This installment is, I’m glad to report, substandard. I’m not glad that it’s substandard. I’m glad that I can report it’s substandard.
To clarify: this is a great series and BOOM! is doing a great job expanding the POTA universe into the licensed work arena while staying loyal to the feel of the original movie. It’s been distressing to read every issue and have to give a great review. There’s only so many great reviews you can give as a critic until people are like: hey, critic, shouldn’t you be criticizing?
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
So here goes: this issue is all talk. We start with Zaius talking to Cornelius, who has discovered an important relic from Ape past. So Cornelius is given a new project. Then Zaius goes to a high security prison outside the city, and talks to another scientist (Dr. Milo), and tells the scientist his sentence will be commuted if he can figure out what the artifact is, and whether it’s related to the strange mind bending creature that he killed in the previous issue. Then, he talks to his son in law about his new grandchild.
There’s a little action at the end, when Dr. Milo discovers the painted city, but that’s about it. I’m not saying an issue where there’s only talk is all bad. But the talk has to be the right kind of talk. It has to be the kind of talk where apes rave about how great they are, how enlightened they are, all the while acting like psychotic blood-lusting troglodytes.
Of course, I can’t be too harsh. As part of the ongoing series, it’s a pivotal issue which you have to put onto paper so future events can unfold. Still, I appreciate the chance to really lay into this one. What a bunch of slop (but not really).
Rating: 3 / 5 Stars
