Marvel Apes #0

This oversized special kicks off the 4-issue miniseries that explores the Marvel Universe if it existed on the Planet of the Apes. Or something to that effect. Starting things off are the reprints of Amazing Spider-Man #110-111. This pair of issues introduced a character named The Gibbon. He's a human mutant(?) that looks a lot like an ape-like humanoid and he's got amazing reflexes. 

After a chance meeting with Spider-Man, the Gibbon wants to become a superhero like the webslinger. Only, Spider-Man rebuffs him as his personal life balance between being a hero and a regular Joe has tilted the scales too far into Spider-Man's direction. Angered by even more rejection, the Gibbon is recruited by Spidey arch-foe, Kraven the Hunter, who conducts some sort of bizarre ceremony that gives Kraven mental control of poor man.

The reason for these reprints is that The Gibbon is supposed to be the main character of the Marvel Apes miniseries. This all leads me to believe that something happens that turns the Marvel universe into simians except for Gibbon. Probably due to his mutation(?), Gibbon retains his mental capacities while the rest of the MCU literally goes ape??? 

There's also a short story that is supposed to be like the opening act of the Marvel Apes story. It appears to be a retelling of that classic Spider-Man story 'If This Be My Destiny...!' in which in ASM #33, Spider-Man is trapped under some rubble while the room he's stuck in is slowly filling with water. In this retelling, Spider-Man is now Spider-Monkey and he doesn't seem to know he's a monkey as are a couple of other characters that appear.

Honestly, I'm not sure what is going on here. I know that this is supposed to be a prequel and was published after the miniseries was completed. And what I read feels like a huge mess. If anything, this issues makes me want to read some classic Amazing Spider-Man and stay completely away from Marvel Apes.

You're probably wondering why I chose this book. Well, I chose it because of its cover. When I found this a while back, I was thumbing through long boxes. I only paid a buck for it. At the time of sale, I was hoping that this was a Christmas issue. Once home, I realized this was only a holiday variant cover. Why cover artist Salva Espin (You Are Deadpool) decided to do a cover with a monkey version of Santa and his reindeer instead of other Marvel characters is beyond me. 

There are about 30 variant covers included at the end of this special. One or two are from Espin. The rest are from talent such as Rob Liefeld, Stuart Immonen, and Rick Silva. These covers were all variants of differing titles to coincide with the Marvel Apes event and are a visually dazzling addition to this special. 

Since I only paid a dollar and I knew ahead of time that this was what I consider to be a 'Scrooge' issue, I wasn't angry. I guess I'll still keep this in my holiday comics collection based on just the cover. But to if I'll ever read Marvel Apes, I'd have to find it at my local library or for real cheap because what I've read so far hasn't peaked my interest.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Wolverine: Season One

I've been a big fan of Marvel's Season One books. They were too expensive for me to buy when they were new in 2012-13. But over the past couple of years affordable copies have come on the market at used book stores and Ollie's of all places. 

Logan/Wolverine's origin has been explored to an Nth degree. There's been Wolverine: Origin, his time as in the Weapon X project in Marvel Comics Presents, and numerous looks at the mutants first days with the X-Men. But finally do I learn of Wolverine's ties to Alpha Flight!

I remember an issue of The Marvel Saga briefly mentioned on Wolverine being a member of that Canadian superhero team. But nothing further was ever explored. So I always wondered about that. For the most part, writers Ben Blacker and Ben Acker (Thrilling Adventure Hour) do an exceptional job with that. 

Though one confusion remains. In both that issue of The Marvel Saga and other books, Wolverine is shown leading heroes such as the hairy but diminutive Puck and the hairy but quite large Sasquatch. But neither character is in this book and this book covers all of Wolverine's time with Alpha Flight. So, was there a retcon? Had to be. It's the only explanation.

Speaking of explanations, I loved the why behind Wolverine's costume change from his first appearance in Hulk 180-181 to what you see in Giant-Size X-Men #1. 

Plus, if you love Wolverine's first appearances with the Hulk, you are going to love this book.

Artist Salva Espin (Deadpool) adds a level of sensuality to this book. It appears that Logan finds himself in love triangles with stuffy team leaders and brainy babes with red hair quite often! Plus that painted cover totally rocks!

This origin story wasn't what I was expecting. However, I've got no complaints as this Season One explores areas of Wolverine's life that I had always pondered. There's still some anachronisms floating around. But a large chunk of my questions into Logan's time with Alpha Flight has been answered.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

You Are Deadpool #1

You Are Deadpool #1
Written by Al Ewing
Art by Salva Espin

Covers by Rahzzah, Salva Espin, & Ron Lim

Over the past couple of years, Marvel has been experimenting with the ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ format. Several titles such as a 2016 Halloween ComicFest edition of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is an example of such trial and error. Unfortunately, the use of arrows and mutli-page flow charts haven’t made for the easiest of reads in terms of presentation.

Now Marvel is at it again with a 4-issue miniseries in which you the reader gets to be the Merc with a Mouth! Only there’s a twist to the formula- you are gonna need dice.

You Are Deadpool has you taking Wade Wilson on a clandestine mission through a secret research laboratory. In this book, there’s several D&D elements involved. Along with needing a six-sided die, you will need a pen and paper to add and subtract from Deadpool’s emotional points, as well as keeping inventory of items you can pick up throughout the adventure.

Back in the 80s, there was a series of paperback gamebooks call Lone Wolf. The books had charts and forms for the reader to maintain their health meter as well as develop an inventory and develop certain skills needed to complete the adventure. You Are Deadpool is the comic book version of this and it’s quite the accomplishment.

This Al Ewing and Salva Espin collaboration was a lot of fun. The first 4-5 pages explains the rules of the game. There’s even a page where you could cut out and make your own die (with some added help)- if destroying comic books is your sort of thing. With an easy numbering system of panels, not pages, there’s quite a bit of action to be had. But I think the real fun is still to come.

The Deadpool emotion points dictate whether you continue on to issues 2, 3, or 4 of You Are Deadpool. Normally when I say that I’m going to wait until the trade comes out, I usually mean that I am on the fence about a title. Not willing to go any further until the series is collected, I end up waiting for the title to show up at my local library for free. I am going to wait on reading the rest of this game-style comic but I will not wait for the trade.

Since you need all 4-issues to fully enjoy this Marvel experiment, it was smart of the House of Ideas to publish all needed copies within a 4 week span. Doing this book at a monthly might very well result in the loss of readership.  As for myself, I will continue to show up at my LCS at obtain the other 3 books. But I am going to wait until I have the entire game, as well as time and patience to sit down and play it in one sitting.

If the next trio of issues are as adventuresome and funny as this debut book, I hope that Marvel will continue to expand on this premise, possibly even making a game for more than one player.

Marvel’s comics have had a lot of low points lately. But You Are Deadpool is not one of them. A fresh idea that entertains as well as redefines everything you known about sequential art. This miniseries promises to be the most innovative and immersive comic book of the summer.

You Are Deadpool #1 debuted in stores and digital media on May 2, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

This review published concurrently at Outrightgeekery.com.