Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes

Classic Planet of the Apes #6

by Corinna Sara Bechko, Gabriel Hardman (Illustrator)

With BETRAYAL OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, writer/artist Gabriel Hardman (HULK, AGENTS OF ATLAS) and writer Corinna Sara Bechko (HEATHENTOWN, FEAR ITSELF: THE HOME FRONT) take you right into the continuity of the original seminal fan-favorite film, as the feared and respected General Aleron finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could transform ape/human relations! Aleron’s journey puts him face to face with…Dr. Zaius! A not-to-be-missed stand-alone graphic novel.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 2012

About the author

Corinna Bechko has been writing comics since her horror graphic novel Heathentown was published by Image/Shadowline in 2009. Since then she worked for Marvel, DC, Boom!, Image, and Dark Horse, among others, on titles such as Planet of the Apes, Star Wars: Legacy, Savage Hulk, Aliens/Vampirella, Invisible Republic, and Green Lantern: Earth One. She was recently short-listed for the Aeon Award for her prose short Sooterkin. She is a zoologist by training.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolut überzeugendes Prequel zum ersten PdA-Film mit sehr guten Zeichnungen und super Kolorierung. Der ideale (Wieder)Einstieg für Neulinge und Alt-Leser, weil diese Story die Grundlage für Späteres darstellt.
"Ape does not kill Ape", so hat der weise Gesetzgeber das oberste Gebot formuliert, aber als das Kastensystem zu bröckeln beginnt, setzen sich hochrangige Affen zwecks Machterhalt über das Gebot hinweg. Affen sind eben auch nicht besser als die Menschen es waren, die jetzt nach einem letzten Atomkrieg wie Tiere gehalten werden, degeneriert und sprachlos.

Einziges Manko dieses sehr gelungenen Comics ist es, dass sich bei dem Boom-TPB schon nach einmaligem Lesen die Klebebindung löst.

[Don Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspired by the classic science-fiction movie series, Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman take the original PLANET OF THE APES storyline in a new direction with this revealing tie-in graphic novel.

Dr. Zaius finds himself immersed in a conspiracy involving a secretive gorilla general and the apparent murder of an orangutan scientist who taught his human subject the art of sign language. All is not as it seems, however, and soon Zaius discovers far more than he bargained for, including the extent of the inherently destructive power possessed by the humans…

The attention to detail on both the writing and the artistic sides are impressive, as is the obvious affection for the original APES series. Classic characters are depicted faithfully, while new characters are introduced seamlessly. The plot twists provide some insight into Zaius, and how he acquired the knowledge leading him to become the pessimistic scientist we see in the movies. And, as in the movies, the debate continues as to how right or wrong Zaius is about the extremes of human nature.

As much a blend of science fiction and political allegory as the films themselves, BETRAYAL OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is an engaging prequel to the enduring saga.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of this story takes place 20 years before the first Planet of the Apes movie (possibly placing it in the year 3958). There are flashbacks throughout that take place 15 years earlier (3943). This graphic novel could be described as a whodunnit, and General Aleron is the prime suspect, getting arrested and sent to a beautifully drawn prison called The Reef. Even though Aleron seems suspicious at first, a surprising revelation unveils the fact that he was not the one who shot Lieutenant Varus in the skull. Rather, it was a human whom Varus was about to kill. Perhaps it was seeing the human bury its dead that made Aleron realize that apes are not so different from them after all. Even though the ending seems sudden, it is nice to see both he and Tern, a human who knows sign-language, living together peacefully in a cave in the Forbidden Zone (if only for a little while). The first Planet of the Apes film series usually portrayed gorillas in a negative light, including General Ursus, who is featured here. It is nice to see that there are some good gorillas in this continuity. This story is also described by Ed Brubaker as "Doctor Zaius: Year One," and it seems like a fitting description seeing as how he learns the secrets of human history via the Sacred Scrolls. Here we see the catalyst for sending humans away from Ape City and allowing apes other than orangutans to become doctors. Zaius says that apes should not view themselves as four separate species, which makes me wonder if there are any gibbons (which have never been featured in any of the films).

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I started reading the first Planet of the Apes series from Boom Studios, I just haven't been able to get around to reading it thus far, especially after I heard how good this newer series is. As far as I can tell (I've only seen the two newest Planet of the Apes movies, embarrassingly), this series is close to the original movie. This is a time where apes control the Earth and humans are thought to be inferior, particularly for their violent behavior. It is hard to argue with the Apes' opinion and the way Planet of the Apes highlights humanity's follies is something I love. The plot focuses on politics and legal issues which I thought was fascinating. It also moves at a quick pace because this is only four issues. The art is really perfect for this book. It has some loose lines, but the detail is incredible and the apes look perfect. The coloring is also very strong and unique from other graphic novels. I can't wait to read the next volume of this series and I think any Planet of the Apes fans will enjoy this one. If you're looking for a place to start reading Planet of the Apes then this is it.

