FEATURE REVIEW - Star Trek - Planet of The Apes

Star Trek - Planet of The Apes

The Primate Directive

Publisher: BOOM! Studios – IDW
Writer: Scott Tipton and David Tipton
Artist: Rachael Stott

What a minute . . .???

This is real?

I love Star Trek. I love Planet of the Apes. I never thought I would ever see a Star Trek, Planet of the Apes Cross Over. I don’t know if I even considered one at any time.

But it works, thanks mostly to the built in mechanics of Star Trek. Star Trek, has a long history with alternate reality stories, so this works. If it didn’t, this would be a hard sell.

Let’s get to the art first, it is very tricky drawing a licensed title and having to make characters look like their actor counterpart, but Rachael Stott does a great job. The artwork on this books is awesome. It is well drawn, sleek, smooth and feels like Star Trek.

Not once did I feel that I wasn’t looking at Sulu, Uhura, Spock or Kirk. Or apes.

Every aspect of the art is dead on, from Stott’s line work, to the very nice inking and the vibrant colors, it captures the feel of the Classic ‘60’s Star Trek perfectly.

I’ve mentioned that twice now? That it feels like Star Trek. What about the Apes?

This first issue mostly deals with the Enterprise crew and how they find their way to the Planet of the Apes. The Apes we do see look great. I assume we will see more of them in the second issue, at which point we will see if the art also captures Planet of the Apes.

This issue does a very good job up setting up what is to come. That is the job of a first issue, after all.

After a brief glimpse of an Ape dealing with a shadowy figure, we cut to Uhura and Sulu in disguise as Klingons to secure information about Klingon plans. It is nice, and odd, to see Uhura and Sulu doing the job that the TV show would normally have Spock and Kirk doing.

The information they secure proves the Klingons are up to something and leads Kirks and crew to an alien technology far beyond the Federation or the Klingons.

Technology that allows the Klingons to travel, but to where is unknown until Kirks orders the Enterprise ‘into the rift.’

To Kirk’s shock, the Enterprise finds itself orbiting Earth.

To those who know their Star Trek, you will see familiar story elements, especially A Private Little War and Errand of Mercy, plus the return of an old foe.

This issue really kicks off this cross over in a good way. It leaves you wanting more, and looking forward to the next issue(s). It also poses some intriguing questions, such as who is behind the advance technology. Though, for Kirk, I’m sure a more pressing question will be, “Why are their damn dirty apes on my world?”

The art is great, the writing is very good and all the characters look, act and sound like they should. Something some Star Trek comics have failed to achieve.

This looks to be the start of a solid series that may pull off something near impossible. A GOOD sci-fi dream cross over.

Rating: 7.5