shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 25, 2018 13:42:52 GMT -5
Planet of the Apes / Green Latern #4 (Boom and DC, 2017)  story: Robbie Thompson writer: Justin Jordan artist: Barnaby Bagenda colors: Alex Guimaraes letters: Ed Dukeshire editor: Dafna Pleban assoc. editor: Alex Galer grade: D+ Just when I'd given up hope, the story starts to go somewhere, and that results in this being both the best and worst issue yet. On the plus side, the back story grows richer as we are given a recap of this version of Earth's first Green Lantern, chosen by the Guardians to hide the ring:  It's a compelling effort, and yet it exposes just how thinly this premise has been considered. Let's explore all that is wrong with this version of Earth having a Green Lantern chosen by the Guardians to hide the ring who then decides to do so by hiding it in the future: 1. Wait. So this reality has Guardians and a GL Corps too? I mean, that makes sense, but then the Guardians of the DC Universe deciding to hide the ring in an alternate reality makes no sense if they exist in that reality too and therefore likely have a ring in that reality too, as well as enemies who want it. 2. Or maybe it's the DC Universe Guardians who create this Green Lantern. That poses its own problems. If the Guardians have that kind of reach, why AREN'T they bringing order to other realities, or at least pulling aid from those realities when massive threats arise? And why not just send an experienced GL to hide the ring instead of recruiting a newbie? 3. What were the chances this GL traveled forward in time and inadvertently chose the exact moment of the Great Disaster in which to hide the ring? In fact, why was that convenience even necessary to this plot? 4. Green Lanterns can just travel through time on a whim, not even putting a drain on their energy rings? So why not send the Corps back in time to prevent the ring's creation? Heck, take out Parallax, Sinestro, and all other GL villains before they ever became threats. 5. Okay, if we're going to start introducing a discussion of time travel to this story, let's consider the following. Planet of the Apes exists in Earth's future. The Green Lantern franchise exists in Earth's present. When the GLs traveled to this Earth, shouldn't they have arrived in 2017, long prior to the present day of Planet of the Apes? I mean, the ring was still there at that time. Of course, then we wouldn't have a crossover with Planet of the Apes. ANYWAY, there are far more sloppy plot holes throughout this issue that I won't get into, but what does irk me is all the lousy characterization. For example, when Zira proves she isn't easily manipulated when the mutants try to scare her with mental images and, a page later she accepts a ring from Cornelius RIGHT after pointing out how flawed his thinking was and that the ring was clearly controlling him, I'm utterly lost. These aren't characters -- they are bodies enacting plot points. One final positive thing I can say about this issue is, as obnoxious as the final page plot twists are getting, I at least almost considered chuckling at the nod to Superman II:  Plot synopsis: We get the partial story of a Green Lantern chosen by the Guardians in ancient times on the POTA Earth who traveled to the future to hide the ring moments before The Great Disaster. We learn the ring is draining power from all the other energy rings, but the Green Lanterns have devices that override this. Hal meets up with the other GLs, and Zira and the chimps meet up with Cornelius, who convinces Zira and forces the others to wield rings, and this seems to instantly corrupt them. We then learn that Gorilla Grodd has taken control of the Red Lanterns. |
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Post by tarkintino on Aug 26, 2018 7:19:44 GMT -5
Planet of the Apes / Green Lantern #3 (Boom and DC, 2017) It's becoming increasingly likely that this story isn't headed anywhere interesting. We continue to retread tired old plot lines with a somewhat out-of-character Hal behaving EXACTLY like Taylor (Zira and Milo noting that he behaves exactly like Taylor), and a completely out-of-character Cornelius behaving as the latest hero gone mad with power that is so often repeated in the pages of Green Lantern. That's the problem with revisiting POTA in this modern era; too many are just...well to be honest...hacks because they're trying to recapture that 'ol feeling of plot and/or characterization made famous by the original films, or the problem is that they do not have an original thought between them. At least in the days of Marvel's POTA magazine, writers creatively and aggressively explored new POTA stories having no bearing on or influence by the 5 movies and TV series, and the results were some standout running stories that hold up today (e.g. Terror on the Planet of the Apes). ..and the insane/evil/power mad Green Lantern? Yawn. ITs tired, not at all shocking, and just continues the worn-out idea of heroes going dark. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 26, 2018 9:23:25 GMT -5
