Legendary artist and former DC Comics editorial director and publisher Carmine Infantino, according to an apocryphal story, kept a list of seven things guaranteed to sell a comic if they appeared on its cover. At the top of that list was “Gorillas,” and many historians have noted the preponderance of DC Comics covers featuring gorillas and gorilla-themed stories that likely came about as a result of Infantino’s policy. Now Marvel has decided to adopt a similar philosophy, this time expanding their focus from just gorillas to the entire ape family, as today the publisher announced a series of Planet of the Apes-themed variant covers will adorn dozens over their titles in February.

The Planet of the Apes Marvel variants coincide with the House of Ideas having picked up the license to publish new PotA comics beginning in 2023. While no details on those new stories have yet been announced, Marvel appears to be following the same playbook they used in bringing both Aliens and Predator to their lineup, having already announced a new omnibus of classic PotA comics and now the forthcoming series of variant covers.

The full list of titles receiving Planet of the Apes variant covers is below, as well as the available cover art that accompanied the announcement. There’s no word yet on whether Marvel will be adopting any of Carmine Infantino’s other sure-fire cover features (though hey, the Ghost Rider variant has a motorcycle on it, too), but surely “Purple Background” and “The Hero Crying” Variant cover series are just around the corner.

On Sale 2/1

AVENGERS #65 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY PEPE LARRAZ

CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #9 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY ESAD RIBIĆ

MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #3 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY RYAN STEGMAN

MOON KNIGHT #20 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY GERARDO SANDOVAL

SCARLET WITCH #2 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY LEE GARBETT

SILVER SURFER: GHOST LIGHT #1 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY TAURIN CLARKE

VENOM #16 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY BJORN BARENDS

X-FORCE #37 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY ALAN DAVIS

On Sale 2/8

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #19 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY FRANCESCO MOBILI

BISHOP: WAR COLLEGE #1 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY NATACHA BUSTOS

BLACK PANTHER #14 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY LEINIL FRANCIS  YU

CAPTAIN AMERICA: SYMBOL OF TRUTH #10 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY RON LIM

DAREDEVIL #8 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY TERRY DODSON


GHOST RIDER #11 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY DECLAN SHALVEY

On Sale 2/15

AVENGERS FOREVER #14 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY DAVID TALASKI

CAPTAIN MARVEL #46 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO

FANTASTIC FOUR #4 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY JUANN CABAL

HULK #12 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY SALVADOR LARROCA

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #3 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY FRANCESCO MANNA

MARAUDERS #11 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY CARLOS GÓMEZ

MONICA RAMBEAU: PHOTON #3 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY BETSY COLA

SPIDER-MAN #5 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY PACO MEDINA

WOLVERINE #30 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY GREG LAND

On Sale 2/22

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #20 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY EMA LUPACCHINO

DEADPOOL #4 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY MIKE McKONE

DOCTOR STRANGE: FALL SUNRISE #4 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY JOHN CASSADAY

IMMORAL X-MEN #1 PLANET OF THE APES VARIANT COVER BY PHIL NOTO

3 COMMENTS

  1. This is all so stupid. Marvel is already shooting themselves in the foot. Reprinting the Adventures on the POTA line–which were just badly edited, badly colored reprints of the far superior monthly magazine–as the first new product was already an inept move. Now this shit. No, thank you.

  2. I concur with Everyone. And make it even worse to charge an ape arm and leg for it. They should do the omnibuses in the exact same format as they previous did for the Conan and Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. Reprint the b & w magazines in all its’ entirety. Two volumes – easy sell.

    Now as for a news series – as long as it follows in the pawsteps of the Matt Reeves trilogy continuity, I’ll give it a try.

    ~

    Coat

  3. It is a shame that Marvel is willing to trash up this classic piece of modern science fiction, with their products, just for a quick buck.

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