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Star Trek: The Original Series (IDW) #18
Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive
STAR TREK: The hope for the best of mankind's future! PLANET OF THE APES: A chilling look at the fall of humanity! How could these worlds possibly collide? What could possibly cause Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise to side with Dr. Zaius to protect Ape City? And what does Colonel George Taylor have to say about it?
120 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2014
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203 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
November 9, 2021
In many ways ST and POTA are polar opposites, so it's strange to see these worlds collide. Both a product of the late 1960's, one gave us a very bleak view of the future while the other a very bright one. The story isn't overly captivating, nor is it boring, but the ending is a shock and will blow a few minds.
June 18, 2015
I'll have to admit I was a bit skeptical when I first heard news that IDW was crossing over the Star Trek and Planet of the Apes franchises. Unlike the crossover of Trek and Doctor Who, this one didn't necessarily seem like two great tastes that would taste great together.
And now having read all five issues in this collected edition, I can only say that my initial doubts were confirmed by what we get here. Set in the non-rebooted TOS era, the Klingons have found a gateway into an alternate universe -- one where the Organian peace treaty doesn't hold up and they can exploit various planets for their resources. One of those is the Earth found by Taylor in the original Planet of the Apes film (again, not any of the reboots) and where Kor has decided he'll arm one sect of the apes against the others.
Kirk and company stumble across this and seek to find a way to stop Kor. They also have to stop Taylor from trying to take over the Enterprise and raining down full scale destruction on the apes in his attempts to set his own history "back on course."
At five issues, the concept wears thin very quickly. The first issue feels like it's treading water until the time that we get to the big reveal that we're all headed to the Earth from Apes. (This is also seen in virtually any Doctor Who story with "Daleks" in the title as the audience is made to wait for 23 and a half minutes for the pepper pots to reveal themselves, even though the opening credits told us they were coming). The final issue also feels like it treads water a bit too much and like they resolved the conflict and story long before they filled the total page count for this one.
What could have been a fun romp instead turns out to be a less than impressive one. I tried to have an open mind on this one, but nothing here sold on this being mini-series being a great idea. I kept hoping there would be something here that would make me sit up and take notice, but I can't honestly say much here did that.
The series does have some nice nods to the original continuity in the Apes films. I suppose that's something.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a digital ARC of this collection from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
And now having read all five issues in this collected edition, I can only say that my initial doubts were confirmed by what we get here. Set in the non-rebooted TOS era, the Klingons have found a gateway into an alternate universe -- one where the Organian peace treaty doesn't hold up and they can exploit various planets for their resources. One of those is the Earth found by Taylor in the original Planet of the Apes film (again, not any of the reboots) and where Kor has decided he'll arm one sect of the apes against the others.
Kirk and company stumble across this and seek to find a way to stop Kor. They also have to stop Taylor from trying to take over the Enterprise and raining down full scale destruction on the apes in his attempts to set his own history "back on course."
At five issues, the concept wears thin very quickly. The first issue feels like it's treading water until the time that we get to the big reveal that we're all headed to the Earth from Apes. (This is also seen in virtually any Doctor Who story with "Daleks" in the title as the audience is made to wait for 23 and a half minutes for the pepper pots to reveal themselves, even though the opening credits told us they were coming). The final issue also feels like it treads water a bit too much and like they resolved the conflict and story long before they filled the total page count for this one.
What could have been a fun romp instead turns out to be a less than impressive one. I tried to have an open mind on this one, but nothing here sold on this being mini-series being a great idea. I kept hoping there would be something here that would make me sit up and take notice, but I can't honestly say much here did that.
The series does have some nice nods to the original continuity in the Apes films. I suppose that's something.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a digital ARC of this collection from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2015
The Enterprise follows a Klingon ship to a parallel world where they find “Earth” overtaken by apes. Now they must stop the Klingon's from starting civil war on the planet.
Have you always wanted to know what would have happened if Kirk and the rest of the crew happened to find themselves on the "Earth" from the Planet of the Apes? Well I haven't, but it was an interesting reading experience and this mixing different science fiction shows/movies together is a fun idea. What's next Star trek meets Alien, Predators, or E.T? The list can go on...
I have seen Planets of the Ape (well I have seen both the original and the new one, but I will referee to the original since the new one is…bad and it's the old one that is connected to this Star Trek graphic novel) and remember enough to keep up with the plot and it was quite fun seeing Kirk, Spock and the rest meet Charlton Heston, Eh I mean George Taylor. They need to stop the Klingons without interfering to much with the inhabitants of the planet, but of course Taylor is pissed off and want to start a war with the apes for the human race sake and they also have to deal with him as well as the Klingon's.
It was a good graphic novel, the art was OK, not breathtaking beautiful, but you could see who was who and that's nice. But I never really found myself really, really enjoying the story. It took me days to finish it and usually I devour a Star Trek graphic novel like it is a bag of candy. But this one, I started it and then it took me some days to return to it. In the end I just had to sit down and just read it, more like commanding myself than thinking how enjoyable it would be. Then again, I have been in a bit of reading slump the last couple of days so that could be part of it.
But I liked the graphic novel enough that I would want to know what happens next because the ending was a bit open and even though I started out a bit doubtful about it I did start to enjoy the story more when Kirk and the rest had to figure out of to help the apes without too much interference.
I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review! Thank you!
Have you always wanted to know what would have happened if Kirk and the rest of the crew happened to find themselves on the "Earth" from the Planet of the Apes? Well I haven't, but it was an interesting reading experience and this mixing different science fiction shows/movies together is a fun idea. What's next Star trek meets Alien, Predators, or E.T? The list can go on...
