Super Blog Team-Up: Beast on the Planet of the Apes - a Review

Planet of the Apes #21 (June 1976)
"Beast on the Planet of the Apes"
Doug Moench-Herb Trimpe/Dan Adkins

Doug: Welcome back - it's been awhile! And you're in for a treat today, as my longtime writing partner from Bronze Age Babies is along for the ride. Karen is known to many from several sources, including her work for Back Issue magazine and her recent stint as 1/3 of the crew on Planet 8 Podcast. This is certainly nostalgic for me, but an honor to team with her again! And what a team-up today is. Not only are we a small part of this summer's Super Blog Team-Up, but you'll find us in three spaces: here (of course), the BAB, and at Karen's new blog, Echoes from the Satellite.

Karen: Doug! Always a pleasure to be able to team-up with you and review some comics. Of course, I just love the fact that when the idea to do this was broached, we both thought of doing something with Planet of the Apes! It's so near and dear to both our little hearts. So let's get to it!

Doug: The topic of the day is "expanded universe", and we thought a dive into Marvel's Bronze Age Planet of the Apes magazine seemed like a solid idea in response. If you've partaken of those wonderful B&W comics, you know that the modus operandi was often sprawling epics: "Terror on the Planet of the Apes", and adaptations of the various 20th-Century Fox films. But today it's a 20-page "kind of" done-in-one, and featuring an original character in Derek Zane. From the Planet of the Apes wiki, The Sacred Scrolls (links to the source material have been left in for your convenience):

Derek Zane is a technological genius in 1970's New York who is convinced that Col. Taylor and his crew hit a time disturbance. Determined to prove his theory, Derek sets his time machine for 3975 and is thrown forward in time, destroying his machine in the process. He finds mute humans controlled by talking apes and is accused by gorilla General Gorodon of the murder of orangutan Xirinius. Fleeing across the sea, Derek discovers the island of Avedon where apes and talking humans live in equality but in the style of medieval times. He is accepted as a hero by the community and finds love with Lady Andréa. When Gorodon invades the island Derek leads the defence and kills Gorodon. Later, Derek again sets out to search for the astronauts.

Doug: And it's that "sets out again" adventure that brings us, and you, to today's review. Zane was the creation of scribe Doug Moench, and as editor Rich Handley tells us in his essay closing Boom Studios' Planet of the Apes Archives, volume 2, Moench intended to make Zane the star of the show moving forward. As there were no plans to adapt the then-completed television show and all five films had already been covered, Moench saw Zane further exploring the Apes world. Alas, the magazine was canceled a few months after this story was published.

Karen: I had a few of the Marvel POTA mags when they came out -they didn't creep me out like some of the monster mags did! - but those are all long gone. Those Boom Studio collections are just terrific. I only have the first two, but they're really high quality and I appreciate the Rich Handley essays that provide some context to the comics. 

Doug: I never owned a single copy of the Planet of the Apes magazine when I was a kid. As I read these Archives, though, I was surprised at some of the directions Moench and his collaborators took the franchise. We got mountain man Apes, weird talking brain-like organisms, Ape-supremacists in white sheets, and more! It seemed almost Kirbyesque, the places and ideas Moench explored. As we pick up the Derek Zane narrative, Zane is on Avedon - an isolated island where Apes and men live together in a medieval setting. There is a Camelot, a Robin Hood, fair maidens, dragons... the whole nine yards! Hey, if Edgar Rice Burroughs could stick Pellucidar beneath our surface, why not? Although married to the lovely Lady Andrea after winning a tournament, Zane feels the pull of his original mission: to find and aid the four ANSA astronauts who were lost in space. Solution? Leave Avedon and plunge back into the chaos on the mainland.

Karen: I have to say, I'm blown away by Doug Moench's workload with the POTA magazine. He not only wrote all the film adaptations, but to also produce his own, original series - it's impressive. Like you say, a lot of his work has a real Kirby, Kamandi-style flavor. Much of it is whimsical. I read the Zane stories before this one and they are really out there. 

Doug: Let's face it - Planet of the Apes requires a suspension of disbelief fundamentally. I was only a few pages into "Terror on the Planet of the Apes" when I threw all reservations out the door. To say Moench took us on his own version of "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" would be an understatement!

Doug: Reaching the shoreline, Zane found the raft he'd used earlier when he stumbled upon Avedon. However, there's a challenger for its use and even ownership - a chimpanzee calling himself Robin Hood. Picture Errol Flynn in Roddy McDowell's make-up... Zane and Robin joust, and in the tussle they find that they've unmoored the raft and have begun to float to sea. Along the journey, Zane explains his intentions, but also what awaits Robin on the mainland. Avedon, as I said, was isolated so Robin had no idea of mute humans and militaristic apes. Once ashore, Zane and Robin ambush a chimp traveler and take his clothes and horse. And as fate would have it, before the chimp was knocked senseless he'd revealed that there were indeed rumors of talking humans in the area. So it's off to find the nearest city.

