shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 4, 2018 13:37:21 GMT -5
I was initially hesitant about this one. 1930s horror is my favorite movie genre, I'm a sucker for a movie with a deep symbolic message at its core, and the Japanese giant monster films amuse me endlessly. King Kong dabbles in all three realms and yet is none of these things. Thus, while I have always liked the original film, I've never understood its enduring legacy. Fortunately, you really don't have to be a fan of the property in order to enjoy this first issue... Kong on the Planet of the Apes #1 (2017)  Script: Ryan Ferrier Pencils: Carlos Magno Inks: Carlos Magno Colors: Alex Guimaraes Letters: Ed Dukeshire grade: A++ I haven't been this excited about a POTA story since 2005's Revolution on the Planet of the Apes. FINALLY, we have a capable creative team that truly seems to know and love this property, showing a deep understanding of what the aftermath of the first film must have been for all involved:   as well as breath-taking artwork:  and a return to what made the original Doug Moench run such an unbridled success -- getting out there and exploring what might lie beyond the confines of Ape City:   At this point, King Kong is only marginally involved, first as a corpse washed up near Ape City:  but ultimately as one of an entire race of large apes residing on Skull Island. I haven't seen the recent film so I have no idea if this aligns with where the film goes or not. But it works as a believable plot device, the search for Skull Island unifying all the character arcs and plot points spinning out from the wake of the original POTA film:  And, best of all -- depicting the Statue of Liberty aside, there isn't a single fan-service moment in this issue; not one attempt to shamelessly reference the most memorable moments and one-lines from the films for popular consumption. These people actually KNOW POTA and are using every page as an opportunity to further explore a shamefully under-utilized franchise. I love it. plot synopsis: The apes discover the remains of an enormous ape just outside of Ape City, stirring the already agitated Science Council into a panic. There is massive unrest in Ape City following the presence of Taylor, and this can only make things worse. Zaius possesses a newspaper from the time of the original King Kong and thus knows there must be more of these apes. He proposes an expedition to find them as a means of applying meaning to all of this and reaffirming Ape City's faith. He brings along Zira, Cornelius, and Milo. They arrive at Warm Water Island, are warned to go back, but persevere in search of Skull Island. Ursus makes a secret pact with the general of Warm Water Island. |
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Post by brutalis on Sept 4, 2018 14:00:33 GMT -5
It only gets better as it goes on shaxper because as you said the writer(s) get it. I say writers plural as I am unsure how much Carlos Magno had to do with the actual story from Ryan Ferrier but this series is in every way a perfect collaboration of story and art where Magno has become "THE" Ape artist supreme and I can only imagine he truly adores them and provides some sort of input. There is depth to every ape and human within this story and even to the "Kong" used in this story-line. This mini-series actually even works well with the prior King Kong series Kong of Skull Island. I highly recommend getting the 3 TPB's collecting Skull Island for pure Kong fun if you want more giant ape thrills. As well you should get the mini-series Planet of the Apes: Ursus. Both do what you seem to like most: they delve deeply into the strong potential story's with daring and style taking apes both giant and talking while exploring the myths and characters far beyond what any movie can ever accomplish. And this does fit within the intent of the new line of Kong movies. That there was a "race/tribe" of giant apes and in the movie the "Kong" is the supposedly last of the species. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 4, 2018 18:38:24 GMT -5
It only gets better as it goes on shaxper because as you said the writer(s) get it. I say writers plural as I am unsure how much Carlos Magno had to do with the actual story from Ryan Ferrier but this series is in every way a perfect collaboration of story and art where Magno has become "THE" Ape artist supreme and I can only imagine he truly adores them and provides some sort of input. There is depth to every ape and human within this story and even to the "Kong" used in this story-line. This mini-series actually even works well with the prior King Kong series Kong of Skull Island. I highly recommend getting the 3 TPB's collecting Skull Island for pure Kong fun if you want more giant ape thrills. As well you should get the mini-series Planet of the Apes: Ursus. Both do what you seem to like most: they delve deeply into the strong potential story's with daring and style taking apes both giant and talking while exploring the myths and characters far beyond what any movie can ever accomplish. Thanks for inspiring me! Can't wait to see more of this tomorrow. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2018 19:19:12 GMT -5
I'll definitely read this -- My LCS has this and the art here is spectacular and I don't mind it at all and I do love KONG ... and anything related to it.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 5, 2018 9:57:38 GMT -5
