Review- PLANET OF THE APES: CATACLYSM VOL. 2

PLANET OF THE APES: CATACLYSM VOL. 2 (Boom, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Planet of the Apes: Cataclysm Nos. 5-8 (cover dates January- April, 2013)

Writers: Corinna Beckho and Gabriel Hardman

Artists: Damian Couceiro with inks by Mariano Taibo (#6, 7)

Colorist: Darrin Moore

Boom Studios does it again! Every single one of their Planet of the Apes books has been a home run and money well spent. I try not to get my hopes up too high or heap unrealistic expectations on each new book, but they always deliver.

Ape City is on the brink of starvation, with nearly all of their crops wiped out by the flood caused by the cataclysm in Volume 1. Doctor Zaius sanctions and organizes an expedition to the chimpanzee colony beyond Mount Lam. I found the name to be interesting, since the Lam are the extra-dimensional “demon” aliens that Aleister Crowley claimed to have contact with, but I digress. Once the small group arrives, they are “greeted” by some giant mutated beast. Once all that is settled, they then discover that thew vegetables grown in the valley are mutated, likely the result of radiation. The group has to decide which is worse: starvation or eating radioactive vegetables.

Then things start seeming fishy at Mount Lam...and that's all that I'm telling you. So many reviews are nothing more than Wikipedia level synopses with no insight or opinion, coming off like a ninth grade book report. I try to give you an idea about a book you may not have read, and hopefully intrigue you enough to want to give it a shot. My reviews are like tenth grade book reports plus an OCD zone.

Needless to say, I am on board for all future Apes books from Boom, and I am still waiting impatiently for Planet of the Apes Archives collecting the entire 1970s Marvel black and white magazine with full color covers in the same hardcover format as Dark Horse's Creepy and Eerie or Dynamite's Vampirella Archives.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- While the cover image is indeed included as a chapter marker, it is a grey colored version. The full color version is found in a cover gallery in the back of the book.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: All are one page each: #5 variant covers B and C; #6 variant covers B and C; #7 variant covers B and C.

Paper rating: 4 out of 5. While this glossy coated stock has that sweet, sweet toxic Chinese ink smell that I so love, it has an inconsistent feel which drives me nuts. The sweet smell is likely the result of a mixture of broken asbestos tiles, lead paint chips, mercury from recalled thermometers. The smooth on one side, dirty gritty feel on the other that many of these Chinese made books have is an OCD fail of -20%.

Binding rating: 4.25 out of 5. Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 4 out of 5. The cover has that dull matte finish with spot-lamination on the logo, on the text on the spine, and the white highlighted text portion on the rear cover. The coatings feel durable enough but are not my preference. Whatever, your mileage may vary.

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