In The Long War, Planet of the Apes Shakes Its Spear

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Covers, in order: Cover A, cover B, cover C

The first issue of BOOM! Studios’ Planet of the Apes comic met with mixed reviews. Some praised Daryl Gregory’s storyline and dialog, as well as Carlos Magno’s lavish illustrations, but many die-hard fans in the Yahoo Groups and other Apes forums were less enthusiastic. For them, the comic’s departure from the classic films’ visual aesthetic was a turnoff, dampening or eliminating their desire to read the series past issue #1.

Although I was (and remain) quite positive in my review of that issue, I can understand their stance. John Chambers’ ape makeup for the original films is iconic and definitive, and I, too, am thrown by some of Magno’s art choices. Tim Burton’s remake left a bad taste in the mouths of a great many POTA fans, and anything reminiscent of that style (which the first issue undeniably was, in terms of simian clothing and chimpanzee facial features) could be a deal-breaker for some. BOOM!’s take on Planet of the Apes, while brimming with new characters and settings to explore, may be a hard sell for such fans.

With that in mind, I was curious if the second issue would be more approachable for die-hard fans of the classic films. My prediction is that it will be.

SYNOPSIS:
Council Voice Alaya travels to Virtellus Prison to pardon General Nix (who, despite having been imprisoned, has never renounced his loyalty to the late Lawgiver), and assigns him to find her grandfather’s assassin. Bako and Chaika pay a call on chimp gunrunner Laughing Jack and his human lackey, Monkey. Jack is intrigued by the pre-war tungsten bullet Bako shows him, and directs him to Brother Kale’s mission, known to contain such weapons. Nix forms a gorilla squad to raid Skintown–not because humans are inferior, but rather to uphold the Lawgiver’s dream of ape-human harmony, which he wholeheartedly embraces. Mayor Sully visits Brother Kale, and the mutant admits that his congregation includes many Silents (who, despite growing numbers, feel the world no longer belongs to them, and who are not content being ruled by apes). He urges her to take the coming revolution seriously, and to give dissenters a voice. When Nix’s troops arrive, closing off all bridges leading into the city, the humans resist, and a riot ensues.

THE GOOD:
This second issue offers a clue as to the meaning of the story arc’s title, “The Long War.” After a series of skirmishes dubbed the Eastern Campaigns, apes and mankind have settled into an uneasy peace, though with the apes maintaining societal dominance. This has led Sully to believe the days of human-simian warring are behind them, but Brother Kale warns her, “The revolution is not over, and your people need you to give them a voice.” The long war wages on, though in secret–and as fans of the films know, humanity will ultimately end up on the losing end.

The term “Long War” was used by Donald Rumsfeld (the U.S. secretary of defense under Presidents Gerald Ford and George W. Bush) during a speech in 2006, to rebrand the War on Terror. During that speech, as well as others, Rumsfeld referred to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as the Long War, urging Americans not to give in on a battle of wills that could stretch on for years (as that war has), and warning them not to underestimate threats to liberty. Thematically, this title befits Gregory’s opening arc–and the Planet of the Apes mythos in general–in which a united humanity fights for liberty against a more powerful species.

In reviewing issue #1, I noted that the scientist Bardan was a fascinating character since he did not fit Planet of the Apes‘ typical gorilla stereotype. In issue #2, we find that Nix, briefly shown in the prior chapter, fits the bill as well. Previously described as a butcher, Nix emerges here as a gorilla with surprising intelligence, eloquence, insight, wit and open-mindedness. Though a dangerous warrior, he believes in the Lawgiver’s dream of harmony between apes and hums. In fact, he soundly cuffs an underling for calling humans inferior, noting, “There are humans I’d trade you in for in a heartbeat, men who can out-fight and out-think you at every step.” He even paraphrases William Shakespeare, stating, “Humans aren’t inferior–they’re different, and not all that damn different. Don’t men have hearts and hands and brains? Stab ’em, and don’t they bleed?”

