PLANET OF THE APES: THE HUMAN WAR #2

Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with sharp, well-defined corners and no visible creases or spine stress. Edges appear clean with no chipping, and the surface is free of stains or writing. The book is in a protective sleeve; interior pages and back cover were not assessed, so grade is capped conservatively.

Planet of the Apes: The Human War #2 is the second chapter of a five-issue Dark Horse Comics miniseries published in 2001, one of several Apes-licensed projects the publisher produced in the years surrounding the Tim Burton film reboot. Written by Ian Edginton with art by Paco Medina and Juan Vlasco, colors by Michelle Madsen, and lettering by Steve Dutro, the story extends the mythology of the original Planet of the Apes franchise into a self-contained conflict narrative rather than adapting any specific film or novel plot point. The cover for this issue was provided by J. Scott Campbell, then at the height of his popularity from his work on titles like Danger Girl and Gen13, giving the book a recognizable name on the front even though the interior creative team worked largely outside the spotlight.

As a licensed miniseries entry rather than a flagship ongoing title, The Human War #2 never generated meaningful aftermarket demand beyond its cover artist's fanbase. Dark Horse's early-2000s Apes output printed in volume typical of direct-market comics of the period, and this issue has settled into the same bulk-stock tier as most of its companion issues: plentiful in back-issue bins and online lots, with no notable sales history driving speculative interest. The J. Scott Campbell cover credit is the primary reason the book gets pulled and priced individually at all, since Campbell cover-attributed comics tend to hold a small premium over otherwise similar unheralded licensed comics.

This is a book for Planet of the Apes completists and J. Scott Campbell cover collectors building out his full bibliography, rather than for speculators chasing appreciation. Raw copies in any condition remain inexpensive and easy to source, and even a graded submission carries value mainly as a clean, top-of-census example for a Campbell-cover completist rather than as an investment-grade key. It is a straightforward reader/collector item that trades near cover price in the wild and only meaningfully appreciates in pristine, professionally graded form.