Superman Tarzan: Sons of the Jungle (Superman and Tarzan)

Rating:
Summary: An Elsewhere story where Superman is raised by apes
Review: I have been a fan of the Elseworld stories that have taken the icon characters of DC comics retold their origins in diverse settings. Along the way we have seen the story of Superman set in the Wild West and the days of olde when knights rescued fair damsels named Lois in distress. Meanwhile, over at Dark Horse Comics, there have been a series of crossovers pitting Superman, Batman, and the Green Lantern against the movie monsters from "Aliens," "Predator," and "Terminator." With "Superman Tarzan: Sons of the Jungle," there is an attempt to combine these two approaches.

Written by Chuck Dixon with the stylized art of Carlos Meglia, "Sons of the Jungle" starts with a simple and compelling premise. As a mutiny is about to put Lord Greystoke and his expectant wife ashore in East Africa, a small spaceship crashes into the jungle. This single change has two great consequences, for it is not the infant Ka-el who is raised by Kala of the great apes, while the infant John Clayton will be raised in Greystoke manor back in England. The result is that what we end up with is half a great idea, because while the idea of Ka-el being raised as Argo-zan of the Apes plays out well, Dixon comes up with little to do with Clayton. At best Clayton becomes a sort of David Innes type figure (from Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar pulp fiction yarns), while at worst he becomes one of those Englishmen who comes to the jungle and needs to be rescued (a staple from the ERB Tarzan series). Within the context of this narrative, Clayton's main purpose is to provide a way for Jane Porter and Lois Lane to enter the story.

The result is interesting, as long as we are sticking to this version of Superman, especially when Dixon introduces one of the most memorable occasional characters from the original Tarzan novels. Actually, I find myself thinking that if this had just merged the Tarzan and Superman myths together, leaving out the other characters, it would have been a better story. Instead the ending is too quick at tying things up and fails to resist the impulse for everything to be back in its proper place. These Elsewhere stories work best when they resist that obvious impulse.

Note: Be aware that the cover of this particular trade paperback is by Jason Pearson while the three covers for the original comic books were by Humberto Ramos with Dan Jackson. Meglia does better with this particular bait and switch off of the trade paperback than the original comics. I am not overly enamored of this sytlized art style, but there is sense in which it is appropriate given the alternative reality basis of the story.

Rating:
Summary: An Elsewhere story where Superman is raised by apes
Review: I have been a fan of the Elseworld stories that have taken the icon characters of DC comics retold their origins in diverse settings. Along the way we have seen the story of Superman set in the Wild West and the days of olde when knights rescued fair damsels named Lois in distress. Meanwhile, over at Dark Horse Comics, there have been a series of crossovers pitting Superman, Batman, and the Green Lantern against the movie monsters from "Aliens," "Predator," and "Terminator." With "Superman Tarzan: Sons of the Jungle," there is an attempt to combine these two approaches.

Written by Chuck Dixon with the stylized art of Carlos Meglia, "Sons of the Jungle" starts with a simple and compelling premise. As a mutiny is about to put Lord Greystoke and his expectant wife ashore in East Africa, a small spaceship crashes into the jungle. This single change has two great consequences, for it is not the infant Ka-el who is raised by Kala of the great apes, while the infant John Clayton will be raised in Greystoke manor back in England. The result is that what we end up with is half a great idea, because while the idea of Ka-el being raised as Argo-zan of the Apes plays out well, Dixon comes up with little to do with Clayton. At best Clayton becomes a sort of David Innes type figure (from Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar pulp fiction yarns), while at worst he becomes one of those Englishmen who comes to the jungle and needs to be rescued (a staple from the ERB Tarzan series). Within the context of this narrative, Clayton's main purpose is to provide a way for Jane Porter and Lois Lane to enter the story.

The result is interesting, as long as we are sticking to this version of Superman, especially when Dixon introduces one of the most memorable occasional characters from the original Tarzan novels. Actually, I find myself thinking that if this had just merged the Tarzan and Superman myths together, leaving out the other characters, it would have been a better story. Instead the ending is too quick at tying things up and fails to resist the impulse for everything to be back in its proper place. These Elsewhere stories work best when they resist that obvious impulse.

Note: Be aware that the cover of this particular trade paperback is by Jason Pearson while the three covers for the original comic books were by Humberto Ramos with Dan Jackson. Meglia does better with this particular bait and switch off of the trade paperback than the original comics. I am not overly enamored of this sytlized art style, but there is sense in which it is appropriate given the alternative reality basis of the story.

