Why didn't this happen sooner?
In hindsight, merging the Tarzan and Planet of the Apes franchises is such an obvious idea it's surprising it hasn't happened before now. But at least Dark Horse is doing right by this particular crossover. Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes offers a clever fusion of the two universes, one that avoids the usual comic book crossover cliches.
This crossover isn't another case where one character falls through a portal and winds up in another universe. There's no obligatory opening chapter where two heroes fight before realizing they have a common enemy. Clearly, writers Tim Seeley and David F. Walker put a lot of thought into how Tarzan's world should intersect with the Planet of the Apes. The method they arrive at is to paint this tale as a sort of alternate universe sequel to 1970's Beneath the Planet of the Apes. What if, instead of traveling back to the 1970's, as they did in Escape From the Planet of the Apes, Cornelius and Zira arrived at the turn of the century? What if they happened across an abandoned baby in the jungle and raised him as their own son?
That "What if?" scenario forms the basis of this crossover, which fuses two distinct universes into something new and fresh. The bond between Tarzan and his brother, Milo, and with his parents, Cornelius and Zira, is crucial to the story. It gives this crossover an emotional weight above and beyond what we normally find in these types of projects. That weight is further enhanced by the split narrative, which unfolds in both 1901 and 2016 and leaves readers to question just what transpired in those missing 115 years. The appeal of this book isn't simply, "Hey, isn't this neat?" It offers a deeper, more compelling hook.
Plus, this book is just plain fun. It captures the pulpy thrill of the old Tarzan stories as well as the cheesy vibe of the classic Apes movies. Fernando Dagnino's art helps strike a healthy balance between the two franchises. His designs for familiar PotA characters are spot-on, embracing the distinctive makeup and costume work but bringing a degree of emotional range that was never really possible in live-action. As for Tarzan himself, the jungle hero is a fluid powerhouse who soars across the page and enjoys one dynamic action scene after another. This is easily some of Dagnino's best work ever, and his art is only helped Sandra Molina's colors. She helps bring the lush jungle environment to life, and she creates subtle but clear distinctions between the warm, inviting 1901 setting and the harsher, darker realm of 2016.
The Verdict
If you thought Star Trek/Planet of the Apes was a cool crossover, you haven't seen anything yet. This book not only realizes the fun of such an obvious pop culture pairing, it manages to fuse the mythologies together in a way that's both clever and poignant. Thanks to a talented and ambitious creative team, this series is much more than a typical crossover comic.
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