Customer Reviews

Planetary Vol. 3: Leaving the 20th Century

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Beautifully drawn and conceived. Ellis takes us on stunning walks of levity and gravity, fantasy and gritty realism. One cannot help but wonder how much is imagained and how much is based on fact. He's found the line where pop-culture and reality collide ... some of his best work, certainly, and perhaps the first great comic book to define life in te 21st century.

A word to the wise, though ... don't pick this volume up if you haven't read the first two ... you'll be missing out.

Numerous people have told me that Planetary is one of the best comic series of the new milennium, but after reading the first two volumes, I just couldn't see what people saw in the series. It wasn't bad by any means, it just wasn't amazing. However, after rigorous recommendation by some people that I trust very much when it comes to comics, I finally picked up the third volume, and I can finally say that I see why people praise this book so much.
In these 6 issues, we start to see how things are connected along with some of Elijah Snow's previous exploits, both before the formation of Planetary and as his time as the project advisor when Ambrose Chase was still on the team. Also, the team's plan to catch and stop The Four is put in motion in the 6th issue, and it is a very nice plan indeed.
To quote one of the people who kept pushing me to go on with this series, Planetary is very much a slow-burning story. Even though each issue is a stand-alone, everything is tied together; all of the main and peripheral characters are somehow connected to each other and to various places and events. Multiple reads are a must in order to get everything, but this is definitely a series that people should stick with, as it is very good, and seems to only get better.

This third collection of Planetary continues the story with the high quality writing and beautiful art of the other two volumes. Planetary is an elegant piece of work of high intelligence and literate appeal. Where else would you find a story that takes place in the castle of a mad scientist one moment, ancient China for a Crouching Tiger style interlude for another moment, and still remain its own thing? Planetary well worth getting into.

I love this comic, because you have great characters that Warren Ellis always writes. The characters also have powers, but these powers do not define the comic or the team. They aren't here to punch stuff, we'll not solely anyway. They are archeologists, seekers of the past and the truth. That is always their first goal, and if they get into a brawl along the way, so much the better. Highest possible recommendation on this one.

Very thought provoking. Warren Ellis deserves all the praise he has received for this series. This is not the normal kiddie comic book. The story-line deals with some very poignant themes. The beauty of this series is that it normally requires reading and re-reading before you can come to grips with everything that is encompassed on the pages. I think that is what is the Hallmark of good writing - the need, and the desire, to read the book again. Nowadays few books gives you the impetus or the complexity to want to do that. Warren's stories almost forces you to do that!

I'm not one for writing a lot of reviews, but this series is so good that I can not in good conscience fail to praise it. The story, begun so skilfully in vol 1, carried on through vol 2, now continues and gladly does not end in vol 3. Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner and the Drummer continue their exploration into the secret history of the world, and we get to come along for the ride. If you are one who enjoys a graphic novel that makes you think - one where you scramble out of bed at 3 am to dig up vol 2 and reread a section that you just managed to figure out, if you love well-crafted stories and characters who do more than shout their battle cry and bust heads, if you are a fan of pulp stories, and want to see all of the heroes from the classic pulps and comics in a new light, then this is for you. Ellis is a genius - I just wish vol 4 were in print.
The art is a whole 'nother reason to buy this - absolutely beautiful in it's detail - with character's whose faces you will recognize (as opposed to everyone having essentially the same face, and you tell them apart by the color of their cape, as in many comics). Cassaday is a detail fanatic, with absolutely beautiful spreads on each page, capturing action and emotion in wonderful images. The colors are rich and no less than perfect.
I consider this a must-read for mature fans of comics/graphic novels. You will not regret this purchase.

I don't usually write into these things but I had to quickly comment on the John Q. Public "vhspreowner" review. First of all I have a hard time understanding how he got that Ellis hates himself. Also I've read all the Planetarys so far and don't see huge problems with the dialog between men and women. Maybe in Transmetropolitan but that's a different story entirely. (I love that book too btw). Lastly being a writer and editor did anyone edit his review? Much in the way of spelling and grammar problems unless it's a hip new way of writing that I don't get. Not sure if this kind of thing gets posted but I'm doing it anywho. Gotta stick up for Ellis!

Ellis has a complex, sophisticated and highly entertaining Wold Newton type take on comics literature. Using his own characters, of course, but this is just all around fabulous. The story takes a turn, as Snow gets more aggressive about taking the fight to The Four. They are starting to learn perhaps they should not have messed with him.

Ellis works a little too much, and some of his work is mediocre. But I think Planetary is really the best of Ellis.
A must read for any comic fan. And a great read for non-comic fans too.

Solid installment of Ellis' _Planetary_ series. The threads begin to come together even more tightly, but remain loose enough for continued mystery as the series continues.