Longbox Junk - Planet of The Apes - Part 2: Issues 9 - 16

Welcome to the second part of my "Rescue Review" of BOOM! Studios' 16 issue Planet of The Apes series!  In the first half of this series, I discovered a surprisingly good political/war story that took a deep dive into some dark and uncomfortable social issues backed up by some fantastic art.

No long intro this time.  Let's get into the second half!

On a re-read, I still stand by what I put in the original review.  So except for a bit of polish, some pictures, and creator credits, this is pretty much as originally written. . .

ORIGINAL INTRO: 

YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! YOU BLEW THE ENDING UP!

Er. . .spoiler alert?

PLANET OF THE APES

PART 2: ISSUES 9 - 16

BOOM! Studios (2011 - 2012)

ISSUE 9

CHILDREN OF FIRE PART 1

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory
PENCILS: Carlos Magno
COVER: Sam Kennedy

Okay. . .I get it now.

I guess I should have thought of it before, but new ARC doesn't really mean new STORY in this age of TPB collections of series. . .it just means a cliffhanger to encourage buying the next TPB for those not reading the series issue by issue.

So my lower rating of issue #8 (the last issue of Part 1 of this series review) for not resolving the end of the story wasn't entirely justified, because things pick up right where they left off in this issue.

The insurgency is in full swing, using terrorist tactics to strike against the superior numbers and firepower of the apes. The parallels to the Holocaust become more evident as the remaining humans are branded with numbers and forced to work as slaves living in ghettos or deported to concentration camps. The apes conduct brutal door to door searches for insurgents right out of what we see from the Middle East.

 It's a very dark and deliberate reflection on real-world issues. . .mixing the Holocaust with today's war against terror to great effect. I don't know where it's going, but I can tell there aren't going to be any happy endings here. . .

ISSUE 10

CHILDREN OF FIRE PART 2

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory
PENCILS: Carlos Magno
COVER: Mitch Gerads

This issue was particularly brutal and dark. It's told mostly in flashback and gives us the tale of how the leader of the humans (Mayor Sully) and the leader of the apes (voice Alaya) became friends when young, united through the tragedy of them both seeing their families killed on the same day during a battle at the end of the human war of independence. They are the "Children of Fire" in the title of this arc.

The artwork on this series is still stunning! Of particular note is the battle mentioned above, even better is a centerfold 2 page spread with three thin panels stacked on top of each other of when the apes and humans finally meet each other in full battle.  There's a LOT of detail in just those 3 panels!

The writing remains great, but the art is really the star of the show in this issue. . .

ISSUE 11

CHILDREN OF FIRE PART 3

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory
PENCILS: Carlos Magno
COVER: Damian Couceiro

And now Planet of The Apes hits a very dark note that should be obvious to even the most oblivious reader, even if they've missed the others. The insurgents hijack an ape airship and crash it into the highest building in the city with devastating effects. The parallels to 9/11 and the War on Terror couldn't get any more clear.

BUT. . .

One little thing bothers me. The tower they crash into (known as the "City Tree") is obviously a run-down Eiffel Tower. But this series takes place in a city called Mak, which is to the WEST of the ape capital of Ape City (the same city in the original movie). This is shown on a map that the apes look at in a previous issue while they try to find where the insurgents are at.

From Issue 9

If (as seen on the map and in the original movie) Ape City is near the East Coast (with the iconic "THEY BLEW IT UP!" Statue of Liberty ending), then how is Mak's central building the Eiffel Tower?

Generally speaking, this issue was great.  It has a very strong story backed up by some fantastic artwork. It just jarred my sense of comic book disbelief a bit with the Eiffel Tower being in North America.

ISSUE 12

CHILDREN OF FIRE PART 4

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory
PENCILS: Carlos Magno
COVER: Damian Couceiro

Holy time jump, Batman! About midpoint of this issue, they jump the story ahead by TEN YEARS!

Before that, we see the City Tree in flames in a fantastic opening panel (It's still obviously the Eiffel Tower in North America for some reason, but it's one SWEET picture!)

Voice Alaya steals Sully's newborn son, and Bako (the main human insurgent leader) meets his end, then. . . BAM! It's Ten Years Later!

Sully is now the leader of the insurgent forces, Alaya is now the Lawgiver (the Ape that er. . .gives the Law), and her former right hand man (ape) is part of the human resistance. Oh. . .and Sully's son is a spoiled 10 year old raised as a wealthy ape and hating humans.

I found the sudden time jump a bit strange but the writing and art remain extremely strong.

ISSUE 13

THE HALF MAN PART 1

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory
PENCILS: Carlos Magno
COVER: Damian Couceiro

Damn it. I knew it couldn't last.

With the time jump of last issue and the beginning of the  final story arc, BOOM! Studio's fantastic take on Planet of The Apes finally goes off the rails.  It was a long time coming, but when it happened it happened quick.  One issue. . .THIS issue.

Trying to find weapons for her insurgent forces, Sully is taken to a huge Oriental-style ship on the Atlantic ocean and meets "The Golden Khan" and Princess Wengchen. The Khan is a shaved Gorilla.

Why the hell are there shaved Oriental Gorilla Pirate Kings sailing the Atlantic Ocean? WHY?

