Great Apeby Alysson WyattReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 6 Somewhere in Africa, a strange new species of ape is found and brought back for study. A pair of MIB-like agents apparently running this operation search out a young primatologist named Jenny Lamplighter in the hopes that she will be able to identify the ape. Jenny has only been working on a small intelligence project with her monkey Ulu, so when she gets another strange ape dropped in her lap, she has no idea what to expect. Weird things begin to happen whenever Jenny and Adam, the mysterious new ape, are alone, until the professor who aids Jenny suspects the supernatural or worse.This one-shot comic definitely has its moments. The artwork is lovely, though not very detailed. Even so, I didn't have a hard time following the action. In fact, I rather like the less detailed style for a change, as it made me laugh and helped to remind me that this was not a serious story. Sometimes I need that reminder. Until the professor commits a very unexpected act, I was preparing myself for a serious climax. After that, I relaxed and let myself enjoy the ensuing hilarity. I'm not sure why I do that, but it's probably the type of story I prefer. It's unfortunate that the plot takes somewhat predictable turns later in the issue, especially when they bring in the stereotypically big, hulking African game hunter, complete with floppy banded hat. The only thing missing was the elephant gun. Nevertheless, Great Ape was a nice and original break away from the manga I'm used to reading. The writer wasted no time between scenes, and although I felt a little rushed at times, at least it didn't drag, which I think would have been worse. Although it wasn't as big and flashy as I wanted, I must say the ending was cute. I'd like to see more stories from the writer/artist team. Written: January 18, 2004
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