Tarzan's DC 100 Pagers

Over the decades, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan has worked at many comic book companies like Dell, Gold Key, Marvel, Dark Horse....but some of the greatest were at DC Comics.

Tarzan had issues at DC Comics from April, 1972 to February, 1977 (issues of Tarzan #207 to #258, continuing the numbering from the Gold Key/Western series), many of them with covers by comic book legend, Joe Kubert.  A few of the more highly looked for were a run from Tarzan #230 (April-May, 1974) to Tarzan #235 (February-March, 1975), with stories of Tarzan and more, all collected in 100 pages square bound specials!

Let's take a look at them!

Tarzan #230

April-May, 1974 brought us a 6 page Joe Kubert Tarzan story later titled "The Rescue Of The Fawn", a Korak (son of Tarzan) story by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert with inks by Russ Heath entitled "Leap Into Death", an article from the Washington Post about Edgar Rice Burroughs and "How I Wrote Tarzan Books", a run of panels from the Tarzan newspaper strips by Russ Manning, a reprint of Bomba the Jungle Boy #4 (March-April, 1968) by George Kashdan and Jack Sparling (with the title hero renamed Simba for the story), a Congo Bill story from Action Comics #145 (June, 1950) entitled "Mystery Of The Stolen Bell" by George Kashdan and Ed Smalle, the introduction of Bobo from Adventures Of Rex The Wonder Dog #4 (July-August, 1952) with "Meet Detective Chimp" by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Sy Barry, and a new Carson of Venus story by Mike Kaluta called "Into The Noobolian Valley" to round out the issue.

Tarzan #231

The cover date of June-July, 1974 saw Joe Kubert start the adaptation of Burroughs' "Tarzan and The Lion Man", Congo Bill faces "Safaris For Sale" reprinted from Action Comics #174 (November, 1952) by Jack Miller and Ed Smalle, Russ Manning newspaper reprints with Tarzan facing "The Deadly Dangers Of Pal-Ul-Don", another reprint from Bomba the Jungle Boy #3 (January-February, 1968) by George Kashdan and Jack Sparling entitled "My Enemy, The Jungle" with Bomba as Simba again, "The Return Of The Detective Chimp" from Adventures Of Rex The Wonder Dog #6 (November-December, 1952) with another adventure of Bobo by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, and Korak in a new story called "The Ancient Awakes" by Robert Kanigher and Alex Nino.

Tarzan #232

August-September, 1974 sees the second part of adaptation of "Tarzan and The Lion Man" by Joe Kubert, a two page article about "Manimals" by Allan Asherman, another Congo Bill story featuring "The Man Who Wanted To Die A Hero" from Action Comics #190 (March, 1954) by Ed Smalle, another run of Russ Manning newspaper stories with "Tarzan and the Monkey Men" (with Jane renamed Gail...), Tarzan's Animal Facts about dinosaurs, Tarzan's Animal Encyclopedia and "Life Spans About Animals", Detective Chimp dealing with "The Case Of The Runaway Ostrich" from Adventures Of Rex The Wonder Dog #13 (January-February, 1954) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Sy Barry, Tarzan's Animal Facts with Hungary as a Bear, Tarzan's Jungle Album, Rex the Wonder Dog in "African Man Hunt" from Adventures Of Rex The Wonder Dog #13 (January-February, 1954) by Robert Kanigher, Gil Kane and Sy Barry, a Tarzan's Animal Encyclopedia about woodchucks, Tarzan drawn by Philipino Artists of Alex Nino, Nestor Redondo and Alfredo Alcala, and a new Korak story with "The Pit Of Darkness" by Robert Kanigher and Alex Nino.

Tarzan #233

The third part of "Tarzan and the Lion Man" adaptation by Joe Kubert leads of October-November, 1974 issue of DC's Tarzan.  Tarzan's Animal Facts let you know which animal has the loudest voice, Tarzan faces "The Land Time Forgot" by Russ Manning from newspaper Tarzan strips, with Jane being called Gail in these stories, Tarzan's Jungle Album has a photo of Tarzan actor Johnny Weismuller (from 1932), a reprint of "I Tracked The Beast Of Montrouge Forest" by Leonard Starr from My Greatest Adventure #2 (March-April, 1955), Rex learns "The Secret Of The Golden Crocodile" in this reprint from Adventures Of Rex The Wonder Dog #34 (July-August, 1957) by Bob Haney, Gil Kane and Bernard Sachs, Tarzan's Animal Facts focus on the American lion, "Detective Bobo, Chimp-Napped" spells trouble for the Detective Chimp in this reprint from Adventures Of Rex The Wonder Dog #20 (March-April, 1955) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Sy Barry, Congo Bill deals with "The School For Hunters" from Action Comics #199 (December, 1954) by Jack Miller and Ed Smalle, and Korak faces "The Star Of Death" by Robert Kanigher and Alex Nino.  

Tarzan #234

The end of the "Tarzan and the Lion Man" adaptation by Joe Kubert is the first story in Tarzan's December-January, 1974/1975 issue.  Detective Chimp starts off the reprints with "A Whistle For Bobo" from Adventures of Rex The Wonder Dog #27 (May-June, 1956) by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, Congo Bill facing "The Man-Eater Of Mandalo" from Action Comics #176 (January, 1953) by Jon Smalle, "I Was A Jungle Ringmaster" from My Greatest Adventure #5 (September-October, 1955) by John Prentice, a Russ Manning newspaper strip run featuring the "Thunder Lizard" and Jane being renamed Trudy and turned into a brunette, "I Was A Prisoner In A Human Zoo" from My Greatest Adventure #14 (March-April, 1957) by Ruben Moreira, and Korak facing "White Death" by Robert Kanigher and Alex Nino.

Tarzan #235

Joe Kubert gives us the story of "The Magic Herb" to lead off Tarzan's February-March, 1975 collection.  A photo of Maureen O'Sullivan - "the most famous Jane of all" as Tarzan's movie mate, Congo Bill deals with "The Mail Order Hunter" from Action Comics #189 (February, 1954) by Jon Smalle, "Bobo's New York Adventure" is the Detective Chimp feature from Adventures of Rex The Wonder Dog #35 (September-October, 1957) by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, "I Shoot With A Camera" from My Greatest Adventure #4 (July-August, 1955), a run of Russ Manning newspaper strips featuring "The Mahagga", and the first photo of Johnny Weismuller as Tarzan rounds out this last 100 page Tarzan.

After this, Tarzan went back to a regular sized comic in April, 1975, with an extra large Tarzan #238 in June, 1975.....

.....and, Tarzan is still swinging after all these years!

Best of all, you can find the Joe Kubert stories of the issues above in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan The Joe Kubert Years #3 from June, 2006 by Dark Horse (volume contains the Joe Kubert stories from Tarzan #225 to #235).  Would that DC would reprint Congo Bill and Detective Chimp!