Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes #1



writers: Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman
art: Gabriel Hardman
colors: Jordie Bellaire
letters: Ed Dukeshire
editor: Dafna Pleban

grade: B

This new storyline takes place 20 years prior to the first Apes film and features Dr. Zaius as a pivotal character. That's 1,180 years after the time of the current main series. We don't know whether it and the main series are following the timeline of the first two Apes film, the final three Apes films, or the Rise of the Planet of the Apes timeline. Most likely, it's attempting to blend all three.

This storyline feels familiar -- so familiar that I honestly though I had read it before and just forgotten. I'm pretty sure it's pulling from an old Apes story, either from the Adventure Comics line (fortunately, not the main series) or from a Derek Zane story back from POTA vol. 1. That's a lot of checking to do, so I haven't yet, but I am positively sure there was an ape with a human assistant showing evidence of intelligence, and that there was a raid late at night that very closely resembled this one, both thematically and visually. My first guess was that it came from Sins of the Father or Urchak's Folly, and a quick glance found a scene in Urchak's Folly #2 that sort of resembled this, but not as closely as the scene I'm recalling.

ANYWAY, what seems worth noting in this story is its portrayal of Dr. Zaius as a young new council member who is not yet threatened by the advancement of humans, and the mystery of what occurred at the Hollow Cliffs. The cliffs resemble (and are approximately located in the same place as) the excavation area at the end of the first Apes film, containing proof that humans once ruled the planet. My guess is that's the mystery, and this is what will cause Zaius to finally fear man.

That very likely prediction having been made, I wonder what the appeal of this series will be if we can already guess where it's going.

I'm not sure how connected (if at all) this series is to Exile on the Planet of the Apes or Cataclysm, nor whether or not it will finally connect to the main series in some way, so just in case this isn't a "done in four" continuity, here are the key characters:

General Ursus -- the human-hating military leader from the second Apes film, only 20 years younger and working for Tenebris.

Aleron -- a war hero general and a friend to humans, presumably because he knows the truth about the past.

Quintessa -- A council member

Tenebris -- A council member specifically working through unethical means to silence human sympathizers

Prisca -- A Chimp animal psychologist that I suspect will end up being Zira's mother

Tern -- a human servant who speaks sign language and whose master is killed by Ursus.


Can't say I truly enjoyed the story, as it felt very derivative, even just by having a secret group of human hating ape assassins. How many times have we seen that before? I'm hoping this storyline will make me care for Zaius as a character more than I already did in the first film. Otherwise, I'm not really sure what it has to offer.

Continuity wise, it should be noticed that this storyline contradicts the Sins of the Father stand-alone from Adventure Comics, one of the few truly worthwhile Apes stories from that publisher. In Sins of the Father, Zaius develops his mistrust of humans at a far earlier age.


Plot synopsis:

After a brief flashback to a raid on a human "infestation" at Hollow Creek 15 years earlier, we find General Aleron as a lawyer defending an ape who has taught his human servant sign language, they win the case thanks to the support of new council member Zaius, a secret group of apes led by Ursus assassinates the ape by order of Tenebris, Aleron tries to bring it before the council, but Tenebris digs up evidence that Aleron killed one of his officers at Hollow Creek that wanted to kill all the humans there. This is all set twenty years prior to the first film.

Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes #2



writers: Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman
art: Gabriel Hardman
colors: Jordie Bellaire
letters: Ed Dukeshire
editor: Dafna Pleban

grade: B+

A better issue. The art felt more dynamic, and with a story as simple and predictable as this one is proving to be, Bechko and Hardman seem to be giving more attention to characterization, something that has been sorely lacking in the main series. Part of this comes from Hardman's art, which vibrantly characterizes Aleron even in moments when he does no speaking. I've only realized now that neither of the Boom! Planet of the Apes series make any use of narration boxes or thought bubbles. I wonder if that's a directive for all Boom! comics (I don't read any others). Whatever the case, it's hindering the main series, but Bechko and Hardman overcome it nicely in this issue.

I also enjoyed the visual concept of The Reef, an ape version of Alkatraz, though it seems slightly above the technological ability level of the Apes of this time period. Additionally, one would have expected such a structure to have popped up in, or at least be referenced in, the first Apes film had such an institution actually been around. It's not like Ape City had all that many buildings.

One minor point of continuity -- it's clearly unheard of for a chimpanzee to be a scientist in this issue, as made clear when Prisca visits the Hall of Science and shares her ambitions of becoming a scientist with its curator. This aligns nicely with a passing reference made between Cornelius and Zira in the first film about Chimpanzees only recently being allowed to engage in the sciences.

No other significant points in this issue, though it made for a well rounded story -- something we haven't seen much of in the core Apes title.

