Customer Reviews

Planetary Vol. 2: The Fourth Man

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have often been asked by many of my friends about why a man of my age would even bother to spend time reading a comic book. Usually, my response is to lend them a copy of something by Warren Ellis.

In my opinion, this book and the one that precedes it are great examples of the very best that western adventure comics have to offer. Ellis skilfully constructs a hidden history and slowly draws the reader along, often leaving us gasping for more. He satisfies the comic lover with his exploration of some of the genre stereotypes, while, At the same time, giving us a great thriller/mystery that the not-so-comic-versed can also enjoy.

All this and great art too. Cassaday really adds immeasurably to the words on the page.

This is a strong piece of work that you should really look into.

I was somewhat disappointed with the previous volume of Planetary. I felt that Ellis just kind of dropped us into the action without much set up, especially in character development. The Fourth Man really improves upon the earlier premise. Ellis starts to unwind a much larger plot, while Cassaday's skills mature into true excellence.

Some of the essentially single issue tales presented here are stronger than others, but each one, while still a distinctly separate story, winds in threads of intriguing future developments. Ellis also effortlessly manipulates time, seamlessly showing us past events while leading up to future revelations. Elijah Snow is a captivating character, deeply enigmatic, charasmatic, yet conflcted. His search for his missing blocks of memory is extremely well handled and really has me hooked and looking forward to the next volume of the TPB series.

Cassaday's art, and the rich colors supporting it, is magnificent throughout. His detailed, stylish illustration pairs very nicely with the vibrant, stylish colors. He is one of the very best artists in comics, and this is a perfect example of his best work.

Ultimately, Planetary succeeds in updating traditional Science Fiction themes and melding it with Superheros. The result is a fresh exciting look and feel for modern comics. Because of the way the bigger story develops, you don't necessarily have to start with the prior TPB volume. It's certainly worth your while, but if you can only get one of the two volumes right now, get this one. After reading it, you can get the first volume, while you anxiously await the arrival of future Planetary releases. This is some of Ellis' and Cassaday's best work, and great stuff over all from one of the most talented teams in the business.

About the story: Elijah Snow, a man with a very mysterious past, previously joined Jakita Wagner and a man only known as 'The Drummer' to be in the three-person formation that is the field-team of the 'supernatural archaeology-agency' called 'Planetary'. An agency hidden to the outside world which researches and maps the secret history of the world, the history that was kept secret to the public eye. All the expenses they make while doing so are being paid for by a person which is only known as 'The Fourth man'. Nobody knows who he/she is or what he/she looks like. In this book some mysteries that were brought up in the previous volume get worked out. For example, we get to learn of the man who was the third man in the agency before Elijah, we learn a lot more about Elijahs past, and most important, we find out who 'The Fourth Man' is. Next to that more is revealed about "The Four", we get to learn members of the agency in other parts of the world (in a VERY good issue, especially for people who like 'Hellblazer') and we get a clue of how exactly the power-balance lays. Off course next to solving existing mysteries the book also throws up some new questions for us to break our heads on.

This book (which collects #7-12) is a very worthy successor of "All over the World" although I enjoyed the first book just a tad more. The issues in here are for a big part a mighty fast read and unlike book 1 there are some mysteries in here which are explained just a little too over-fantastic. Then again, the twining of different parts of the storyline is better here than it was before and the final issue in this TPB makes the most impact of all the issues in the series so far. The art is by the same artist and as good as in the previous volume. All in all it IS another good volume and the series is still at full-power. I highly suggest you get the first volume first though because otherwise I'm affraid you'll feel thrown into the deep, bigtime. I also want to add that people who enjoy 'Hellboy' must be sure to at least try out the first volume because the simularities in the theme and atmosphere are notable and Planetary is AT LEAST as well executed.

I have to admit...as a follower of Warren Ellis' work on titles like Stormwatch, The Authority, and Transmetropolitan, I think I'm predisposed to liking his work. However, when people ask me what I like about Planetary in particular, it usually boils down to imagination. Which Ellis apparently has in spades.

This second collection of Planetary takes up where the first collection left off, by answering some questions that had been posed in the earlier work and laying the foundation for possible future arcs. Once again, Ellis' trio of mystery archaeologists set about uncovering some of the secret history of the twentieth century. This time, however, a lot of the discovery involves personal quests...particularly in the case of Elijah Snow, who learns more about himself, and in the process uncovers some of the secrets behind the Planetary organization itself.

