Fantastic Four, on DC Comics books including Detective Comics, Manhunter, Metal Men and Orion, and on licensed properties such as Star Wars, Alien, Battlestar Galactica and Robocop vs. Terminator.

He is married to comics writer Louise Simonson, with whom he collaborated as penciller on X-Factor from 1988 to 1989, and with whom he made a cameo appearance in the 2011 Thor feature film.

Reviews

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well done combining of these 3 worlds. nice art and an interesting plot. Very recommended

[Jesse VanDeWalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to have just so you can tell people you're reading it.
"What are you reading?"
"Tarzan vs Predator at the Earth's Core."
"What."

[Benji's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Today I learned this is actually a three-way crossover featuring both Edgar Rice Borrough's Tarzan AND "At the Earth's Core," along with Predator. That bit of knowledge makes me want to set out and find that other book. It did make me up this to three stars, in case the Earth's Core had something to do with the slow scenes not set in the jungle (going off of memory, since I read this a couple years ago).

I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately, I did not. It was rather slow for a Predator crossover/miniseries. Don't get me wrong, once the two title characters clashed, it was a lot of fun, but non-canon events like these should at least be fun most of the way through. The artwork was fairly good, but I just wish the action had picked up sooner than it did.

I in no way expect great literature reading a Predator/Tarzan crossover, but that's ok. It doesn't have to be. Just give me a clash of the titans (on multiple occasions), and I'll be happy.

[Devero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walt Simonson si dimostra anche un buon conoscitore del Tarzan letterario, oltre che un buon scrittore. Imbastisce una storia che va ben oltre il classico cross-over tra personaggi appartenenti a diversi universi editoriali, e certo, c'è più Tarzan che Predator, ma è logico e la storia regge molto bene.

Lee Weeks ai disegni è semplicemente spettacolare. Qui è all'altezza sia di Joe Kubert che di John Buscema, il suo è tra i Tarzan migliori di sempre.

[Norman Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would have thought a crossover with Tarzan and the Predator at the Earth's core would be anything but a schlocky mess. But Simonson channels Edgar Rice Burroughs well, crafting a tale that is in line with a typical Burroughs adventure. The addition of the Predator doesn't particularly add or subtract from the story. The real villains are creatures created by Burroughs, and they are formidable indeed. The Predators are actually dispatched fairly easily near the end, perhaps rushed by the constraints of having to fit the story into four comic book issues. This story could definitely have benefitted from being expanded into five or six issues, because while Simonson tries to include the kinds of subplots for which Burroughs is famous, he short changes characters such as Tarzan's wife, Jane, and others. We must be satisfied with the four issues we have and imagine what might have been. Lee Weeks' art is superb, as good as anything the master Joe Kubert did in the 1970s.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd probably have given this another star if I knew *anything* about Pelucidar and anything beyond the broadest, most-pop culture-ingrained aspects of Tarzan. The script implied a certain familiarity with the supporting cast - no deep knowledge required, more like a long, loving nod to committed fans -, which I simply don't possess. The Predators aren't a major presence. It's more a Tarzan in Pelucidar story.

All that said, the script has some good twists and kept me up with the important details (despite a nagging sense that I wasn't getting the full picture ;) ). The artwork's effective. As a media crossover, it could've used a bit more of the titular Predators, but as a Tarzan story, it worked for me.

[Angel Guerrero · Rating 2 out of 5]

Su dibujo se siente bien por momentos ya que no está tan saturado de elementos pero su colorización si pudo haberse esforzado más por cuidar darle más vida a la iluminación particularmente. La historia no es la gran cosa y no entrega mucho de lo que promete, parece luchar porque su subtrama se convierta en su trama principal y luego busque retomar su lugar.
Demasiados personajes para su propio bien que no tienen como brillar en su momento y llega a ser muy redundante así como conveniente sin justificación.
Estuvo emocionante ver combates entre depredadores y Tarzán pero de nuevo, la historia deja esto muy relegado en sus números.
Para mi su gran valor es por el crossover y conocer un poco de Tarzán sintiéndose presa y cazador a la vez sacándolo de su entorno común.

[LaGranVacaCosmica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Divertido y decepcionante. Mas que un enfrentamiento esto es un "Tarzan contra los pterodáctilos que controlan mentes místicamente con el fantabuloso cameo de los depredadores menos fuertes que la galaxia a parido".

