Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive #5 Review

Will the Klingons take over the Planet of the Apes? Or will the Enterprise stop them in their tracks? Read on to find out.

The official description from IDW:

The battle for conquest of the Planet of the Apes comes to a climax! Can Captain Kirk wrest control of the Gorilla army from the Klingons?

If I could describe this comic in one word, it’d be: anticlimactic. Now, I know this series was always going to be tailored towards George Taylor’s encounter with the U.S.S. Enterprise, but not at the expense of a gripping conclusion. As having enjoyed the build-up to this point, I was looking forward to an exciting confrontation between the Enterprise and the Klingons. Unfortunately this barely happens, with the situation almost fading out.

That being said, Scott and David Tipton‘s script was far from terrible, as despite not being quite what I hoped (and expected), there were still some gripping moments. The most impressive amongst these had to be the way the writers handle ape law, as though it was slightly disappointing not to see ape vs. ape action, it stayed true to the society that the apes have built. The dialogue that the Tipton’s create also allows for some dramatic moments, with the exchange between Kirk and Taylor being fitting to the narrative and timeline of Planet of the Apes.

The artwork that Rachael Stott has created for this series has been nothing short of astonishing. Being fun, energetic, and above all, captivating, it is easy to lose yourself within these sensational pages. The way in which Stott captures the character likeness of both the Enterprise crew and George Taylor also allows for an immersive tone, with the apes also having an uncanny resemblance to the characters from the films. It is however the character expressions that really allow Stott’s art to stand out, as along with Charlie Kirchoff‘s vibrant colours, it adds great depth.

Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive #5 may not have been the ending fans deserved, but his shouldn’t deter fans that have followed this series since #1. It isn’t however a comic for readers that are considering getting the story as a whole, as for that I’d recommend the trade paperback, or even hunting down a copy of #1.