The second episode of the free online digital comic book prequel to the forthcoming motion picture Rise of the Planet of the Apes is now available on this page. The movie debuts on 5 August; the webcomic started last week, and “is set before the events detailed in the film, presenting an epic tale of two apes brutally taken from the wild and driven into a life of captivity and experimentation—a journey that will alter the fate of the world forever.”
The comic is written by Daryl Gregory with art by Damian Couceiro and Tony Parker. The movie will be “the first live-action film in the history of movies to star and be told from the point of view of a sentient animal—a character with human-like qualities, who can strategize, organize, and ultimately lead a revolution, and with whom audiences will experience a real emotional bond.”
“Fan outpouring for the initial debut of www.apescomics.com has been overwhelming,” said BOOM! Studios Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ross Richie. “It’s great to work closely with [film production firm Twentieth Century Fox] to tell a prelude story in the fantastic and story-rich world of the Rise of the Planet of the Apes. If you haven’t had a chance to read the free online prequel, you don’t know what you are missing!”
In April, BOOM! announced they were publishing an all new ongoing Planet of the Apes comics series set in the original classic 1968 movie continuity (see this article). “Subsequently, a flurry of fan interest caused a complete sell-out of Planet of the Apes #1, sending the seminal issue into second print even before hitting store shelves.”