Previously available only to subscribers of the Edgar Rice Burroughs' website, Tarzan: The New Adventures is at last available in print.
This incarnation of the Jungle Lord is presented in Sunday newspaper landscape format, with all-new stories penned by comics legend Roy Thomas (Conan the Barbarian, Avengers, X-Men) with stunning illustration by Thomas Grindberg, whose work stands alongside classic Tarzan illustrators such as Hal Foster, J. Allen St. John, and Frank Frazetta. No Tarzan comics collection is complete without Tarzan: The New Adventures.
Roy Thomas was the FIRST Editor-in-Chief at Marvel--After Stan Lee stepped down from the position. Roy is a longtime comic book writer and editor. Thomas has written comics for Archie, Charlton, DC, Heroic Publishing, Marvel, and Topps over the years. Thomas currently edits the fanzine Alter Ego for Twomorrow's Publishing. He was Editor for Marvel comics from 1972-1974. He wrote for several titles at Marvel, such as Avengers, Thor, Invaders, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and notably Conan the Barbarian. Thomas is also known for his championing of Golden Age comic-book heroes — particularly the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America — and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and DC Comics' All-Star Squadron, among other titles.
Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.
Roy Thomas has been in and around the comic book business for almost his whole life. It’s no surprise that he would find Tarzan an interesting subject. Tom Grindberg’s art seems to meld perfectly with Thomas’ tale.
This trip down memory lane has Tarzan searching for Jane and a friend lost in a plane crash. That journey takes Tarzan to some interesting places with almost predictable consequences.
As Tarzan pursues the clues to determine if his true love survived the plane crash, he is pursued by the minions of another “ruler of the lesser beings” who will have Tarzan as a mate (or a slave if he refuses). There is (“of course”) a “lost civilization” and it poses new threats for both Jane and Tarzan.
Nothing new here but what would you expect from Tarzan? 3.5*
This collection contains two new stories in the newspaper strip style, written by Roy Thomas for the Edgar Rice Burroughs website.
In the first story, drawn by Thomas Grindberg, La of Ancient Opar is gunning for Tarzan's junk pretty yard when the cast winds up in a city inhabited by Trojans and Greeks, recently wakened from centuries of slumber, led by Helen of Troy. Helen looks just like Jane because of course she does. The story is a bit on the hokey side but Tarzan fights plenty of Greek soldiers and beast men of Opar. The art by Thomas Grindberg is breathtaking, though, harkening back to the glory days of Russ Manning and Joe Kubert.
In the second story, drawn by Benito Gallego, Tarzan goes up against a scientist creating monster men in the jungle. Beware the Gorilleopard! The second story had more action than the first but there wasn't that much else to it. On top of that, Tarzan let the scientist go at the end despite her knifing a guy in the back so she could put his heart in the Gorilleopard she made! It's Roy Thomas, though, not Alan Moore.
So the stories aren't great but the art is exceptional in both stories. I'm slapping a four on this bad boy.
Here you have two stories penned by legendary Roy Thomas. The first story contains La of Opar, Greeks battling Trojans in a lost civilization, and of course Tarzan! Superb artwork! The second story finds Tarzan face to face with a creature half gorilla half leopard. The creator of this abomination has ties directly to Burrough’s Monster Men. You also get to see a return of the Leopard Men, and a Dr Moreau reference. The creator/Dr wants to use Tarzan’s heart for her creation, but Tarzan has other plans. Good stuff.
I wasn't particularly sure about how I was gonna feel about this collection when I picked up. I was quite sure I would like the story written by the legendary Roy Thomas, but I didn't really know about the illustrators and as I wasn't really caught up in Burroughs' Tarzan mythos so I wasn't really whether this would hamper my understanding or enjoyment. I was also a bit sceptic about the format (Sunday newspaper landscape format) because I have almost no experience with it.
Fortunately, despite my minimal recollection of Burroughs' Tarzan mythos and the supporting characters I was easily able to follow the story. There are two stories on offer in this collection, both of them building upon previous Tarzan story threads. Both had enough action sequences and twists and turns to keep me thoroughly entertained, but I liked the first one more due to its settings.
The art was quite engrossing and the details of the jungle were depicted very exquisitely. I liked Grindberg's illustrations a bit more, most probably due to his coloring choices. The captions at the end of each page and the different styles used for lettering also complemented the fast paced nature of storytelling.
Despite my unfamiliarity with the newspaper landscape format and my reservations with cliffhangers on almost every page, I really loved the plot and art.
I’m liking these books. Roy Thomas is reliably good with this type of material. I read it online once. I’m very happy with the book. The artwork is very reminiscent of the classic Sunday comic strip but also more modern, more dynamic.
This review originally published in In his introduction, Thomas mentions that it was artist Tom Grindberg who approached him to write this strip. Their format seems unusual to me, and make me admire the writing work even more. Roy would prepare a general plot, Grindberg would draw the strips and then Roy would go back and add the dialog later.
I liked the inclusion of Greek mythology in the first story. The moment I saw this I raised an eyebrow in a bit of disbelief, but it worked and I didn't question it after that initial reaction.
Tom Grindberg's art is fantastic! It is really reminiscent of Frank Frazetta's comic work and Hal Foster's Prince Valiant.
The second story in the book is illustrated by Benito Gallego. Gallego is a talented artist, but the difference was marked because Grindberg's art was so strong.
The second story was also a bit more fantastical - hard to believe since we had ancient Greece in the first one.
I've never been a big Tarzan fan, but I really enjoyed the stories and the art in this collection. It's listed as a Volume 1 and I'm already excited to see Volume 2.
Looking for a good book? Tarzan: The New Adventures by Roy Thomas with art by Tom Grindberg and Benito Gallego is an exciting collection of Sunday comic strip-style stories by some of the best creators in comics.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Collects two stories very effectively written in a Sunday comic strip style. The first story features Jane, La of Opar, and two (!) lost civilizations warring with each other. The Thomas Grindberg art is reminiscent of Joe Kubert, who I always thought was the best Tarzan comic artist. Excellent overall story. 5 stars.
The second arc was a huge step backward.
SPOILER
Leopard-men are killing African natives and removing their hearts for the evil Dr. Harper to use in her diabolical Gorileopard hybrid. She needs a second, stronger heart to fuel the beast, and decides Tarzan’s would be perfect. In the meantime, she stabs the main leopard-man henchman in the back to steal his heart.
The beast wakes up, Dr. Harper flees only to fall into the river where Gimla the crocodile lurks. Tarzan arrives and rescues her, then has to fight the beast to the death, where he finally succeeds thanks to the help of Dr. Harper.
Tarzan then escorts her to a village, not to face justice for murders she has ordered, committed, and plotted, but so that she can be taken back to Europe or America or wherever she came from. Apparently, just saying “sorry I tried to kill you” is enough punishment. It is hard to read this in 2023 and not recognize the huge white privilege she is given. 2 stars.
A worthy continuation of ERB's stories. In the first story La and her Oparians chase Tarzan who is tracking Jane and Paul D'Arnot to the hidden city of New Ilium where the Greek/Trojan War has been ongoing for 3,000 years. The second story is a sequel of sorts to both ERB's The Monster Men and H.G. Well's The Island of Dr. Moreau.
New adventures of Tarzan!! These were posted on the ERB website and finally put into print. The artists knew the Tarzan of old and wrote new adventures first the jungle lord. Leopard men, Opal and La and Greek and Roman men are in these adventures.
I love the newspaper strip style. The story is fast and non stop action. I love the art of Thomas Grindberg, it has a classic touch and it compliments this swashbuckling adventure.