Marvel Masterworks: Ka-zar, Vol. 3

Marvel Masterworks: Ka-Zar #3

by Gerry Conway, John Buscema (Illustrator)

The Marvel Masterworks series unveils more gems from the Hidden Jungle with a third volume devoted to Ka-Zar and that lovable little furball, Zabu! The creative team of Gerry Conway and John Buscema turn out top-notch jungle action with a run of stories in their run from the full-color Ka-Zar comic: Zabu is taken captive by the evil priest Sandratha to be used as a sacrifice for an ancient ritual! Ka-Zar also takes on the beast-god of the lost river and a dinosaur hunter! Plus: You haven’t seen Ka-Zar until you’ve seen him in John Buscema’s lushly illustrated—never before reprinted—adventures from Savage Tales! Also featuring team-up tales co-starring Shanna the She-Devil and two Shanna solo stories!

COLLECTING: Ka-Zar (1974) 6-9, material from Savage Tales (1971) 5-11

Genres: Comics

392 pages, Hardcover

Published January 17, 2023

About the author

Gerard Francis Conway (Gerard F. Conway) is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics' vigilante the Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man. At DC Comics, he is known for co-creating the superhero Firestorm and others, and for writing the Justice League of America for eight years. Conway wrote the first major, modern-day intercompany crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man.

Reviews

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

La-zar always seemed like Tarzan in the Land that Time Forgot to me. Nice read. Recommended

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection includes the black & white Ka-Zar stories from the Savage Tales magazine, along with a few of the Shanna the She-Devil adventures. This is the peak of Ka-Zar in comics for me. The stories are brutal and thrilling, having the savage protagonist and Zabu, his sidekick smilodon, fight and battle their way through dinosaurs, monsters, and corrupt fantasy civilizations. It represents the promise of all that could be done with the Savage Land as a fantastical location where pretty much anything can happen. It’s this setting that helps distinguish Ka-Zar as a character from his Tarzan influenced roots and gives him a more barbarian adventurer feel, much like the various Conan comics Marvel was publishing at the time. It’s a shame this series didn’t last longer.

[John Peel · Rating 4 out of 5]

More jungle action, half in color and the remainder in black and white, picking up the story of Ka-Zar, fighting for, in and often with the Savage Land. John Buscema's artwork is as wonderful as ever, giving us plenty of man-on-dinosaur battles. Enjoyable fun.