Writer: David F. Walker
Art: Dave Wachter, Bryan Valenza, and VC’s Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 14th, 2023
What is a life filled with immense loss and pain? A life watching the world wither away as the ALZ-113 virus consumes humanity? For some, it is an existence of boiling rage that breeds contempt, cruelty and violence. It breeds the Exercitus Viri. As Juliana and Omatete set sail to transfer a thousand apes from the International Simian Research Center in Ghana to the CDC, trouble brews in the seas. Will they be able to make their voyage unscathed and save humanity? Or will the blood-thirsty vengeance of a select few ruin the world’s chance of a cure and with it, survival? Let’s dive into Planet of the Apes #3 by David F. Walker and find out!
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Planet of the Apes #3 Review.
THE DISPATCH
The story begins in 2013 with a solid point: end the plague now by killing the “cause” or using the “cause” to find a cure. The government is trying to find a cure but the people want to simply stop the spread. It’s a hard dilemma and a hard choice, especially because we know dang well that the government is holding out information. Information that could be beneficial to thwarting the spread or finding a cure thanks to the almighty dollar. Yet, that’s where Planet of the Apes #3 begins. It seems to begin with the rise of the extremist hate group agonist the apes showcasing how and why the group was created. Truthfully, even though this stole some page count away from the story, it’s also nice to see some background on the villains too. There is normally a reason behind every path taken, including a villain. It’s always nice to see why and how in order to reasonably sympathize with them in the story.
However, the initial story ends quickly as the apes are stuck on a cruise ship with Exercitus Viri cornering them on the water by the dozen. That’s basically it. Minimal action, the introduction to the possible leader of Exercitus Viri, and apes stuck on a cruise ship before a fight goes down. Readers, there was absolutely nothing to this story. There was little to no depth with little to no direction making this initial story lacking in power and purpose. It’s almost as if we’re supposed to connect the dots on our own. Moreover, the second story was even more rapid and simply showcased Pug learning a language after the Flu broke loose.
ART
This week’s art isn’t bad by any stretch. However, it does nothing for the issue because the story itself is extremely flat. There are very few action sequences and an average amount of development for this creative team to showcase their abilities. Again, what was illustrated wasn’t bad by any stretch. Nevertheless, the impact wasn’t there designing nothing memorable and merely keeping pace with the simple story it was. And maybe that was the problem. Maybe everything in Planet of the Apes #3 was just too simple this week?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Readers, there was nothing to Planet of the Apes #3. So much so, that it’s entirely skippable. Someone could summarize this entire comic into a sentence or two. For example, “The apes led by Juliana Tobon attempt to escape to safety but get stuck on a cruise ship with Exercitus Viri closing in fast. Meanwhile, Pug the circus ape is learning the language and growing mentally.” Done! There really is nothing else that transpires. There is no more suspense, action, or thrills than that. There is no hidden meaning or hyperbole woven into the fabric of this comic. Planet of the Apes #3 was simply a straightforward go-between in order to fill in some gaps. Now, if this issue was read in trade, it may be easier to swallow. But not as a stand-alone issue. There’s no gas, no urgency, and no real plot to hold on to this week making Planet of the Apes #3 almost not worth the buy. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!