It's a testament to Carlos Magno's art skills that he can make even this ridiculous turn of events look awesome, but the direction the story is now heading is right off the rails and over the cliff.  A damn shame because this series lasted a LOT longer than any other I've ever reviewed without a single bad issue.

ISSUE 14

THE HALF MAN PART 2

SCRIPT: Daryl Gregory
PENCILS: Carlos Magno
COVER: Carlos Magno

In this issue, we learn the uncomfortable origin of The Golden Khan (shaved oriental gorilla Pirate King) and Princess Wengchen (Human woman). I guess it was only a matter of time for a Planet of The Apes story to touch on inter-species love.

It's pretty plain that at this point, the series was winding down and heading for a big finish.  Aside from the ridiculous Shaved Oriental Gorilla Pirate King/Bestiality sub-plot, the story here is actually pretty engaging as the pieces move into place for the final issues.  Lawgiver Alaya is the target of a coup and Sully gets the weapons she needs for an attack on the city. Looks like things are going to end on a violent note. . .

ISSUE 15

THE HALF-MAN PART 3

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory

PENCILS: Carlos Magno

COVER: Damian Couceiro

After the uncomfortable shaved oriental gorilla Pirate King nonsense of the past couple issues, this one was pretty darn good. In the run-up to the final issue, Sully is reunited with her son and discovers he hates her.  Lawgiver Alaya stumbles into a full-on coup, and the insurgents prepare to take down the concentration camps to bolster their forces for an attack on the city. All illustrated with Magno's fantastic, detailed art.

Thank God there aren't any shaved Gorilla pirates waving their cutlasses about.

AND FINALLY. . .

ISSUE 16

THE HALF MAN PART 4

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory

PENCILS: Carlos Magno

COVER: Damian Couceiro

I was disappointed with the end of this series, to say the least. 

Not only are we treated to more Shaved Oriental Gorilla Pirates. . .a LOT more. . .turns out there's a whole armada of them, thousands, as the Golden Khan puts it. A giant Armada of Oriental ships filled with shaved Gorilla Pirates? WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYY? But that's just left hanging.

That's the REAL problem with this "Finale". . . EVERYTHING is left hanging.
It all ends abruptly with NO resolution. Everything! Nothing! Why?

There's partial resolution in that we learn that Brother Kale was behind EVERYTHING in the series (He's one of the creepy atomic bomb cultists seen in "Beneath The Planet Of The Apes" who's been sort of hanging around the edges of this story from the beginning) and when things are to his liking, some more of the cult shows up with a nuke. But THAT'S left hanging as well! We see the insurgency take down the concentration camps, but what happens after that? Who knows? Left hanging!

This HAS to be one of the worst endings for a series I've seen. It's not even an ending!

I suspect there was supposed to be more, but the series was cancelled. I have the Annual, but it doesn't continue the story. The annual is a collection of short stories from various periods of the "Apes" timeline. And doesn't really have much to do with the ongoing story in the series.

This is no way to end a series! I can't believe that such a great series completely jumped the rails in the final story arc and then failed to stick the landing on the finale by just leaving everything hanging!

CONCLUSION

All in all, I really enjoyed this series, except for the final 4 issues. Consistently fantastic writing and art, touching on unexpected subjects for a book about intelligent apes including The Holocaust, Terrorism, racial discrimination, class warfare, and even (I guess) mixed race relationships. It dives deep into the darkness and shines a spotlight on a lot of the current issues facing our own society.

Overall, I'd say that if you are looking for a good political/war comic, then Planet of The Apes is definitely worth a read. Just be prepared to be disappointed at the end of it. . .in that there ISN'T an end of it!  Fortunately, the journey to that non-ending is one of the best I've seen in comics in a long time.

I just feel sad now. It was so damn GOOD and ended so damn BAD!

2019 CONCLUSION UPDATE

In the years since I wrote this review, I've discovered that there IS a conclusion to the story that was just left hanging unfinished in the final issue of this series.  It's a Planet of The Apes "Special" that came out 7 months after the ongoing series ended.  I haven't read it, but I keep my eye out for it in the bargain bins where I'm sure I'll come across it some day.  

I'm not sure what happened with the extremely abrupt "ending" of this series and then the "real" ending coming out almost a year later, but whatever their reasons, BOOM! Studios definitely hit a foul ball on the ending of this series.

THAT SAID. . .

Putting the ending aside for a moment, this version of Planet of The Apes is truly one of the all-time BEST comic series I've ever read!  And believe me. . .I've read a lot of comics.  You can take THAT check to the bank and cash it.  

This is an extremely dark story. . .a cracked mirror held up to current events in our own world and played out on a stage filled with fully-drawn and interesting characters trapped in a storm of political intrigue and violence completely out of their control. 

 Beyond the engaging political/war narrative. . .from issue one to issue last, EVERY PAGE of this series is filled with stunning, detailed artwork that perfectly compliments the story being told and raises the bar of quality FAR above my expectations for a licensed property comic from a second (maybe third?) tier publisher.

Overall, despite the disappointing ending, BOOM! Studios' Planet of The Apes is a true hidden Longbox Junk gem.  If you are a fan of Planet of The Apes or a fan of military/political drama in general, I HIGHLY recommend this series.  Trust me on this one, son. 

