TARZAN/CARSON OF VENUS

I picked up this beauty in a recent trade with a fellow comic book collector (thanks Nelson!). It's the Dark Horse trade paperback collection of the four-issue series TARZAN/CARSON OF VENUS originally published in 1999.

I'm a fan of both of these characters although I must admit I've absorbed much more material featuring Tarzan (movies, books, comics) during my life than I have Carson of Venus. I read one of the original ERB novels years ago and I've got all of the books in the series on my bookcase shelf but the character hasn't had nearly as much exposure as Tarzan or John Carter of Mars. There was a short lived Carson of Venus comic book series back in the 1970s. It ran as a back up in issues of DC Comics' KORAK, SON OF TARZAN series. The stories were beautifully illustrated by Mike Kaluta (who also did superlative work on DC's THE SHADOW series from the same era).

The Dark Horse series finds Tarzan transported to Venus (in much the same way John Carter traveled to Mars and back). There, he meets Carson and they have a rip-roaring adventure. It's pretty standard stuff and you either dig this type of pulp interplanetary adventure yarn or you don't. Me? I loved it.

The script is by Darko Macan and the artwork is by Igor Kordey. Kordey's work is an amalgamation of Kaluta's art deco style and the work of underground comic book legend Rich Corben (especially on characters' faces). I know. Sounds weird. But it works.

I enjoyed TARZAN/CARSON OF VENUS. If you're a fan of either character or the works of ERB in general, check it out. You won't be disappointed.