I have seen Planets of the Ape (well I have seen both the original and the new one, but I will referee to the original since the new one is…bad and it's the old one that is connected to this Star Trek graphic novel) and remember enough to keep up with the plot and it was quite fun seeing Kirk, Spock and the rest meet Charlton Heston, Eh I mean George Taylor. They need to stop the Klingons without interfering to much with the inhabitants of the planet, but of course Taylor is pissed off and want to start a war with the apes for the human race sake and they also have to deal with him as well as the Klingon's.
It was a good graphic novel, the art was OK, not breathtaking beautiful, but you could see who was who and that's nice. But I never really found myself really, really enjoying the story. It took me days to finish it and usually I devour a Star Trek graphic novel like it is a bag of candy. But this one, I started it and then it took me some days to return to it. In the end I just had to sit down and just read it, more like commanding myself than thinking how enjoyable it would be. Then again, I have been in a bit of reading slump the last couple of days so that could be part of it.
But I liked the graphic novel enough that I would want to know what happens next because the ending was a bit open and even though I started out a bit doubtful about it I did start to enjoy the story more when Kirk and the rest had to figure out of to help the apes without too much interference.
I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review! Thank you!
December 5, 2015
Despite the groaner title 'Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive' is a pretty decent crossover comic between the original Star Trek crew and the original Planet of the Apes movie.
When the crew of the Enterprise discovers the Klingons are up to something, they decide to investigate. When their pursuit puts them into a slingshot maneuver, they find themselves in an alternate universe. In this universe, there was also a nuclear war, but there is no Federation and the planet is run by gorillas. The Klingons are looking to leverage these fiercesome warriors for their own means and it's up to Captain Kirk and company to stop them. Along the way, they run into Colonel George Taylor who wants to use the crew of the Enterprise to overthrow the apes. The Enterprise must decide if the prime directive applies to alternate planets.
This book works so darn well because of the great art by Rachael Stott. It's really that good. Aside from that, the story isn't bad either. I've read a lot of crossovers that were a lot worse. This one seems to make sense in the rules of the Star Trek universe as a plausible idea instead of a weirdly mashed together concept. As a fan of the original versions of both of these properties, I was pleasantly surprised.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
When the crew of the Enterprise discovers the Klingons are up to something, they decide to investigate. When their pursuit puts them into a slingshot maneuver, they find themselves in an alternate universe. In this universe, there was also a nuclear war, but there is no Federation and the planet is run by gorillas. The Klingons are looking to leverage these fiercesome warriors for their own means and it's up to Captain Kirk and company to stop them. Along the way, they run into Colonel George Taylor who wants to use the crew of the Enterprise to overthrow the apes. The Enterprise must decide if the prime directive applies to alternate planets.
This book works so darn well because of the great art by Rachael Stott. It's really that good. Aside from that, the story isn't bad either. I've read a lot of crossovers that were a lot worse. This one seems to make sense in the rules of the Star Trek universe as a plausible idea instead of a weirdly mashed together concept. As a fan of the original versions of both of these properties, I was pleasantly surprised.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
July 9, 2015
Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive by Scott Tipton is a fanboy's secret trove, right under the bed with the 10 year old stash of wrinkled porn magazines. The Enterprise, under Captain James T. Kirk and the Planet of the Apes? Not the crappy Markie Mark version either. But the old Charleston Heston, horses and bolt action rifles, and demolished Statue of Liberty Planet of the Apes. Yes, it is that much fun!
The Enterprise battles Klingon Bird of Preys (yes I know what they are called!) in deep space and one ship escapes; the Enterprise follows it into a parallel dimension toward what appears to be the planet Earth. Understanding that they are in a different version of their own universe, Kirk and crew beam down to the Earth to stop the Klingons from escaping only to find an Earth ruled by apes! They meet Colonel George Taylor who crash landed on the Earth from his own Earth after passing through a time portal. Will the crew of the Enterprise help Colonel Taylor in his battle against the apes? Can they stop the Klingons from giving advanced weapons to the apes in hopes of creating a world war that would keep the Federation from ever coming into being? Or will they do what they are commanded to do and follow the prime directive?
"..."No identification of self or mission. No interference with the social development of said planet. No references to space or the fact that there are other worlds or civilizations..."
This comic series is fun, just freaking fun. Kirk battling Klingons and arguing with Spock and McCoy and just getting all sorts of horn dog on the primal cave women of this alternate Earth. Dr. Zaius heading off an ape civil war when the rebels are armed with phasers from Klingons. But most of all and the best character is Colonel Taylor. Marooned on this ape planet, his friends murdered and meeting these advanced human space travelers who refuse to come to his aid. The timing of this adventure is when Taylor and the apes were hiding in the cliff caves and finding the traces of a past human civilization on Earth. Before he sets off on horseback and finds the destroyed Statue of Liberty and realizes he was on his own Earth all along.
This is terrific and it keeps to the timeline and integrity of the both of these franchises and their individual universes. Pick it up if you are a trekkie or an apie (just made that last one up) or if you are just a fan of good graphic novels.
A fun good read!
The Enterprise battles Klingon Bird of Preys (yes I know what they are called!) in deep space and one ship escapes; the Enterprise follows it into a parallel dimension toward what appears to be the planet Earth. Understanding that they are in a different version of their own universe, Kirk and crew beam down to the Earth to stop the Klingons from escaping only to find an Earth ruled by apes! They meet Colonel George Taylor who crash landed on the Earth from his own Earth after passing through a time portal. Will the crew of the Enterprise help Colonel Taylor in his battle against the apes? Can they stop the Klingons from giving advanced weapons to the apes in hopes of creating a world war that would keep the Federation from ever coming into being? Or will they do what they are commanded to do and follow the prime directive?
