Lord Of The Jungle #1: A Review

Dynamite’s new Tarzan comic, Lord Of The Jungle, goes on sale November 23, 2022. The all-new jungle action comic book is rated for teen+ and exhibits 32 pages for the low price of $3.99. Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded by Nick Brrucci in 2004 at Mount Laural, New Jersey. The media giant primarily publishes adaptions of franchises from other agencies. These include licensed modifications of film properties and licensed or public domain library properties such as Tarzan as Lord Of The Jungle and John Carter of Mars as Warlord of Mars.

Benito Gallego

The start-up is written by significantly achieving writer Dan Jurgens. Jurgens was awarded the 1994 National Cartoonist Society Award for the best comic book. A very proficient writer and artist, Dan writes and draws adventures of characters from globally-recognized companies such as DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and others. Dan is most recently distinguished for his work on the famed Death Of Superman movie. Along with past projects for Batman, Spider-Man, Thor, Booster Gold, Justice League, and many more, Dan has developed quite an acclaimed tabulation of top-selling stories. The thriving writer in this new project presents a storyline where the jungle lord is out to make a past wrong right. While these events are occurring, the memories of the ape-man drift back and forth in time as he recalls past events of his life.

Dan Jurgens

Dan’s action story is brought to life by the very talented Benito Gallego. Benito, who is well-known for being influenced by fellow artist John Buscema, had developed previous ape-man drawing experience by working on the online comic Tarzan: The New Adventures. The sensational storyline was written by his long time mentor Roy Thomas and illustrated by Thomas Grindberg and himself. The two rising artists were also given credit as colorists. Upon first publication, a purchaser had to order a subscription on the Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. website to see it. Now, the enthralling achievement is available in Hard Cover from Dark Horse for $24.99.

Tarzan: The New Adventures

Benito also (as of this writing) works with Thomas Grindberg on the Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. webcomic The Outlaw of Torn. Grindberg handles the scripting and Gallego does the drawing. Along with great coloring by Francesco Segala, the script is something Burroughs' fans are extremely proud of. Go there and subscribe.

Benito Gallego

Benito was born and raised in Madrid, Spain, and took to drawing before he could read. Later in life, Benito honed his art skills by providing comics and pin-ups for fanzines and publications in Spain while attending the Faculty Of Fine Arts in Madrid. Benito got the break of his life when he contacted Roy Thomas, who was immediately impressed by his artistic ability.

Benito Galle

Benito got his first professional assignments working with Thomas on his two series, Anthem and Captain Thunder & Blue Bolt. Since those early days, Benito went on to work with other top talents in the comic industry and has developed a following of his own. Today Benito lives in Alicante, Spain, with his wife, Soraya, and daughter, Alona. Keep up with Benito’s art at www.Facebook.com/BenitoGallego.Art/   

Benito Gallego

The title, Lord Of The Jungle, is not new for Dynamite Entertainment. From January 2012 through May 2013, the comic book company published 15 regular issues and 1 Annual bearing the same name. The series was published by unauthorized Dynamite under the fair use of the public domain. Since the media giant did not license the Tarzan trademark from Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc., they could not use the trademark in the title or prominently in marketing. The first Dynamite Lord Of The Jungle series was followed by Lords Of Mars, which was also unauthorized. In this storyline, Tarzan and Jane meet John Carter and Dejah Thoris on Barsoom.

Dynamite Lord Of The Jungle Series #1

Dan’s Tarzan version begins in the latter part of the 1800s. John Clayton, Earl of Greystoke, and his wife, Lady Alice (Tarzan’s dad and mom), are left stranded on a secluded sector of the West African coast. The recently married couple must provide and defend for themselves in this harsh savage land until rescue arrives. The fact that the emotionally strained Lady Alice is pregnant doesn’t make things any easier for her fraught and overwhelmed husband. 

Benito Gallego

As all Tarzan fans know, that help never gets there. From these sample pages Dan Jurgen's version, not adaption, is sticking close to Burroughs' original. Being an outsider I do not know if Mat Idelson or someone else is in charge of the art. Although Benito's art is beautiful and is really appreciated he made the same mistakes Burne Hogarth, Russ Manning, Joe Kubert, John Buscema, and the artists at Disney made. ERB clearly describes Tarzan's father as cleanly shaven. ERB clearly describes the Greystoke cabin in its entirety as covered in a layer of mud. All the artists above draw a log cabin. No biggies, we are used to them. The main thing is Benito's art is perfect.

