Episode #4 - The Planet Of Dr. Moreau
Original Airdate February 7th 1998

Hoping to return his beloved Zenn La, The Silver Surfer finds himself instead leading a planetary rebellion against the Kree.

Credits
Written By: Larry Brody, Christopher Kaney
Music Composed By: Shuki Levy and Kussa Mahchi

Review: With the origin out of the way, we’re now able to get into the main brunt of the show, with The Surfer and his search for Zenn la. It was interesting to see his frustration here, especially the shock he felt when he lashed out in anger, after years of peaceful behaviour on his home world. I’m not sure if Surfer’s search for his home world will stay interesting for the entire season, but it was perfectly watchable here.

It was interesting to see the planet’s reaction to his arrival and their instant fear of the herald of Galactus. I’m glad to see they have the show in almost a first person mode, which allows us to here the characters thoughts. I personally like it when shows are done in this way. I realise that it doesn’t fit a lot of characters, like Batman for example, as a lot of his mystique comes from the way in which his mind works. It does work for these characters on the odd occasion though, as both Batman and Superman have had brilliant episodes in their respective shows with this type of storytelling with Dream In Darkness and The Late Mr. Kent. It works wonderfully for some on a permanent basis however, as this show and Spider-Man: The Animated Series will attest to.

I felt that the pacing of the series has been off. I originally thought that it was simply the origin story being a three parter threw me off slightly but the episodes all seem to move at a snails pace. This is a big chance compared to most animated shows, but I’m honestly not sure if it’s a welcome one or not. I’m enjoying the show, but I don’t wait breathlessly for the next episode.

Having said that, I found the episode perfectly enjoyable. I imagine I’d enjoy it a lot more if I was a fan of the character (I’m sure there are dozens of Kirby references and such that I’m missing) but I’m just hoping the series picks up the pace a little.

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