In between Raiders of the Lost Ark and this prequel, Marvel launched The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, which kicked off its first two issues with a story by John Byrne, who seemed almost instinctively what made the character work, yet simultaneously was able to deliver a comic book-style adventure. Sadly, Byrne only spent two issues on the book, and (IMO) the title never quite regained the snap of those inaugural issues.
I mention this because it seems that Indiana Jones, as a character and a concept, seems deceptively hard to get right. Case in point, Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, a film eagerly (to say the least!) awaited, only to leave many fans a bit confused, tired, and even a little grossed out. But of course Marvel didn't know about any of this beforehand, and plowed straight ahead with the adaptation, by David Michelinie, Butch Guice, and the inking team of Akin and Garvey:
All the movie's main beats are here, and in some ways (again, IMO) I feel this comic book version works a little better, since by its format it had to tamp down the overloaded shrillness that marred chunks of the movie--also, its great not hearing Kate Capshaw screaming at the top of her lungs every third scene.
One noticeable edit comes in the infamous "Monkey Brains" scene, which here is edited down to just a few panels:
One noticeable edit comes in the infamous "Monkey Brains" scene, which here is edited down to just a few panels:
Like the adaptation of Raiders, there's a lot of story to get in here, and that doesn't leave much room for big showy panels. Like that book, there is all of one full-page shot, taking place in the titular Temple of Doom:
Because space is at such a premium, the big set-pieces--the train car chase and the awesome rope bridge fight--go by very quickly, and they don't have the same impact that they did in the movie. The adaptation ends with one last contribution from Short Round:
..the end, for now!
As I said above, the writing aspect to this book works fairly well, and Butch Guice could have been a great choice as penciller. I say "could have been", because his work is smothered under the heavy inks of Akin and Garvey, a team known for delivering very clean, smooth lines--which, to me, seem at odds with the kind of grit that you'd expect in an Indiana Jones adventure.
Thanks to the inking (and the generally indifferent coloring), most of the figures in this book look stiff and lumpy, when of course Indy's world is all about Danger! Excitement! Speed! Too bad; I really would have loved to see a more compatible inker paired with Guice.
Also like the Raiders adaptation, there is no bonus material in this book; nothing about the movie, or Indy, or even how to serve monkey brains!*
*Slightly chilled
As I said above, the writing aspect to this book works fairly well, and Butch Guice could have been a great choice as penciller. I say "could have been", because his work is smothered under the heavy inks of Akin and Garvey, a team known for delivering very clean, smooth lines--which, to me, seem at odds with the kind of grit that you'd expect in an Indiana Jones adventure.
Thanks to the inking (and the generally indifferent coloring), most of the figures in this book look stiff and lumpy, when of course Indy's world is all about Danger! Excitement! Speed! Too bad; I really would have loved to see a more compatible inker paired with Guice.
Also like the Raiders adaptation, there is no bonus material in this book; nothing about the movie, or Indy, or even how to serve monkey brains!*
*Slightly chilled
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