Review: Kong on the Planet of the Apes #4

Synopsis:

Boom studios is becoming the King of the crossovers and more power to ’em. I love my comic book company team ups ever since the first Superman/Spider-Man team up in 1976. Bring on that Archie/Planet of the Apes crossover! This issue opens with everybody’s favorite talking simians dragging Kong ashore by rope. Kong looks tired, defeated and ready to give up. I guess there’s no Anne Darrow to fight for so he’s tired of resisting. Dr. Zaius explains that even though the King could easily break free he’s simply weary of the battle and wants to find rest.

The Creative Team:

Ryan Ferrier let’s us think that peace has finally found its way to the Planet of the Apes but is really just giving us the calm before the storm as a new threat emerges from Skull Island and it only takes three guesses to figure out what it is. And the first two don’t count. The apes have no idea what kind of creature they’re dealing with as they try to keep their new guests in cages. It’s a case of shoot first ask questions later, foreshadowing what they will face with the alpha/omega bomb in a few months (Beneath the Planet of the Apes.) Great stuff includes Zaius and the council trying to figure Kong out and how he came to be. More military protests from the chimpanzees and Cornelius bowing to the council leaders by admitting that Kong could, indeed, be a deity. Zira becomes so upset that she has to be carried from the proceedings.

Carlos Magno has the ape world down pat and his renderings more than do justice to this Topsy Turvey world where Apes evolved from men. And he should have this world down as he’s drawn those damn dirty apes more than just about anyone else (at least among artists still active.) Highlights include Zaius presenting Kong to the council. Also The fight between Ursus and Aquinas where Ursus breaks the most holy of ape commandments to keep his opponent silenced.

In Conclusion:

The Apes from the original franchise just keep meeting stranger and stranger creatures; the crew of the starship Enterprise, Lord Greystoke, and now the mighty Kong himself. Only here they don’t have to team up with any other comic book company as they own the rights to both franchises now. I love all of these franchise team ups, ever since I was a kid I wanted to see William Shatner take on the role of Brent in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Oh, and I wasn’t kidding about the Archie/Planet of the Apes team up either! This issue shows us what happens when the apes bite off a little more than they can chew. The animals that they bring with them from Skull Island aren’t happy about being in captivity and they… to be continued. **** (8.8 rating)

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Writer – Ryan Ferrier
Art – Carlos Magno
Colors – Alex Guimaraes
Letters – Ed Dukeshire
Publisher – Boom Studios

Author Profile

Kevin Given

Kevin Given has studied with â€œ Longridge Writers Group â€ and â€œ Writerâ€™s Boot Camp â€ a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the â€œ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter â€ franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of â€œ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter â€ # 1 and â€œ Files of Karl Vincent â€ # 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series â€œ Dracula Rising â€ (working title) and developing â€œ Foul Blood â€ into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given