TrekInk: Review of Star Trek/Planet of the Apes #4 + June 2015 Solicits and More

IDW Publishing and BOOM! Studios have released the penultimate chapter of Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive. The gorillas are on the move. Kirk is on the move. When will Kor make his move? Spoiler review after the break!

Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive #4, March 2015
Written by Scott Tipton and David Tipton, art by Rachael Stott, colored by Charlie Kirchoff, lettered by Tom B. Long, essay by Dana Gould, edited by IDW Publishing’s Sarah Gaydos and BOOM! Studios’ Dafna Pleban


Regular Cover: art by Rachael Stott, colors by Charlie Kirchoff
Subscription Cover: art by J.K. Woodward


Retailer Incentive Cover

The Story
Kirk briefs Taylor about the Enterprise, their unusual situation, and the Klingon threat. Kirk takes Taylor and a landing party back to the planet’s surface to find the Klingons. Reunited with Zira and Cornelius, Kirk informs them that the gorillas are on the move. The apes are astounded because war among their own kind is a blasphemous notion.


Ape war is coming!

Hoping to stop the war, Zira is transported to the Ministry of Science in order to warn Dr. Zaius. General Ursus volunteers to meet with Marius and his army. Meanwhile, the humans are discovered and attacked by gorilla outriders. A brief but fierce battle ensues. In the aftermath, Cornelius finds a carrying case for a Klingon disruptor rifle. Kirk must track down Kor before he can light the fuse on the ape war. Kor has his eyes on the gorilla generals.


Whaaat?! Gorillas!

The Review
From the first issue of The Primate Directive, sibling writers Scott and David Tipton have teased us. Each issue has a brief encounter with the Klingon commander, Kor, drawing the gorillas into his embrace. This issue is very much the same; another Klingon tease. For some reason, I’ve been expecting much more of Kor as a character in this story. I thought perhaps we’d see Kirk and Kor sparring verbally, if not physically, like they did in Errand of Mercy. The Tiptons seem to have something else entirely in mind. I can’t figure out what’s driving this story, nor where the story is taking us. That makes me a little frustrated. Kor has armed the gorillas and provoked them to attack their own people. Kirk had his fistfight with Taylor and, like us, he doesn’t know what’s going on either, but he’s gonna ride; a horse, of course. I’m hoping that Kor is going to step up and explain everything with ruthless clarity and a sly smile. Or not.

I’ve been praising Rachael Stott’s art in each of my reviews for this mini-series. Insert more praise here. The folks at IDW agree with me. They’ve hired her to draw some Tholians in a future issue of the ongoing series. Good job! There are three stellar covers for this issue. Rachael Stott’s regular cover features everyone’s favorite Klingon, Kor, with a host of gorilla soldiers in a dogpile with Kirk and Taylor. J.K. Woodward pays homage to a classic Planet of the Apes toy throne from Mego in his painted subscription variant cover of Spock as a captive. Last but not least, the retailer incentive variant features Taylor, the Enterprise and a couple of apes in another fine Gold Key-style cover. I want them all. As for the mini-series, well, I’ve journied this far with the Enterprise, Taylor and the apes, so I need to know how it all ends.

The Preview
Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive #4 was released at your local comic shop last week. Here is a preview for your reading pleasure.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive coming next week and another installment of the monthly series, Star Trek #44, later in April.


Star Trek/Planet of the Apes #5 cover art by Rachael Stott
Star Trek #44 cover art by Joe Corroney

Star Trek comics coming June 2015
IDW Publishing announced their line-up of Star Trek comics for June 2015. The five-year mission continues with a new artist, Rachael Stott. Stott’s done a terrific job with the original series crew. I expect her to do the new crew justice too. The new story arc reimagines a classic episode, The Tholian Web. Also coming in June is the second trade paperback collection of John Byrne’s photo stories. The trade collects three issues of New Visions and includes a new bonus story.

Star Trek #46—Five-Year Mission
Mike Johnson (w) • Rachael Stott (a) • Joe Corroney (c)
In The Tholian Web, Part 1 of 2, the FIVE-YEAR MISSION of the Starship Enterprise continues! In this epic re-imagining of a classic Star Trek episode, the crew of the new movie timeline encounters a mysterious and deadly alien force… and not all of the crew will make it out alive!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99


Cover art by Joe Corroney

Star Trek #46—Five Year Mission—Subscription Variant
Mike Johnson (w) • Rachael Stott (a) • Photo Cover (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99


