Global Frequency Vol. 1: Planet Ablaze (Paperback)

~ Warren Ellis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Acclaimed comics writer Ellis (The Authority; Transmetropolitan) here creates a Mission: Impossible–style force for the 21st century. The Global Frequency is a worldwide organization comprising 1,001 members, each with a specialized talent, which combats unconventional threats to public safety. Some of these menaces are the stuff of science fiction, like a cyborg warrior gone mad. Others are potentially quite real, such as an attempt to release lethal viruses in London. This first volume collects the first six issues, each illustrated by a different artist: Leach, Fabry, Steve Dillon, Roy A. Martinez, Jon J Muth and David Lloyd. Although each artist has a different style, they all impart a grimly realistic look to Ellis's world. The Global Frequency bills itself as a rescue operation, but in practice, violence is their stock-in-trade, and it's sometimes graphically explicit. Ellis occasionally makes political and even satirical points, but for the most part these tales are dismayingly superficial. Characterizations are minimal or nonexistent. For example, the most prominent character, Miranda Zero, the Frequency's head, comes off as little more than severely businesslike. The protagonists don't seem to be conflicted over their lives of violence and danger, and the antagonists don't have multidimensional personalities. Nor is there much suspense, since few of the plot twists and turns that one expects from the genre are present. Ellis and his collaborators achieve little here, and the endings are merely unsurprising, foregone conclusions.
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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Wildstorm (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401202748
• ISBN-13: 978-1401202743
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #221,942 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blatantly Secret, December 15, 2004

By	Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The Global Frequency is an organization of one-thousand specialists headed by Miranda Zero. Their task is to handle threats that conventional forces are unequipped to handle. At first we get the impression that the Frequency is secret when a character remarks that they do exist (like the M&Ms in the Santa commercial). But members of the Frequency can leave their jobs at a moments notice by saying they are on the Frequency as if everyone knows about them.

Specialists are contacted by a special portable phone. They also seem to all have a "special case" that is never explained (although one character is asked if he got weapons from his case). Members are top in their field, whatever it happens to be.

I felt the Frequency was not grounded well enough, like the author wanted to tell the story before working out the details. One-thousand unique agents doesn't seem like it could be terribly effective but it seems that the right agent is always close at hand. There is very little repetition of character (mostly just Miranda Zero and Aleph) but you may spot a cameo or two. Each story is also drawn by a different artist thus weakening the feeling of continuity.

The threats in this volume include a man who is a walking nuclear bomb, a rogue bionic man, a memetic invasion, a cult hostage situation, a town that may have seen an angel, and bioterrorists using ebola. Very interesting stories but I am not sure why the Frequency was needed for the hostage story.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The return of great single issue stories, May 23, 2006

By	Steve Fuson "comics geek" (Beaverton, OR) - See all my reviews

In case you haven't read the plot synopsis or the other reviews, here's the deal. The Global Frequency is a worldwide network of experts, geniouses, military and police officers brought together by Miranda Zero to save the world from itself. This is a science fiction comic with wormhole singularities and cyborgs, but there are no superheroes. These people are as ordinary as they can get given the world they live in.

It used to be that stories in comic books were largely confined to a single issue and that multiple issue stories were big events. Now multiple issue stories are the norm, designed to fill out collections.

Instead of breaking new ground, Warren Ellis is taking us back to old ground and reminding us that a good story can be told concisely.

Each issue of Global Frequency is a different story by a different artist. When this is done right it can be excellent, as in the second story in this collection which is illustrated by Glenn Fabry. In it Ellis posits what it would actually take to build a cyborg. Human skin and bones and muscle can't support 2 tons of machinery, so Ellis comes up with a vaguely human looking mass of muscle and machine, and Fabry illustration is beautifully horrific. Unfortunately there's the downside of when an artist and story don't blend. The final story in the collection is illustrated by David Lloyd of V for Vendetta fame. In the story a woman runs across rooftops, leaping from building to building, gymnastically scaling scaling fire escapes and jumping across traffic. It should be thrilling, but only about half of the pictures really have the energy of the story. This was disappointing, especially from such a classic artist.

I felt like there was something lacking in Planetary, especially in the beginning. I didn't see why the main characters mattered. They were window dressing to the story. Any character could have been inserted and the story would have been exactly the same. But here, in Global Frequency, it's quite clear why each operative is selected. Sometimes they're a specialist in the problem, sometimes they just happen to be the person physically closest to the crisis, but whatever the reason the characters in each story is always the right person for the job.

This is a great collection of short stories. The stories are smart and concise, and overall the art is good and right for each story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite comic series., June 24, 2006

By	Andrew (Gainesville, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

Global frequency is easily my favorite comic/graphic novel series of all time. I've read all 12 issues and they are pretty amazing. I'm not saying this lightly. I've read most of Alan Moore's stuff, most of Frank Miller's stuff, most things by Bendis, Kirkman and Waid.

This is the only series where I have forced myself to stop reading in mid story because the effect was so powerful.

I guess this stuff isn't for everyone. If you're into series dealing with the "mythology" of superheroes then this might not be for you. However, if you enjoy powerful stories that don't require previous knowledge of existing universes, then this series is for you. Warren Ellis is at the top of his game here. Any fans of William Gibson or Neal Stephenson should love this series as well.

It's really top notch and well worth buying the entire series.