My Rating
(Turok: Son Of Stone)
“The Dinosauria”
Western Publishing always aspired to educate the children of America. In every issue of Dell Comics, later Gold Key Comics, kids could learn interesting facts about a multitude of subjects. In this case, Dinosauria! Say hello to the Tyrannosaurus, Brontosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Pterodactyl.
“Turok Son of Stone and the World Below”
Drought has brought two Mandan warriors to the edge of dehydration. Under duress, Turok and his brother Andar begin searching the desert north of the Rio Grande for a hidden source of water. A day passes with no hope or assurances as the harsh sun beats down on their heads. Then a cloud of bats piques their interest. For where there is life, water surely resides.
The two begin to snake their way through the rough sagebrush leading to the disturbance. Disappointment soon follows. A large hole lies at their feet; one that leads into a dark cavern system below. If Turok and Andar are to drink water today, they will need to risk the unknown. Both braves agree to climb down and search for the life-giving liquid.
“Turok Son of Stone and the Terrible Ones”
A brand-new world! Turok and Andar spend hours exploring the underground cavern system. Yet, no drinkable water could be found. How did the bats survive in this environment? Then the faint sound of rushing water catches Turok’s ear. What luck! An underground river system awaited just ahead. Water for days!
Their luck would soon turn, however, as a massive cave bear, much larger than any grizzly they had ever seen before, charged at Turok and Andar. With the reflexes of a mountain lion, the warriors dive into the frigid waters flowing southward. The bear soon followed suit, but large fish with jagged teeth began attacking it from below. What manner of aquatic horror could shred a bear within minutes? That answer, Turok and his brother would never know.
The two struggled in the current for what seemed like hours, until a bright light was seen ahead. The surface world flooded their senses. Yet this was not the sage desert of their tribe. This great valley was not even under the same sun. The Mandan warriors had discovered a new world, vibrant and flush with life, all located underneath the earth. A hollow world filled with massive creatures unknown to mankind.
What awaits Turok and Andar in the sunken world of Dinosauria? Can the two warriors survive the plethora of giant wolves, cats, and hoppers? Who is the strange tribe that hunts game near the cliffs to the west? Collect the series to find out!
Review
It is somewhat rare for a golden age comic book character to survive past their first publisher. Especially when the market was consumed in most part by DC and Marvel during the late 1960s. Turok would live on, however, through the rebranding of Dell Comics as Gold Key (Western Publishing). Then in 1989, Jim Shooter, former Editor-In-Chief of Marvel Comics, would revamp the character as Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for his upstart Valiant Comics. From there, Turok would reside in various forms of media, including video games.
In 1954, writer Gaylord DuBois would bring something unique to the pages of Four Color Comics. Turok is a mixture of American Westerns and Science-Fiction classics such as Arthur Conan Doyle’s Lost World. Turok: Son of Stone is, in essence, Indians vs Dinosaurs. And what Atomic Age kid didn’t like at least one of these?
As for the stories, Pulitzer Prize winners, they are not. However, they are meant to entertain children. And entertaining this comic book is, for the most part. A lot of new information has been discovered about dinosaurs since the release of this series. Some newer readers may find the dinosaur designs a bit off-putting. For me, this introduction to the world’s most awesome dinosaur hunter gets a solid three out of five stars.
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