Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox’s entertainment assets has just netted Marvel its next big comic book franchise. Although we’re surprised it took this long, Marvel has just re-gained the publishing rights to Planet of the Apes and will begin releasing new stories featuring the simian characters in 2023. Planet of the Apes comics.
Marvel is no stranger to the Planet of the Apes universe. In fact, the House of Ideas famously began publishing its own Apes comic books in 1974. Aside from adapting all five films in the original series, these comics also featured new tales written by Doug Moench and Gerry Conway. Over the next three years, Moench and Conway teamed up with a rotating cast of artists that included Mike Esposito, George Tuska, and more. Marvel released 29 issues of the book before ending the series in 1977.
Since then, the rights to the Apes brand have segued from one publishing house to the next. Most recently, Boom! Studios released its own Planet of the Apes titles that covered both the original films’ continuity and that of the reboot series featuring Andy Serkis’ Caesar.
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Marvel hasn’t announced a creative team or plot details for its first new Planet of the Apes comic. But they did share some new teaser artwork illustrated by Salvador Larroca, which suggests that the upcoming series will draw more influence from the 1968-73 films than the more recent trilogy that began with Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011. As a bonus, it sounds like reprints of Marvel’s ‘70s Apes books are on the way as well. You can check out Larroca’s image below.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Planet of the Apes back to the House of Ideas!” said Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski in a new statement. “The new saga in the pipeline is going explore the limits of what this beloved franchise has to offer through bold comics storytelling, and we look forward to setting foot on this new adventure!”
Are you excited to see what Marvel has planned for the franchise? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Planet of the Apes Omnibus
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