The Lion King (Junior Graphic Novel)

The Lion King (Junior Graphic Novel)

Attribution information
Author	Bobbi J. G. Weiss
Illustrator	Sparky Moore
Publication information
Publisher	Disney Press
Published	April 1, 2007
Collection	Junior Graphic Novels
ISBN-10	1423103696
ISBN-13	978-1423103691
Pages	48

“

A new dawn in Africa. Another day to see, to hear, to smell, to do, to live! Life holds so much, and time seems so short. But even as the great circle of the sun begins anew its journey across the endless skies, so on this morning does a new life begin its journey, the journey called living, and a search for a place in the great Circle of Life!

―The narrator^[src]

”

The Lion King is a comic book inspired by the 1994 animated film of the same name. It was published by Disney Press on April 1, 2007.

Synopsis[]

A large number of animals gather around Pride Rock in Africa, witnessing the arrival of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi's newborn cub, Simba. The king's younger brother Scar is displeased with the birth of Simba, the future king.

As a young cub, Simba is taught about being king by Mufasa, who says that everything the light touches is their kingdom. While touring Pride Rock, Simba asks about a shadowy place in the distance, and Mufasa tells him it is beyond their borders and Simba must never go there. The lesson is stopped when Zazu, Mufasa's majordomo hornbill adviser, informs him that hyenas have entered the Pride Lands. Mufasa tells Zazu to take Simba home while he gets rid of the hyenas.

Later that day, Scar tells Simba that the shadowy place is, in fact, an elephant graveyard. Simba's curiosity is piqued, and he convinces his best friend Nala, a lioness cub, to come with him. Sarabi sends Zazu to keep an eye on the two cubs, but they soon leave him behind.

They finally reach the elephant graveyard, where they come upon three spotted hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. The hyenas chase after the cubs, but Mufasa rescues them. Mufasa sends Nala and Zazu back to Pride Rock and admonishes Simba before teaching him about the stars. Simba learns that these stars represent the Great Kings of the Past who will always be there to guide him, including his father.

Meanwhile, Scar plots with the hyenas to take over Pride Rock by killing both Mufasa and Simba. The next day, on Scar's orders, the hyenas cause a stampede by chasing a herd of wildebeest into a gorge where Scar tells Simba to wait. Mufasa learns of Simba's predicament from Scar and braves the wildebeests by leaping into the gorge and carrying Simba to safety.

However, as Mufasa attempts to escape by climbing the gorge's walls, he is stuck and asks his younger brother for help, but Scar grabs Mufasa's paws and says, "Long live the king." He then lets go of his brother, causing him to fall back into the stampede to his death. When Simba sees his father falling, he, unaware of Scar's actions, is completely horrified and then goes back into the gorge to find him once the stampede has passed. The cub yells for his father and spots him lying on the ground. He tries to wake Mufasa up but soon realizes that his father is dead.

Scar, meanwhile, seeing his nephew still alive, approaches him and tricks Simba into thinking that Mufasa's death resulted from the cub's carelessness. Ashamed, Simba flees the Pride Lands, intending to never return. Scar then orders the hyenas to kill Simba, but he manages to escape through a pack of thorn bushes. The hyenas then yell to him that if he ever returns, they'll kill him.

Later in the night, Scar returns to Pride Rock and breaking the terrible news of Mufasa and Simba's deaths to the pride. In Simba's absence, Scar becomes the new king and allows the hyenas into the Pride Lands.

Simba collapses in the wasteland after his escape but is found by Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and warthog. The duo nurses him back to health and take him in, teaching him their motto, "Hakuna Matata". He then grows up with them.

During Scar's reign, the Pride Lands becomes a wasteland with no food or water. Rafiki, the baboon who baptized Simba, finds out that Simba is alive in the jungle.

One day, a full-grown lioness chases and attempts to eat Pumbaa. Simba rescues Timon and Pumbaa just in time from the lioness and discovers that she is Nala. Simba learns from Nala that Scar's irresponsibility as the king of Pride Rock is leading to the suffering of its inhabitants. Still feeling guilt over Mufasa's death, Simba refuses to return.

The wise Rafiki tracks Simba down and summons Mufasa's ghost for Simba. His ghost informs Simba that he must return to Pride Rock and become king; Simba refuses, but Mufasa's ghost tells him to remember that he is his son and the one true king.

Simba returns to Pride Rock with Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa, who all agree to help him fight. While Timon and Pumbaa distract the hyenas, Simba goes to find Scar and sees him arguing with Sarabi on Pride Rock over the lionesses not hunting. When Scar strikes Sarabi in anger, Simba confronts him, but is forced by Scar into admitting to causing Mufasa's death. Scar forces Simba towards the edge of a fiery Pride Rock to kill him, informing him that he killed King Mufasa. Enraged at this realization, Simba leaps back up and pins Scar, forcing his uncle to reveal the truth to the rest of the pride.

A fight ensues with the lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki and Zazu against the hyenas while Simba confronts Scar alone at the top of Pride Rock. Scar begs Simba for mercy, accusing the hyenas of planning Mufasa's death. Despite Simba sparing Scar, the lions fight, resulting in Simba defeating and throwing Scar off the cliff. Scar survives the fall but is attacked and killed by the hyenas, who'd overheard his attempt to betray them.

With Scar and the hyenas gone with the flames, Simba becomes the king, and Pride Rock is restored to its former glory. Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub to the inhabitants of the Pride Lands.

Trivia[]

The Lion King has been published in many different countries, including Italy, Germany, Brazil, and more.^[1]
Some of the dialogue from The Lion King are identical to dialogue from the 1993 script of the film.^[2]