I'll apologize in advance for all the pictures and the subsequent load time with this review. There was just so much I wanted to show and discuss. I couldn't bring myself to cut it down any further than this! Kong on the Planet of the Apes #2 (2017)  Script: Ryan Ferrier Pencils: Carlos Magno Inks: Carlos Magno Colors: Alex Guimaraes Letters: Ed Dukeshire grade: A++ Damn, it's still going strong and losing none of its flavor. We have stunning artwork, thoughtful writing, and rich characterization to the point that, beyond getting deep philosophical discussions between our established characters that feel very authentic, Ferrier even gives names and personalities to Ursus' grunt soldiers along for the ride:  Ferrier and Magno continue to use each page as an opportunity to explore the strange and new on this Planet of the Apes:    (Oops! Magno drew a door in prominent focus while Zira is stating that their isn't one.)but, even better than that, we begin to see that there are serious ideas at the center of this story. For example, Cornelius quotes the lawgiver, but it's the lawgiver's words at the end of the fifth film -- the lawgiver who preaches tolerance and mutual existence between man and ape:  ...which Zaius quickly disregards. And this leaves us with an important idea -- Caesar did not change history after all. We are caught in a time loop, this ape civilization destined to rise and destroy the world regardless of what happened in the past, or perhaps even because of it. Other writers have indicated that this is a time loop without much consideration; this series wants us to understand and be bothered by that fact. The Defender of the Faith himself rejects the words of the Lawgiver that do not affirm his idea of the status quo. In fact, it's fascinating to watch Zaius' progression, here. His search for faith on Skull Island is both holy and completely sacrilegious, rejecting his teachings in search of something new and better. The final frames, in which he meets (a) Kong, mirror Michaelangelo's Creation of Adam:  Whatever faith Zaius had has now been wholly replaced. Meanwhile, I enjoy Ferrier's attempt to explain why a race of people would worship a giant gorilla. I have no idea if this aligns with what was done in Kong on Skull Island, but it is thoughtful, and it works:  And it's implications for the POTA franchise are well considered:  I'm not as sure how I feel about new character Ni'ta yet.  Too easy a parallel, perhaps. But she has potential. Really, this is everything I've been wanting in a new POTA property. I'm truly sad that only four issues of it remain. Plot synopsis: The apes arrive on Skull Island, discover a mausoleum they fail to enter or learn anything about, and come face to face with a more advanced human tribe that worships the Kongs. Zaius orders Ursus and his gorillas to return to the ship, as the tribe is threatened by them. We are introduced to Ni'ta, a human as curious about the past as Zira and Cornelius, but equally prohibited from seeking it by her society, we are told that the Kong who washed up dead was her society's queen, and Zauis meets what is presumably their king. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 5, 2018 11:20:48 GMT -5
Kong on the Planet of the Apes #3 (2018)  Script: Ryan Ferrier Pencils: Carlos Magno Inks: Carlos Magno Colors: Alex Guimaraes Letters: Ed Dukeshire grade: A++ The action hits a heart-thumping high, but the internal journies and ethical quandries don't slow down either. It's damn impressive to have guns and arrows firing, a massive ape raging on one page:  and discussions like these happening all around it:  The central theme to this series hearkens back to that of the original film -- is ignorance and stagnation the price of stability?  Cornelius and Zaius take this to a new and fresher level at another point in the story, debating about the relativism and purposeful distortion of truth:  I hope the series will spend more time on this idea. Part of the magic of the POTA films was that they were commentaries on important issues of the day, the first film questioning the establishment and theology, the second questioning Vietnam and the Cold War, the third questioning celebrity status and the morality of our government, the fourth questioning racial issues in America, and the fifth questioning militarism and (again) racial intolerance. Since then, most Apes projects have resuscitated one or more of these themes as stale platitudes that no longer directly related to the world in which they were being made, the outliers being Revolution on the Planet of the Apes amd Volume 4, both of which attempted some degree of commentary on a Post-September 11th America. But now this -- questioning the validity of "truth" and how it is weaponized for political purposes -- feels lifted directly out of the news today as we continually fight against fake news and those who label facts they don't like as similarly being "fake". I really want to see Ferrier spend more time HERE and less on a frightened theocracy banning science (which doesn't really relate today unless we are talking climate change). On a characterization level, I'm really enjoying just how quickly and believably each of our characters has been changed by Taylor's existence. Zaius doubts all that he was taught and fears for his seat of power, Ursus has lost faith in the establishment and believes it is up to him and his army to reassert the dominance of apes, Cornelius is at a total loss with what to think and believe, and Zira is first coming to terms with the blood on her own hands:  It's so well done. And the art...THE ART! The images above already attest to the wonders that Magno is performing with his pencils, but I'm only now becoming aware of how much his inking and Guimaraes' coloring are bringing to the table as well. My God, just look at what they do with light in this panel:  I am thoroughly in love with this series. It's that simple. They are giving me EVERYTHING I have wanted from a POTA comic. Plot synopsis: The worshippers of Kong are becoming uncomfortable with the apes' presence and order them to leave, Ursus and his soldiers mount an attack to "liberate" Kong from the humans, and the general from the first island they visited has shown up (as privately agreed upon) to aid them. By the end, Ursus has Kong and is heading back to Ape City, Zira and Cornelius are distraught, and Zaius is smelling opportunity. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 5, 2018 12:01:52 GMT -5
