Graphic Novel Review – The Planetary Omnibus by Warren Ellis, John Cassaday (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Graphic Novel
Length: 864 pages
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: January 28, 2014
ISBN-13 : 978-1401242381
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Bday Gift
Rating: ?/5 stars
“Planetary has been hailed as a timeless story that turned modern superhero conventions on their heads.Written by Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan) and with stunning art by John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men), this critically acclaimed, landmark series took a look at the inter-dimensional peace-keeping force known as Planetary. The trio on the ground includes Elijah Snow, a hundred-year-old man, Jakita Wagner, an extremely powerful woman, and The Drummer, a man with the ability to communicate with machines. Tasked with tracking down evidence of super-human activity, these mystery archaeologists uncover unknown paranormal secrets and histories, such as a World War II supercomputer that can access other universes, a ghostly spirit of vengeance, and a lost island of dying monsters.
All 27 issues of the original series are collected in this hardbound omnibus edition.”
Series Info/Source: This is the complete Planetary Omnibus in one stand alone novel. I got this book as a gift for my birthday.
Thoughts: This was absolutely fantastic! I loved the story and illustration throughout this whole omnibus. I loved having this all in one omnibus to read as well. I didn’t enjoy the bonus issues quite as much as the main story. However, that didn’t mar my enjoyment of the rest of this series.
This follows the story of Elijah Snow, a hundred year old man who looks much younger than that (who is missing a lot of memories). Along with Jakita and The Drummer he joins a peace-keeping force known as Planetary. Planetary are inter-dimensional archaeologists that track down mysteries and evidence of super human activity in order to defuse the situation and save humanity.
I greatly enjoyed all of our superhero-esque characters. This is a superhero graphic novel series with a twist to it. The story goes across dimensions and involves a lot more sleuthing and putting together complex mysteries than flat out strength. Watching Snow unravel his memories and reveal the secrets of his past was fascinating.
The story is top-notch but does get fairly complex at points. I did find myself paging back and forth between issues to figure out what was going on here. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it did take some effort to read. The illustration was equally well done; it fit the style of story perfectly, was easy to follow, and incredibly detailed. I adored everything about this series.
My Summary (5/5): Overall this was an amazing collection and an amazing graphic novel series. I would highly recommend it if you are even remotely interested in the superhero trope (but with some twists). This was the complete package; awesome characters, complex and intriguing story, and fantastic illustration. Highly recommended!
