Marvel Comics; $4.99 

Under the care of writer Josh Trujillo and artist Andrea Di Vito, two very different worlds have collided in the poorly titled but very nicely executed (thus far) Planet of the Apes versus Fantastic Four.  

It’s never been unusual for Marvel’s first family to adventure in space or time, so for them to find themselves in a possible iteration of Earth’s future, it’s no stretch. In this case, it’s the timeline of the original 1968 feature film, or something very close to it. 

Cornelius, Zira, Doctor Zaius General Ursus and the other citizens of Ape City have found Reed and Sue Richards, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm – all without their powers. Now suddenly, Zira, Cornelius, Zaius and Ursus have their powers instead.  

It’s a very clever set-up, one that shows a high regard for both properties in how it’s carried out. And of course there’s a major villain waiting in the wings. It’s going to be very interesting to see where this one goes. 

Marvel, of course, has a long history with the property, dating to decades before they were both owned by Disney. The original Planet of the Apes black and white magazine firmly established that both adaptations and original material would work in comics. BOOM! Studios later collected the work into four hardcover Planet of the Apes Archives omnibus editions that are prized by collectors.  

The original Marvel comic book series, Adventures on the Planet of the Apes, presented the first two adaptations in color before the license ended in 1976. Once Marvel regained the license in 2023, they produced a five-issue series, Planet of the Apes, set in the continuity of the recent movies, and the less successful Beware the Planet of the Apes, set in the original continuity.  

– J.C. Vaughn