Up Next. . .

To tell the truth.  Not really sure right now.

Maybe another "Rescue Review".  I still have about 25 more.
Maybe something new and give the "Rescue Reviews" a break.

I must ponder.

In any case. . .be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - Planet of The Apes - Part 1: Issues 1-8

Welcome back to another Longbox Junk "Rescue Review"!

Don't worry, I'll get back to doing some of my more recent stuff soon.  I just feel that I need to keep these older reviews from gathering dust in a forgotten archive on a comic site that doesn't really have much to do with comic books any more.  Just bear with me for a little while longer on this.

Besides. . .like I say all the time about old comics I pull from the bargain bin:  

If I haven't read it, then it's new to me.  Just think of these rescue reviews in the same light.  

BUT I DIGRESS!

Like I said in the original intro to this series review below, I love Planet of The Apes. No. . .wait.  It's more like I LOVE Planet of The Apes!  It's one of my favorite fiction franchises of them all.  All you have to do is put Planet of The Apes on something and good or bad. . .I'm there.

Unfortunately (and it makes me a bit sad to say this), Planet of The Apes comic books have always been a bit disappointing.  They generally aren't BAD, but for some reason comic books haven't really been able to nail Planet of The Apes to my satisfaction.

BOOM! Studios' 2011 version of Planet of The Apes takes things in a bit of a different direction in that it tells a story set about 600 years from now between the recent "Rise of The Planet of The Apes" movie trilogy set in the present day and the original Planet of The Apes movies set almost 2000 years in the future.  It tells of a time when humans and apes lived together in a fragile peace that threatened to break at any time.  Can this unusual setting break the chain of so-so Planet of The Apes comics?

Let's find out!

ORIGINAL INTRO: 

I love Planet of The Apes. 

I have a confession to make that may or may not earn me any nerd points. . .you know that Tim Burton Planet of The Apes movie that everyone despises? I even love THAT movie! I think everyone hates it because they were expecting a remake and instead got a total re-imagining. 

But that's beside the point. The point is that I love all things Planet of The Apes when it comes to movies. But Planet of The Apes comics have been hit or miss. . .

So is BOOM! Studios' version of Planet of The Apes a hit or a miss? Read on!

On a re-read, I still stand by what I put in the original review.  So except for a bit of polish, some pictures, and creator credits, this is pretty much as originally written. . .

PLANET OF THE APES

Part 1: Issues 1-8

BOOM! Studios (2011 - 2012)

ISSUE 1

THE LONG WAR PART 1

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory

PENCILS: Carlos Magno

COVER: Carlos Magno

The first issue is a hit! It's a FANTASTIC and very strong opening issue to this series. It's set about 1,200 years before the first movie, and about 600 years after the nuclear war that devastated the earth. Apes and humans live together in a Steampunk society. 

Humans aren't the mute animals they will become yet, but are looked down on and segregated into their own slums. . .working at manual labor and in factories while apes live in relative wealth and luxury. I can already tell this is going to have a lot to do with race relations and class warfare in our own society.

Except for an assassination that starts the issue off with a literal bang, there's very little action to be had in this first issue. Instead, it focuses on introductions, world-building, and politics. But it's still so well-written that I didn't mind the lack of action at all. It paints a picture of a city on the boiling point and dangles quite a few plot threads.

The art here really steals the show, though. I'm not familiar with Carlos Magno, but his art is extremely detailed. Each panel is a true work of art! The colorist also deserves credit. This is one brilliant-looking book.

BOOM! Studios' Planet of The Apes is off to an extremely strong start. But a lot of comics start strong and finish weak. Hopefully this is one of the exceptions. It was a fairly short run with only 16 issues, so here's hoping the quality is maintained to the end.

ISSUE 2

THE LONG WAR PART 2

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory

PENCILS: Carlos Magno

COVER: Karl Richardson

Another great issue! Things are about to get real as the apes blockade the human slums during their search for an assassin. Still introducing characters and world-building. Not much action until the end, when riots begin to break out, but again, I didn't mind a bit. 

The writing is still strong, as is the art. In particular, the scenes in a pawnshop filled with ancient junk are so full of detail I lingered over them for a while. Very nicely done!

 Nothing bad to say about this issue at all.

ISSUE 3

THE LONG WAR PART 3

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory

PENCILS: Carlos Magno

COVER: Karl Richardson

As I read this first arc, I'm thinking that THIS should be a Planet of The Apes movie. It has a very cinematic feel to it, thanks to the fantastic artwork. The scenes of a failed assassination of Speaker Alaya in the pouring rain are unbelievable in a very good way! 

So far the quality of the opening issue has been well maintained. . .but should I get my hopes up? I've seen plenty of runs begin to break down after their first arc.

ISSUE 4

THE LONG WAR PART 4

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory

PENCILS: Carlos Magno

COVER: Karl Richardson

The first arc ends with a literal bang as a suicide bomber ignites the spark of war that began with the assassination in the first issue. . .

So now the tale delves not only into issues of racial tension and class warfare, but into terrorism and insurgency. That's a pretty deep dive into current topics for a story about a world ruled by intelligent apes!