[Dann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boom! Studios re-launches the Planet of the Apes comic series with the graphic novel Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes. Set 20 years before the original film, a secret cabal within the ape council attempts to eliminate a doctor who has taught sign language to a human. It's an interesting story that does a fairly good job at working within the continuity of the film series. And, the plot finds clever ways to bring in a couple of canon characters, like Dr. Zaius and Ursus. The artwork is also fairly impressive, though the style is little crude and the coloring doesn't have that much texture. Still, it sets the right tone for the material and fits the post-apocalyptic vision of Planet of the Apes. A thrilling sci-fi adventure, Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes delivers an original story that enriches the series.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A prequel to the original Planet of the Apes movie. A young(ish) Dr. Zaius, recently appointed to the Ape City Council, becomes embroiled in a case of heresy and a conspiracy against the Ape government.

I enjoyed seeing a deeper delve into the backstory of Dr. Zaius. I thought the idea of the feral human trained to sign was a new take on the usual ape-human role reversals seen in PotA. Aleron was an interesting character - giving a gorilla a leading role seems unusual for PotA stories, much less a finely nuanced and rounded character like Aleron. The art was okay. It got the job done, but was a little too loose and sketchy for my taste.

[Joey Heflich · Rating 4 out of 5]

It bugs me that SyFy or whoever never picked up a spin-off Planet of the Apes TV show. I guess the unpopular original TV show and the Tim Burton remake made that unlikely. Oh, well. Still, these comics are a great alternative to what might have been.

[Ken French · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best of the Apes spinoff comics. Very close in spirit to the original movie.

[Buddy Scalera · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first stories started off really well. They explored some great ideas, particularly around science. There were some excellent twists in each of the stories, including the idea that apes don't kill apes, but humans will kill almost anything.

The later issues didn't seem quite as satisfying. They felt somehow less interesting and harder to finish.

The flood was super interesting and is somewhat reminiscent of the Batman: Cataclysm story line. It could have been better, if there was more attention on the actual event. This is already a post-apocalyptic world, so it would have been interesting to explore that.

A few problems with this series.
1. The coloring made it difficult to differentiate the characters. Most of the ape/gorilla/chimp faces look almost exactly alike. They even dress alike. At times, I had to stop and study the panel to figure out what was actually happening.
2. The storytelling seemed rushed and some of the action felt forced. It should have been paced a little slower to explore the ideas. If we're reading a Plant of the Apes story, it means we're interested in this world. There were so many opportunities to have the characters interact with the environment and show us this world, but it all seemed like a backdrop. Slow down, let's appreciate this world in ways that they could not do in the movies.
3. The art was great. It just seemed like they could have adjusted the wardrobes and other visual elements to make it easier to differentiate the main and side characters. One of the main characters had an eye patch, so it was easy to latch onto him, but some of the others -- including the humans -- were hard to follow.

Overall it is worth reading, if you like the Planet of the Apes. It is still one of the best Planet of the Apes comic series ever published.

[Zoë Birss · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Betrayal of The Planet of The Apes, frequent collaborators Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman manage to make a decades-old franchise entirely their own. Readers familiar with either or both of these comics creators know them for horror, for dystopian fiction, for careful attention to details of animals and plants, and for unmatched world building. Whether by accident or by design, I can hardly imagine a team more perfectly suited to take on a comics reboot of Planet Of The Apes.

In this prequel to the original film, a conspiracy is uncovered involving a gentle old ape and his human "pet", who he has taught to communicate with sign language. The ancient law, "Ape does not kill ape" seems to have been betrayed. The consequence will shake the very way the apes relate to one another, and together relate with humans among them.

This is a powerful story that could easily stand alone as fantastic hard science fiction even for someone who had never before been exposed to the series. This is easily among the best stories told in this world. Excellent.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all of Boom Studios' Planet of the Apes trade paperbacks thus far, and immediately bump each new one straight to the reading pile. Like the ongoing Apes series, this has top notch writing and artwork, albeit by a different creative team.

The events in this story take place 20 years before the original 1968 film, and show Dr. Zaius as he enters his role as Minister of Science. Zaius' value system for maintaining the status quo is fully explained here, and we get a fascinating view of The Forbidden Zone and it's treasures.