Photo Cover

Star Trek: New Visions, Volume 2
John Byrne (writer, artist & photo-manipulation)
John Byrne presents all-new, feature length tales set in the Star Trek: The Original Series universe, done in a unique, photomontage style. Collects the stories Cry Vengeance, Made Out of Mudd, A Scent of Ghosts, and Memorium, plus a special bonus: an all-new Gold Key crossover story you never expected with an ending you won’t believe!
TPB • FC • 144 pages • $19.99 • ISBN: 978-1-63140-367-5

  • “You really can’t say enough about the way John Byrne writes for these characters.” – Fritz Kessler, TrekMovie.com


Cover by John Byrne

The Parody
Finally, one last bit of news. Amazing Stories released A Doctor for the Enterprise by David Gerrold. The comic was first announced more than two years ago and was delayed by numerous unexpected obstacles. Featuring the tenth Doctor and original series characters, it’s a crossover of sorts, but unfortunately, lacks a coherent narrative. Readers are presented a series of vignettes with the Doctor and the crew of the Enterprise, concluding with a surprise twist. I’m disappointed with the story, but the art, penciled by Troy Boyle and inked by Jeff Austin, is amusing. The limited edition comic can be purchased for $29.95 plus postage from the Amazing Stories store.

A Doctor for the Enterprise
Written by David Gerrold, pencils and color by Troy Boyle, inks by Jeff Austin, letters by Nic J. Shaw, published by Steve Davidson
A science fiction parody from Amazing Stories, published by the Experimenter Publishing Company. A signed and numbered limited edition of 500 copies.


Cover art by Troy Boyle and Jeff Austin

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Find Star Trek comics, toys, statues, and collectibles at TFAW.com!

Mark Martinez is an obsessive-compulsive Star Trek comics reader and collector. You can visit his website, the Star Trek Comics Checklist for more than you ever needed to know about Star Trek comics!

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What’s next, Star Trek meets the Munsters?

That “Doctor for the Enterprise” comic sucks horribly. In fact the whole thing seems like one big con. There’s nothing to this p.o.s. comic, just a bunch of unconnected images with no story. This was advertised first as a crossover and then as a parody but neither is true. It’s just a bunch of random illustrations and stupid non-funny jokes. I wrote to ask for my money back but Amazing Stories hasn’t answered me. Given how long it took to send me this comic and how much I overpaid for it I feel ripped off and angry. It is not what A.S. advertised. If they don’t give me back my money I’m just going to throw it out since there’s no chance I’ll ever want to read it again.

Honestly, it hurts that TM blew off William Shatner’s birthday but managed to find space for the 56th update on the PotA cross-over comic.

That’s not a stab at you, Mark. If you love this stuff, then it belongs here. But, there’s been SO MUCH lacking in this site lately.

# 1. Harry Ballz – March 23, 2015

” What’s next, Star Trek meets the Munsters?” — Harry Ballz

Would you believe WEBSTER?

http://trekcore.com/blog/2015/03/tng-webster-crossover/

I like the art. Nice touch that Scotty has all the fingers on his his right hand.

I’m just not into the crossover genre.

#1 comment was the best I’ve read in a long time – spot on!!

WebTrek.
Yikes, the 80’s was an extremely primitive and paranoid culture… that relied WAY too much on laugh tracks.

This is much more importan than than not acknowledgin Shatners 83rd birthday. Shame on you Trek Movie!

More Ape stupidity!

This getting ridiculous; what’s next? Star Trek meets Sgt. Bilko?

Where’s my Star Trek and The A Team crossover?

Only news about comics, people? C’mon. And the novels?

How about “Star Trek to Fantasy Island”? Mr. Roarke looks damned familiar! Tattoo and Keenser fall in love and deplane. Sounds like a Bob Orci classic in the wings!

#3: It HURTS that the site didn’t wish someone happy birthday? Damn. You take your hobby waaaay too seriously and have entirely lost your sense of perspective. Shatner’s birthday is non-newsworthy. A new tale set in the Trek universe, on the other hand, IS eminently newsworthy. And no one is forcing you visit this site, which is FREE and thus has no obligation to post what you want it to. Grow up, kid.

Seriously, this site’s visitors are largely a bunch of whining a-holes. No matter what the site’s writers post, a ton of self-entitled hayseeds start pouring out of the woodwork, posting whiny complaints. “Waaaah, you didn’t post what I want you to post!” “Waaaah, you posted something I DIDN’T want you to post!” “Waaaah, you missed something as unimportant as a person’s birthday!” “Waaaah, you aren’t tailoring this site’s free content to my personal tastes!” “Waaaah, I’m an ungrateful jackass, and a prime example of why non-fans and the media portray us as socially inept and weird!” The whole lot of you jerks should just go somewhere else. No one here would miss you.

