Daily Archives: 11 November 2011

So another similarity between Ka-Zar and Conan? Every woman Ka-Zar meets is beautiful… and of loose morale character.

I wish the series were about Shanna, being some dedicated scientist who goes a little crazy with the jungle boy, but it’s all an act.

Anyway, Jones’s back on track, even though the last issue was only the most minor dip. He’s confronting Ka-Zar’s personal weaknesses, juxtaposing them against Shanna’s strengths.

Ka-Zar is shockingly good jungle adventure. I can’t get over the quality of Jones’s writing on the series. He’s not just using Conan for inspiration, he’s also dedicating himself to each issue being a full experience. There are plots and subplots and cliffhangers… for each issue.

Having Anderson is, of course, key. Anderson’s able to make striking panels, which convey all the presence of a full page spread, but only taking up a fourth of a page.

I don’t love this issue of Ka-Zar as much as the first. Jones opens the comic with revelations from Shanna, but he’s iffy on showing her side of them. It’s actually a strange approach–he implies her perspective on them, with Anderson doing a great job complementing the implications, but it’s too little. Ka-Zar is from Ka-Zar’s point of view and Jones needed to figure out a better way to show Shanna’s take without breaking the POV.

That long quibble aside, it’s still surprising great jungle adventure. There’s a lot more of the Conan influence here, along with maybe some John Carter of Mars. Ka-Zar and Shanna face off against some flying pterodactyl men (and team up with the good bird people).

Anderson, who was no slouch last issue, is getting better at an exponential rate. His inventive panel composition makes the issue a visual delight.

Ka-Zar‘s a great find.