"..."No identification of self or mission. No interference with the social development of said planet. No references to space or the fact that there are other worlds or civilizations..."
This comic series is fun, just freaking fun. Kirk battling Klingons and arguing with Spock and McCoy and just getting all sorts of horn dog on the primal cave women of this alternate Earth. Dr. Zaius heading off an ape civil war when the rebels are armed with phasers from Klingons. But most of all and the best character is Colonel Taylor. Marooned on this ape planet, his friends murdered and meeting these advanced human space travelers who refuse to come to his aid. The timing of this adventure is when Taylor and the apes were hiding in the cliff caves and finding the traces of a past human civilization on Earth. Before he sets off on horseback and finds the destroyed Statue of Liberty and realizes he was on his own Earth all along.
This is terrific and it keeps to the timeline and integrity of the both of these franchises and their individual universes. Pick it up if you are a trekkie or an apie (just made that last one up) or if you are just a fan of good graphic novels.
A fun good read!
September 13, 2020
The Klingon Empire has had some setbacks. Forced into signing the Treaty of Organia with the Federation which mandates a cease fire and hemmed in by the Romulan Empire, the Klingons are looking to stir up trouble.
They do so by finding a wormhole that takes them to another universe. Kirk and the Enterprise, finding out about this strange location, end up engaging the Klingons and are sucked into the wormhole. Yet it seems like the wormhole has transported them to Earth. But, it is not the Earth of the Starfleet Universe. It's the one from the Planet of the Apes (Charlton Heston's version).
So begins a weird and at best mediocre story about the Klingons attempting to facilitate a regime change by co-opting a Gorilla General and arming him with more modernized weapons. Kirk and crew must not only stop this mission, they must also follow the Prime Directive on a planet where the humans direly need help.
At the end of the day it was an entertaining story. The story is never that complex or even that great. The artwork is not bad, it makes do for what this story is. It is a fun little crossover story that fans of Star Trek might enjoy. But by no means is this anything revolutionary nor is it even really good. It gets a resounding "Meh. That was different."
Thus 2 stars.
They do so by finding a wormhole that takes them to another universe. Kirk and the Enterprise, finding out about this strange location, end up engaging the Klingons and are sucked into the wormhole. Yet it seems like the wormhole has transported them to Earth. But, it is not the Earth of the Starfleet Universe. It's the one from the Planet of the Apes (Charlton Heston's version).
So begins a weird and at best mediocre story about the Klingons attempting to facilitate a regime change by co-opting a Gorilla General and arming him with more modernized weapons. Kirk and crew must not only stop this mission, they must also follow the Prime Directive on a planet where the humans direly need help.
At the end of the day it was an entertaining story. The story is never that complex or even that great. The artwork is not bad, it makes do for what this story is. It is a fun little crossover story that fans of Star Trek might enjoy. But by no means is this anything revolutionary nor is it even really good. It gets a resounding "Meh. That was different."
Thus 2 stars.
February 22, 2023
This was a fun crossover. It was definitely more Star Trek than planet of the apes. The enterprise crew was represented perfectly, and the dialog was very true to the characters with out being parody. This really would of worked perfectly as an episode of Star Trek.
The art style wasn't my preference, but it was good overall.
This was a 5 star read untill the abrupt ending. I think they were shooting for that Planet of the Apes style twist, but it came out of left field and felt like an after thought.
Edit: my buddy informed me this ending was a reference to beneath planet of the apes. Haven't watched the sequels since I was preteen so I missed it. Still leaving it at 4 stars though 😆.
Over all a fun read. This is how crossovers should be!
The art style wasn't my preference, but it was good overall.
This was a 5 star read untill the abrupt ending. I think they were shooting for that Planet of the Apes style twist, but it came out of left field and felt like an after thought.
Edit: my buddy informed me this ending was a reference to beneath planet of the apes. Haven't watched the sequels since I was preteen so I missed it. Still leaving it at 4 stars though 😆.
Over all a fun read. This is how crossovers should be!
October 16, 2017
This graphic novel was a lot of fun but I can't imagine it being for anyone other than Trek or Apes fans. The art is well done and the dialogue captures both the writing of Star Trek and PotA. However, my favorite part of this crossover wasn't the comic itself, but the essays by comedian Dana Gould at the end of the volume. Gould, a lifelong Apes fan, provides brilliant insight into the historical context of these two series as well as their differing outlook on humanity and their Hollywood connections. The comic is fun, but the essays are a real treat for any Trek or Apes fan.
March 27, 2022
I had fun reading this but I wanted more surprises. If you like Planet of the Apes and Star Trek, you can guess what the story will be like and here it is! There’s not much that’s new.
I thought the art was good and made the mashup work. I really liked the brief glimpse of the 60s Klingon planet.
I enjoyed the essays in the back, especially the one about John Chambers.
I thought the art was good and made the mashup work. I really liked the brief glimpse of the 60s Klingon planet.
I enjoyed the essays in the back, especially the one about John Chambers.
June 14, 2016
I thought this was great & I enjoyed it immensely from cover to cover. Great writing, great artwork. The only complaint I have is I think maybe the ending was a little anti-climactic but not horribly so. Highly recommend.
March 9, 2025
One of the great things about comic book tie-ins is that they’re less beholden to things like aging actors, budgets, and corporate barriers that have kept some of our favorite crossovers from “really” happening. So when I saw “Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive” I was excited. Excited like a little kid. I am a lifelong fan of “Star Trek,” and while I don’t feel the same way about “Planet of the Apes,” I like the classic movie enough that I figured this would be a fun ride.