 I really didn't expect the quality of this book to be so high. 4 issues in and nothing bad to say yet. Let's hope the next arc is as good as the first. . .

ISSUE 5

THE DEVIL'S PAWN PART 1

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory

PENCILS: Carlos Magno

COVER: Scott Keating

The second arc starts off strong. The same team remains on the book, which is a good thing. I see it often where comic companies (and they're ALL guilty of this particular crappy move) have a fantastic team on the first arc to hook you in then, once they have their subscribers, they roll in the B team for the next arc. This is not the case here. Same fantastic writing, same fantastic art.

The second arc looks like it's going down a pretty dark path as humans are rounded up and packed into railroad cars to be taken to "Happy Valley Retraining Camp" after Alaya promises plenty of free labor for ape factories. 

Shades of The Holocaust in addition to the other politically-uncomfortable subjects this title has been touching on. Who knew the story would reach THIS deep in a Planet of The Apes comic? So far I haven't had a bad thing to say about this run. I think it's the FIRST time I can say that 5 issues in. . .

ISSUE 6

THE DEVIL'S PAWN PART 2

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory

PENCILS: Carlos Magno

COVER: Damien Couceiro

As humans are rounded up into concentration camps to be used as slave labor, there is a growing insurgency. I can see that this won't end well. . .

Another great issue with a fantastic flashback scene to the fall of the independent human nation that really adds a lot of cinematic power to this issue, along with a final panel of the insurgent humans blowing up an ape airship. This comic went from a political comic to a war comic quick!

I still have nothing bad to say 6 issues in. I think that MUST be a record for me!

ISSUE 7

THE DEVIL'S PAWN PART 3

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory

PENCILS: Carlos Magno

COVER: Carlos Magno

All hell's about to break loose as some humans escape a concentration camp and decide the truth has to be told, the leader of the apes delivers a very Hitler-like speech to justify extermination of humans, and the insurgency decides whether or not to declare independence. 

As far as I'm concerned, these 7 issues would make a great Planet of The Apes movie! From the tight story to the fantastic, cinematic artwork, I can't think of enough good things to say about this run so far!

ISSUE 8

THE DEVIL'S PAWN PART 4

SCRIPTS: Daryl Gregory

PENCILS: Carlos Magno

COVER: Scott Keating

So FINALLY at the end of the second arc, I find myself a bit disappointed. 

This was pretty much an all-out action issue, but it didn't really resolve much. All it did was set up the new status quo for the next arc. One resistance leader captured, the humans fleeing the city to hide in the swamps, and the other resistance leader joining up with another rag-tag resistance group. 

Of course, when I say I'm disappointed, it's just with the lack of resolution. The writing and art on this title remain well above my expectations for a licensed property. A below par issue here is STILL better than a good issue of many other comics.

CONCLUSION

I didn't originally write a conclusion for the first half of this series.  I saved my final thoughts for the second part.  But on re-reading these first 8 issues while getting page scans and such, I feel that I need to take a moment to make a strong recommendation for this series.

From the deep dive into uncomfortable social issues as a framework for a compelling story of a fragile way of life coming to a violent end, to the fantastically detailed and cinematic artwork, this series was a real surprise to me in just HOW good it is.  In my extremely humble opinion, BOOM! Studios' Planet of The Apes is a true hidden gem of comic art.  

Up Next. . .

Part 2 with issues 9 - 16.  

So far, so good. . .but can BOOM! Studios stick the landing?

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - New Wave + Batman/ Doc Savage Special

Welcome back to another Longbox Junk "Rescue Review"!  I'm blowing the dust off of some older reviews of mine that I did for a very well-known comic site that doesn't really care much about actual comics any more and putting them back in the sight of people that still LIKE comic books right here at Longbox Junk.

This review is one I was REALLY interested in revisiting.  I have a real love of comic heroes that are more on the human side of the equation.  Less SUPER-Hero and more Super-HERO as it were.

The Shadow. . .Captain America. . .Green Hornet. . .Zorro. . .Tarzan. . .Conan. . .Punisher. . .Black Widow. . .Lone Ranger. . .The Question. . .Sgt. Rock. . .The Spirit, and Batman (among others).  The last two characters are major stars in the comics at hand, which were the initial offerings from DC in a short-lived effort to create a new "pulp" comic universe with more "grounded" heroes such as those I mentioned above.  Given my love of more human superheroes, one would THINK that "First Wave" (DC's name for their new universe) would be just what the doctor ordered.

BUT. . .

Yeah.  Unfortunately, there's almost always a "But".

Although I REALLY liked the Spirit ongoing series that came out of First Wave (possibly coming to Longbox Junk at some point), there wasn't much else to it.  The aforementioned Spirit series (17 issues), a Doc Savage series (also 17 issues) and the following First Wave 6 issue mini and Batman/ Doc Savage Special.  Only 41 comics over one single year and then the First Wave Universe just sort of went away without anybody really noticing, and hasn't been revisited since.

I'm not sure exactly what happened, since I can find very little information on First Wave on the internet beyond a bit of sketchy outline. . .mostly having to do with the Spirit and Doc Savage series.  The IDEA was solid.  There was a LOT of premium talent on board.  It SHOULD have worked.  But First Wave came and went with barely a blip on comic history's radar.