Kong on the Planet of the Apes #4 (2018)  Script: Ryan Ferrier Pencils: Carlos Magno Inks: Carlos Magno Colors: Alex Guimaraes Letters: Ed Dukeshire grade: A+ The sheer power in depicting good people forced to make moral compromise  or to realize that their beliefs may contradict their loyalties  There is so much power at the start of this issue. And we finally get our necessary nod to King Kong, but it works:  especially when, two pages later, we see the full extent of the lie:  And yet, this is a plateu moment. Pacing a limited series is always a unique challenge, and thus we hit a point where (for the moment) everything that needed to be felt and said has been felt and said, only the logical fallout remaining. And, in this case, that requires Ursus reverting to type. Instead of continuing to explore him as a unique soul with a unique perspective, the creative team has him grow inexplicably power hungry as he does in EVERY POTA work, quickly deciding that "Ape shall never kill ape" doesn't apply to him, and inadvertently letting loose the the Veloceraptor-like dinosaurs he imported from Skull Island in an effort to domesticate them. Surely, Kong will be breaking loose next issue as well, and Ursus and Zaius' ambitions will have undone Ape City. I realize a graphic medium inevitably has to depend upon a lot of action, but I'm sad to see the characterization and deeply probing moral and ethical explorations give way in favor of it by the second half. I truly hope they will come back strong in the final two issues. Minor Details: WHY did Ursus bring Ni'Ta back to Ape City? Zaius uses her to support his narrative of what happened on Skull Island, but that couldn't have been Ursus' intent. Plot synopsis: Ursus brings Kong, a herd of small dinosaurs, and Ni-Ta (convenient to the plot much?) back to Ape City, Zaius uses Kong to weave a false narrative about rescuing an ape god from evil human captors, Ursus quietly attempts to domesticate the dinosaurs, and Ni-Ta begins attempting to teach the humans with which she has been imprisoned. Ursus' men begin to question him, he murders one, and the dinosaurs get free. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2018 17:43:12 GMT -5
shaxper -- My LCS has all six books and they are sending them to my address and I should get them by Saturday at the latest and with my discount - six books for $16 plus tax. Looking forward seeing them.
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Post by brutalis on Sept 6, 2018 14:04:31 GMT -5
Glad to see you going Ape Shit (IE: banana's  ) for this Apes/Kong mash-up shaxper. I gladly admit that many of the Ape's cross-overs I have passed over as they struck me as just exploitation of the brand with little to nothing being interesting enough to read. I read a friends copies of Star Trek/POA and found only a few good ideas with mostly mediocre story/art in it. I bought Tarzan/POA as both are favorites and that I hoped it would (and it did) make a better concept and stories along with gorgeous artwork. This Kong/POA story hits so many bold and creative notes while avoiding spitting on either brand. Superb writing and the amazing art made this one a great purchase. You are lucky to have it all in shot to read through. Imagine my anguish each month waiting for the new issue to be on the racks and then going back and reading each issue(s) that came before. Intentionally I have put the series aside at the moment during the hot summer to wash away acute memories of it and plan to read the entire thing in one sitting during Halloween when I am taking a week off. |
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Post by tarkintino on Sept 6, 2018 20:39:09 GMT -5
(Oops! Magno drew a door in prominent focus while Zira is stating that their isn't one.) Still a good panel. I thought that was sort of heavy handed. Where would the TV show's version of the fate of ape/human relations fit into this--if at all? I ask because in the original movies-to-TV chronology, the Lawgiver's framing scenes from Battle for the Planet of the Apes (set in 2670) had him reveal-- ...only for humans to slide to servant (and noticeably less educated) state in the TV series (set in 3085), I wonder if the idea of any human/ape positive relationship would be possible at all? |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 6, 2018 20:44:00 GMT -5
I'm glad you're loving the series, and everything you've said is spot on! What elevates this above the other cross overs like Star Trek and GL is that it's clear the team really put some serious care into the work. Sure, it's a cash grab like any cross property book with the impetus simply being property A draws X amount of readers every month and property B draws y amount of readers so if you put them together then you draw more than either does alone, but in this case they actually picked a competent team who decided to use the premise to tell an actual story.