And I was right.
The story starts out with Lieutenants Sulu and Uhura on the Klingon home world, in a secret operation to retrieve some data. We get to see both of them in action as their own heroes, using their skills with languages, computers, and martial arts to complete their mission and return to the Enterprise. There Spock and the other crew members figure out that the Klingons are in the process of expanding their empire–but into a parallel dimension. They’ve been able to build structures that form a gateway in space. Captain Kirk pursues Klingon cruisers through that gateway, and they end up in orbit around…the Planet of the Apes. Of course.
This takes place after the original “Planet of the Apes” movie, so we already know the characters of the chimpanzees Cornelius and Zira, the orangutan Dr. Zaius, and the human Taylor. All will be integral to the storyline, as the crew of the Enterprise discovers that the Klingons are arming gorillas led by Brutus in an uprising against the others. Taylor has already retreated from society, going with his mute female companion into the area formerly known as New York City, now a wasteland with broken Statues of Liberty poking up out of the sand. You’re familiar.
As the Enterprise crew solves the mystery of where exactly they’re at, and what’s happened on this Earth, Taylor sees their incredible technology — transporters, phasers, and sees a way to free the humans who have become dumb slaves of the apes. He gets himself beamed up to the ship, and is able to get as far as knocking out a crewman and getting to the shuttlebay before he’s stopped. What follows is exactly what I wanted from this series — a showdown between 1960s Charlton Heston and William Shatner as Colonel Taylor and Captain Kirk. I mean, we know they’ll end up on the same side after this initial dust-up, because that’s how these things work. But seeing them throw down in the shuttlebay, with roundhouse punches, kicking off of the walls, ripping shirts, bloody lips–wow. It was everything you got in the best Captain Kirk fights.
Eventually we get a more cerebral discussion of what exactly the Prime Directive (Starfleet’s rule that they mustn’t use their superior technology to interfere with developing civilizations) would mean in this scenario. I mean, this is Earth, these are humans, and they’re being subjugated by mutants…aaaand they’re already being interfered with by the Klingons. So why shouldn’t the Enterprise help Taylor and the humans?
It’s an interesting dilemma, and the solution that they arrive at isn’t surprising, but some of the consequences are. In the past, Star Trek comics have been hit and miss; I loved Peter David’s run in the late 80s and early 90s, but that was decades ago. I’ll say that nearly every book from Scott and David Tipton has been a lot of fun. Some of it groundbreaking, but most of it just a fun ride. Sometimes I just want a Star Trek fix, and they deliver. I’m glad IDW is keeping them around.
This book also made me want to go back and revisit the original “Apes” movies, and see what the implications of this story could be — I’m not sure if the ending here connects to the next movie, or if it’s going in its own direction. I wouldn’t want this to be an ongoing series or anything, but perhaps another book, set during the period of the original series movies? Or “The Next Generation”? There are always possibilities. And with a miniseries as fun as this, I’ll check it out.
If it has a good pun in the title.
Primate Directive. Hee.
And I was right.
The story starts out with Lieutenants Sulu and Uhura on the Klingon home world, in a secret operation to retrieve some data. We get to see both of them in action as their own heroes, using their skills with languages, computers, and martial arts to complete their mission and return to the Enterprise. There Spock and the other crew members figure out that the Klingons are in the process of expanding their empire–but into a parallel dimension. They’ve been able to build structures that form a gateway in space. Captain Kirk pursues Klingon cruisers through that gateway, and they end up in orbit around…the Planet of the Apes. Of course.
This takes place after the original “Planet of the Apes” movie, so we already know the characters of the chimpanzees Cornelius and Zira, the orangutan Dr. Zaius, and the human Taylor. All will be integral to the storyline, as the crew of the Enterprise discovers that the Klingons are arming gorillas led by Brutus in an uprising against the others. Taylor has already retreated from society, going with his mute female companion into the area formerly known as New York City, now a wasteland with broken Statues of Liberty poking up out of the sand. You’re familiar.
As the Enterprise crew solves the mystery of where exactly they’re at, and what’s happened on this Earth, Taylor sees their incredible technology — transporters, phasers, and sees a way to free the humans who have become dumb slaves of the apes. He gets himself beamed up to the ship, and is able to get as far as knocking out a crewman and getting to the shuttlebay before he’s stopped. What follows is exactly what I wanted from this series — a showdown between 1960s Charlton Heston and William Shatner as Colonel Taylor and Captain Kirk. I mean, we know they’ll end up on the same side after this initial dust-up, because that’s how these things work. But seeing them throw down in the shuttlebay, with roundhouse punches, kicking off of the walls, ripping shirts, bloody lips–wow. It was everything you got in the best Captain Kirk fights.
Eventually we get a more cerebral discussion of what exactly the Prime Directive (Starfleet’s rule that they mustn’t use their superior technology to interfere with developing civilizations) would mean in this scenario. I mean, this is Earth, these are humans, and they’re being subjugated by mutants…aaaand they’re already being interfered with by the Klingons. So why shouldn’t the Enterprise help Taylor and the humans?
It’s an interesting dilemma, and the solution that they arrive at isn’t surprising, but some of the consequences are. In the past, Star Trek comics have been hit and miss; I loved Peter David’s run in the late 80s and early 90s, but that was decades ago. I’ll say that nearly every book from Scott and David Tipton has been a lot of fun. Some of it groundbreaking, but most of it just a fun ride. Sometimes I just want a Star Trek fix, and they deliver. I’m glad IDW is keeping them around.