Benito Gallego

In this sample page, there is straying from Burroughs original description. Don't know if that is Mat Idelson's bad or someone else's. Panel one shows John Clayton standing over Alice's grave. In Burroughs' original story Clayton, Alice, and the infant's bones were found inside the cabin by the arriving Porter party. In the fourth panel, Lord Greystoke shoots a mangani while hunting and is chased back to the cabin. In Burroughs' original, Clayton is inside the cabin slumped over a table in distress with the door unknowingly slightly ajar. Kerchak and the tribe happen by, enter, and goodbye to Clayton. Kala scoops up the hairless baby and to the forest, she darts. Again no biggie. Most fans will never spot these anyway.

Benito Gallego

I do not know if Mat Idelson or Benito is the designer of this page, but whoever deserves an award. Absolutely perfect in every way. Benito's art? Absolutely perfect.

Benito Gallego

In this sampling page, we have another contrasting description from ERB's original storyline. I will not call it a mistake, but editor Mat Idelson's art decision. According to Burroughs' description, Tarzan clothed himself permanently just before the treasure-hunting Porter party beached at the Greystoke cabin. The mangani king happened upon three of Mbonga's hunters. He killed Kulonga and took his weapons, loincloth, and other possessions. The forest teen experimented with a leopard skin loincloth in Jungle Tales, and once with a lion skin at the Greystoke cabin in Apes just before killing Kulonga. Neither experiment worked because the jungle man did not know about the tanning process. Again, this contradiction has been going on in comics for years. Most fans will never notice it.

Benito Gallego

This is the sample page that actually begins Dan Jurgen's storyline. No dialogue but we know the boaters are making shore during a rain storm. Again Benito and colorist, Francesco Segala, did a perfect job.

Benito Gallego

Good or bad Dan Jurgen's Lord Of The Jungle adventure is off to a great start. We will see after a couple of issues how the story goes. As far as the art and coloring go we see it now. Benito and Francesco together present perfect art. Congratulations guys you should be very proud.

Benito Gallego

In Dynamite tradition, the company likes to publish with alternate covers. Here is a cover by Josh Barnes. Very nice except ERB describes Tarzan as having self-cut (first by sea shells until age 10 and his father's hunting knife from age 10 afterward) short hair for his first 20 years.

Josh Burnes

Here is a cover by Lee Weeks to enjoy. Nice art but die-hard fans know the ape-man does not swing on vines. The kidnapper is Terkoz, the jungle lord's foster brother, and son of Kala and Tublat. Lee did a great job on Jane's modernized clothing. Most artists draw her clothing as tattered but by Burroughs' description, Jane was kidnapped for a very short time before being rescued by her future husband. Most artists love drawing the jungle lord wearing a spotted leopard loincloth, but did you know that Burroughs' described the loincloth as doe skin eighty percent of the time?

Lee Weeks

I enjoyed this cover by Dan Panosian. Besides having long hair, the jungle lord is drawn a bit muscle-bound. By Burroughs' description, the ape-man was built tall, and lean, but strong (not Herculian) for tree travel and lightning-speed reaction. Love seeing Tarzan wearing Kulonga's neckless. Burroughs describes Tarzan having dress-up days at the Greystoke cabin. The mangani did not like that practice, he learned quickly.

Dan Panosian

I love this cover by Roberto de la Torre as a fan. It is full of action and savagery. According to Burroughs' description, however, this Tarzan looks more like Conan. If this is an Apes event the slain mangani must be his foster brother Terkoz. If it were Tublat, Kerchak, or his second gorilla kill, he would be naked.

Roberto de la Torre

I love this cover by Gary Frank as a fan. It is well-drawn, exciting, and captivating. To me, it looks more suited for Beasts Of Tarzan. Nothing against you Gary, besides the long hair you did a fantastic job.

Gary Frank

This captivating art by Daniel Maine was the last of the number one covers I could find. There could be more, or not. These samples let us know for sure that Dynamite is presenting us with a quality comic, both well-written and drawn. I can't see any reason why this entertaining project wouldn't be eagerly accepted by Tarzan fans worldwide.

Daniel Maine

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines over forty-five years. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled, Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory) instead of the more accepted date, May 1888.

James Michael Moody is also the author of the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022, and Swordsman On Unium published on July 15, 2024.