In April 2023, the legendary sci-fi franchise “Planet of the Apes” will make a triumphant return to Marvel Comics. The brand-new, ongoing series will continue to explore the battle between humans and apes. The new ongoing series will be brought to life by Eisner Award–winning author David F. Walker (Luke Cage, Bitter Root) and illustrator Dave Wachter (Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon, Star Wars: The High Republic—Trail of Shadows). The first arc of the series, “Devolution: Part One,” will introduce the ALZ-113 virus and its effects on Earth, which of course leads to the crumbling of society.
As the virus spreads throughout the planet, people are fighting for their lives, but a fanatical faction of humans believes that eliminating all apes will solve the problem. Juliana Tobon, a peacekeeper, will resist this lunacy and stand against the faction. The conflict between humans and apes will take a darker turn as the apes learn just how cruel humans can be, and to the depths they'll sink.
“Not only is Planet Of The Apes my favorite film franchise, it was my favorite series of comics from Marvel when I was a kid,” Walker said. “Both the films and the comics ignited my imagination and helped me fall in love with the art of storytelling. To be part of Marvel's return to the PLANET OF THE APES is more than an honor. It is a childhood dream come true.”
Marvel Comics and the Planet of the Apes have a long-standing relationship that dates back more than 40 years. In 1974, Marvel published its first Planet of the Apes stories, and in 1975, it released Adventures On The Planet Of The Apes, full-color versions of the classic movies.
Planet Of The Apes #1 arrives on comic store shelves on April 5th. Check out the variant covers by Mike McKone and Logan Lubera below.
