Beware The Planet Of The Apes #2 - Marvel Comics

BEWARE THE PLANET OF THE APES No. 2, April 2024

Introducing both a new mutant human settlement which inhabits “the ruins of the old Yankee Stadium”, as well as an enormous gorilla-only civilisation in the Forbidden Zone, Marc Guggenheim’s narrative for Issue Two of “Beware The Planet Of The Apes” probably perplexed those readers who were eagerly anticipating the American author returning them to the science-fiction franchise’s earliest days. True, these “never-before-seen dangers” definitely provide the twenty-page periodical with plenty of mystery. But arguably many a bibliophile will still wonder just why scientists Cornelius and Zira, or even “their human guide Nova”, never mention such evident threats when they later encounter astronaut George Taylor in Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1968 original movie.

Indeed, whilst the Long Island-born television producer at least attempts to tie Mistress Ivana’s gun-toting tribe of telepathic survivors in with Mendez XXVI’s silver screen worshippers of the Alpha-Omega Bomb, plenty within this comic’s audience will probably still feel that the writer’s storyline contains some frustratingly self-indulgent elements of fan fiction; “With our mutation comes certain… psychic abilities. Mine are more attuned than others. Sometimes, with the right stimulus… I can see ahead of things.”

Perhaps the biggest of these inconsistencies lies with Cornelius actually being shot by the facially-disfigured Kennard because the trigger-happy sharpshooter thought “the ape was charging”. This injury immediately fells the hapless chimpanzee archaeologist, and leads to Zira witnessing another human carry out surgery on her beloved’s wounded shoulder – knowledge which the veterinarian would surely carry with her when it later comes to Doctor Galen operating on Taylor later at the Animal Hospital. Furthermore, the sheer size of the Hominidae Empire apparently dwarves that of Ape City, so just how is its formidable presence kept from the likes of Doctor Zaius and the Ministry of Science in the near future..?

Just as bemusing as this publication’s penmanship though are debatably the book’s layouts, which feature a mish-mash of “excerpts from Adventures On The Planet Of The Apes” sketched by the late Alfredo Alcala, and panels drawn by modern-day artist Alvaro Lopez. Perhaps understandably, the two illustrators’ styles contrast with one another quite dramatically. However, due to the dialogue-heavy nature of the script a lot of the current contributor’s side-on illustrations arguably appear rather flat-looking and one-dimensional, especially when compared to the various ‘camera angles’ employed approximately fifty years ago.

The regular cover art of "BEWARE THE PLANET OF THE APES" #2 by Taurin Clarke