La historia tiene menos trabajo y empeño que "Freddy vs Jasón". Ni siquiera es un buen fanservice. Los enfrentamientos "principales" son escasos y terminan siendo como ver un enorme plato de comida apetecible sin poder devorarlo. El dibujo es bueno y el ritmo atrapante, mas no es lo suficientemente bueno para lo que promete. Igual me la pase bien UwU

[Jean-Pierre Vidrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun romp of a story. The big pull, of course, was the meeting of two characters that (in the world of adventure fiction fandom) practically had to happen. The Predators fit in quite nicely into Tarzan's world, with Pelucidar being the perfect meeting place for them.
Perhaps it could have been longer and a bit more monumental. Perhaps we could have seen more of the titular alien invaders. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read Tarzan before, as a rule stay away from those jungle type action hero guys. I really enjoyed this… I love predator, I think this story made a bit of a mockery of the predator character, and did not get the David Goliath metaphor close to right, but it was worth parking those two things valuable as they are to find Tarzan. He’s a true male archetype.

[Donavon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem with this 3 way crossover is that it really feels like 2 seperate stories.

Tarzan x Earth's Core - Tarzan investigating rulership within Earth's Core. Kind of boring

Tarzan x Predator - this one is self-explanatory. Tarzan is very OP here...

Would have liked a 'Predator x Earth's Core' storyline with hunting dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures

[Shawn Manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

As long as one doesn't get too caught up on the details, this was a lot of fun. Mr. Simonson does a very nice job on the art.

[Marcelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A "just for fun" reading.

[Johnny Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 4 part random crossover, I didn't think would work or I would like much...but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Abu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing very enjoyable, this had to be made. Highly recommended.

[The Poor Person's Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never thought I would see Tarzan taking on the predator in the center of the earth but here it is and it’s as bad ass as it sounds

[Jimmy Fingers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing cross-over with nice art but it falls apart soon as predators are gone in last third and turns into confusing Eragon like fantasy.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although he is sometimes maligned as a writer of pulp fiction, Edgar Rice Burroughs was an imaginative writer. He took a plausible scenario of a man from “civilization” growing up in the jungles of Africa, then known as the dark continent, and expanded it into a series of great adventures. One of those adventures took place at Pellucidar, a continent that exists inside the Earth at the core and access to Pellucidar is via the natural opening at Earth’s North Pole. The books describing these adventures were published in 1930 and the story “Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne, was published in 1864. Therefore, Burroughs’ “borrowed” heavily from Verne.
The alien creatures that come to Earth to carry out ritual hunts and are depicted using the term “Predator” first appeared in the 1980’s. They have also been used as plot devices in opposition to other comic book characters. In this case, Tarzan is pitted against a team of Predator’s in Pellucidar and the story includes many of the characters in the Burroughs book, “Tarzan at the Earth’s Core.”
The isolated nature of Pellucidar allows for it to be a place where the dinosaurs still roam and there are sentient apelike creatures. In other words, evolution continued in some ways while it stagnated in others. There is a powerful villain that is not a Predator, so Tarzan is forced to battle several different forces as he tries to restore the legitimate governmental structure while defeating the Predator forces.
Tarzan is a hero with no superpowers in the sense of many other comic book characters. As a child of the jungle, he must rely on his strength, agility, heightened senses and his hunter’s cunning in order to win his battles. This graphic novel is an entertaining combination of an old hero doing battle with a modern villain. Although Predator has technical superiority, Tarzan is the superior warrior, able to prevail in the mutual hunt.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually these media icon mash-ups are, well, to put it nicely, terrible. But Simonson delivers a solid story that works without having to know anything about Predators, although knowing who Tarzan is would be helpful. Even if you don't know much, or anything, about Pellucidar you should be able to enjoy this. The art is ver nice. Unfortunately the whole thing can't really rise too far above the crossover nature of the concept, although Simonson and Weeks gave it their all and can't really be blamed for the weaknesses of the initial conceptual unoriginality. If you like Tarzan, Pellucidar or Predators you'll probably, at the very least, enjoy this fun and fast-paced story.

[B. Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was awesome.

It's everything you would expect from the title, and even ties in pretty well with the rest of Burroughs' Pellucidar novels and Tarzan's previous trip to the Earth's core.

Tarazan would indeed be a worthy adversary for the Predator, and this story definitely demonstrates that.

Done right, this would make an awesome movie.

[Marc Pastor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quina castanya. Una enganyifa total. És una historieta de Tarzan lluitant pel poder del centre de la Terra contra un Sam Elliott en tanga primer i contra pterodactils artrítics i xerraires després. Els predators semblen un afegit posterior: intrascendents i inofensius, els Predators moren a palades i sense esforç.

[Aj Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book. I recommend. The Predators are the Washington Generals of comic book cross overs.

[Adam Gutschenritter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great comic! I loved the story complete with the side quests!