Between the recent movie reboot and these fantastic comic books, this has been the best time to be an Apes fan since I was a kid watching re-runs on TV in the late '70s. Now if only I still had my 8” Mego Soldier Ape doll that I got for X-Mas circa 1976-1977...

[James Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

This prequel begins approximately 20 years before the events chronicled in The Planet of the Apes 1968 movie.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a particularly compelling Apes prequel.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dug this. Big time.

[David Cavaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story of young and idealistic Dr. Zaius before the realities of ruling Ape City and keeping the human threat set in. One of the best graphic novels in Apes lore.

[Muhammad Umair Adeem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apes inherit the Earth after men destroy their civilization. Men are considered and killed as animals. An ape faction tries to stop men from gaining power again.

[David Finger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great artwork and overall strong start to the series.

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1968 film The Planet Of The Apes spawned one of the first high-profile film franchisees, taking in four additional films in the early 1970s before a remake and now a rebooted series of films in the 21st century. Despite all those films and their success (or lack thereof), perhaps no one has captured the spirit of the original film better than the writers and artists behind this volume which collects BOOM! Studios miniseries Betrayal Of The Planet Of The Apes in one volume and with superb results.

Set two decades before the 1968 film (with the very occasional flashback to 15 years before that), Betrayal works as a prequel to the original film. Indeed as the noted comic writer Ed Brubaker says in his introduction, this could almost be Dr. Zaius: Year One at times as it explores Zaius (played by Maurice Evans in the original film as well as its first sequel) early days on the Ape Council. Zaius is only one part of the story though as there's trouble in Ape City as a human has been taught sign language by a scientist and tensions are starting run high between the four different species that make up the ape culture. Add on that a discovery in the Forbidden Zone and the story becomes a slowly exploding powder keg.

It's that combination of elements though that makes this volume as good as it. The original film was a fascinating mix of social science fiction with action/adventure elements that took full advantage of combining the two together. Writers Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman (who also contributes the artwork) create a tale that's very much in the vein of the original film as it explores issues of race, religious belief as well as the role of the military in a larger society though all of which is played out across the background of a science fiction tale with apes as both protagonist and antagonist. There's also references big and small to the original film series along the way including the characters of Dr. Zaius and the gorilla Ursus and other moments which will make anyone who enjoys the original film quite happy. Yet the story works quite independently of the original film so if you've never seen it you're still able to enjoy it as a fine piece of science fiction comic writing.

The icing on the cake though might be Hardman's artwork. There's a cinematic quality framing to much of Hardman's work which gives this the feeling of being an unmade Planet Of The Apes film, especially in scenes of confrontations between characters (or the third issue cliffhanger to name another example). Indeed there are moments when one sees scenes played in familiar locations from the original film which gives the reader an added thrill as Hardman is able to bring characters old and new to life superbly. There's also a visceral, almost rough edged feel to the artwork at times especially once the story brings the character of Aleron to location unlike any seen in the films which gives the work an interesting edge as well. The result is a cinematic and visceral rendering of an engaging story.

In his introduction, Ed Brubaker describes as his favorite Planet Of The Apes since the original film and I must say I can see exactly why that it is. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this might be the best Planet Of The Apes movie you can't watch. That's a testament to the work of Bechko and Hardman who have created a tale that works on its own yet pays tribute to and supplements that iconic film. If you're an Apes fan (and why else would you be looking at this if you weren't?) this comes highly recommended.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Силно се надявам да сте чели „Планетата на маймуните” на Пиер Бул. Френският писател със сигурност не е подозирал, че кратичкото му романче, изпълнено с мрачни алегории и остър сарказъм ще се превърне в един от най-силните кино-франчайзи, истинска научнофантастична класика. „Планетата на маймуните” е криво огледало на човешката цивилизация, критикуващо и осмиващо всяка грозна и патологична черта на нашата „възвишена” природа. А идеята да си сменим мястото с приматите и да видим как е от другата страна на барикадата е колкото гениална, толкова и плодотворна. А ето и ревюто на "Книжни Криле" за една страхотна история, доразвиваща поредицата - комиксите „Предателство на планетата на маймуните” от Корина Беко и Габриел Хардман: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright. My only complaint is that it was way too rushed, and I thought that hurt the story quite a bit. This should have been six or even eight issues long. We didn't get to explore any of the characters nearly enough. Before I knew it, I was at the end and I was like, "Really, it's over?"

[Mhorg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well done and faithful to the source

The best of the recent planet of the apes comics with good art, engrossing characters and situations. A well done addition to apes lore.

[Alfred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! A human that can sign talk runs for his life. His human is forced to commit suicide. It takes place one year before the first movie.