Brain ain't broke.
How can I put this into words . . .
. . . . Planetary did not break my brain.
How does one describe a comic book like Planetary? It is a melting pot of wondrous storytelling. A touch of science-fiction, a hint of spy intrigue, a dash of creature feature, and just a smidgen of superhero action is a good start, but it's just a start. This book has to be experienced in order to be truly appreciated.
Elijah Snow is 100 years old (though he doesn’t look a day over 40) and has seen a great deal of our world's "secret history" unfold. For that reason, he is sought out by an organization called Planetary (premiered in issue #1), which is dedicated to uncovering that history.
Writer Warren Ellis does a well making the characters "fit" whatever storyline or background he offers readers. There are many different ingredients to this delicacy of sequential art. Snow and his teammates, Jakita Wagner and "The Drummer," have been on cases involving a W.W.II quantum computer built by a secret society of superhumans , a literal monster island, the vengeful ghost of a Chinese cop, and some things that are better read than explained. Through it all, the characters remain fresh and entertaining, never lost in what is happening around them.
Artist John Cassaday does a great job of creating the perfect mood for the stories with his attention to detail, i.e. shading and texture. He also has a flair for characterization; faces and bodies are expressive without being "over the top." I'm not a real fan of his since he took over doing the artwork for Astonishing X-men, but I certainly won't bash his talent.
After having read the first trade paper back, two of the main characters that I took well to were the Drummer and Jakita. She is a leather-clad strong female type that I have always enjoyed in comic books and the Drummer is just endering in his quirky, cute way.
. . . . Planetary did not break my brain.
How does one describe a comic book like Planetary? It is a melting pot of wondrous storytelling. A touch of science-fiction, a hint of spy intrigue, a dash of creature feature, and just a smidgen of superhero action is a good start, but it's just a start. This book has to be experienced in order to be truly appreciated.
Elijah Snow is 100 years old (though he doesn’t look a day over 40) and has seen a great deal of our world's "secret history" unfold. For that reason, he is sought out by an organization called Planetary (premiered in issue #1), which is dedicated to uncovering that history.
Writer Warren Ellis does a well making the characters "fit" whatever storyline or background he offers readers. There are many different ingredients to this delicacy of sequential art. Snow and his teammates, Jakita Wagner and "The Drummer," have been on cases involving a W.W.II quantum computer built by a secret society of superhumans , a literal monster island, the vengeful ghost of a Chinese cop, and some things that are better read than explained. Through it all, the characters remain fresh and entertaining, never lost in what is happening around them.
Artist John Cassaday does a great job of creating the perfect mood for the stories with his attention to detail, i.e. shading and texture. He also has a flair for characterization; faces and bodies are expressive without being "over the top." I'm not a real fan of his since he took over doing the artwork for Astonishing X-men, but I certainly won't bash his talent.
After having read the first trade paper back, two of the main characters that I took well to were the Drummer and Jakita. She is a leather-clad strong female type that I have always enjoyed in comic books and the Drummer is just endering in his quirky, cute way.