So like I said above. . .this was an older review that I really wanted to re-visit.  I was pretty harsh on New Wave at the time.  On reading the review again, I now wonder if I was a little TOO harsh.  Once again, this was a review I wrote at a time when I was becoming disillusioned at working for a major comic site and I sort of can see some of that bitterness coming through many of the reviews I wrote during that time.

The thing is that I absolutely LOVE the idea of a 1930's - style gun-toting detective Batman and The Spirit sharing space in a comic.  I still have all these issues, so I gave them a re-read when I shined up this old review a bit.  Except for a few changes, I've left the original review alone.  I'll let you know what I thought about the re-read in the conclusion.  Is this really as bad as I originally thought it was?

Let's find out!

ORIGINAL INTRO:

Welcome to the 1950's. . .where they have cell phones, laptops, and dirigibles! Welcome to DC's failed and forgotten attempt to start a new pulp-influenced universe. Welcome to FIRST WAVE!

BAT MAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL
DC (2010)

SCRIPTS: Brian Azzarello

PENCILS: Phil Noto

COVER: JG Jones

So what we have here is the one shot Preview for what was supposed to have been a new DC pulp-influenced universe. From what I understand, DC had the license for some of the pulp characters for a short while (with the glaring exclusion of The Shadow. . .who was already a DC character in the past. A shame) and were trying to figure out what to do with them.

Coming into this I knew some basics, but I wasn't very familiar with Doc Savage. He is (according to the helpful notes in the back of the issue) supposed to be this universe's "Superman". Despite the notes, this one shot doesn't help much with introducing Doc Savage to the uninitiated. Batman (or, in THIS universe, Bat-Man) is based on the original 1930's gun-toting detective version instead of the later superhero caped crusader. I REALLY liked this version of Batman!

Azzarello gives us a decent (if somewhat thin) tale of Bat Man trying to track down an organization called the Golden Tree, getting wrongly accused of murder, and Doc Savage coming to Gotham to take him down. They end up as. . .not friends, but not enemies at the end of it all.

 The art by Noto was pretty good for this story, but not as good as Noto art normally is.  Backgrounds are practically non-existent (but that's normal for Noto) and Noto's normally-sharp lines are missing.  Faces in particular suffer from time to time through the whole issue.  It all just looks a little off when compared to what I'm used to from Phil Noto.

All in all, I don't think this was a great introduction to the First Wave universe. The only character I got a good handle on was the pulp version of Batman, which I really liked. That said, it wasn't bad at all.  The extra material in the back detailing the new characters coming into the First Wave Universe really interested me in what was coming.  As far as THIS issue goes, it's a decent story, but not really the great introduction it was meant to be.

An additional 2019 note:  I suggest not reading the following First Wave mini without first reading the additional character information in the Preview Special (or the internet, I suppose).  Oddly enough, according to the page I scanned above, it looks like Black Canary was also supposed to be part of First Wave, but she isn't found in any of the comics. . .another example of the unfulfilled promise of First Wave.

FIRST WAVE 

DC (2010 - 2011)

SCRIPTS: Brian Azzarello
PENCILS: Rags Morales
COVERS: JG Jones

ISSUE 1

The one shot introduction to the DC First Wave pulp alternative universe didn't do a great job.  Unfortunately this first  issue of the universe's "official" rollout didn't do much better.

Once again, Doc Savage is barely sketched out. The Spirit fares a little better, but not by much. Now, I'm not going to say that I love repeated origin stories every time a character gets a new series, but I'm thinking a LITTLE more origin might have been nice here for readers unfamiliar with these older characters being introduced to a modern audience.

 I'm a big fan of The Spirit and so the lack of information on just who this crazy guy in the blue suit sleeping in an open grave and making coffee with a mask on was didn't really bother ME. . .but I'm a little vague on Doc Savage, and the extremely helpful notes from the Doc Savage/Bat Man special were missing here.

 I can only imagine what someone coming in with absolutely no knowledge of these characters would have thought. No wonder this new universe didn't last long. . .

To make the lack of introduction a bit more confusing, this First Wave universe seems to occupy a strange corner of reality where high tech exists in a late 1940's/early 1950's world. Cell phones, robots, and jet planes exist alongside dirigibles and autogyros.

What it REALLY reminds me of is the universe that Batman The Animated Series was set in. That's definitely not a bad thing in MY book, but once again. . .for new readers, this might be a hard thing to get a handle on.

ANYWAY. . .

The story is mostly pretty thin introduction and world-building. Some sequences away from Doc Savage and The Spirit set in South America made absolutely no sense, but look like setup to another forgotten pulp hero (heroine, that is), Rima the Jungle Girl. The Blackhawks also make a last panel appearance, so it looks like this series will have a pretty big cast of characters.

All in all, it was a decent read. I won't call it great, but I won't call it bad. It rides right down the middle of the road. I might think different if I came in without any knowledge of the characters.  For some readers this would probably be pretty confusing, to say the least.

Finally, the art looks very nice.  Rags Morales puts in a great effort on this job, and the art definitely kicks up my enjoyment of this issue a notch. This could have gone VERY wrong in the hands of another artist.