Minor detail: How many Apes stories can there possibly be involving leaders who are mad with abuse of military power, as well as stories where everyone's shocked that ape has killed ape (as if it hasn't already happened in the final film and in a bajillion comic stories thus far)?


plot synopsis in one long sentence:

We get a little more flashback at Hollow Creek (though not enough to tell us anything), Aleron stands trial, is found guilty, and is sentenced to The Reef (Ape Alkatraz), Zaius suspects that there is a conspiracy against Aleron, Tenebris offers a veiled threat to Zaius that his career will soon be over if he pursues this path, Prisca learns from Tern that ape soldiers killed Cato, and Tenebris sends Ursus to be a guard at The Reef in order to kill Aleron when the opportunity arises.

Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes #3



writers: Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman
art: Gabriel Hardman
editor: Dafna Pleban

grade: B

It's clear in this issue, more than anywhere else, why it's both true that comics are arguably at their finest in 2012/2013 and that modern comics absolutely aren't for me. Whereas I've complained endlessly in the past about the super decompressed stories we've been seeing in many comics since the 1990s, Bechko and Hardman fly in the opposite direction by mastering the art of super compression in this storyline, flying through the plot at breakneck speeds and never bothering to get us from point A to point B if we can logically fill in the gap in our own minds. This issue alone could have been three monthly issues if handled by another creative team, but it seemed to work as one here, even as I personally found the break-neck speed jarring.

I think it's fair to say that this issue felt like a film directed by J.J. Abrahms, and while I see the art and craft in that kind of storytelling, it just isn't my thing. I respect it; I don't enjoy it. I prefer a natural flow in my storytelling, whether a masterpiece of Western Literature or a monthly comic book. I'm not of the generation that now needs its Wii consoles to feature a second screen on the controllers so that players don't get bored just having to look at one.

Yeah, I'm quickly becoming a fuddy-duddy.

Even using that terminology only makes me more of one.


As for the story, itself, I think part of the problem with putting all your energy into break-neck speed is that it doesn't leave much room for character development, explorations of big ideas, nor even too many unexpected twists. As a result, this issue largely follows along the course of the first two, providing tons of action and forward motion for the characters, but not actually adding anything new to the story. In a weird sense, even with all the skipping and jumping around accomplished here, this issue really is just a connecting point of sorts -- getting us to the events of the next issue fast enough to culminate the whole thing in a four issue limited series.

And beyond the further emphasis placed upon chimpanzees being treated as a lower class than gorillas and orangutans (though there are no indications of a clear economic divide between races), this issue doesn't really provide any details that are noteworthy for these reviews.


plot synopsis in one sentence:

We are further teased about what happened with Lt. Varus 15 years earlier but don't actually learn anything new, Ursus proves ineffective in attempting to kill Aleron in prison, Zaius goes to check out the ruins in search of clues at to what happened 15 years earlier and is ambushed by some of Tenebris' gorillas, they also get Cato's human servant and are preparing to kill him, we know they're planning to assassinate Councilwoman Quintessa, Aleron learns that Tenebris has sent all who have opposed him to prison, so Aleron unites them to lead a revolt and escape, the prison is torched as the prisoners escape, and Aleron and Ursus have their climactic battle while plummeting into the sea below.

Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes #4



Writers: Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman
colors: Jordie Bellaire
letters: Ed Dukeshire
editor: Dafna Pleban

grade: C

The big pay-off doesn't prove to be much of a pay-off at all. The breakneck speed ends clumsily as the epilogue feels incredibly forced and brief, the final revelation of what occurred 15 years earlier is not at all interesting enough to have warranted three issues of teasing, the setting of the excavation site where Taylor will ultimately uncover a talking human doll is utterly wasted, and Zaius' role in this entire storyline is another waste -- he's simply there to bear witness to the truth of what's happening and, rather than see that the events of this series will somehow shape him in a significant way, we merely see him misinterpret one brief encounter and then abruptly shape his views of humanity based upon it. There's no development, no characterization, no thought of any kind; just action and reaction.

An utter waste.


minor details:

- Zaius is astounded to discover that there was once more advanced technology on the planet, yet we see in the main series that apes have gradually devolved in their mastery of technology over the centuries. Have they lost this knowledge with the passing of time, or has Tenebrus deliberately buried this truth? Clearly, Zaius has learned more about the past by the time of the first Apes film and has done his own share of burying, but this could have been made more clear here.

- Having Ursus in this story was apparently a pointless name dropping. Nothing that happens here appears to affect the character that he is in the second apes film.

- Some of the art was incredibly unclear in this issue, particularly when Aleron escapes from The Reef and when he stops Tenebris' carriage.