This book also made me want to go back and revisit the original “Apes” movies, and see what the implications of this story could be — I’m not sure if the ending here connects to the next movie, or if it’s going in its own direction. I wouldn’t want this to be an ongoing series or anything, but perhaps another book, set during the period of the original series movies? Or “The Next Generation”? There are always possibilities. And with a miniseries as fun as this, I’ll check it out.
If it has a good pun in the title.
Primate Directive. Hee.
November 4, 2021
Captain Kirk follows a Klingon Incursion Group through a rip in reality and arrives in a parallel universe to find the 'Enterprise' in orbit of fortieth century Earth. An earth where humanity has ceased to be the dominant lifeform and the planet is controlled by various primate factions.
The story is a little too like "A Private Little War", but the artwork is stunning and there is a distinct sense of pride in the depictions of the two diverse franchises.
The story is a little too like "A Private Little War", but the artwork is stunning and there is a distinct sense of pride in the depictions of the two diverse franchises.
March 3, 2021
Being a Trekkie I am partial to anything Star Trek. This was another well written crossover. The story covered all the highlights from the original Planet of the Apes movies and still was able to fit Kirk and the crew into the story. Nice read.
October 18, 2025
Soooooooooo wtf.......the TOS Star Trek folks go into the future to help ......uughhh......the planet of the apes good guys. Against .....sigh......
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2018
Wut
What on earth did I just read? Do people not have ideas for things anymore? Who let this happen? Word
What on earth did I just read? Do people not have ideas for things anymore? Who let this happen? Word
September 8, 2017
An average adventure story. The illustrations are fair, however any action sequences are not choreographed well at all. It's clear from the essays included with this collection that the author is passionate about both franchises. It's disappointing that I enjoyed the essays more than the graphic novel.
April 16, 2023
Dude it’s Planet of the Apes and Star Trek how can you lose? Charlton and Shatner together, c’mon how could anything possible be better than this?
March 17, 2022
Better than expected. Relies heavily on Planet of the Apes continuity, but still manages to tell an interesting story.
September 27, 2016
This was a crossover that worked better than you'd think. Star Trek has an advantage with crossovers like this because due to the nature of the Enterprise and its explorations, it can cross over with almost anything and at least have a somewhat plausible explanation. Time Travel, other universes, etc. were all commonplace with Star Trek.
So here we have two beloved franchises finally meeting, and it was pretty enjoyable. We find the crew of the Enterprise landing on the Planet of the Apes right around the time the first movie ended. They meet Taylor at the Statue of Liberty while trailing klingons who have found the dimension and are planning on conquering it by manipulating the apes in control.
I like this one, the art was nice, and overall I was impressed with how well they fit the two universes together. If you are a fan of either franchise, you should try this one. If you are a fan of BOTH, you should definitely try this one.
So here we have two beloved franchises finally meeting, and it was pretty enjoyable. We find the crew of the Enterprise landing on the Planet of the Apes right around the time the first movie ended. They meet Taylor at the Statue of Liberty while trailing klingons who have found the dimension and are planning on conquering it by manipulating the apes in control.
I like this one, the art was nice, and overall I was impressed with how well they fit the two universes together. If you are a fan of either franchise, you should try this one. If you are a fan of BOTH, you should definitely try this one.
April 15, 2015
"Two great tastes, that taste great together." What can I say. This is one of those silly fan-boy mash-ups that is so stupidly wrong it should be laughable. Except it is only laughable because it so much fun. Honestly, this should be terrible, but the writers and artists pulled off a wonderful story that pays homage to both franchises and offers some interesting and thoughtful ideas and insights about both. The character's "voice" seem to ring fairly true and the story has just enough continuity to work without slavishly adhering to fanish dogma so that everything becomes dull and uninteresting. This was unexpectedly enjoyable and a lot of fun to read.
July 10, 2015
Collects Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive issues #1-5
I enjoy both of these franchises (especially the Planet of the Apes), so when I heard that they would be featured in the same story, I knew I had to check it out. This seems like an obvious combination, so I'm surprised it was never done before.
The actual story focused more on the Star Trek cast (as they were featured as the primary protagonists and the story was told from their perspective).
Interestingly, this story doesn't try to undo anything that has happened in past Apes films. It actually tries to live between films one and two.
This story could have been better, but it was pretty good.
I enjoy both of these franchises (especially the Planet of the Apes), so when I heard that they would be featured in the same story, I knew I had to check it out. This seems like an obvious combination, so I'm surprised it was never done before.
The actual story focused more on the Star Trek cast (as they were featured as the primary protagonists and the story was told from their perspective).
Interestingly, this story doesn't try to undo anything that has happened in past Apes films. It actually tries to live between films one and two.
This story could have been better, but it was pretty good.
June 5, 2015
I really enjoyed this. While reading it, it felt just like an episode of Star Trek The original series. The artwork was great, and more importantly looked like the crew of the Enterprise. I mean they chase a Klingon ship into a portal that places them in an alternate reality/Earth. Sounds just like a Star trek episode. If You're a fan of eithet Planet of the apes, or Star Trek, check this out. I really enjoyed it, and I think You will too.
I recieved an advanced copy from Netgalley.com and the Publisher
I recieved an advanced copy from Netgalley.com and the Publisher
August 30, 2015
Totally believable crossover between these two universes that hit its mark. A lot of fun as the original Star trek team enters a portal to an alternate universe and finds themselves on the Planet of the Apes where a Klingon is arming the Gorillas for his own nefarious reasons. Great story with all the characters from each side you could possibly hope for and good art with everyone looking just like you'd expect them too. They can re-invent Star Trek as many times as they want but give me the original cast of the original Star Trek, anytime!! Loved it!
