Planet of the Apes #23

Marvel's long-running black-and-white magazine series reaches issue #23 with a cover that pulls no punches: a rifle-wielding ape in leather gear looms large in the foreground while, behind him through a crumbling archway, a desperate human man flees on foot as an ape soldier pursues on horseback through a burning cityscape. The tagline "Where Man Once Stood Supreme — Now Rule the Apes" frames the tension perfectly, and the cover copy promises both an all-new story titled "Messiah of Monkey Demons" and the declaration that "The Battle for the Planet of the Apes Begins!" Doug Moench and Tom Sutton bring their storytelling talents to the interior, making this August 1976 issue a compelling chapter in one of Marvel's most distinctive licensed titles.