Every day there’s new star wars news. Spinoff movie coming a year after episode 7, great cliffhanger for rebels, new AMAZING looking game coming out in December and the trailer coming at star wars celebration, so much buzz about the new movie, spectacular fan anime and even talk about the live action show. Then what’s going on with Trek? All quiet there after all the negative leaked info concerning the next film. As a Trekkie, I’m just angry over this. We don’t get the decent merchandising deals, the video games made by big developers, and it doesn’t look like paramount took care in who would helm the next film. A traveling concert and the big conventions is all I’ve heard being planned for the big anniversary. What is going on? And guys I don’t mean to complain like this but seriously is Trek an after-thought after 50yrs now?

Really? Because JJ looks like he’s clamping down tight and Trek’s just getting an extension of that:

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/why-jj-abrams-doesnt-want-to-completely-ruin-star-wars-episode-vii-for-fans/story-e6frfmvr-1227271151210

Ok, I can understand the lamenting about the lack of at least news aggregation on Shatner and Nimoy’s birthdays but this slamming of the comics and book coverages which does provided some minimal revenues to keep this thing afloat through clickthru ordering is just not being realistic.

If this priority truly offends you so, then I suggest you reach deep into your pocketbooks and make it less of a priority for the proprietor.

What’s next? Star Trek meets ‘Here Come The Brides’?
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>;>}
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Happy Belated Birthday, Mr. Shatner!

I have to chuckle at all the negativity over this crossover. Some act as if they are personally being made to buy it, then are strapped to a chair with their eyelids held open and forced to read it under duress.

If you don’t care for the idea, here’s a thought: DON’T BUY IT! Then you won’t have to rage against it! If you are raging against the IDEA of it, you are boxing shadows.

Some of us like both franchises, and if we do like the idea of mixing our Peanut Butter Trek with our Chocolate Apes, and enjoy the combined flavor and texture, leave us be and stop arguing that the result CANNOT POSSIBLY be good and enjoyable to anyone!

Sheesh. You’d think that fans would remember the tenents of their IDIC philosophy. Infinite Diversity in Infinite COMBINATIONS? Sounds just like this to me.

# 22. Frederick – March 25, 2015

” Some of us like both franchises, and if we do like the idea of mixing our Peanut Butter Trek with our Chocolate Apes, and enjoy the combined flavor and texture, leave us be and stop arguing that the result CANNOT POSSIBLY be good and enjoyable to anyone!” — Frederick

I can’t believe you totally destroyed my setup for a Grape Ape pun! Peanut Butter Trek with Grape Ape…it all would have jellied so well. Oh, the humanity!

;-)

BTW, I agree with you.

Oh the pain, the pain….make it stop!

Look, there’s a dust bunny under TrekMovie.com…idea for the next great cross over comic!

Tribbles Vs. Dust Bunnies!

#24. I Khan Believe it Ain’t Butter – March 25, 2015

“Tribbles Vs. Dust Bunnies!” — I Khan Believe it Ain’t Butter

Fortunately The Tribbles invested in the LOST IN SPACE iRobot to clean the Dust Bunnies’ clocks.

I wonder if there would be a “Star Trek”/”Power Rangers” crossover.

On the other hand, if they ever do a Muppets/Trek crossover, I will join the naysayers and have to re-read my post above and apply it to my hypocritical self.

I can’t believe that my comment was removed. It was not rude and no foul language was used. I just stated my displeasure of posting about this comic and no mention of William Shatners birthday.

How about Mighty Morphin’ Muppets. Kermit as the Green Ranger would totally rock. Not sure how to work in Star Trek. Oh yeah, Mighty Morphin’ Muppets v. The Green Blooded Hobgoblin! Kermit v. Spock! Green v. Green! A battle to the death for the hand of Miss T’Piggy!

You highlight this CRAP instead of wishing William Shatner a Happy Birthday????? This site is beginning to SUCK! BAN ME FROM COMMENTING IF YOU WISH!!!!

i am enjoying the crossover of star trek and pota,don’t get me wrong if they did it as a TV episodes i would not be happy,as a comic why not? after all its not cannon

#31. pilotfred – March 28, 2015

I think that best describes my take as well.

But, hey, if they wanted to resurrect the PLANET OF THE APES tv series and do it as an episode of that, well I might tune in.

Come to think of it aren’t most comic crossovers NOT canon anyway? I mean Spider-Man vs Superman, etc.

1. Why not? They already met part of the Addams Family in What Are Little Girls Made Of?

Looks like silly fun.