PLANET
OF THE APES: CATACLYSM VOL. 1 (Boom, 2013;
Softcover)
Collects
Planet
of the Apes: Cataclysm
Nos. 1-4 (cover dates September- December, 2012)
Writer:
Corrina Bechko and Gabriel Hardman
Artist:
Damian Couceiro
Colorist:
Darrin Moore
Planet
of the Apes: Cataclysm takes place eight years before the first
two of the original films. The question about what happened to the
moon is finally answered. It's something that I never honestly
thought much about, but now that they mentioned it, I don't recall
ever seeing it in the original films.
The
story starts out 2,000 years before the main story. So since the 1968
film took place in 3978, and this is eight years earlier than that
(3970), that means that The Asian Confederacy did a preemptive
nuclear strike against us with the Alpha-Omega bomb in 1970. Or maybe
I take things too literally. Maybe they meant to say 1,955 years ago
but decided that 2,000 sounded cooler. Or maybe, since the ship was
malfunctioning anyways, that the chronometer had also malfunctioned.
Do I get a No-Prize?
As
with all of these Boom Planet of the Apes books, everything is
top notch, from the writing to the artwork to the coloring. Like the
original films, all of the strife and conflict between apes,
chimpanzees, and orangutans is present. SPOILERS
One of the subterranean mutant humans from The Forbidden Zone uses
his mental powers to disguise himself as Brother Corvin. He manages
to get inside a military bunker inside The Forbidden Zone by using
his mental powers to trick the apes into thinking that he is Brother
Corvin and then shoots them. Once inside, he launches the United
States' nuclear missiles at the moon, destroying it. He is
discovered, ends up getting killed and Doctor Zaius orders his body
to be burned. Zaius always tries to sweep things under the rug rather
than deal with them head on, doesn't he? The book ends with the human
mutants beneath The Forbidden Zone chanting to their “God”. END
SPOILERS
Needless
to say, I'm stoked about Volume 2. It is rare that I read something
and think You know, I really want to sit down and reread the
entire run of this again from front to back someday. Yet that is
exactly how I feel every time I read these Planet of the Apes
comics. Well done, Boom Studios!
I
would love it if Boom reprinted the black and white Marvel Magazine
from the '70s in deluxe hardcovers. They could use the same format
that Dark Horse uses for Creepy and Eerie and Dynamite
uses for Vampirella, preserving the original publication size
and including the covers in full color. Hey, a guy can dream, right?
I have cash in fist waiting for Boom to do this. Go ahead,
Boom...TAKE MY MONEY!!!
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.
The
OCD zone- Dang, this book is hefty for being so skinny. It must
be the lead-based inks that China uses in their sweatshop printing
presses. It might drive you insane after touching and smelling it,
but man does it smell good.
All
of the covers (and I mean all variants) are included full size in a
cover gallery in the back of the book. I'm feeling all warm and
fuzzy...
Paper
rating: 5 out of 5. Thick coated stock with a glossy sheen to it.
Binding
rating: 4 out of 5. Glued binding.
Cardstock
cover coating rating: 4.25 out of 5. The cardstock cover has that
dull matte finish that I dislike. The logo and a portion of the back
cover have a different, glossy screen printed coating. While this
particular cover is fairly scuff resistant, it is not my personal
preference. And that's what it is this case, since it seems durable
enough; my preference. Your mileage may vary.
