Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar

by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Russ Manning (Illustrator)

An amnesic Tarzan has been caught plundering the treasure vaults of the lost city of Opar. But a mysterious treasure hunter and a band of thieves have also learned of the hidden wealth. When a bag of jewels Tarzan had taken falls into the hunter`s hands, a game of deadly double- and triple-cross begins--and the winner claims the treasure! This extra-length, classic story is packaged in a handy, compact size (similar to Star Wars MANGA) and completely re-colored using state-of-the-art digital techniques.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Pulp

117 pages, Paperback

Published June 29, 1999

About the author

Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.

Reviews

[Chris Adams]

A great Tarzan story featuring another visit to Opar, a weasely Belgian, a "mad" Arab (not Abdul Alhazred, but the angry Achmet Zek LOL), and La, the beautiful High Priestess to the Flaming God.

After an earthquake strikes Opar, causing a cave-in within the unknown chamber of gold that Tarzan discovered years before, he emerges with amnesia, with only the memories of his childhood available with which to face the adventures soon to overtake him. While Jane is in peril, Tarzan wanders the jungle unknowing--for all the world a mangani once more as he resumes relations with his former tribe of the great apes. Encountering La, she brings to bear all her feminine whiles to woo the handsome ape-man, but he continues to repulse her, although he has forgotten the very existence of his wife. How Tarzan is able to repulse this most beautiful denizen of the jungle is anybody's guess:

"She ran her hands in mute caress over his naked flesh; she covered his forehead, his eyes, his lips with hot kisses; she covered him with her body as though to protect him from the hideous fate she had ordained for him, and in trembling, piteous tones she begged him for his love. For hours the frenzy of her passion possessed the burning hand-maiden of the Flaming God, until at last sleep overpowered her and she lapsed into unconsciousness beside the man she had sworn to torture and to slay"

It's a good story, and I believe the first time ERB uses the amnesia plot device in the Tarzan stories (it is repeated later in the series when he is hit by a falling tree limb during a storm where Usha, the wind, runs rampant thru the forest IIRC.) One thing I noticed where ERB repeats himself in this story was the plot device of utilizing the falling of a horse which then arises with a new rider. In one instance, Werper, that bounder of a Belgian, takes advantage of a riderless horse falling at his feet in the brush, and another time Tarzan does so. I'm guilty of doing the same, so far be it from me to criticize. It happens. I'm super enjoying the Tarzan yarns once more after a decades' hiatus from them.

[Walter Burton]

A far cry from the Tarzan Movies of my youth. My next venture into Edgar Rice Burroughs will be the Chessman of Mars the origin of the John Carter movie from Disney that tanked. They should have stuck to the story.

[Leaflet]

I normally hate amnesia plots but Burroughs made up for it with plenty of non-stop jungle action - man-eating lions, Jane being kidnapped I-forget-how-many-times, lost temples, a lusty high priestess, gold, jewels, savage apes, and Tarzan triumphing over it all.

[Tim Field]

Russ Manning had such a clean slick artistic style that served him well as an illustrator/interpreter of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan novels. Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar, published in three Gold Key Tarzan issues in the 1960s, is a galloping romp through all the action, betrayals, kidnappings and violence that took place in this action packed pulpy jungle novel.
Highly readable and highly enjoyable.

[David Corleto-Bales]

A clever graphic novel adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan novel, "Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar" first written and drawn in the 1950s by Russ Manning in the pages of the comic books; Tarzan leads his Waziri friends to Opar, a "lost" city actually still inhabited to take out tons of gold when he accidentally finds precious jewels instead. He develops amnesia and reverts to his "ape" days, the jewels are stolen numerous times and Jane is kidnapped by about a half dozen people. All good fun.

[David Richardson]

Much better than the last Tarzan book I read. I got the impression from a preview that Tarzan had to rescue Jane Clayton from the high priestess of Opar. Nothing like the preview happened though the priests of Opar are involved.

The climax is well written. Werper, the Belgian murderer was an interesting character. I would definitely read Tarzan again.