ISSUE 2

Another issue of thin introductions and world-building. We meet The Spirit's friend and helper, Ebony White. . .transformed in this new universe from a racial stereotype man into a racial stereotype woman. I'm thinking maybe Ebony White should just be left in the past. . .

We also are introduced to the First Wave version of The Blackhawks. Quite a bit more brutal and mercenary than usual. Looks like Azzarello took a bit of inspiration from Howard Chaykin's Blackhawks, although Janos hasn't shown up yet.

We get to learn a bit more about the man running through the jungle from the first issue. A scientist working on some sort of project in a high-tech floating city called Neolantis who stole some information. Rima The Jungle Girl is still little more than a lurking presence. 

Also introduced is another pulp character I'm vague on and am again thankful for the additional  information at the end of the Batman/Doc Savage Special. . .The Avenger. A of master of disguise and private detective.  Once again, I feel a bit sorry for readers coming into this who didn't pick up the First Wave Special and who don't have access to the additional information.

ANYWAY. . .

I'm really liking The Spirit's part in this (He takes an epic nut kick from one of the Blackhawks, and still cracks a joke when he wakes up!) So at least on The Spirit, Azzarello is hitting the mark quite nicely.

As far as the other characters, they're barely sketches, so far.  And 2 issues in without Batman?  He's on the covers.  He's in the hype text.  Well. . .at least this is shaping up to be a decent Spirit story, anyway.

Overall, I liked this issue. . .but mainly because of The Spirit. Hopefully, some of these threads will begin to weave together and start to form the bigger picture that keeps being promised.

ISSUE 3

Halfway into this series and Azzarello is STILL making introductions. This time out, Bat-Man joins the game. Like I said in my review of the Preview to the First Wave universe (Batman/ Doc Savage Special, above), this version of Batman is based on the original 1930's detective-style crimefighter. . .not the later superhero. He carries guns and isn't afraid to use them OR kill criminals. He's younger, more reckless, and a lot more dangerous than the Batman most readers are used to. Personally, I like this version of the character a LOT.

I see that 2 regular series came out of First Wave. . .Doc Savage and The Spirit. I would have REALLY liked to see a regular with this version of Batman as well. But then again, that might have been confusing to have ANOTHER bat book on the stands. But hey. . .I'M not the one who wanted to start a new pulp universe and then just sort of left it hanging. Just saying. It might have been good.  It might have actually carried the First Wave universe a bit longer. . .sort of like how Spider Man 2099 carried the 2099 Universe over at Marvel.

BUT I DIGRESS!

Unfortunately, Bat-Man is barely sketched out. Why is he dressing up as a bat? What is his motivation to risk everything he has fighting crime? So on and so forth. None of it is given a bit of explanation. And so far, that is this series (and by extension, this universe) biggest problem: They rushed right into the adventure and never properly introduced the characters beyond some additional information at the end of the Batman/Doc Savage Special. I keep saying it, but I feel sorry for anyone who picked this up who wasn't able to refer to that. . .

ISSUE 4

Well, it took a while and it was a bit convoluted, but Azzarello finally got his cast of characters in one place. . .the South American nation of Hidalgo and the floating city of Neolantis. We hardly know anything about any of these people, but here they are!

Once again, the lack of proper introduction or world building blunts the story. Why should we care about any of these "heroes"? Especially since half of them seem to be just as nasty as the "villains".

Okay, I realize that pulp and noir are supposed to be about the grey areas, but really. . .I'm having trouble seeing much wrong with the villain's plan.  A gathering of wealth to help rebuild the world with advanced technology 5 years after a devastating world war?

Is there something wrong with that which a rag-tag group of unheroic heroes need to take notice of and stop? Okay. . .so there's some big money connections to organized crime, but it's in the cause of world peace through technology. Whatever.  Bat-Man's gotta be Bat-Man no matter what universe, I guess.

BUT I DIGRESS (again)!

All in all, this issue was a bit confusing. I think that so far Azzarello has spent more of his effort figuring out just how the hell he's going to get a bunch of (mostly) city-based back alley and rooftop heroes into the jungle than he has worrying about what they were going to actually DO once the gang was all in one place. And only two more issues to go. I hope he gets it figured out quick, or this isn't gonna end well. . .

ISSUE 5

This issue is a mess.

Like I said in my review of last issue, Azzarello seems to have spent  so much time figuring out how to get a bunch of (mostly) city-based crimefighters into the jungle that he's just sort of winging it once they get there. And to make matters worse, the ONE actual jungle-based character. . .Rima the Jungle Girl. . .might as well not even be in the story for all the attention she's given. 

I had high hopes for this series (and REALLY liked the Spirit series that came out of it), but it has been plagued by poor characterization and a weak villain with a vague (and oddly beneficial) plot that probably doesn't even need to be stopped.

This issue is a crazy quilt of epic proportions. Everything from giant lizards to human experiments (on hobos imported from cities when there's a whole damn jungle full of natives), to Doc Savage running around Tarzan-style in a loincloth punching Uzi-toting redshirts.

At least the art is still very nice, and the parts with Bat-Man and The Spirit are good.
As for the rest. . .Ever since the gang got together in the jungle, this series has officially gone off the rails.

