Introduced as an infant in the non-Tarzan Burroughs novel [b:The Eternal Lover|15984511|The Eternal Lover|Edgar Rice Burroughs|/assets/nocover/60x80.png|21738879] (1914, between the 2nd and 3rd Tarzan books), John 'Jack' Clayton, the son of Tarzan and Jane, does not play a prominent role until 1915's [b:The Son of Tarzan|589898|The Son of Tarzan (Tarzan, #4)|Edgar Rice Burroughs|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1176073415s/589898.jpg|2792098] (the fourth Tarzan), when he adopts the name Korak ("Killer" in the language of the Great Apes). Fearing censorship since Tarzan and Jane were never married in the films, the Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movies included an adoptive son called "Boy." When Dell first starting publishing the Tarzan comics in 1947, they kept the pictures name but in Tarzan #139 (December, 1963), Boy asserted his independence and insisted they call him Korak.

January, 1964 saw the premiere of the new ongoing comic Korak, Son of Tarzan. The series ran for 46 issues under the Gold Key banner and then another 13 issues after DC acquired the Tarzan license. Numerous artists drew the series including Dan Spiegle, Frank Thorne, Murphy Anderson, Joe Kubert, and most notably Russ Manning.

Later gaining acclaim as a Tarzan comic and strip artist as well as the creator of the legendary Magnus, Robot Fighter, Manning illustrated the initial 12 issues of the Gaylord Dubois-penned Korak title. With Korak, Son of Tarzan Archives Volume One, Dark Horse collects the first six issues of the enjoyable series.

In his foreword, Steve Rude says this about Manning: "He had an open, uncluttered art style that provided breathing room for your imagination and invited you to relax and prepare for a good time. It would be a challenge to feel any other way, so deliberate was his aim to entertain and make readers feel good." His thoughts also sum up the entirety of this hardcover collection. Behind the unenlightened treatment of tribal people (in the world of Tarzan and Korak, white people are inherently smarter than the apes and the dark "savages" of the continent), these stories are just plain fun. Dubois slow pace and often wacky concepts allow the reader to bask in Manning's simple, clean lines and superior storytelling. The inclusion of Morris Gollub's lush cover paintings further enhance the package. ( )