Planet of the Apes: Visionaries (2018)

Planet of the Apes: Visionaries (2018)

Author: Dana Gould (based on a screenplay by Rod Serling) | Illustrator: Chad Lewis | Page Count: 138

"It's a machine. The whole damn thing's a machine. Sophisticated and very ingenious... But always with the possibility of error."

A comic book based on Rod Serling's screenplay of the first Planet of the Apes movie, itself based on author Pierre Boulle's original La Planète des Singes (1963) novel, aka Monkey Planet. Serling's story was modified before being filmed, in part because it was a little too extravagant for the production team's budget, but much of what made it onscreen is present in the text, albeit occurring in a setting that's far removed from the pre-industrial one featured in the famous movie.

The main protagonist is US astronaut John Thomas, whose exploits take a similar path to that of Taylor in the movie, but his personality is very different.

What's most interesting about the book is the ape society, which is somewhat analogous to that of NY, circa 1950-60s. There are still social divisions between the three different ape types, but the hierarchy is less pronounced, so they work together a lot more closely than they did onscreen.

I won't mention any more of the differences, because experiencing them first-hand is a large part of the joy for a reader, so I'll leave it at that. But I can mention the art, which is excellent.

Chad Lewis' apes dress, partake and are preoccupied with many of the same things that humans of Serling's era did, which highlights the important ethical and social parallels, but they have an intrinsic ape-ness about them, too, which works wonderfully on the page. His lines aren't rigid or lazy, with a freedom of movement that makes the characters feel fully alive.

The colouring was complementary and bright, but equally successful when a more darkened mood was required, such as a rain-soaked street at nighttime. It's never garish and overwrought.

Overall, I liked it a lot, but as a long-time fan of the PotA franchise, I may have different expectations to someone who isn't already invested. I've no idea how anyone not already familiar with the movie will respond to the work, but I feel it can stand on its own merits well-enough.

I've a few other 'original screenplay' comic book adaptations, including a Star Trek TOS one and an Aliens franchise one that I'll hopefully get around to reading and writing about, someday.