Karen: I couldn't help but wonder, what island was Avedon? But I guess after the nuclear armageddon, land probably shifted, so it could be almost anywhere. I know, I really shouldn't waste my time on things like that. Anyway, the Robin Hood character was a hoot. I'd love to see somebody cosplay that!

Doug: You bring up a point that I've actually dwelt on in watching the newest trilogy of films, and that's geography. We know that Taylor and crew landed somewhere near what used to be New York City, yet in the current series it is set near the Pacific coast. How did the apes conquer the entire continent, and indeed the world? And how long did it take? Two thousand years seems barely long enough to get to the point of an Earth as we see it in Planet of the Apes. And to say "uncharted territory" in our context of Earth's geography would now most likely be untrue given our near-complete survey of our planet, yet in the Apes world of 3978 the Earth seems a blank slate for prospective authors to explore. Sentient brains, though? Is that goofier than coonskin cap-wearing Apes?

Karen: Oh boy, I've long wondered where everything took place! And how the land was distorted by the nuclear war. I mean, some of it just doesn't make a lot of sense, but I bet someone (more than one someone) has a long and detailed essay and map that explains the whole thing.

Doug: I keep telling myself, "they're all make-believe stories", but you know how it goes...

Doug: One of our heroes' first encounters would be quite unsettling as General Zaynor gruffly introduced himself. What follows are pretty standard Apes-tropes. Zaynor is a stereotype of Ursus/Urko/Aldo, and the Dr. Cassius the boys seek is a stand-in for any of the chimp veterinarians we've met previously. The vivisection threat, talking humans scare, orangutans as defenders of the faith, and fugitives on the run all come into play. I don't want to say that from this point forward the story was not enjoyable - it was. And maybe this is how Moench felt he needed to reestablish Derek Zane in the thick of his search for Taylor & crew. But it became very predictable.

Karen: I totally agree. Unfortunately, the story lapses into formula, essentially taking us beat for beat on Taylor's journey in the original film. It's a disappointment, considering how delightfully odd and inventive Moench had been before.

Doug: It's not unlike what we found in Brent's journey in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. That movie doesn't get its legs until Brent heads down the cave and reaches the subway tunnel.

Karen: Well, Brent had to be the Taylor stand-in since Charlton Heston refused to do more than a glorified cameo. So there's duplication of the original's story line for sure. But you know, I love Beneath! I know we have slightly different opinions on this film! I'm sure all the strangeness with the mutants had to inspire Moench.

Doug: Moench included a damsel in distress. I was unclear of his intention, as she exists seemingly only to die. A male character could easily have carried out the plot points that "Hope" did, and I was left to ponder if she had a place - or was supposed to have a place - in Zane's heart. There obviously wasn't time to generate any romantic feelings or even tension, and her demise was quick and seemingly without lasting consequence.

Karen: I'm guessing Moench used a female character as she might elicit a more sympathetic reaction from the mostly male readers? Perhaps it makes Zane look more heroic? And let's face it, it's another chance to draw a scantily-clad woman, something comics have always taken advantage of. I did think she would be a continuing character, so I was quite surprised to see her killed. I figured she'd lead Zane to more speaking humans. I don't know what role she served -- or to be honest, how this story set up much of anything.

Doug: As long as you brought up the art, I'd like to pay tribute to Herb Trimpe and Dan Adkins. While we certainly get some signature Trimpe poses and facial expressions, I felt Adkins rounded out Herb's pencils and gave them some weight and texture. There were some panels throughout the story that were stunning - I am particularly thinking of the intro. of Zaynor atop his steed. Solid!

Karen: Typically, I am not a big Trimpe fan, except when it comes to Hulk comics. But you're right, the combo of Trimpe and Adkins is a very solid one.

Doug: I did like the Robin Hood character, as his swashbuckling nature was a departure from the usually scientifically-oriented chimps. Robin saved the day, and although he and Zane chose to part, I was left wanting a "Road to"-sort of buddy movie with these two. Alas, this was Derek Zane's swansong, so we'll never know. To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever picked up the story and run with it. Seems like it would be a no-brainer for a mini-series or novella.

Karen: I kind of wonder if Moench was just feeling his way with this? I think I would have enjoyed a more fantastic take rather than revisiting the films. But maybe Moench felt he'd already done some pretty far out stuff. Of course, I could have stayed on Avedon! An orangutan King Arthur. Yes please.

Doug: Overall, I enjoyed "Beast on the Planet of the Apes", and found Moench's title thought-provoking. Was the beast Derek and the humans? Or was it the Apes? Was it specifically General Zaynor? Or was it the notion of incompatibility between Apes and Man? Could it have been evolution gone awry - that the very existence of the upside down relationships were the untamed wildness? But I wax philosophically...