Entitled "The Fourth Man," after the anonymous benefactor whose money funds Planetary, most of the stories in the collection are tautly woven tales that are at once revelatory and enticing. A highlight is the unsettling "Magic and Loss," which is an excellent example of the holding-a-warped-mirror-to-reality motif that powers the Planetary series. Anyone who's ever read and enjoyed comic books (or sequential art) will quite possibly feel mixed feelings of recognition and dread upon reading this story. Ellis works hard to sustain that feeling throughout the collection - and for the most part succeeds. That he does so by utilizing the comics of the past and the socio-historical contexts in which they arose only serves to heighten the effect. It IS a strange world - and here's your chance to see it through some observant eyes.

Just read it.

This is the second work of Ellis I've read. The first was the previous Planetary volume. In this one, aside from crafting a tale of espinoge and intrigue that reads like the X-files meet the X-men, Ellis continues to reinturrpet pop culture archetypes. Here he brings in analogues to John Constantine, James Bond, Marilyn Monroe, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and even Morpheus from the Matrix. Even more than that he explores and developes these ideas and uses them to create a strange and compelling universe.
If I have one complaint, it's that Ellis doesn't get into the psyches and background of the characters as much as I'd like to see. We do get into the territory by the end of the book, though,

The other reviewers on this page are right. This is a great collection of stories that just bubble over with imagination and originality. It goes without saying that you must read the first volume before reading this one, but it is here that you start to see a much larger tapestry being woven from the stories in the first set. These tales continue to fascinate the reader with pop culture references (comic super heroes, 50's science fiction, many more), and the way in which art imitates life, and vice versa. After reading the fourth man, I am also excited to get my hands on the third volume, and continue travelling all over the world with Planetary. If you liked Grant Morrison's The Invisibles, then these stories will also entertain you. If you like to be introduced to something completely new when reading a graphic novel, then this is for you. I cannot praise this enough.

In this volume, the Planetary series really begins to fulfill its promise. I enjoyed the first book, but my problem with it was that the stories were too passive. Though creative, unique and beautiful, the main characters were really just listening to someone tell them a story. The characters are definitely cool, and with this book, the most fascinating, Elijah Snow, really comes alive.

As I mentioned in my review of the first volume, I love Elijah Snow because he doesn't have all the answers. In this book, he realizes it, and starts to take action. That prospect is very exciting. This volume is exemplary also because the stories go to the next level. I think the issues here really fulfill on their creative possibility, unique ideas expressed perfectly to inspire strong emotions. There are dark moments, achingly beautiful moments, wildly inventive moments, superb work. Ellis is so endlessly creative. He has ideas that most authors would base on entire story around for the highlight of their career, and here Ellis tosses ideas like that around as bar chat filler.

The art deserves mention here as well. Cassady perfectly evokes the mood of the stories and I think his style is brilliantly matched to Ellis for Planetary. I particularly like the dark London issue, but throughout these stories he is spectacular.

Brilliant ideas, fascinating stories, and an overarching plot that really builds momentum here, one so brilliantly evoked your stomach starts churning with excitement as you progress through the issues. Some of Ellis' best work.

I have often been asked by many of my friends about why a man of my age would even bother to spend time reading a comic book. I love the art of this wildstorm book it is one of the best wildstrom books outhere

This held up to the earlier Planetary episodes but was sometimes frustrating in it's "mysteriousness". There's a great issue which is a kind of what-if homage to a couple DC heroes who are not actually named. It's so creepy that I can't stop thinking about it. It's rare that I read something that powerful. I'm very interested in where this is story is going and can't wait to get the 3rd installment.

With Warren Ellis, you never know what you're gonna get. It could be a great thing...or it could be ultimate fantastic four:doom. Planetary is excellent, i find no faults in it...the dialogue is very witty and the sotries are really good, i almost choked on volume 2's Magic and Loss i have never been more entertained by a Warren Ellis comic in such a long time. Long story short Planetary is about archaeologists who look for the secret history and weird stuff that makes up our world...so far we have discovered a villanous group called the four voyagers who are kinda like the evil fantastic four and has plunged the world into madness...killing superheroes, concentration camps etc...it is a very fun read and the art is simply amazing....john cassaday does a very good drawing convincing characters.