Planet of the Apes Omnibus

Classic Planet of the Apes #1-5

by Daryl Gregory, Pierre Boulle (Creator), Diego Barreto (Illustrator)

Taking place before the original 1968 Planet of the Apes films, Ape Society has reached a new golden age, but there are ripples of dissent in both ape and human ranks. Tensions will rise and soon all will be caught in the chaos!

Taking place before the original Planet of the apes movies, Ape and Human societies have reached a new golden age, gut peace never lasts for long. Ripples of dissent are spreading in both the Ape and Human ranks and when a mysterious assassin guns down the beloved Lawgiver, tensions will reach a boiling point! Can one human solve the mystery of the Lawgiver’s murder before war engulfs all of society? Oris this the beginning of the end for Apes and Humans alike?

Find out what happens 1,300 years before the arrival of Colonel George Taylor, collecting the entire series for the first time from award winning novelist Daryl Gregory and critically acclaimed Carlos Magno, comes the story of the rise of the original Planet of the Apes!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Award-winning author of Revelator, The Album of Dr. Moreau, Spoonbenders, We Are All Completely Fine, and others. Some of his short fiction has been collected in Unpossible and Other Stories.

He's won the World Fantasy Award, as well as the Shirley Jackson, Crawford, Asimov Readers, and Geffen awards, and his work has been short-listed for many other awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Sturgeon awards . His books have been translated in over a dozen languages, and have been named to best-of-the-year lists from NPR Books, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Library Journal.

He is also the writer of Flatline an interactive fiction game from 3 Minute Games, and comics such as Planet of the Apes.

He's a frequent teacher of writing and is a regular instructor at the Viable Paradise Writing Workshop.

Reviews

[Brett C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good and showed the interactions, drama, and problems between humans and the primates. It was entertaining and showed the Planet of the Apes world before the setting of the 1968 movie. It was full of action, added dimension to the POTA universe, and the art work was very good in my opinion. This is definitely a must for POTA fans and graphic novels. Recommended read! Thanks!

[Todd Glaeser · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was good, multi-layered and complex.
The art was uneven. Really good until the last "chapter," which was somewhat generic by comparison.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worldbuilding is some of the best I've read, many characters, several locations and factions to follow, changing allegiances, solid action. It can help to see the first two movies but hardly relies on any continuity, all new characters. Despite that it still feels like the PotA universe with similar themes. Strongly reminds of a Game of Thrones story in many ways. I got the same enjoyment in a lot less time.Only a couple issues holding it back are the characters aren't able to be as great as GoT characters not really a fault with writing-can't create the same depth as you can in 2000+ pages in 16 issues and the arguing is repetitive.

[Mhorg · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the art and characters are well done, this story doesn't fit in with the original five movies in any way or form. Yes, there are mutants (beneath), they mention the alpha-omega bomb (beneath), Cesar (conquest, battle) is referenced, as is his battle cry from battle. The rest however, flying machines? In planet, the thought of flying was scoffed at. Steam shovels? Tanks? No. No. No. This is more of an alternate timeline. So, as an old time apes fan, the Marvel magazine of the 70s is still the best.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apes and humans can be equal? Can two sisters come back together to make this happen? This long journey that takes place over many years tells a beautiful Planet of the Apes story. Set before the movies we get to see a part of history that hasn't been explored yet. A period were man and ape try to come together. Plus there's a pirate gorilla.

[Kuba · Rating 3 out of 5]

If it wasn't Planet of the apes' universe, I would give it 2.5 stars. The worldbuilding is immersive. I liked all the ape characters, but humans felt generic and forgettable.
The story is repetitive, and the ending disappointed me.
I'm not a fan of this type of art. All looks dirty and ugly.

[Onyx · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death."


What a great story that beautifully builds the POTA universe. Fantastic work by the writers and artists. I'm going through an Apes phase and this omnibus really hit the spot. If you're a fan of the films, check this out.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art isn’t quite what I most desire, and it’s a bit inconsistent when the art changes toward the end. But the worldbuilding in this era set in the years following the epilogue in Battle is pretty interesting. I vaguely remember wanting to write a fanfic called Pirate of the Apes, and here we have an ape pirate ship in one of these arcs. One of the hazards of the franchise, though, is it gets pessimistic.

[Tyler Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worthy of the Apes canon. The writing can be a little bit cold and warrant light rereading, but overall it was very smartly written and delivered. I love the nuances and complications with this unending, political war. It felt realistic in its character motivations amidst the fantasy and sci-fi elements. Art is solid, I wouldn’t call it tremendous, but it does the job.

I’m glad I read it. I probably won’t revisit it often, but it respected my intelligence and the source material.

[Lyf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read. Loads of fun and a nice dive into the history and mythology of The Planet Of The Apes world.

[Tony Foxhoven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, you read that right = 5 stars. This was SO enjoyable at a time where it just feels like everything is stressful

[Zachary King · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up. I didn’t expect an Apes comic to be this good! Sophisticated world-building with a bevy of terrific characters; winks and nods to the film series abound.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Solid. It occurs about 600 years after the storyline of the most recent Plant of the Apes franchise.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really solid expansion of the POTA world. A little slow at some points but generally the best a comic of this nature has been.

[Courtney K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had the family dynamics and drama that I loved in Saga. I didn't know if I was supposed to feel for the humans or the apes, or both? I loved the twist with the narrator at the end.