Karen: Ah, my friend the philosopher. Well, I noticed that Moench referenced King Kong in this (and also in the other Zane story). Kong too was a beast, but you could say that our society was beastly to him. I enjoyed the story, but I think the earlier Zane story, "Kingdom on an Island of the Apes", was a little more fun. Still, I'd encourage any Apes fan to get these Archives. 

Now it's time for you to jump all over the blogosphere and enjoy some cool content from our #SuperBlogTeamUp partners. Leave 'em a comment!

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The Source Material Comics Podcast: TMNT/Ghostbusters

Unspoken Issues: Mad-Dog 

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The Daily Rios: Little Shop of Horrors

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Bronze Age Babies: Seven Decades of Apes-mania, and We’re Afflicted! 

Lost N Comics YouTube: Expanding the medium by delving into the world of motion/audio comics

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Frankenstein 1974 - a Review from Monsters Unleashed 8

Monsters Unleashed #8 (October 1974)
"Fever in the Freak House!"
Doug Moench-Val Mayerik

Through my journey across the land of black and white comics, which is pretty recent if you've been round here long enough to hear me tell, I have come to appreciate Doug Moench on a level with the best scribes in the business. I'd known of him a bit from the four color comics, but this man made his meat and potatoes in the Marvel magazines! Today's fare is no exception. Hop on board, as I begin a set of six spooky-themed posts this October, culminating on Halloween the last Thursday of the month.

One of the joys of my library of collected editions is the massive The Monster of Frankenstein trade paperback. In the Bronze Age, my encounters with the Monster were limited to two places: the Celestial Madonna saga that ran through the Avengers, and Marvel Team-Ups #36-37. I didn't buy the Monster's own mag, and as it has been documented (again) many times here, I never owned a single black and white magazine. So to have all of the Monster's Bronze Age adventures between two covers... to say I jumped at that purchase would be an understatement. I'm dropping you right in the middle of a longer narrative today, but I think after feasting your eyes on Val Mayerik's art you'll see why. Ready, set, go!

100-Word Review:

The Monster had found a friend, but now loses the man to Death, and then loses him completely as the floor drops out beneath them. Landing in what could only be called a dungeon, the Monster now faced an army of grotesques and their leader, their Master. Told that he, the Monster, would serve this new Master, Frankenstein’s creation lashed out. He was greeted by a gas grenade, which halted him and allowed the grotesques to bind him. Later, the Master’s minions were dispatched to kidnap the young, rich, and beautiful Julia Winters. Bringing her to the dungeon, the woman found that the Master was instead a man she’d spurned - which drove him over the edge of sanity.

The Good: I don't know if I have enough superlatives for the job Val Mayerik turned in on this one. Wow wow wow! If one had never laid eyes on Bernie Wrightson's work, then one might think this was some of the best art in the macabre genre to ever grace the printed page. It's not quite Wrightson-level, but it's darned close. I especially like the panel with the increasing anger of the Monster across three faces. Great stuff! Mayerik also excelled in depicting the grotesques - some deformed, some even with bits of hanging flesh. It's quite the gross out, but then that's the point. As Doug Moench's script progressed, the extreme ghoulishness of the supporting cast would prove a point.

 

And that point would be not unlike what we might think of Victor von Doom - sheer vanity and the misperception of beauty vs. ugly. That's of course, if you're in the "Vic has a small scar" camp; if you're in the "Vic's face was blown off" camp, then this does not apply. But here we end up with a James Sinoda, a young man spurned by the beautiful rich girl, whose only conclusion must be that he is ugly. Sinoda's mind snapped, his world turned upside down, and he put on a mask to hide his ugliness. He then surrounded himself with deformed humans - freaks - and became their leader. The reality is, Sinoda was quite handsome, and only his world vision had become ugly. While the ending was perhaps predictable, the getting-there was fun.

The Bad: In a broader sense, this story forced the Monster to the sidelines as an observer - a role not unlike what we'd often find in a Man-Thing tale. It didn't affect my enjoyment of the experience, but as the climax was approaching and the Monster remained restrained, I did think that this was going to end without him playing any major role. Turns out I was wrong - sort of. The Master was killed by his freaks, but the evidence would be destroyed due to the Monster's causing the building to collapse. Which then only set up the next chapter, with the Monster as accused of the kidnapping of Julia Winters.

I also have a beef with the removal of the Monster from his Victorian origins and placement into the then-contemporary world of 1974. Were the stories good? Yes indeed. Was the move necessary in order to craft good stories? Nope. I have also seen fans take issue with the removal of the Monster's ability to speak - I share those qualms. Does it make the writer work harder? Yes. Is it wholly necessary and does it move the character forward? I don't think so.

