Bechko and Hardman wrap things up quickly, maybe even getting their Apes series in a place where a sequel might not be pointless.

The issue itself concentrates, with the exception of the good chimps ambushing the gorillas with science, on events cursory to the battle scene. There’s the discussion of the leaders, there’s the follow-up to it, but none of the actual battle makes an impression. Maybe because there’s nothing to invest in Exile.

The best thing about the comic is its last few pages and only then because they imply that better sequel I mentioned.

Laming’s artwork continues to impress, though he doesn’t have very much to do. It’s a fight in an office park. A post-apocalyptic office park, but an office park just the same.

But the finish does give Laming a brief chance to try out new Apes settings and he does well with them.

CREDITS

Writers, Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman; artist, Marc Laming; colorist, Darrin Moore; letterer, Ed Dukeshire; editor, Dafna Pleban; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Bechko and Hardman have a difficult task this issue. They need to make the humans sympathetic, but the humans’ stupidity gets in the way. The writers fail and basically prove what the bad apes always say–man is an animal.

There’s only a little action, at the beginning and the end, but I can’t remember what else goes on. And I just finished reading it. There’s a lot of talking, but it’s all planning. Unless it’s the scenes with totally unnecessary characters.

Speaking of characters, it would be nice if Bechko and Hardman bothered writing any. The rebel gorilla is the closest thing to an actual character, but he’s still way too slim. The female chimp protagonist is just another stand-in for Kim Hunter.

The script really doesn’t do Laming’s artwork justice. It doesn’t give him interesting subjects to draw, whether scenery, action or conversation.

It’s a boring comic.

CREDITS

Writers, Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman; artist, Marc Laming; colorist, Darrin Moore; letterer, Ed Dukeshire; editor, Dafna Pleban; publisher, Boom! Studios.

I really like the Laming art a lot. He brings personality to the apes during their conversations, lots of pensive thoughts and so on. He deserves a much better script.

Bechko and Hardman continue their boring political history. Exile really does fell like a history lesson, except the Planet of the Apes doesn’t have an interesting history because it’s so small. It’s really the history of one settlement. It’s funny when the writers introduce Milo–who I think is Sal Mineo’s ape who dies three minutes into the third movie–but so what? If they’re setting up the first movie, they’re heading toward an inevitable conclusion.

And here’s the problem with that approach… What if they don’t make it? What if Boom! cancels their future limiteds? Or if they losethe license? Bechko and Hardman, while they produce okay licensed material comics, aren’t going to have much if they don’t finish.

CREDITS

Writers, Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman; artist, Marc Laming; colorist, Jordie Bellaire; letterer, Ed Dukeshire; editor, Dafna Pleban; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Exile on the Planet of the Apes has way too much to do with Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman’s last series, Betrayal on the Planet of the Apes. There’s a little synopsis of the ground situation, post–Betrayal, but it’s not enough. It doesn’t go into all the characters who the reader’s supposed to remember.

Marc Laming–not Hardman–does the art this issue. Laming does quite well with the art, actually. He’s able to do the action, he’s able to do the talking heads… however, why does a Planet of the Apes need a bunch of talking heads?

The script isn’t bad at all. But it’s a bunch of politics and medieval science. And really not enough medieval science; Bechko and Hardman don’t explore the ludicrousness of the apes’ science enough.

The end’s confusing (since I don’t remember Betrayal). It’s another pointless Apes comic, but it’s perfectly fine stuff.

CREDITS

Writers, Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman; artist, Marc Laming; colorist, Jordie Bellaire; letterer, Ed Dukeshire; editor, Dafna Pleban; publisher, Boom! Studios.