Tarzan #220
Published and © by DC, June 1973
Title: “Fury in the Desert”
Synopsis: After surviving a duel in France, Tarzan is offered a government position that takes him undercover in Algeria.
Writer: Joe Kubert
Artist: Kubert
Review: As with the previous issue (see review), Tarzan #220 feels rushed. This is particularly true of the jungle lord’s battle with a lion, and his opening duel with Count de Coude. The duel sequence is also marred by a rare artistic misstep from Joe Kubert, as his visual storytelling fails to capture the drama of Tarzan passively taking shot after shot. But there are plenty of other nice storytelling sequences, and the jump from one exotic locale to the next highlights part of the pulp character’s lasting appeal. Not the best example of Kubert’s Tarzan run, but still quite enjoyable.
Grade: B
Second opinion: “3 out of 4 stars.” – Michael Tierney, Comics Buyer’s Guide #1609, October 2005 … Recommended by The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide (second edition), 2003.
Cool factor: Those exotic locales. Tarzan may be king of the jungle, but he holds his own in cities, remote outposts and deserts, too.
Notable: Part two of the five-part “The Return of Tarzan” adaptation. … Also includes a “Tarzan’s Animal Encyclopedia: A Series of Nature Studies” page and a two-page essay on “Children of the Wild.”
Collector’s note: According to MyComicShop.com, there is a Mark Jewelers variant of this issue.
Character quotable: “Do not be frightened … the danger is past!” – Tarzan, with a line he uses on all the ladies
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on Sept. 7, 2010.