Rating:
Summary: Otherworldly Jungle Action
Review: Late 19th century: Aboard the ship FUWALDA a mutiny takes place that endangers the lives of John Clayton, Lord Greystoke of England, and his wife Lady Alice, who is pregnant. Black Michael, leader of the mutinying crew, is going to spare their lives and put them out on the harsh coast of East Africa, but at the last minute a falling star hurtles through the night-black sky and dissuades the superstitious sailors from such a barbarous act. The ship sails on to Capetown. Deep in the heart of the impenetrable jungle, a band of great apes discovers the tiny rocket ship and its child passenger. Kala, a mother ape who recently lost a child of her own, adopts the baby and names him Argo-Zan, which means Fire-Skin. All through his growing years, Argo-Zan exhibits strange powers that make him the lord of the jungle. He survives the death of his mother beneath the claws of a leopard, and learns of his alien origins from some mysterious place of hairless apes called Krypton. Finding no home among the great apes, Argo-Zan goes in search of his own kind. In England, John Clayton struggles to fit in himself. He doesn't feel like he belongs in the landed gentry and can't quite come to peace with himself-until the day he meets Jason Gridley, an explorer and inventor that is putting together an expedition to find the remains of a lost Roman colony deep within the jungles of East Africa. There, in the lost city of Opar, these two sons of the jungle will meet fate and love.

Chuck Dixon is a prolific comics author. He's scripted the ROBIN, NIGHTWING, and BIRDS OF PREY monthly comics series for years, and had stints on THE PUNISHER, MARVEL KNIGHTS, GREEN ARROW, BATGIRL, SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, AIRBOY, and ALIEN LEGION. At present he is writing the WAY OF THE RAT monthly comic from CrossGen, as well as SCION and CRUX. Carlos Meglia has done work on SPYBOY, STAR WARS, and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN.

Edgar Rice Burroughs was the king of the action adventure story back in his day. TARZAN OF THE APES was published in 1912. Dixon plays homage to Tarzan's roots and world by keeping the timeframe of his graphic novel centered at that time. Dixon also plays fairly with Superman, whose sense of fair play, honesty, and honor come through despite his savage surroundings. At first glance, pairing the Man of Steel with the Lord of the Jungle might not seem natural or yet even possible, Dixon puts the overall story together well. Burroughs himself had a sense of the fantastic, and the stories he wrote about John Carter of Mars, David Innes of Pellucidar and Carson Napier of Venus-all men who journeyed to distant worlds (except for Pellucidar because it's at the core of the hollow earth)-seem well in keeping with Dixon's treatment of this similar theme. The stories of Clayton and Argo-Zan stay within the mythos of both heroes, and they come together in Opar, the home of Princess La, surely the most sultry and seductive woman Burroughs ever brought to the printed page. Dixon also captures the essence of the time period, reflected in Clayton's journeys around the world and his father's desperate wish for him to make something of himself. The artwork by Meglia at first grates a little because it is so stylistic, but gradually (within a few short pages) the striking colors, inks, and depictions become reader-friendly and take on a life of their own. Meglia has a good sense of the cinematic flow, and his hard-lined panels within panels really stand out. His full-page splash of Argo-Zan belting a stampeding elephant has to be seen to be believed.

Although the graphic novel is good, the feel is almost too familiar. The final resolution of the plots comes about rather easily. Rather than mull over the possibilities in their lives, both heroes seem to just know where they need to go and go there. Also, it would have been nice to see them talk to each other about their experiences a little while planning a new attack to rescue their lady loves and overcome Princess La.

SONS OF THE JUNGLE is a good addition for the graphic novel collector that favors quick-paced Chuck Dixon adventures or wants an excellent representation of the stylized art of Carlos Meglia. The tale is adventurous, easy to get into, and reads well.

Rating:
Summary: Otherworldly Jungle Action
Review: Late 19th century: Aboard the ship FUWALDA a mutiny takes place that endangers the lives of John Clayton, Lord Greystoke of England, and his wife Lady Alice, who is pregnant. Black Michael, leader of the mutinying crew, is going to spare their lives and put them out on the harsh coast of East Africa, but at the last minute a falling star hurtles through the night-black sky and dissuades the superstitious sailors from such a barbarous act. The ship sails on to Capetown. Deep in the heart of the impenetrable jungle, a band of great apes discovers the tiny rocket ship and its child passenger. Kala, a mother ape who recently lost a child of her own, adopts the baby and names him Argo-Zan, which means Fire-Skin. All through his growing years, Argo-Zan exhibits strange powers that make him the lord of the jungle. He survives the death of his mother beneath the claws of a leopard, and learns of his alien origins from some mysterious place of hairless apes called Krypton. Finding no home among the great apes, Argo-Zan goes in search of his own kind. In England, John Clayton struggles to fit in himself. He doesn't feel like he belongs in the landed gentry and can't quite come to peace with himself-until the day he meets Jason Gridley, an explorer and inventor that is putting together an expedition to find the remains of a lost Roman colony deep within the jungles of East Africa. There, in the lost city of Opar, these two sons of the jungle will meet fate and love.