The very nature of the crossover format Boom is going for inherently limits the writer. They have to stick to the familiar, and they can't make any significant changes to the existing story. Essentially, you invest in a limited series where you know, right from the start, that nothing meaningful can end up happening. At best, they can make you look at something that happened in one of the films in a new light and with new understanding, but we haven't been given any writers who have been interested in doing that as of yet.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 26, 2018 11:14:01 GMT -5
Planet of the Apes / Green Latern #5 (Boom and DC, 2017)  story: Robbie Thompson writer: Justin Jordan artist: Barnaby Bagenda colors: Alex Guimaraes letters: Ed Dukeshire editor: Dafna Pleban assoc. editor: Alex Galer grade: C+ It's so...uneven. Look, the plot is sparse and generic, the characterization is negligible, and the dialogue...   ...sooooo bad. And yet, like last issue, this one has its moments. Ursus doesn't really have a presence in this story, and yet this little moment given to him was powerful:  And, just when the plot can't get any more generic, with Grodd holding Zira hostage so that Cornelius will surrender the ring, Thompson throws us one hell of a curve ball, with Zira using the ring to blast both herself and Grodd so that Cornelius won't make the wrong choice.  Damn. The power of this moment aside, I'm curious what repercussions it has for the final issue of the series. Is all of this going to get undone with time travel by the close? Since time travel was talked up so heavily in the previous issue, I'm guessing that's where this is going. So it's a mostly lackluster story with two unforgettable moments. Still not impressed with the series as a whole, but I'm no longer regretting reading and reviewing it, so that's at least something. Plot synopsis: lots of fighting, Grodd is taking over everyone's minds, Cornelius' ring is drained, Grodd takes Zira hostage but she blasts them both (killing herself), and Sinestro has now showed up to fight for the ring too. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 26, 2018 12:02:33 GMT -5
Planet of the Apes / Green Latern #6 (Boom and DC, 2017)  story: Robbie Thompson writer: Justin Jordan artist: Barnaby Bagenda colors: Alex Guimaraes letters: Ed Dukeshire editor: Dafna Pleban assoc. editor: Alex Galer grade: D- A poorly conceived story reaches its conclusion. This one felt rushed, or maybe just abandoned. So many moments made absolutely no sense. I'll just focus on the biggest of these. Okay, let's look at the big plan for taking Cornelius down. The Green Lanterns wear these big arm platings that are resistant to the one ring, so Zaius speculates wildly that putting these on Cornelius would block the ring's power. Now, first off, that doesn't make any sense. But secondly, how is this...  ...a more practical plan than just removing the ring? Chop off his hand with a green sword if necessary. And the bigger problem is Cornelius' plan at the end:  The dialogue is almost moving for once, but what does destroying the one ring have to do with the POTA time loop? Nothing we've been told anywhere in this story suggests that one has any relation to the other. It's just a really bad story. I think the only charm this time around was the few paybacks we see dealt out for earlier wrongdoings. I liked Zaius' surprise take-down of Sinestro with a yellow belt:  (Sinestro was using an old ring that still had a weakness to yellow) and Ursus gets his payback against Grodd on the obligatory final page plot twist (we get two this time):  Let's put aside how stupid Ursus' plan is and how easily Grodd could get out of that, and instead discuss how Thompson is choosing to end this thing: 1. So we're not resetting the timeline, which means Zira really is dead and only the first Planet of the Apes film happened. 2. So we're offering no logical explanation for how the time loop was altered. Is Thompson saying alternate realities exist outside of the time stream and thus the GLs coming here was enough to disrupt the established POTA timeline? Nah, I bet he didn't even consider this. 3. What the hell was the point of introducing that ancient Green Lantern on the Planet of the Apes in the third issue if she wasn't going to come back? Come on, she traveled through time to the Great Disaster before dying. Any solid writer would only provide that detail if the story was going to time travel back to that moment by the conclusion. It didn't. 4. Let's be clear that ALL of these problems and missed opportunities are created just so Thompson can set up a sequel that definitely wasn't going to happen. Yeah. So this was worthless. I mean, there were a few good moments, but that's a real f**k you ending to any fans of POTA. Thanks, Thompson. Plot synopsis: Lots of fighting. Cornelius loses the ring. Cornelius gets the ring back. Cornelius tries to break the time loop in some inexplicable way by destroying the ring and/or escaping to a different reality (it was hard to tell). He ends up in the modern day DCU, and Ursus is holding Grodd prisoner. To be continued? |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 26, 2018 12:21:03 GMT -5
Summary of Planet of the Apes / Green Lantern (DC and Boom!)
