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Zac Thompson and German Garcia’s Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #1 is a gorgeous debut issue that finds Ka-Zar coming to terms with his new powers.
In Marvel’s 2020 crossover event Empyre, the Cotati mind-controlled Ka-Zar’s partner Shanna as part of a plan to invade the Savage Lands. As a result, Ka-Zar jumped into action to free her, only to be impaled upon the Ebony Blade by a Cotati soldier. With the combined might of Brother Voodoo, Scarlet Witch and the Black Knight, Shanna brought Ka-Zar back to life by imbuing him with the life force of the Savage Land itself. Spearheaded by the talented creative team of writer Zac Thompson and artist German Garcia, Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land follows the Lord of the Hidden Jungle and his family as he comes to terms with his newfound abilities.
Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #1 opens with the protector of the Savage Lands waking up from a nightmare, feeling world-weary and exhausted due to his new abilities that make him feel every inch of the land all the time. Shanna urges him to let go of his worries and gifts him new clothes that can adapt to the environment and protect its wearer. The story then cuts to another part of the Savage Land, where Ka-Zar and Shanna’s son Matthew fights a dinosaur with the help of Zabu, the last living Smilodon. Sensing their son is in trouble, Ka-Zar and the She-Devil arrive in the nick of time to save the day.
Thompson’s story starts off through Ka-Zar’s point of view, with first-person narrative boxes initially providing exposition and insight into the protagonist’s troubled mind, while Shanna acts as the voice of reason. As the issue progresses, Matthew Plunder becomes the unexpected deuteragonist of the tale. By introducing elements of family drama, Thompson gives a unique spin to this story of self-discovery.
Garcia’s pencils offer a spectacular treat for readers with his dynamic lines and detailed backgrounds, which create a rich and bustling habitat full of flora and fauna. The expansive panels and double-page spreads, coupled with illustrations of intense skirmishes, marries well with the adventurous tone of the book.
Colorist Matheus Lopes’ contributes to the visual feast through his use of lush and vibrant colors, which give life to the vibrant, yet perilous domain of the Savage Land. Lopes deftly utilizes warm tones of primary colors to create a contrast between the backdrop and the foreground, resulting in a nice harmony between the action and the story. Drom the use of classic, old-fashioned fonts in the opening page to eye-popping SFX effects in fight scenes, letterer Joe Caramagna also finds innovative ways to keep things interesting.
Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #1 ends with Ka-Zar realizing the full potential of his powers and coming to terms with his changing self, while Mathew grows restless within himself due to his folks’ differing approaches to parenting. The issue is a strong start to the series, laying down a solid foundation for world-building. Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #1 is reminiscent of the pulp stories of yore where the titular hero amazed readers with his wondrous feats of courage, providing both long-term fans and newcomers something to look forward to.
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