COMIC BOOK REVIEW: Planet of the Apes Annual #1

Planet of the Apes Annual #1 (Boom Studios), coming quickly on the heels of the last issue of the Exile on the Planet of Apes mini-series and the last issue of the current Planet of the Apes monthly series, which ended with #16 a few weeks back, helps fill a void of ape-less comic withdrawal, but also, it seems, plays midwife to the new Apes series that are in the works. This annual acts as anthology of the ape world we've encountered thus far in the ongoing monthly, and Exile's precursor, Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes. Within these four stories are great achievements: rewarding current readers with excellent stories about known characters, while standing as a great entry point for new readers waiting to be enticed by this world.

First up, Daryl Gregory and Carlos Magno flashback to when Sully and Nerissa were young girls and Sully is about to be integrated into an ape school. The focus of the story, in the broad sense is on the political ramification of such desegregation and how it affects both apes and humans. Specifically, the focus is on Nix, the white ape, who became so central to the ongoing PotA story. Gregory fills in on some important, only previously hinted upon information about Nix that, for me, at least, invites a closer reading of PotA 1-16 in which to put Nix's action in new light. Magno's clear, detailed apes continue to be a joy. I hope there's more Apes stories from these two in the near future.

Next comes,Corinna Bechko and John Lucas' tale of an ape boy who meets a young human girl during an ape crackdown on humans. It's a simple yet powerful tale about awareness, empathy, and compassion. The ending adds a sparkle of mischievous hope. My hope is that Bechko has plans for this ape lad in the Planet of the Apes: Cataclysm

The third story is Gabriel Hardman's "The Scroll," which, like the opening story, delves into the past of a known character. Here we see General Aleron from Betrayal and Exile as a Gorilla Private First Class (OK, I may have made up that military title, he was referred to simply as "private") on a mission to liberate some scrolls from and orangutan in hiding. What Aleron finds is eye-opening (and, ironically, eye-closing, as we also find out the reason Aleron wears an eye patch) and again, gives us more perspective on what truly drives Aleron in Betrayal and Exile. Hardman is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists. His action scenes are dynamite: Aleron running to escape an avalanche pops from the page, for example.

The Annual ends with Jeff Parker and Benjamin Dewey's story about Ape City envoys visiting Simian Port, an Ape trading outpost, that's run by a Kurtz-like ape, who defies the creeds from the Ape City tribunalThis story seems equally inspired by Conrad and jungle comics from the 50’s. The revelation of the unknown cargo on a docked ship is smiling-inducing in its cleverness.

Planet of the Apes Annual #1 is remarkable in how, across four stories, it builds upon the known the Apes universe in two of these, and introduces new characters that are ripe for further exploration in the other two. A great read. Highly Recommended

COMIC BOOK REVIEWS: Pick of the (Last) Week and Other Noteworthy Mentions

So, I'll be implementing a grading system for my weekly comic reviews as follows:

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Good
Disappointing
Poor

I suppose it's the equivalent of a grading system using stars and, perhaps, at some point, I may switch to something with wiggle room for half-stars and what-not, but for now the above standards will be used.I'll also be focusing on the stuff I'm digging and not spend too much time on the pedestrian or downright disappointing fare. I have a quick trigger finger these days with dropping books that bore me, so there's little use writing about it if I'm not sticking with it. So, this week we have some thoughts on my "pick of the week" from last week's haul as well as some thoughts on other purchases.

PICK OF THE WEEK
Planet of the Apes by Daryl Gregory and Carlos Magno and published by Boom Studios has been a standout comic over the course of its first year. It takes place around 80 years before the original Planet of the Apes movie at a time of uneasy tension in ape/human co-existence.

Planet of the Apes is a great example of serial monthly comic writing. Gregory’s plotting during this inaugural storyline has been tight and focused. Wonderfull compact, increasingly complex, and always full of surprises it’s been a humdinger of a ride so far. It begins with the assassination of the great leader and the apes response focusing on the relationship between Alaya, the great leader’s niece and Sullivan, the human mayor of Skintown, who were raised together during a more peaceful time. #12 is the culmination of that storyline. It's a taut, brisk read without a standout fight sequence by Magno between Bako, a leader of the human resistance and Nix, a gorilla commander. As the epilogue demonstrates the events of the past 12 issues will continue to resonate in the next storyline. Since it's start a year ago PotA has been one to look forward each month. (I'm working on a larger piece covering the full run of PotA to date, which will hopefully be completed soon.) Highly Recommended

Noteworthy
Dark Horse Comics has the distinction of having the two runners up to the coveted Colbinski Chronicle's "pick of the week." Ragemoor, a new 4 issue series by writer Jan Strnad and artist Richard Corben, spins an exceptional tale of a castle with its own sentience. And it seems evil to boot. I'm a sucker for haunted house stories and Ragemoor takes a haunted concept and runs with it. Corben's cartoony art adds to the gothic atmosphere and he does some incredible things in protraying the castle as alive and malevolent. Look at that cover. Ragemoor wasn't on my "to buy" list and then that cover just screamed at me from the shelf (as if it too had its own [hopefully, not malevolent] sentience) The first issue concerns a relative's return to Castle Ragemoor with plans to swindle it from the current occupants, who assure the newly arrived guests that he doesn't remain in the castle by choice and, why would you come back, you're just causing trouble for yourself. And that's enough for me. I'm hooked. Recommended

I'm still working my way through Eerie Presents: Hunter, a new hardcover collection of the Hunter stories from Warren's Eerie magazine in the 1970's. I've read the first 6 stories and it's pretty mind-blowing stuff. Hunter is a "demon hunter" tracking demon mutants in a post-apopalyptic world. There's some interesting world-building in each 8-page story (each of which can also stand on their own) culminating with an intense 2-parter that completes the "Hunter" portion of the collection. Next, on to Hunter II stories! The purple-prose, standard for the 70s comics of this type I've read, can be a bit much, but I forgive that indulgence as Paul Neary's art compliments the overwrought narration perfectly. The heavy ink lines Neary implements brings out the dread and chaos of Hunter's world. The writing is definitely the product of the anxiety of the times, like much doom-inspired sci-fi of the period showing humans on a collision course with terror of their own making. However, the dark shadows of the demons, the innovative panel arrangements, and the iconic attire of Hunter (spacesuit with helmet, staff in hand, fur shorts around the waist) make this a timeless tale. The opening tale has Hunter seek sanctuary in an old monastery only to come face to face with his prey. Information flows on a need to know basis, which only adds to the suspense, and the art reeks of desperation, isolation and misery. I would love to see a new Hunter series that takes the various germs and kernels of these stories to re-create this character and his world with modern sensibilities. Paul Neary may even be available to draw too. Highly Recommended

Other Thoughts
Wonder Woman #7 revealed some interesting things about Paradise Island and Amazonian history, but definitely felt like a bit of a placeholder issue as Wonder Woman's quest to rescue Zola from Hades has yet to begin. Lennox seems to have way too much influence over Diana's decisions the last few issues. Interested to see where this goes. Good

Justice League #7 was almost dreadful and I'm not sure where this book is going or what it's trying to do. I get it, Batman is serious, Hal Jordan/Green Lantern isn't. And that pretty much summed up the heroes interaction with each other. Disappointing