REVIEW: Marvel Alums Meet in GROO MEETS TARZAN #1
In Groo Meets Tarzan #1 by Sergio Aragonés, Mark Evanier, Thomas Yeates, Tom Luth, Stan Sakai, and Adam Pruett, two legendary comics characters get a chance to meet one another! And while you may not realize it in spite of the fact that this comic is published by Dark Horse, both characters share a history with Marvel Comics so we are going to review the first issue here at Marvel Blog for fans of the classic comics!
Groo Meets Tarzan #1. Photo: Dark Horse
Meet Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan was originally created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes. However, the character also has a long history in comics. In 1929, a daily newspaper comic strip starring Tarzan began, and it soon he got a Sunday funnies counterpart in 1931.
Then, in 1947, comic books featuring Tarzan were published, and in 1977, Marvel Comics acquired the license to publish Tarzan comics, although they eventually stopped publishing books from the Tarzan Family line and instead focused on one of Burroughs other characters, John Carter.
Tarzan #9. Photo: Marvel Comics
In 1996, Dark Horse began publishing Tarzan comics, including this crossover with Groo!
Meet Groo the Wanderer
Meanwhile, Groo the Wanderer was created by Aragonés in the 1970s, and has been published by many different publishers in the intervening years, with a Groo book being published by the Marvel Comics “Epic” imprint from 1985 to 1995.
Groo the Wander (1985). Photo: Marvel Comics/MyComicsShop
Now, both characters are crossing over in Groo Meets Tarzan #1!
Meeting Soon
In this issue, Groo and Tarzan do not actually meet! But that’s okay, because the most entertaining parts of this issue were the ones featuring Aragonés and Evanier at San Diego Comic Con 2021 – “the comic con that never happened.” I love this meta conceit, because it explains why the book exists and gives us a chance to hear what the creators have to say.
Groo Meets Tarzan #1. Photo: Dark Horse
Plus, on top of that, this means that we get an epic, two-page spread featuring a classic Aragonés depiction of comic con! If you have ever seen the work Aragonés has done in MAD Magazine, especially on his signature super-awesome crowd pages, you can guess what to expect from this two-page splash, but it’s never quite the same as opening the comic to the page yourself!
Aragonés depiction of comic con. Photo: Dark Horse
Comic Book Fun
Over all, this is a fun story that brings in some really great meta elements, and helps ease the pain of another year without an in-person convention.
Did you get a chance to pick up Groo Meets Tarzan #1, Marvel Blog True Believers? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comment section!