(2017)
Overview: The latest cash-in on the POTA franchise has the Green Lantern Corps and its enemies travelling to the Planet of the Apes around the time of the second film in order to recover a powerful ring left there by the Guardians that Cornelius has uncovered during an excavation. The timeline is changed, and a six-part battle royal ensues.
Note: This series concludes with Zira dead, all but the first POTA film never having occurred due to the timeline being altered, and Cornelius wandering the streets of the modern day DC Universe.
Worthwhile To Read?: A few "cool" moments aside, this is just a six part super-powered wrestling match with a messy ending.
Key Issues/Highlights?: The story of the POTA's Green Lantern in #3 is interesting, but they never go anywhere with it. Zira's death in #5 was unexpected and somewhat powerful.
Worth Re-Reading?: Probably not. There's much better POTA content out there.
This volumes includes: Planet of the Apes / Green Lantern #1-6
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 26, 2018 13:05:06 GMT -5
Whew. I'm now only two limited series behind, but two more are coming in the fall. Fortunately, everything ahead looks to be of a higher quality than what I just read/reviewed. Only one shameless crossover left, and I've heard it's good.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 1, 2018 9:40:32 GMT -5
Whew. I'm now only two limited series behind, but two more are coming in the fall. Fortunately, everything ahead looks to be of a higher quality than what I just read/reviewed. Only one shameless crossover left, and I've heard it's good. Kong/POTA was decent, probably of the same quality of the Tarzan crossover. Still nothing spectacular, but head and shoulders above the GL one you managed to get through. I couldn't make myself get past the first issue of that, so kudos to you for surviving the whole series. However, for a good read I've really liked what I've read about Visionaries, which is an adaptation of Rod Serling's original film treatment. I love that instead of the Caveman earth we saw in the films Serling wanted a contempoary Earth...only with Apes.  |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 1, 2018 11:43:32 GMT -5
Whew. I'm now only two limited series behind, but two more are coming in the fall. Fortunately, everything ahead looks to be of a higher quality than what I just read/reviewed. Only one shameless crossover left, and I've heard it's good. Kong/POTA was decent, probably of the same quality of the Tarzan crossover. Still nothing spectacular, but head and shoulders above the GL one you managed to get through. I couldn't make myself get past the first issue of that, so kudos to you for surviving the whole series. However, for a good read I've really liked what I've read about Visionaries, which is an adaptation of Rod Serling's original film treatment. I love that instead of the Caveman earth we saw in the films Serling wanted a contempoary Earth...only with Apes. I've read an attempted restoration of the original Serling treatment, so I'm not sure I would get much out of reading a comic adaptation. My passion has always been the universe of the original apes films. Definitely good to know the worst is over with though! |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 1, 2018 12:16:01 GMT -5
Kong/POTA was decent, probably of the same quality of the Tarzan crossover. Still nothing spectacular, but head and shoulders above the GL one you managed to get through. I couldn't make myself get past the first issue of that, so kudos to you for surviving the whole series. However, for a good read I've really liked what I've read about Visionaries, which is an adaptation of Rod Serling's original film treatment. I love that instead of the Caveman earth we saw in the films Serling wanted a contempoary Earth...only with Apes. I've read an attempted restoration of the original Serling treatment, so I'm not sure I would get much out of reading a comic adaptation. My passion has always been the universe of the original apes films. Definitely good to know the worst is over with though! Ah, I've always wanted to read Serling's vision so I'm pumped to see what it could have been. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2018 16:43:10 GMT -5
