I confessed in the last post that I wasn't really familiar with this series, and decided to rectify that problem. A friend of mine had this issue and I borrowed it for today's post.
As you can tell from the cover, the story takes place in caveman days. It begins with Anthro and his brother, Lart, returning to the place where he has killed a mammoth (apparently in the Showcase #74 tryout issue). As they prepare to cut up the animal for its meat, they are attacked:
Anthro chases after the girl, leaving his brother behind. He has a little fight with her, in the course of which she bites him, proving to his dismay that she is a cannibal, but:
She explains that she attacked him because he killed the mammoth. She had raised the animal as her pet when its mother was killed by hunter. Anthro begs her forgiveness:
Meanwhile, his little brother is trying somewhat ineffectively to ward off scavengers trying to get the mammoth's meat. However, the carrion-eaters suddenly vanish, intimidated by a new presence:
Lart manages to kill the beast, but not before his leg is mangled in the battle. Anthro, forgetting all about the girl, carries his brother back to their camp, where the medicine woman heals his wounds as best she can. Unfortunately:
When Anthro explains that he was distracted by the girl, his father decides it is time for the young man to take a wife. He sends him to the camp where Anthro's mother came from, telling him to win the daughter of the chief.
Sure enough:
The tests he must pass include demonstrating his spear-throwing ability and his bronco-busting skills. It takes some effort:
But in the end he is victorious. However, Anthro forgot to read the fine print:
Of course, that's a bit of a wink at the modern audience; there's no particular reason to suppose that cavemen preferred skinny blondes. However, Anthro obviously does, and he takes off, with a warrior of the other tribe (and the girl) in hot pursuit. To be continued!
Comments: Wow! What a terrific comic! Excellent art, interesting characters, exciting situations and even a few moments of comic relief. What's not to like? I confess I found Post's inks a little overwhelming at first, but his style really grew on me. Incidentally, the cover scene is a bit of artistic license, as nothing like that ever occurs in the book.