January 9, 2022
A carefully designed crossover that fits in-between the first and second Planet of the Apes films. This plays out much like an episode of the original Star Trek, but also respects the tone of the Apes films as well. The only downside to this approach is that it all feels a little too safe, a little too status-quo. The last section also feels a little contrived, as well. But the resulting story is overall pretty solid. Also of note: some essays at the end which compare and contrast the two franchises. (B)
August 9, 2015
This was just a fun and enjoyable read as two great science fiction franchises from the '60's combine for an enjoyable adventure.
June 30, 2015
Didn't work for me. It's really hard to get Apes to work right.
December 1, 2023
Nas últimas três décadas o universo dos quadrinhos tem produzido muitos “crossovers” – reunião de personagens de universos diferentes. Adquiri, li, curti muitos deles como “Batman e Spiderman”, “Superman e Spiderman”, “Batman versus Aliens”, “Superman versus Aliens”, “Batman versus Predador”, “Superman versus Predador”, “Batman versus Juiz Dredd”, “Batman & O Máscara”, “Superman versus Quarteto Fantástico”, “Marvel versus DC”, “Batman e Spawn” e outros mais.
Esse curioso “Diretriz Primata” – uma caprichada graphic novel - traz uma ambiciosa reunião de dois universos hoje consagrados na cultura pop: o universo de Star Trek e o universo do filme “Planeta dos Macacos”.
Ideia mirabolante mas com uma trama, admito, muito bem bolada.
Em algum momento entre as temporadas um e dois da série clássica a “Federação dos Planetas Unidos” passa a desconfiar que os belicosos Klingons, cuja expansão militar havia sido contida pelo “Tratado de Organia” estavam aprontando alguma coisa. Encarregados de investigar o caso, Kirk, Spock & Cia descobrem que os principais inimigos da federação haviam descoberto um portal capaz de leva-los a um universo paralelo onde, numa terra devastada por uma guerra nuclear, os seres humanos haviam involuído para uma espécie muda e selvagem e os cerebrais chimpanzés, os místicos orangotangos e os belicosos gorilas dominavam o governo e as instituições “civilizadas”. É claro que os Klingons, liderados pelo maquiavélico Kor, buscam uma aliança com os gorilas em busca de dominar aquela civilização e aquele planeta numa situação não regulada pelo Tratado de Organia em busca de recursos que lhes possibilitassem ganhar vantagem sobre a federação. Cabe à tripulação da USS Enterprise, com o cuidado de não ferir a “Primeira Diretriz” (que proíbe interferências em outras culturas) impedir os planos dos Klingons com a ajuda dos chimpanzés Cornelius e Zira e do humano desgarrado Taylor oriundo do passado da Terra naquele universo.
Roteirizada pelos roteiristas Scott Tipton e David Tipton e ilustrada e colorizada, respectivamente, pelos artistas Rachael Stot e Charlie Kirchoff o livro traz, ao final, interessantes artigos sobre Star Trek e Planeta dos Macacos a cargo do ator, comediante e escritor estadunidense Dana Gould e um ótimo posfácio do escritor, roteirista, tradutor e editor brasileiro Maurício Muniz.
Provavelmente a graphic novel agrade mais a pessoas com conhecimentos mais robustos acerca da série original Star Trek (exibida originalmente em 1966/1967 e 1968 e reprisada à exaustão desde então) e acerca do filme “O planeta dos macacos”, filme clássico de 1968 estrelado pelo superastro Charleston Heston (1923/2008) cujo personagem, Taylor, aparece em “A diretriz Primata”. O visual da graphic novel assim como os personagens remetem diretamente a essas referências.
Mesmo com essa ressalva trata-se de ótima e divertida pedida.
Esse curioso “Diretriz Primata” – uma caprichada graphic novel - traz uma ambiciosa reunião de dois universos hoje consagrados na cultura pop: o universo de Star Trek e o universo do filme “Planeta dos Macacos”.
Ideia mirabolante mas com uma trama, admito, muito bem bolada.
Em algum momento entre as temporadas um e dois da série clássica a “Federação dos Planetas Unidos” passa a desconfiar que os belicosos Klingons, cuja expansão militar havia sido contida pelo “Tratado de Organia” estavam aprontando alguma coisa. Encarregados de investigar o caso, Kirk, Spock & Cia descobrem que os principais inimigos da federação haviam descoberto um portal capaz de leva-los a um universo paralelo onde, numa terra devastada por uma guerra nuclear, os seres humanos haviam involuído para uma espécie muda e selvagem e os cerebrais chimpanzés, os místicos orangotangos e os belicosos gorilas dominavam o governo e as instituições “civilizadas”. É claro que os Klingons, liderados pelo maquiavélico Kor, buscam uma aliança com os gorilas em busca de dominar aquela civilização e aquele planeta numa situação não regulada pelo Tratado de Organia em busca de recursos que lhes possibilitassem ganhar vantagem sobre a federação. Cabe à tripulação da USS Enterprise, com o cuidado de não ferir a “Primeira Diretriz” (que proíbe interferências em outras culturas) impedir os planos dos Klingons com a ajuda dos chimpanzés Cornelius e Zira e do humano desgarrado Taylor oriundo do passado da Terra naquele universo.
Roteirizada pelos roteiristas Scott Tipton e David Tipton e ilustrada e colorizada, respectivamente, pelos artistas Rachael Stot e Charlie Kirchoff o livro traz, ao final, interessantes artigos sobre Star Trek e Planeta dos Macacos a cargo do ator, comediante e escritor estadunidense Dana Gould e um ótimo posfácio do escritor, roteirista, tradutor e editor brasileiro Maurício Muniz.
