GK Tarzan 158
Russ Manning's artwork is outstanding. In addition to providing his usual fan service by being a walking shirtless scene, Korak becomes a dude in distress twice in this story. While enjoying the companionship of the beautiful Meriem, whom he saved from an Arab slave trader years ago, Korak is attacked in the jungle by a group of tribesmen. The jungle boy is wounded in the shoulder by a spear. While Meriem is taken away, he lies unconscious and defenseless against the tribesmen’s murderous plans to spear him to death until they are driven off by a group of apes. Later in the story, Korak rescues Meriem again and nobly stays behind and fights the villagers in order to cover her escape. The jungle boy is eventually captured. The tribesmen tie the youth to a stake with the intention of burning him to death, until an elephant crashes into the village and carries him off into the jungle, still tied to the stake. In this story, Korak begins as an impetuous boy looking for adventure and matures into a handsome youth, who is willing to sacrifice his life for his love. In addition to his own strength, agility, and intelligence, he has animal friends who come to his rescue. This story is an adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book The Son of Tarzan, in which the title character leaves his safe home in England, helps an ape return to the African jungle, learns to survive in the jungle, and rescues his true love twice.