- Interesting that Tenebris has full access to the Archives (presumably the same Archives from the fourth film) and has read up on human history, yet has no awareness that it ever had a religious equivalent to The Lawgiver ("They had no wise Lawgiver to show them their folly"). While it was an archive of government information, you'd think the phrases "In God we trust," or "So help me God," would pop up more than a few times, especially the latter since we know sworn testimonies before congress were stored there (emphasis on the sworn part).

- Zaius makes reference to their being four ape races in Ape City. Chimps, gorillas, orangutans, and...?

- Aleron didn't commit the murder 15 years earlier. It was a human that shot Varus in order to save Aleron's life. Aleron covered this up for fear that, if apes learned humans could use guns and that one had killed an ape, there would be hell to pay. He also felt he had an obligation to the human that saved him.


Plot synopsis in one long sentence:

Prisca shows up just in time to rescue Aleron from the water after falling in with Ursus at the end of the previous issue, Tenebris brings a captive Zaius to the old Archives to learn why Tenebris sees them as dangerous and needing to be put down, Tern escapes as the apes are about to operate on his brain, Aleron and Prisca debate about whether or not Tenebris needs to be killed, Aleron captures him with Zaius there to bear witness, refuses to kill him but explains all that he did in front of Zaius, as well as what actually happened 15 years ago, Tern shows up and attempts to kill Tenebris, but Aleron moves to save him and receives the wound instead, Tern runs off, Aleron appears to die, we fast forward to Zaius in charge of the council, making all ape species equal, and vowing to exterminate the human race, and we learn that Tern is tending to Aleron's wounds and helping him heal while the two are in hiding.

Exile on the Planet of the Apes #1



writers: Corrinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
art: Marc Laming
colors: Jordie Bellaire
letters: Ed Dukeshire
editor: Dafna Pleban

grade: B-

Two years after the events of Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes, Beckno and Hardman's story continues in a pretty predictable fashion. The now exiled mute humans are organizing behind General Aleron and Tern, Prisca is sympathizing with the humans, and Zaius and the other council members are still bent on extermination.

Truly, this just feels like more of the same action-intensive, pacing challenged nonsense occurring in the main title. Essentially, aren't both series just chronicling humans revolting against apes? Were there strong characterizations, thematic ideas, or really anything other than violence and the advancement of the plot, I could see a justification in portraying both stories in parallel, but this really just feels like a duplicate at this point. Yeah, this one happens thousands of years later, but it's the same damn story.

And, incidentally, I keep giving these stories grades in the B range because the art is pretty solid and the writing isn't bad. It's above average quality for a comic book, even if I'm not enjoying much of it.

Continuity points:

- Two years later (18 years prior to the first film)

- Julius, a guard at the human clinic in the first film, is referenced off-camera as having been the source of the rumor about the human raid. Apparently, he is also working there 18 years earlier.


plot synopsis:

The humans (now organized) lead their first raid against the apes, they are assisted by an ape named Timon who fences their stolen goods, Prisca is suspected of having assisted them, she begins to grow sympathetic to their cause, some gorillas follow a lead to the humans, one of the gorillas is killed, the apes are in an uproar, Prisca seeks out the human resistance, Timon gets further caught up in things when the gorillas see him with the humans, the humans take Timon back to their camp, and we discover that General Aleron is leading them.

Watching the Timelines

For what it's worth, it is still entirely possible for the main Boom! POTA storyline to align with the continuity of the first two Apes films, the final three apes films, and the new Rise of the Planet of the Apes films at this point. Wikipedia claims that it can only be aligned with the final three of the original Apes films because of the references to Caesar, but I think that's a pretty limited interpretation. There are truly only a few minor details that absolutely cannot align across all three timelines (most prominently being the explanation put fourth in the third film that "Aldo," not Caesar, instigated the Ape revolution in the timeline of the first two films). Caesar's revolution can still result in the society seen in the first two films (in fact, Gregory seems to be implying that it will with Aleya revising the Lawgiver's words and forcing Mak to technologically regress), history can be altered (intentionally or otherwise) to replace the name "Aldo" with the name "Caesar," and the new Rise of the POTA film can still result in the same future as well, only with a somewhat different past.

Essentially, I suspect that Gregory will play it safe and stay on the fence, never clearly indicating whether the Caesar referenced in his stories is the Caesar from the old films or the Caesar of the new one unless Fox forces him to draw clearer ties to the new films, and he seems to be connecting whichever Caesar continuity he's ambiguously begun with to the continuity of the first Apes film. Therefore, we have an all-inclusive continuity that allows itself to connect to any Apes film other than the Burton one.

And, by that logic, the main series' stories can still be on the same timeline as the Betrayal, Exile, and Cataclysm stories being written by Bechko and Hardman, which are clearly aligned with the continuity of the first two films, but are not clearly detached from the other two continuities in question.