Tarzan Versus Predator: At The Earth's Core

(Graphic Novel with art by Lee Weeks)

An odd offering, this one.  Tarzan, Lord Greystoke, travels to the subterranean land of Pellucidar, which has fallen under the sway of two terrible influences; the ancient mind-controlling Mahar and a band of Predators out for sport.  This book captures the old-style action adventures of Tarzan very nicely, but this doesn't sit so well with the dark sci-fi horror of the Predators.  In fact, the Predators here are wusses.  Tarzan kills one with a knife on a stick and just batters another to death with a big rock.  There are some great scenes featuring the Predators versus Pellucidar's dinosaur inhabitants, but for the most part the Predator licence is entirely beside the point.  Also, for reasons that are left unclear there's a scene in which it seems Jane is about to be sexually abused by a giant lizard.  The lizard says "Yes my pretty, you are beautiful and I so adore beauty. Come. Come to me."  The lizard then commands her subjects to (and I quote) 'celebrate the passion as the pretty and I become one'.  Now I'm sorry, but having such blatant references to sexual intercourse between a woman and a giant winged lizard is just one step too far!

2 out of 5