Provavelmente a graphic novel agrade mais a pessoas com conhecimentos mais robustos acerca da série original Star Trek (exibida originalmente em 1966/1967 e 1968 e reprisada à exaustão desde então) e acerca do filme “O planeta dos macacos”, filme clássico de 1968 estrelado pelo superastro Charleston Heston (1923/2008) cujo personagem, Taylor, aparece em “A diretriz Primata”. O visual da graphic novel assim como os personagens remetem diretamente a essas referências.
Mesmo com essa ressalva trata-se de ótima e divertida pedida.
February 11, 2020
I hate to say this but I sort of love goofy nonsensical crossovers. You know, stuff like Archie Meets Punisher or Superman and Terminator. Stuff that shouldn't work but somehow do. I went in expecting that and was almost disappointed.
This story manages to capture the feel of both optimistic early to mid sixties sci-fi of which Star Trek is almost the chief paragon and the dark, cynical type of sci-fi of the late sixties and 70s of which Hollywood started to embrace with Planet of the Apes without feeling forced or shoe horned.
Taylor and Kirk both seem like themselves. Taylor doesn't QUITE look right. Maybe Boom! didn't want to pay a likeness fee to the Heston's estate. I dunno. But that's my only real quibble with the Apes portion.
The main reason for travelling to the other world, being that the Klingons found a doorway to another universe where they can sell weapons to the Apes seems rushed to its conclusion. But that's not really what this story is about. It's a Prime Directive store. The Klingon commander, Kor (from the TOS episod 'Errand of Mercy) had his enmity for the Federation exacerbated by his encounter with the Enterprise crew. So Kirk feels responsible for Kor's actions. But at the same time, an alternate Earth is just that- an alternative world. It has its own culture and that makes him question if he even has the right to interfere. Even if the culture is already being interfered with and his interference would (if successful) undo the other interference. An interference that Kirk has some responsibility for due to the law of unintended consequences.
This only get worse when Taylor gets involved. He points out humans are being enslaved and in point of fact their is nothing 'natural' at least in his mind about the development of the ape society. He even calls Kirk out on something else. Even if you buy the idea of the apes being a developed rightful sentient society, all Kirk's precious high mindedness would lead to is needless death of human and ape alike. But by the time Kirk comes around to that line of thinking and it is no longer a matter of how much Kirk can/should help. It's a matter of if Taylor wants the help and take if given. It's only when the Ape war that Taylor and Cornelius predict comes to pass that they are all on the same page.
Wrapping up the Kor story is down in just a handful of pages but is handle quite nicely. Kor realizes that now that Kirk has evidence, he'd better retreat. If Kirk goes back home and contacts the Organians, the game is up.
And the ending well... any Apes fan will love that.
This story manages to capture the feel of both optimistic early to mid sixties sci-fi of which Star Trek is almost the chief paragon and the dark, cynical type of sci-fi of the late sixties and 70s of which Hollywood started to embrace with Planet of the Apes without feeling forced or shoe horned.
Taylor and Kirk both seem like themselves. Taylor doesn't QUITE look right. Maybe Boom! didn't want to pay a likeness fee to the Heston's estate. I dunno. But that's my only real quibble with the Apes portion.
The main reason for travelling to the other world, being that the Klingons found a doorway to another universe where they can sell weapons to the Apes seems rushed to its conclusion. But that's not really what this story is about. It's a Prime Directive store. The Klingon commander, Kor (from the TOS episod 'Errand of Mercy) had his enmity for the Federation exacerbated by his encounter with the Enterprise crew. So Kirk feels responsible for Kor's actions. But at the same time, an alternate Earth is just that- an alternative world. It has its own culture and that makes him question if he even has the right to interfere. Even if the culture is already being interfered with and his interference would (if successful) undo the other interference. An interference that Kirk has some responsibility for due to the law of unintended consequences.
This only get worse when Taylor gets involved. He points out humans are being enslaved and in point of fact their is nothing 'natural' at least in his mind about the development of the ape society. He even calls Kirk out on something else. Even if you buy the idea of the apes being a developed rightful sentient society, all Kirk's precious high mindedness would lead to is needless death of human and ape alike. But by the time Kirk comes around to that line of thinking and it is no longer a matter of how much Kirk can/should help. It's a matter of if Taylor wants the help and take if given. It's only when the Ape war that Taylor and Cornelius predict comes to pass that they are all on the same page.
Wrapping up the Kor story is down in just a handful of pages but is handle quite nicely. Kor realizes that now that Kirk has evidence, he'd better retreat. If Kirk goes back home and contacts the Organians, the game is up.
And the ending well... any Apes fan will love that.
July 17, 2024
The biggest thing I appreciate in this is how faithful it feels. This just feels like an episode of TOS, beat for beat. You could probably criticize that it doesn’t feel enough like Planet of the Apes, but I do believe it accomplishes that well enough. It’s just not as (ahem) fascinating as their mastery of (ahem) aping the style of the ‘60s show.
Aside from that… I don’t really love this. It’s a brilliant title, it’s worth reading just to give them a salute for that. But the story is very run-of-the-mill. The Klingons find a portal (that reminds me of the one in DS9, honestly), and they try to lead the apes into a civil war to more easily conquer them, since they’ve been forced into a treaty. Meanwhile, Kirk and co. struggle to find the answers to how they proceed. Does the Prime Directive apply in an alternate universe? They have the bones (no pun intended that time) of really good ethical conundrum, but they’re not given space to explore it nearly as much as I want. There’s a one-note argument repeated a few times where Taylor yells about this not being “an alien culture, it’s [the Enterprise crew’s] culture too.” But there’s little breakdown of that concept, which a comic could’ve excelled at providing where the TV show would’ve struggled from time constraints. Again, it’s faithful that it feels restrained by time like the show did, but I’d rather the negative aspects of the medium not be translated as directly.
