TITLE: Monkeyman and O’Brien Special
YEAR: 1996
COMPANY: Legend/Dark Horse Comics
Story & Art: Arthur Adams
Colorist: Matthew Hollingsworth
Letterer: Lois Buhalis
Cover Colorist: Laura Allred
Back in 1993, Arthur Adams created “Monkeyman and O’Brien”. While an entertaining and fascinating comic book series, all that was published was a three-issue limited series, a two-issue crossover series with “Gen13” and a comic strip for “Dark Horse Extra”.
But for those who wanted to understand the origins of the intelligent, alien ape Axwell Tiberius (called “Monkeyman”) and scientist Ann O’Brien, will want to read the 1996 special issue of “Monkeyman and O’Brien”.
The issue introduces us to Ann O’Brien, a scientist who was working on a project on interdimensionmal travel and somehow her father, the lead scientist had gone missing
As Ann tries to find a way to get her father back, her half-sister Oniko shows up 15-years later to claim their father’s research lab as her own and she argues because she is the oldest sister, she is now the head researcher. Ann disagrees as Oniko hasn’t been around and her father placed her in charge of the lab.
Needless to say, it leads to a fight between the two sisters and Ann falls back hitting buttons on the control panel which then detects an alien being and transports it to their lab, but in the process an explosion also hits both sisters.
While Oniko and her goons are able to get out of the destroyed lab, Ann’s assistant Akiko manages to wake Ann up and both tend to the gorilla.
Ann tries to help the gorilla, who is speaking another language but she is unable to understand it.
While Akiko wants to bring in the authorities, Ann convinces her not to because she is at fault for transporting the alien ape which she calls “Monkeyman” to their world.
As she introduces Monkeyman to books, the following morning, Monkeyman was able to read books and now talk in fluent English and introduces himself as a scientist named Axwell Tiberius.
He tells her that he must get back to his world and Ann wants to do all she can to help him. Meanwhile, Ann notices that her body is going through an extreme change. Not only is she getting taller but she’s developing special abilities that make her strong and quick.
And while the two work together in hopes to finding a way to bring Monkeyman back home. But there may be others who may threaten that from happening.
Overall, “Monkeyman and O’Brien” is a solid, entertaining series and this special does help in introducing the events which led to both protagonists in working with each other. A special issue worth reading!