Summary of Planet of the Apes / Green Lantern (DC and Boom!)(2017) Overview: The latest cash-in on the POTA franchise has the Green Lantern Corps and its enemies travelling to the Planet of the Apes around the time of the second film in order to recover a powerful ring left there by the Guardians that Cornelius has uncovered during an excavation. The timeline is changed, and a six-part battle royal ensues. Note: This series concludes with Zira dead, all but the first POTA film never having occurred due to the timeline being altered, and Cornelius wandering the streets of the modern day DC Universe. Worthwhile To Read?: A few "cool" moments aside, this is just a six part super-powered wrestling match with a messy ending. Key Issues/Highlights?: The story of the POTA's Green Lantern in #3 is interesting, but they never go anywhere with it. Zira's death in #5 was unexpected and somewhat powerful. Worth Re-Reading?: Probably not. There's much better POTA content out there. This volumes includes: Planet of the Apes / Green Lantern #1-6 I just saw this at my friend's place and he is a huge Planet of the Apes fan and I'm not and frankly I had a hard time enjoying this series and I'm a Green Lantern fan and I just had great difficulty enjoying it and a bit sad of the death of Zira that should be noted for and respected. I just felt that I just crossover was totally odd and felt the writers had some difficulty to do this properly. I don't know BOOM Comics that well and honestly they were kind of lost (figure of speech) of handling the Green Lantern concept and did an admirable job doing it. I would give this book an worthy effort to put together and like you said in this post -- read it once and be done with and I'll probably not have the guts to read it again. I've find the concept of Planet of the Apes in a comic book in any form -- does not attract me the attention of which its warrants and I just don't like all the movies as well. Nice job recapping it. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 1, 2018 23:30:56 GMT -5
I've read an attempted restoration of the original Serling treatment, so I'm not sure I would get much out of reading a comic adaptation. My passion has always been the universe of the original apes films. Definitely good to know the worst is over with though! Ah, I've always wanted to read Serling's vision so I'm pumped to see what it could have been. I bought Dark Horse's adaptation of George Lucas' first draft of The Star Wars a few years back and found the medium distracting. I wanted to decide how to interpret the script instead of being given an artist's interpretation. Maybe it's just me, but if I want to see the source material, I really want to SEE the source material. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Sept 2, 2018 1:45:46 GMT -5
Ah, I've always wanted to read Serling's vision so I'm pumped to see what it could have been. I bought Dark Horse's adaptation of George Lucas' first draft of The Star Wars a few years back and found the medium distracting. I wanted to decide how to interpret the script instead of being given an artist's interpretation. Maybe it's just me, but if I want to see the source material, I really want to SEE the source material. You've probably seen it already, but the 129 page rough draft of The Star Wars, which the Dark Horse comic series was based on, is available to read online... maddogmovies.com/almost/scripts/starwars_rough5-74.pdf |
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Post by tarkintino on Sept 2, 2018 7:24:55 GMT -5
Ah, I've always wanted to read Serling's vision so I'm pumped to see what it could have been. I bought Dark Horse's adaptation of George Lucas' first draft of The Star Wars a few years back and found the medium distracting. I wanted to decide how to interpret the script instead of being given an artist's interpretation. Maybe it's just me, but if I want to see the source material, I really want to SEE the source material. Same here about Serling's POTA and the Star Wars draft. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 2, 2018 8:22:27 GMT -5
Ah, I've always wanted to read Serling's vision so I'm pumped to see what it could have been. I bought Dark Horse's adaptation of George Lucas' first draft of The Star Wars a few years back and found the medium distracting. I wanted to decide how to interpret the script instead of being given an artist's interpretation. Maybe it's just me, but if I want to see the source material, I really want to SEE the source material. See I loved The Star Wars, and one of my greatest woes with the Disney buy out was that we wouldn't see follow ups to that. |
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