Planet of The Apes (magazine) #2 (October 1974)




Terror on The Planet of the Apes, Chapter One: "the Forbidden Zone of Forgotten Horrors," and Chapter two, "Lick the Sky Crimson"
Pencils: Mike Ploog
Inks: Mike Ploog
Letters: Gaspar Saladino

Grade: A-


While the odd-couple pairing of the over-the-top angsty human and timid chimpanzee remains too unidimensional to compel us just yet (it's truly a struggle to even understand why/how these two are even friends), the momentum of this thing is undeniable. Moench appears to be drawing inspiration from the old movie serials, breaking this thing into chapters that each end with a cliffhanger and usually a chase. I didn't think I was enjoying this one very much until I suddenly realized I was already done with the first chapter and was seriously wanting more.

And while this may all seem like mindless action, Moench has actually given this thing some serious consideration. We're clearly in a time period set before the first film, in which humans still talk and enjoy some level of equality in society that is now being threatened. Moench gently reminds us that this is not the era of the movies when we get to this scene, where it becomes obvious for the first time that no one in this world has ever seen a gun before:



By the time of the first film, rifles are standard-issue for gorillas, and during the time of the fifth film (which takes place an undefined number of years prior to the first film) guns hadn't been forgotten yet. So Moench is marking his territory and making it clear that, while this still takes place in the universe of the Planet of the Apes, he is in his own time period here, with his own characters, and beholden to very little pre-established lore as a result.


By far, the most fun part of the first chapter is the horse chase, in which Jason and Alex attempt to lead the police/"peace-officers" to chief Peace Officer Brutus' terrorist camp in an effort to expose his secret plot:




and yet, this scene leaves me disappointed by Moench's lack of consideration, here. Who are Brutus' fellow klansmen? Apparently, just faceless stooges, always waiting around in the woods. Do they have alter-egos in Ape City, families, lives to get back to? After all, if we're going for allegory here, and they're supposed to represent the real world Klu Klux Klan, shouldn't many of them also BE on the police force (or at least have connections there)? For Moench to depict this police force as having no awareness of Brutus' klan seems both naive and poorly conceived. Wouldn't brutus' own police force be the first place where Brutus would look for recruits he could trust/rely upon?


Regardless, it's a damn exciting moment, but the climax to the next chapter manages to top it, as Moench finally gets us out of Ape City and boldly charges into new territory never suggested by the films. Strange mutant races and post-apocalyptic machines; here's where Moench's Planet of the Apes work will ultimately thrive:






Minor Details:

1. Moench has never been strong with titles. I'm still lost as to what the heck "Lick the Sky Crimson" is about. I get that Jason sets Brutus' secret village on fire, but this phrasing seems really odd; perhaps a reference to a song title or lyrics I don't recognize. And Jason and Alex don't even get to The Forbidden Zone yet in "Forbidden Zone of Forgotten Horrors".


2. I know there is a lot of love for Ploog in this thread, but I have to say that his art doesn't totally work for me. He does "busy" incredibly well, but it's a little crude/sloppy for my taste:



and his characters are a little too cartoony. Compare, for example, his vision of a Forbidden Zone mutant trooper with how they appeared in the films. His are certainly more imaginative, but they look like they belong in a cartoon, not a serious comic book series:



I don't really dislike Ploog so much as I feel his work here is overrated. In my opinion, Tom Sutton will go on to do far greater things with Moench in this volume.


3. I've long adored Gaspar Saladino for his title fonts, but this may well be the first time I've ever seen his work on a book's interior. I can't say it really stood out here.


4. Seriously, why is Jason the only human who barely wears clothing in this world? Even Moench doesn't seem to be aware of how odd this is when he has Jason successfully blend in with a crowd of other people:



Was this all Ploog's idea? Granted, it gives Jason a very Charlton Heston vibe, but it doesn't make any sense. He's not an animal, he doesn't behave like an animal, and every other human in the city is fully clothed at all times.



In the end, Moench still doesn't understand these characters all that well yet. Jason has already forgotten why he is so angry (the death of his parents just last issue), the Lawgiver is still revered as some kind of saint by both Jason and Alexander even though humans are becoming oppressed under his watch, and there appears to be no basis for the bond between Jason and Alexander, which we are repeatedly told is there but never once see. I have no idea why these two are friends.

Nevertheless, the pacing and action are outstanding, and Moench is poised to launch us into limitless worlds of new ideas in the Forbidden Zone with a brazen ambition similar to Jack Kirby's work on Kamandi.

Actually, I've been noticing a LOT of similarities between Moench and Kirby as of late. I may need to formulate that into a separate entry later in this thread...






* As a side note, I'm not reviewing Moench's adaptations of the films that also appeared in these issues since Moench has absolutely no free-reign to be creative there.