Turok Son of Stone Volume Five from the Dark Horse Archives collections is a significant tome for a few reasons. First this volume is the first to feature the art of Giovanni Ticci and Alberto Giolitti in most of the stories. For another the comic makes its transition from Dell to the freshly minted Gold Key brands with the final issue of this book. As usual Paul S. Newman is the artist of record for all the stories contained in this collection.
Issue twenty-five features one of the finest Turok covers as 1961 fades into the mist. The comic begins with a one-pager called "Dinosaurs of the Sea" drawn by Ray Bailey most likely. The first Turok story is titled "The Hidden Monster" and has Turok and Andar spelunking into a cave to confront a dinosaur that strikes from behind a rushing waterfall. This story like the other Turok tale is by Ticci and Giolitti and a wonderful moody tale they craft. "First Hunt" is about a young caveman named Tikun who must prove himself when he tricks some buffalo into stampeding over a cliff giving the tribe a bounty of fresh meat. "Young Earth" features "Plants that Lead the Way" and talks about how plants preceded animals in the march from the sea to dry land. "The Winged Men" by Newman, Ticci and Giolitti has Turok and Andar investigate a tribe who mimic Pteranodons and leap from trees with makeshift wings to startle their potential slaves. Turok is able to free these unfortunates. "The Flying Reptiles" is an appropriate one-pager to close out the issue.
1962 kicks off with Turok and Andar entering "The Deadly Jungle". Newman, Ticci, and Giolitti are wonderful again as the pair of heroes find plants that will trap you if you're not careful. Once again Turok is forced to do the bidding of a primitive tribe to gain Andar's freedom when he foolishly falls into their trap. One thing about the art is that a lot of arrows are used to direct the reading. I've of course seen those used in the past but they seem mandatory almost in these pages. "The Weapon" is a text piece which dramatizes how primitive weapons gained a copper edge. "The Ice Age" is the "Young Earth" feature this time and again Bailey is the artist. We follow many mammals as they strive to survive the shifting ice of ages gone by. "Scourge of the Swamps" is the second Turok story by the new regular team as Turok and Andar enter a sank watery swamp and have to survive both Honkers and men to reach the other side. "The Unusual Dinosaurs" closes out the issue and focuses on a few of the odder creatures of the era.
The twenty-seventh issue of the comic debuted a new feature when the two lead stories about Turok were highlighted on the inside front cover. "Dangerous Waters" is the first of these stories and is by Newman, Ticci and Giolliti. Turok and Andar must cross a deadly river to climb a high escarpment to find a Caveman named Degg who they hope will lead to a way out of Lost Valley. The text story is "Time of Hunger" and shows how two tribes combine their knowledge to survive in hard times. "The Horned Dinosaurs" is a one pager about what you'd guess it was about. "The Ages of Life" is drawn by Ray Bailey and follows life from its most primitive in the primordial sea to the advent of mankind itself. "The Flesh Eaters" has Turok and Andar trying to destroy the eggs of a particularly large and dangerous dinosaur species which threatens to overwhelm the valley. The comic closes with two one-pagers -- "The Giant Dinosaurs" and "Dinosaur Diets". The art on all three one-pagers is by Bailey I think.
The next issue really changes up things when journeyman artist Jack Sparling steps in to do the two Turok features. "The Secret Cavern" is the first and it finds Turok taken captive and drugged to become a slave to some vile Primitives. In a nice change of pace, it's up to Andar to save the day. "The Armored Dinosaurs' Defense" is the "Young Earth story and it focuses on how armor appear and developed over a long period of time to make some dinosaurs nearly invincible. It's drawn by Bailey. "Plateau of Death" is the second Turok feature and has Turok and Andar trying to help an old man named Beld find meaning in life and return to his tribe who have kicked him out. Beld wants to die but Turok is adamant that he stay alive and find purpose. "The Weapon" is the text story and shows how weapons can be things we never think if only we'd use our wits as does a caveman in this story to capture buffalo for his tribe.
Rex Maxon steps in to illustrate issue twenty-nine, the final Dell issue of Turok Son of Stone. "Terror in the Trees" is the first Turok tale and has our two heroes trying to find a way across a river to a wooded territory the locals claim is very dangerous, especially from the trees. Turok and Andar ignore their advice and find trouble dropping down on them sooner than they expect. The text piece is titled "The Law" and shows how things change when a leader demonstrates compassion for his people and not just seeing folks for what they can contribute immediately to the tribe. "Coming of the Flesh Eaters" is the "Young Earth" story and describes the evolution of the meat-eating dinosaurs from small ones to the enormous T-Rex. This story seems to be by Bailey. "The Pit Trap" shows some cavemen being both clever and cruel when they dig a pit and capture a deadly dinosaur to put in it. They want to be entertained as prisoners fight for their lives. Turok and Andar do indeed end up in the pit. The comic closes with the one-page story of "The Ostrich Dinosaurs".
The team of Paul S. Newman, Giovanni Ticci and Albeto Giolitti are back together in the thirtieth issue, the first Turok Son of Stone to carry the handsome Gold Key badge in the corner. Dell and Western Publishing had parted ways as 1962 comes to close and the Gold Key brand was developed to continue publication of the properties that Western had maintained. Dell for its measure would hang on for several more years but they were much weaker than Gold Key. All the art in this issue is by the Ticci-Giolitti team save for the "Young Earth" feature which is drawn by Ray Bailey. "Early Birds" focuses on both early flying and flightless birds which had since gone extinct. "Chance to Escape" has Turok and Andar take a deadly gamble and climb a deadly cliff inhabited by Pteranodons in order to maybe find a way out. They are motivated by what they think is a modern crow feather. "The Fish-Dinosaur's Day" showcases how one such creature is both predator and prey as the day rolls along under the sea. "The Robe" is a text story which a boy named Turr must track down a deadly tiger which has stolen the tribe's sacred Buffalo skin. "Prey of the Flesh Eaters" has Turok and Andar trapped by a volcano, and it shows them saving others who prove treacherous to our heroes. The cover is by George Wilson is arguably my favorite Turok cover. I can find no attribution for the other covers though I suspect Wilson is responsible for most if not all of them.
The book looked much different in this first Gold Key book. The captions abandon the classic bubble look and adopt a more square-like configuration. And the valley that Turok and Andar navigate is much more a jungle in the hands of Ticci and Giolitti. The Lost Valley has been plains, forest, and desert even but with the coming of his new team there is a more atmospheric and even claustrophobic feel to the comic. There is more drama. More Turok Son of Stone next week.
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