Two other characters that shine in this issue are the ironically named Laughing Jack (a dour, grim chimpanzee weapons smuggler who shows little propensity toward laughter) and Monkey (a wisecracking human clad in a court-jester suit). Laughing Jack operates in a hidden weapons bunker, left alone by Sully as long as he doesn’t steal from Skintown. Gregory seems to revel in breaking type when it comes to the apes, introducing first gorillas studying science and favoring peace, and now a chimp funneling weapons. If played right in future issues, Jack, as the last ape living in a human village, could prove to be an important character.

As for Monkey, the author incorporates yet another Shakespearean reference, as the character both looks and acts like the Fool from Shakespeare’s King Lear, making inappropriate, irreverent jokes, while offering wry observations about the characters and situations in the story. Presumably, as with the Fool, we’ll come to find that Monkey serves not only as Jack’s assistant, but also as his conscience.

THE NOT-QUITE-AS-GOOD:
When it comes to Planet of the Apes comic books, fans have been forced to starve in recent years. Now, at last, a new table is being set, but so far, only light courses have been laid out. Story-wise, these first two issues have been but an appetizer (or an ape-itizer, if you will) to the grander feast, offering a hint of what is to come. The ingredients are well combined, though a few points are lost for visual presentation. Now it’s time for the main course; given the menu, it appears the meal may ultimately prove satisfying.

One quibble (admittedly, a minor one) that I should have noted in my critique of the first issue: There’s a math error in this series’ chronological placement. “The Long War” is set in 2680, and is said to be 1,200 years before Taylor’s future arrival in the film Planet of the Apes. That film was said to take place in 3978, which was retconned to 3955 in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Regardless of which date BOOM! follows, the 1,200-year placement is in error, as the story would either occur 1,298 or 1,275 years before the first film, both of which would round out to 1,300 years, not 1,200. (I know, I know… but, hey, I did warn, up front, that this quibble would be minor.)

The bigger problem is a holdover from the first issue: The artwork is still too reminiscent of Tim Burton’s reimagining, in terms of character likenesses, architecture and modes of dress. Laughing Jack, in particular, strongly resembles the chimp soldiers in General Thade’s army, eroding the character’s coolness factor. Granted, artist Carlos Magno may have been emulating not Burton’s film but rather actual chimpanzees. Still, the end result is the same–the Burton aesthetic is present.

And that’s a shame, because Magno is clearly an artist with immense talent. It would be preferable if, in future issues, he would begin phasing in the more familiar characteristics of the classic films (some of which, such as the gorilla soldiers’ uniforms, are already present). This early in the game, it would be tragic if BOOM! were to lose a significant percentage of its potential readership due to fans’ disgust with the Burton project.

THE UNEXPECTEDLY COOL:
In several pre- and post-launch interviews, Gregory told journalists (including yours truly) that he planned to adhere only to the classic films, and not to the television series or other incarnations of Planet of the Apes. Issue #2, however, provides a possible way for him to tie in TV continuity. I noted, in my previous review, that the humans of Skintown dress similarly to the peasants seen on TV. Now, we learn that “The Long War” takes place someplace west of the films’ Ape City. While speaking with Brother Kale, a mutant operating a mission within her town, Sully asks, “You came from back east, right? Somewhere near Ape City?” While the films were set on the East Coast, not far from the ruins of New York City, the TV show took place in former California, in and around a simian capital called Central City. If and when Gregory eventually reveals where Skintown and the city of Mak are located, he could conceivably incorporate TV elements, such as referencing Central City or one of the provinces from that series.

Malibu’s Planet of the Apes comic featured an ape character called Travelin’ Jack, who brought citizens gifts each year at holiday time–basically, the simian analog to Santa Claus (and yeah, it was as ridiculous as it sounds). The name Laughing Jack, in this issue, is purely coincidental, of course, but the similarity is worth noting, for while one Jack peddled in a celebration of life, this Jack (ironically, the one said to be laughing) peddles in instruments of death.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
The characters of BOOM!’s Planet of the Apes saga are very compelling, and there’s a subtext here that intrigues me. And yet, two issues in, we’ve still not seen much in the way of plot. Both issues have primarily been about setting up this worldly stage and having the players in this particular drama, as Shakespeare put it, make their entrances and exits. With the stage now set and much of the cast revealed, I look forward to watching the play unfold (and to hopefully seeing a change in costuming and makeup).

When the curtain next rises, I’ll be in the front row.