Chuck Dixon is a prolific comics author. He's scripted the ROBIN, NIGHTWING, and BIRDS OF PREY monthly comics series for years, and had stints on THE PUNISHER, MARVEL KNIGHTS, GREEN ARROW, BATGIRL, SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, AIRBOY, and ALIEN LEGION. At present he is writing the WAY OF THE RAT monthly comic from CrossGen, as well as SCION and CRUX. Carlos Meglia has done work on SPYBOY, STAR WARS, and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN.

Edgar Rice Burroughs was the king of the action adventure story back in his day. TARZAN OF THE APES was published in 1912. Dixon plays homage to Tarzan's roots and world by keeping the timeframe of his graphic novel centered at that time. Dixon also plays fairly with Superman, whose sense of fair play, honesty, and honor come through despite his savage surroundings. At first glance, pairing the Man of Steel with the Lord of the Jungle might not seem natural or yet even possible, Dixon puts the overall story together well. Burroughs himself had a sense of the fantastic, and the stories he wrote about John Carter of Mars, David Innes of Pellucidar and Carson Napier of Venus-all men who journeyed to distant worlds (except for Pellucidar because it's at the core of the hollow earth)-seem well in keeping with Dixon's treatment of this similar theme. The stories of Clayton and Argo-Zan stay within the mythos of both heroes, and they come together in Opar, the home of Princess La, surely the most sultry and seductive woman Burroughs ever brought to the printed page. Dixon also captures the essence of the time period, reflected in Clayton's journeys around the world and his father's desperate wish for him to make something of himself. The artwork by Meglia at first grates a little because it is so stylistic, but gradually (within a few short pages) the striking colors, inks, and depictions become reader-friendly and take on a life of their own. Meglia has a good sense of the cinematic flow, and his hard-lined panels within panels really stand out. His full-page splash of Argo-Zan belting a stampeding elephant has to be seen to be believed.

Although the graphic novel is good, the feel is almost too familiar. The final resolution of the plots comes about rather easily. Rather than mull over the possibilities in their lives, both heroes seem to just know where they need to go and go there. Also, it would have been nice to see them talk to each other about their experiences a little while planning a new attack to rescue their lady loves and overcome Princess La.

SONS OF THE JUNGLE is a good addition for the graphic novel collector that favors quick-paced Chuck Dixon adventures or wants an excellent representation of the stylized art of Carlos Meglia. The tale is adventurous, easy to get into, and reads well.

Rating:
Summary: eh....
Review: This book could've been so much better!
The artwork is horrible. The art style made characters way too cartoony and 'zanny' and attempted to be cool and hip. Yuck. i doesn't work for me.

Chuck Dixon keeps a nice brisk pace to the story. The problem i found with story was it centered too much on Superman. John Greystoke did nothing in this story. It's more of a Superman story and I bought it being a Tarzan fan.

I just bought this book yesterday and read it in about 15 minutes. I'm debating whether to keep it or sell it.

The artwork will probably make me get rid of it. sorry....

i dislike writing low-star reviews.......

Rating:
Summary: eh....
Review: This book could've been so much better!
The artwork is horrible. The art style made characters way too cartoony and 'zanny' and attempted to be cool and hip. Yuck. i doesn't work for me.

Chuck Dixon keeps a nice brisk pace to the story. The problem i found with story was it centered too much on Superman. John Greystoke did nothing in this story. It's more of a Superman story and I bought it being a Tarzan fan.

I just bought this book yesterday and read it in about 15 minutes. I'm debating whether to keep it or sell it.

The artwork will probably make me get rid of it. sorry....

i dislike writing low-star reviews.......

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, But Too Short
Review: With Superman's name first in the title and this being a DC Elseworlds book, one expects the main focus to be on Superman, and it is.

Just when the current Lord Greystoke and his pregnant wife are to be marooned by mutineers, fire streaks across the sky after Lady Greystoke calls on God. Seen as an omen, they are not marooned. Instead, the streak turns out to be the craft of infant Kal-El who is then raised by the giant apes.

Time goes by and Argo-Zan (Kal-El) learns he is from Krypton but always assumes all humans are Kryptonian. John Clayton mopes around England feeling as if he is out of place and missing something.

Clayton funds an expedition looking for signs of Romans in East Africa. Along on the expedition are American reporter Lois Lane and her assistant Jane Porter.

Well, the two groups do come together rather quickly as well as some other Burroughs favorites. Clayton proves himself to be the man of action his father always wanted and Lois finds a man who likes his steaks rare.

Not a bad blending of the two heroes (similar to Superman Batman Speeding Bullets) but Burroughs fans will be disappointed. Yes, there are Burroughs elements but not style. There are no cliffhangers or setbacks or unrequited love that made the original serials so popular. Instead, all the characters come together and suddenly everything is solved.

The art style is rather cartoonish. Think of the cook from Disney's Atlantis and you will get an idea of what to expect. I have seen worse art and this does not really detract from the story.

All in all a brief bit of fun but it needed to be filled out better to make the crossover more believable.