Looking at it as a piece of Planet of the Apes lore, it offers a unique view of the world — an unlikely in-betweenuel bridging the ‘68 original with its immediate follow-up. It gives an explanation for things, though one far more contrived and rushed than other Apes books (and it’s entirely contradictory to every non-film media in the franchise I’ve seen thus far). Nevertheless, I was amused by it. It got a smile out of me, and I think that’s all it was trying to accomplish in earnest.
Taylor is the only PotA character to get a lot of time to shine, and again I think that’s in an attempt to make it feel more like the show. The show wouldn’t have spent much time with the Apes so as not to reveal how cheap their effects budget was haha.
All in all, I enjoyed this, but it’s not one for the record books. I’m so glad it exists because it just… feels like something that should exist, if that makes sense. It just feels right. And for what it’s worth, I’d give anything to see Picard and the Enterprise-D go to the Ceasarverse right after War… or for the Kelvinverse crew go to the Burton Planet of the Apes between Into Darkness / Beyond.
Aside from that… I don’t really love this. It’s a brilliant title, it’s worth reading just to give them a salute for that. But the story is very run-of-the-mill. The Klingons find a portal (that reminds me of the one in DS9, honestly), and they try to lead the apes into a civil war to more easily conquer them, since they’ve been forced into a treaty. Meanwhile, Kirk and co. struggle to find the answers to how they proceed. Does the Prime Directive apply in an alternate universe? They have the bones (no pun intended that time) of really good ethical conundrum, but they’re not given space to explore it nearly as much as I want. There’s a one-note argument repeated a few times where Taylor yells about this not being “an alien culture, it’s [the Enterprise crew’s] culture too.” But there’s little breakdown of that concept, which a comic could’ve excelled at providing where the TV show would’ve struggled from time constraints. Again, it’s faithful that it feels restrained by time like the show did, but I’d rather the negative aspects of the medium not be translated as directly.
Looking at it as a piece of Planet of the Apes lore, it offers a unique view of the world — an unlikely in-betweenuel bridging the ‘68 original with its immediate follow-up. It gives an explanation for things, though one far more contrived and rushed than other Apes books (and it’s entirely contradictory to every non-film media in the franchise I’ve seen thus far). Nevertheless, I was amused by it. It got a smile out of me, and I think that’s all it was trying to accomplish in earnest.
Taylor is the only PotA character to get a lot of time to shine, and again I think that’s in an attempt to make it feel more like the show. The show wouldn’t have spent much time with the Apes so as not to reveal how cheap their effects budget was haha.
All in all, I enjoyed this, but it’s not one for the record books. I’m so glad it exists because it just… feels like something that should exist, if that makes sense. It just feels right. And for what it’s worth, I’d give anything to see Picard and the Enterprise-D go to the Ceasarverse right after War… or for the Kelvinverse crew go to the Burton Planet of the Apes between Into Darkness / Beyond.
December 9, 2024
This crossover story sees Captain Kirk and the Enterprise pursue Klingon Commander Kor into a parallel universe where the Klingons are attempting to seize control of an alternate Earth where apes are ascendant over humanity. Allying with the tempestuous Colonel George Taylor, himself from a very different Earth, Kirk and his crew have to stop the Klingons' plans without unduly influencing the development of the planet of the apes.
What I liked most about this book is that it chooses to crossover the original 1960s versions of Star Trek and Planet of the Apes, ignoring the decades of sequels and reboots that followed, which feel nicely tonally appropriate. It is also very careful to insert itself among existing lore, so by the end of the story there's no reason that the 60/70s Apes sequels couldn't still happen as they do in the movies and the Enterprise's 5-year mission can continue uninterrupted. Sure, at one point it's a little too on-the-nose, with Taylor assuring Kirk he's decided to forget all about these events, but aside from that I liked the premise.
Also the title, 'The Primate Directive', is an inspired pun.
Unfortunately, the actual meat of the story here isn't anything particularly engaging and doesn't do anything risky or terribly interesting.
The high point, for me, was seeing Taylor determined to use the Enterprise's power to wipe out the damn dirty apes, because his future is not the mostly-utopian one that Kirk comes from. Sadly this plot thread is resolved a little too easily, albeit amusingly with 60s Trek fisticuffs, and doesn't really get to play out to its full potential.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
What I liked most about this book is that it chooses to crossover the original 1960s versions of Star Trek and Planet of the Apes, ignoring the decades of sequels and reboots that followed, which feel nicely tonally appropriate. It is also very careful to insert itself among existing lore, so by the end of the story there's no reason that the 60/70s Apes sequels couldn't still happen as they do in the movies and the Enterprise's 5-year mission can continue uninterrupted. Sure, at one point it's a little too on-the-nose, with Taylor assuring Kirk he's decided to forget all about these events, but aside from that I liked the premise.
Also the title, 'The Primate Directive', is an inspired pun.
Unfortunately, the actual meat of the story here isn't anything particularly engaging and doesn't do anything risky or terribly interesting.
The high point, for me, was seeing Taylor determined to use the Enterprise's power to wipe out the damn dirty apes, because his future is not the mostly-utopian one that Kirk comes from. Sadly this plot thread is resolved a little too easily, albeit amusingly with 60s Trek fisticuffs, and doesn't really get to play out to its full potential.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
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