“Yesterday’s” Comic> Disney’s Tarzan #1

A look that says “buy this comic…or else!”

Disney’s Tarzan #1

Dark Horse (June, 1999)

Unlike the Lost In Space comics I reviewed this week this is a straight-up adaptation of the movie. A family survives a burning ship and tries to make a new home in the jungle, but are killed by a leopard. An ape named Kala finds the lone survivor, a baby that she takes in, having lost her own child to possibly the same leopard. (The captions seem to say it is the same one.) She names the baby Tarzan, but while the others learn to accept this hairless creature into their tribe the leader, and Kala’s mate, Kerchak, refuses to accept him. As the comic ends something new is added when human explorers arrive in the jungle and Tarzan is forced to rescue one of them, Jane, from some nasty baboons.

What they got right: It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the movie or the TV series that followed, but it matches my recollections well leading up to the end of the comic. If it’s rushed they’re trying to tell a 90+ minute movie in the span of two issues with the only saving grace being the songs padding out the run time. And it doesn’t try to force the songs in, although Kala does use part of “You’ll Be In My Heart” the single from the soundtrack.

What they got wrong: I really have no complaints. How well the next issue fits in the rest of the movie will show whether or not they needed an extra issue. I’ve seen it happen before, but Blade Runner‘s adaptation hit the important marks in two issues with a longer run time and no songs, which would have made that a completely different movie, wouldn’t it? 😀

Recommendation: I haven’t heard of a comic based on the movie like the TV show that came later so I don’t see a strong need for the comic adaptation unless you can’t find the movie or are curious about the adaptation. Otherwise, it’s decent enough so far.