Like you said, there are elements to the book that closely mirror issues in our own lives and through reading them here in a fictionalized form we have yet more to think about in how these problems affect us and what their implication may be which is always a high mark in fiction.
On the flip side your thoughts on the second act are accurate as well, when you combine two properties there are certain expectations that many fans feel have to be met and those pressures often impact a book in negative ways. While so far the team has refrained from grabbing the low hanging fruit( I don't think there was a, "Get your hands off of me..." moment was there?) the plot structure does suggest the obvious Kong amok in Ape City conclusion which really does limit what the story can ultimately say, but I suppose that kind of trade off is the necessary evil when it comes to keeping properties profitable thus allowing the possibility for more creative stories in the future.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 6, 2018 21:09:08 GMT -5
Where would the TV show's version of the fate of ape/human relations fit into this--if at all? I ask because in the original movies-to-TV chronology, I apologize in advance for the amount of nerdiness I'm about to unleash on you here, but I have argued previously that the TV series is not set in the film continuity: This series is generally considered to take place along the same continuity of the other Apes films, though I would argue that it cannot for two simple reasons: 1. We see dogs in at least two episodes of the series (episodes 1 and 5), but all house pets were wiped out by disease prior to the 1990s in the original Apes series. 2. The 2nd and 5th films clearly establish that the Ape City is one small, isolated community, surrounded by other lands and cultures that they have never previously encountered, including the mutants who were only a day’s ride away. Yet the TV series establishes the Ape City as a capital (actually called “Central City”) to an entire empire of surrounding ape communities, some of which many days’ travels away by horse. More simply, I don't think the TV execs cared very much, one way or another. Whichever way you want to approach it, I've never bothered trying to reconcile the TV series with any of the other POTA properties because even they didn't. And, even if you did, reconcile it with WHICH timeline? The future Taylor traveled to, the future Caesar reshaped, or are the two one and the same? The TV series never even attempts to take a stance on this. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 6, 2018 21:13:40 GMT -5
I'm glad you're loving the series, and everything you've said is spot on! What elevates this above the other cross overs like Star Trek and GL is that it's clear the team really put some serious care into the work. Sure, it's a cash grab like any cross property book with the impetus simply being property A draws X amount of readers every month and property B draws y amount of readers so if you put them together then you draw more than either does alone, but in this case they actually picked a competent team who decided to use the premise to tell an actual story. I suspect Boom! had less pressure and restrictions placed upon them for the Tarzan and Kong crossovers because neither were established, tightly-controlled franchises with firm boundaries like Trek and Green Lantern are. People aren't going to mind as much if you take a risk with Tarzan or Kong because the franchises aren't financial windfalls these days. They are HUNGRY for change. I think that's why those were the more quality stories: there was more creative freedom. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 6, 2018 21:14:48 GMT -5
You are lucky to have it all in shot to read through. Imagine my anguish each month waiting for the new issue to be on the racks and then going back and reading each issue(s) that came before. Intentionally I have put the series aside at the moment during the hot summer to wash away acute memories of it and plan to read the entire thing in one sitting during Halloween when I am taking a week off. Even with books I pull from my LCS (a rare thing for me these days), I wait until I have all parts of a storyline before reading. I HATE forgetting details from month to month. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2018 21:23:53 GMT -5
You are lucky to have it all in shot to read through. Imagine my anguish each month waiting for the new issue to be on the racks and then going back and reading each issue(s) that came before. Intentionally I have put the series aside at the moment during the hot summer to wash away acute memories of it and plan to read the entire thing in one sitting during Halloween when I am taking a week off. Even with books I pull from my LCS (a rare thing for me these days), I wait until I have all parts of a storyline before reading. I HATE forgetting details from month to month. I prefer read the entire six books at once before I make a comment or two ... I'm like you, I do forget certain details from time to time. Can't wait for my mail tomorrow ... |
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) for this Apes/Kong mash-up 