ISSUE 6

A pretty sweet Jim Lee Variant cover on the 6th issue

Well. . .it started off pretty good, but didn't end well.  The ending of this mini is a convoluted, confusing mess that tries to tie up loose ends and STILL introduce new things at the same time.

 Azzarello tried to cram ALL the new DC pulp characters and ideas into ONE mini without a clear mission or a worthy villain and wound up at the end of it all with an overcrowded mess. Most of the characters were out of their element, and without a proper introduction to any of them, there was no reason to worry about their fate. It seems like such a waste of talent and time. A damn shame.

CONCLUSION

This could have been the beginning of something great if only Azzarello had narrowed his focus instead of trying to force epic onto street-level characters. I'm not sure about the Doc Savage series that came out of this because I never read an issue of it, but the Spirit series successfully lowered its gaze back to the street where it belonged.

ONE simple phrase in Azzarello's mind COULD have saved this from becoming a mess:
Bat-Man doesn't belong in the jungle.

It's not just Bat-Man, but most of these characters don't belong in the jungle. I can only shake my head and wonder why? Why did it have to go that direction? Was it because of Rima the Jungle Girl? Maybe Azzarello couldn't figure out how to get her to the city, so he brought the other characters to the jungle. But if that was the case, why did he barely use her?

I'm not sure what happened. I REALLY wanted to like this series, but now I don't even care.

Thanks, Obama.

And there it is. First Wave. A series where epic was forced on street-level heroes and failure followed close behind. A damn shame and a LOT of wasted potential, given the talent that was put into this project.  I don't know what happened, but it went from "Pretty Good" to "What The Hell?" really fast.

2019 RE-READ CONCLUSION

I was pretty harsh on this series when I originally reviewed it.  I can see my bitterness in the fact that I didn't even do a proper story synopsis for each issue, but just jumped right into what I didn't like about it.  I found very few bright spots (the art, the Spirit and Bat-Man were about it), and really that says just as much about my own state of mind at the time as it does the wasted potential of First Wave.  I just REALLY didn't like writing reviews of new comics and not being able to tell the whole truth, and that shows up in my "side" reviews (Like First Wave) as well.

BUT. . .

I'm in a different place now.  I review what I want and can tell it like I see it.  You can agree or disagree with my humble opinion, but at least my frustration at being paid to lie is gone. And no. . .I'm NOT going to do "Rescue Reviews" on the new (at the time) comics I was reviewing.

BUT I DIGRESS!

This isn't about me.  It's about First Wave and what I think about it on another read-through.  Okay then. . .if I had to describe this mini (and one shot) in one word, that word would be: Disappointing.

Yeah. . .sadly, even though I don't find it to be as bad as I originally thought, I still find First Wave to be a disappointing waste of talent and potential.  And there's a LOT of wasted talent and potential here.

First, let's talk about the good things.  The art is great, no complaints there.  The parts of the story featuring Bat-Man and The Spirit are the best parts of First Wave, and make me want more.

Unfortunately, my original assessment still stands regarding rushed (or practically non-existent) character introductions, a weak villain with a vague plot, characters out of their natural element, and just a general sense of too many things being thrown into this mini at once.  These elements all come together in a bit of a mess that overshadows the good things to be found here.

In my humble opinion, Azzarello made an extremely bad choice in making this a jungle adventure in the first place.  Yes. . .I know that jungle adventures are a theme in pulp fiction.  Tarzan being the best and most popular example of Jungle-themed pulp stories.

BUT. . .

When you say "Pulp Fiction" to somebody and ask them to describe what you're talking about, most of the time, you're going to get an answer that involves cities, gangsters, and detectives.  THIS is where First Wave fails.  When you have great urban-based characters like a gunslinging detective Bat-Man, The Spirit, and The Avenger, WHY in hell would you decide the perfect adventure to bring them together would be to take them out of their natural element of dark alleys and rooftops and drop them into the jungle?

The Batman/ Doc Savage one shot First Wave Preview wasn't the best introduction to the First Wave universe, but it WAS a decent urban-based detective story told in a pulp style!  If Azzarello had just narrowed his focus and kept things on the gritty streets, First Wave MIGHT have lasted long enough to start telling jungle stories with a fish out of water angle.  Instead, he jumped right into the jungle before the identities of the First Wave characters had been established enough to BE a fish out of water angle.

You don't even realize the disappointment I feel reading the total mishandling of something that SHOULD have been great! The First Wave Spirit series that followed this introductory mini written by Mark Schultz and illustrated by Moritat (With back up stories by comic legends DENNIS O'NEAL and BILL SIENKIEWICZ!) was great because it EMBRACED the urban nature of the character, and in doing so, actually fulfilled the promise of First Wave in a way that this mini failed to do. 

Unfortunately, the damage was already done right at the start with this weak introduction and that Spirit series (along with the entire First Wave idea itself) didn't last long.  A damn shame.

Overall, this First Wave mini isn't as bad as I originally thought.  It's actually a pretty decent story with a lot of extremely disappointing flaws.  I say go ahead and give it a read. . .but be prepared to feel a bit sad over what it COULD have been.  There's a lot of wasted potential to be found in these 7 practically-forgotten comic books.

Up next. . .

GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY COMICS, YOU DAMN DIRTY APES!