 

The Ugly: Nothing here today, except for the creations of Mayerik's imagination. Those were some groovy ghoulies!

The Hulk 16: "Masks" - a Review

The Hulk #16 (August 1979)
"Masks"
Doug Moench-Mike Zeck/John Tartaglione

What's that? A color comic, reviewed on a blog that touts the merits of the black & white magazines of the Bronze Age? Yup, but with a catch. Today's review comes to you from the Essential Rampaging Hulk, volume 2. That... is going to present some issues, as we'll soon see. If you were around this space a few days ago, you read my lamentations of those various Essentials and Showcase Presents that used color copies in production rather than original art. The reproduction problems could be egregious, and we'll get a heaping helping of that today. It's such an issue for me, in fact, that I'll be flipping my review format on its head.

But let's start with the now-familiar 100-Word Review:

We open on a dark street in New Orleans, with Bruce Banner’s attention grabbed - by a sharp object with a note attached. It’s obvious his assailant knows of Banner’s alter ego and implores Banner to show at the airport. He does, and meets Valerie and Jannar. They spin a tale of money, enough to finance Banner’s finding of a cure for his... gamma condition. But first - a test. Banner Hulks out and takes out a gator, and later is introduced to his would-be benefactor: Drago. Drago wants to enlist the Hulk’s aid to secure a Spanish treasure - half of which could lead to the end of the Hulk!

I've wanted to read the Rampaging Hulk mags for years. As a kid, I only had one issue, and it was pretty late in the run. I purchased the second volume via an Amazon 3rd-party seller. The book's in decent-enough shape and will serve my purposes. But darned if I didn't even consider that the book would have contained black & white reprints of color material. Which brings us to...

The Ugly: Man, this book was hard to read! I'll be honest - it detracted from my enjoyment of the story. I was able to get my hands on an actual copy of the magazine, and provide a few color scans today side-by-side with the Essentials pages that I scanned to show the difference. And my burden. As I remarked in the post last week, it was really a mistake whenever Marvel or DC had to shoot from color guides or color comics rather than original art in the creation of the Essentials or Showcase Presents. Those books overall were a great idea at the time - a ton of continuity for around $15-16. But I just can't take the way they read, and in today's case those pages that literally could not be read.

 

The Bad: This Drago dude looks like Terry Long. So while he is the "villain" of today's story, he gets extra baddie-points for being Terry Long's doppelganger. Terry Long... is he my least-favorite character in all of comics? He may be. Right up on the Mt. Rushmore of idiots alongside Snapper Carr and Dr. Druid. Come to think of it, I should consider that fourth spot on the Mount.

I thought the plot was just a bit thin. Drago came off as a typical mad scientist-type, while Valerie and Jannar seemed cookie-cutter lackeys. Banner's behavior also struck me as formulaic, but then I've never been cursed by the terror that is the Hulk. I guess I'd be desperate for a way out and would probably fall in with some seedy characters along the way as well.

There was one other quibble with the story, and this specifically falls to Doug Moench's script. If you look below, you'll find the last page of the story. The Hulk goes on a moralistic rant to Valerie and I wonder if Moench didn't lose the Hulk's voice momentarily. I find that as a possibility, or I've also wondered if he didn't show us a glimpse of Bruce Banner's half being somewhat in control. Either way I think it can be explained away... I mention it here only because I noticed that there was a departure from the Hulk's speech patterns from earlier in the story, a style that was quite familiar in the Bronze Age.

 

The Good: Call me positive if you will (you won't), but today I've saved the best thoughts for last. I did enjoy the story overall, and I think part of that sense is nostalgic. If you were a Rampaging Hulk reader when these stories were published, you recall that as the magazine progressed it had more and more of the feel of the television show that was airing weekly on CBS. Surely that was intentional, as Marvel sought to cross-market itself where possible.

Doug Moench, and I've said it before on this blog, has been a rising star among my list of favorite comics writers and that's wholly due to his work on the Marvel magazines. As I've remarked previously, I was certainly aware of him across my color comics reading, but I did not have the appreciation for either the volume of work he produced in the B&W format or for simply how good it is. Whether kung fu, monsters, sci fi, or here with a tragic hero, Moench delivers an entertaining read. Yes, I called the plot formulaic above, but I don't want to send the message that I didn't have several minutes of fun. I did.

Mike Zeck and John Tartaglione turned in nice work, as well. I enjoyed Zeck's depiction of the Hulk. His other characters stayed consistent throughout the story. Valerie was particularly beautiful. And sometimes the artist really earns his or her stripes when having to branch outside people. Zeck and Tartaglione really sold the airplane, the swamp setting, and the alligator. All-in-all a nice issue; but I'd still like to have been able to see it without the influence of the color.

Thanks for stopping by today. If you have thoughts on any of the issues I've raised, please leave a note below in the comments section.