Brothers Of The Spear Volume One!

The 1950's were hardly an era of racial harmony in these United States. In fact, the opposite was the case with Black men and women fighting every day for the opportunity to engage fully and fairly in the larger society which had promised them so much in its founding documents but had delivered so very little. For a sense of what race relations were like then check out this informative link for a glimpse. 

Comic books, at the time one of the most popular entertainments in the nation had hardly been a region apart from the greater society, promoting a greater sense of racial equality. In fact the opposite was true, with racism not a bug but a feature of most comics of the short history of the form. Comics such as All-Negro Comics #1 were beyond rare because retailers would not stock such publications on their racks for the population, a population which in the South still were forced to drink at separate water fountains.  So it's a surprise indeed when a comic appears which suggests with a sublime nobility that the races can indeed co-exist in harmony and even become family of sorts. That comic feature was Brothers of the Spear. 

One reason Brothers of the Spear could find a footing in the market is that never in the long history of the series did it ever get a cover in the 1950's and rarely in the 1960's. The series thrived in the back pages of the popular Tarzan comic book from Dell Comics and later from Gold Key Comics. The lead feature at the time was supportive of the long-standing film franchise which offered up a gaggle of handsome white men in the role of ERB's most famous creation. Behind those acceptable white faces, a drama featuring two young men, one white and one black, could unfold in a calm reliable fashion month after month beginning in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan #25 from 1951.

I maintain that comic book readers are more liberal than those who have not sampled the four-color delights. We as a breed are more open to varying ideas about human identity. At least it was the case in the 1960's when I first stumbled into the hobby and was presented a wide range of black men and women who were capable of the same selfless heroics that white heroes demonstrated month in and month out. Sometimes those liberal intentions could be a bit self-consciously ham-fisted such as Gardner Fox's story in Justice League of America #57. (Total credit to Carmine Infantino's and Murphy Anderson's landmark cover which I'm sure rankled more than a few newsstand operators in the day.)

And by the time the Black Panther debuted in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966, Gaylord Dubois and artists Jesse Marsh and Russ Manning had been spinning tales of a noble black warrior in the heart of Africa for fifteen years. And further that black man, a prince of his land was the blood brother of a white man who treated him as an equal and not a sidekick. While the Black Panther was still cloaked from racist eyes behind his full-face mask the "Brothers of the Spear" were still shielded from racists behind the stalwart white icon of Tarzan. 

Jesse Marsh's First Page

The two brothers who are the "Brothers of the Spear" are a young white man named Dan-El who was adopted by the Zulu tribe when his father appeared with him from a far-off unknown mountain land Natongo the son of the Zulu chief who raised the young men together in such a way that they made were devoted comrades and not rivals save perhaps when it came to spear throwing. The first story shows the two men passing a test of accuracy to earn a the role of sub-chief which indicates that Dan-El's skill might be fractionally better than Natongo's though not so much as to matter in real situations. Natongo graciously shares his role and his symbolic feathers with his "brother".  Both decide that now that they have become sub-chiefs and for all intents and purposes fully-grown men that they will together attempt to find the lost land from Dan-El originates. The clues are two keys, one a golden key which Dan-El's father brought with him and another a birthmark on Dan-El's shoulder which matches one his father had. With this information they strike out but quickly run into trouble from various quarters. But they meet good people and bad and are taken captive on more than one instance, but always they are able to use their wits and skills to work together to continue the journey. Natongo seems to be a bit wiser than Dan-El, or at least more cautious. Dan-El can be impulsive and perhaps a bit too trusting. Natongo seems to have a keen understanding of the world. 

Russ Manning's First Page

We follow the two young men on their trek thanks to the writing of Dubois and the deceptively simple artwork of Jesse Marsh. Marsh was an artist in the Caniff school who used broad rough lines to chisel out his images but to grand effect. He draws all of the chapters which show the first quest of the titular Brothers as they seek Dan-El's home. When they arrive a new artist by the name of Russ Manning takes the helm. And it's thanks to the fame and renown of Russ Manning that we have the collection of these wonderful adventures in three volumes from Dark Horse. It's interesting to see Manning in this early stage of his career when his sleek style was not yet fully honed. The celebrated artist of Tarzan of the Apes and Magnus Robot Fighter (pitched as a Tarzan of the future) came to the attention of the editors at Dell and Gold Key on the strength of his work on this series. 

When they do find Aba-Zulu, the kingdom from which Dan-El came from and which his keys make him the king of, the storytelling switches a bit. We go from a quest to a series of weird and wild court intrigues as the throne is contested between Dan-El and Kongoni, the regent who had waited and hoped for the return of Dan-El and his father or both and the pretender to the throne Han-Ool who is supported by the wicked witch-doctor Nagopa. Dan-El ably assisted by Natongo and others of the kingdom loyal to the old king battle against many plots to kill him and steal away the throne. Eventually Dan-El and Natongo are able to kill Han-Ool and chase the desperate but wily Nagopa into a hidden valley behind some caverns where they get stranded. They seek their way back to the land of the Aba-Zulu but it is a winding trail filled with slavers and many dangerous creatures and men. In his absence Kongoni's daughter Tavane rules in his stead with her father now killed and the true heir lost. It is a hair-raising journey for Dan-El and Natongo to get back to Aba-Zulu and even then the threats are not gone since Nagopa still lurks within the kingdom. And that's where volume one leaves off with the installment from Edgar Rice Burrouighs' Tarzan #67 from 1955. 

There is a wonderful naturalism to the storytelling of Dubois in this series, which is a long, connected tale that continues month after month and year after year. It must've been remarkable to follow this saga in real time, though I'm exceedingly happy I'm able to consume it at much quicker pace. Not unlike Tarzan, the lead feature, the Brothers are rarely flustered by the complications they encounter and remain cool and confident they will overcome the obstacles. This too is a great lesson for young readers and old ones too. 

To begin reading the Brothers of the Spear online at ERBZine check out this link.

More to come next week. 

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