It's another "Rescue Review".
This time out, Boom Studios Planet of The Apes. The whole series!

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - Star Wars: Princess Leia

Welcome to another Longbox Junk "Rescue Review"!  This time out, I blow the dust off of a great little Star Wars mini (as I recall, it was one of the first that came out when Marvel got the Star Wars license back).   I haven't made too many changes to this one, so except for some pictures and creator credits, so it's pretty much exactly the way that I wrote it a few years back.  I did do a re-read, but I'm still right on board with everything I said then, so no big changes needed on this one.

Enough (new) introduction, then. Enjoy!

ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION:

Can it really be called Longbox Junk if there's a $250 variant cover?
I only have the regular covers, so in my case. . .yes.  Let's do it!

STAR WARS: PRINCESS LEIA

MARVEL ( 2015)

SCRIPTS: Mark Waid

PENCILS: Terry Dodson

COVERS: Terry Dodson

ISSUE 1

After the events of the first Star Wars movie, the rebels are pulling out of their base and scattering until they can find a new one. Princess Leia is frustrated because she wants to be part of the action instead of being treated like a delicate Princess. Against everyone's wishes, she leaves with R2-D2 and a female pilot named Evaan to seek out and preserve the remaining people and bits of culture from her destroyed home planet.

This issue starts off at the exact moment Star Wars ended. . .the rebel award ceremony. Dodsen's art doesn't exactly capture the likenesses of the movies's stars, but his style does serve the story well.  He's another one of those "Love it or hate it" sort of artists.  I'm sort of in the middle, but no real complaints about the art.  Overall, this is a GREAT opening! I really liked the way it is literally a direct continuation of the original movie.

The rest of the issue is just as good, introducing new character and fellow Alderaan survivor, Evaan, along with plenty of cameos from the rest of the Star Wars crew.  All in all, a very enjoyable read for a huge Star Wars fan like myself.  I declare this first issue a winner. And after the bad taste X-Files/30 Days of Night left, I need to read a winner.

ISSUE 2

First stop for Leia and Evaan is Naboo, where Leia wants to rescue an Alderaanian singing group. Along the way, she is betrayed by Lord Junn, and old friend of her family and narrowly escapes with the group. . .not knowing that one of them is in contact with her sister, an Imperial officer.

I'm really liking this series. The story is nicely done, although it seems like Leia is a little out of character and taking a few too many foolish chances. . .almost like she's a female Han Solo. That said, I liked the flashback scenes with young Leia and Bail Organa, which pull back from the action and bring some emotional weight of loss and remembrance to the story.

The art is also improved a bit from the first issue.  Now that Dodson has moved away from the more familiar Star Wars faces and into the meat of the story with new characters, his inability to capture the likenesses of the movie's stars isn't nearly as noticeable as it was in the introductory issue.

ISSUE 3

Princess Leia and Evaan head to Sullust, where they plan on rescuing an enclave of Alderaanians.

When they arrive, they find the enclave to be paranoid and secretive. They are convinced that Leia is an imperial spy, and when the Imperials attack (guided by the unwitting information given to her sister by Tula on board Leia's ship), Leia comes under attack as well. An Ex Machina rescue by R2-D2 leads to a teamup victory that convinces the Alderaanians to leave with Princess Leia.

Not as good as the previous 2 issues. This series is beginning to fall into a "Trap of the month" feel. The art is still fantastic, but hopefully Leia won't fall into a trap and narrowly escape next issue. . .

ISSUE 4

Leia discovers that Tula is the unwitting spy on her ship. In a bad attempt at turning the tables, her sister Tace is taken prisoner and Leia agrees to turn herself over to the Empire in exchange for her freedom. During the exchange, the rebel fleet shows up for what will surely be a big 'ol trademark Star Wars space battle fiesta in the final issue.

I really liked this issue, but the sub-plot about a failed diplomatic effort to bring in some half-breed Alderaanians because of racism sort of dragged it down a bit. Still, a nice setup for the final issue.

ISSUE 5

And it's time for the big finish!

Leia turns the tables on Commander Dreed and escapes. A Star Destroyer shows up to take out the gathered fleet of Alderaanian survivors, but she makes a "We can do it. . .TOGETHER!" speech and they pull off the big win. Okay, the ending was a bit predictable, but it was still very nicely done. 

All in all, a strong ending for a great little mini!

CONCLUSION

Overall, I really liked this whole series. There were a couple of issues where it looked like things were slipping off course a bit, but Mark Waid kept a steady hand on the wheel and gave us a very nice little piece of Star Wars focused less on space battles and dark Jedi drama and more on how do you keep a people together when they no longer have a home. 

The bigger picture of Leia bringing together the remaining Alderaanians reflects the smaller picture (as shown silently at the end when Leia returns to the rebellion) of the group of heroes in the original films coming together as a team. Nicely done.

I have to say that this was a great read and I heartily recommend it to Star Wars fans, or to comic readers who want a taste of Star Wars from a bit of a different angle than what's in the movies.

Up Next. . .

Another Rescue Review!

Join me as I take a look at the practically-forgotten (and pretty much failed) DC effort to start a new pulp-influenced side universe.  DC's First Wave 6-issue mini PLUS the First Wave Batman/ Doc Savage one shot special.

Be there or be square!