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
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.
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
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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