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Global Frequency #1-2
Global Frequency
Created by Entertainment Weekly "It" writer, Global Frequency is a worldwide rescue organization that offers the last shred of hope when all other options have failed. Manned by 1001 operatives, the Frequency is made up of experts in fields as diverse as bio-weapon engineering and Le Parkour Running. Each agent-equipped with a special mobile vid-phone-is speciffically chosen by Miranda Zero, enigmatic leader of the Global Frequency, based on proximity, expertise, and, in some cases, sheer desperation!
This 288 page volume collects the entire 12 issue Global Frequency storyline in one trade paperback featuring art by mindblowing collection of artists including: Lee Bermejo, Glenn Fabry, Steve Dillon, David Lloyd, Gene Ha and many others.
Collecting: Global Frequency 1-12
This 288 page volume collects the entire 12 issue Global Frequency storyline in one trade paperback featuring art by mindblowing collection of artists including: Lee Bermejo, Glenn Fabry, Steve Dillon, David Lloyd, Gene Ha and many others.
Collecting: Global Frequency 1-12
Unknown Binding
First published February 5, 2013
63 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Warren Ellis
1,973 books5,771 followersWarren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
June 10, 2018
What?
I don't get it. I mean, normally when something opens up in the middle of the action with little to no explanation as to what's happening or why, it's a good idea to sit back and wait.
Because eventually the backstories and reasons behind the story will be explained.
But if you think that's what will happen here, you'll be sorely disappointed. <--I know I was.
Everything you're going to find out about the mysterious Global Frequency is in the blurb.
Everything.
The stories themselves are just sort of weird little one-shots about random agents across the world who each have different abilities. And by abilities I mean...well, one chick has the power of parkour.
This was (to me) pretty dull and hard to get through. Especially considering you get absolutely no payoff for slogging through 12 issues. I'm sure this appeals to a lot of people out there, but this was definitely not my cuppa.
I don't get it. I mean, normally when something opens up in the middle of the action with little to no explanation as to what's happening or why, it's a good idea to sit back and wait.
Because eventually the backstories and reasons behind the story will be explained.
But if you think that's what will happen here, you'll be sorely disappointed. <--I know I was.
Everything you're going to find out about the mysterious Global Frequency is in the blurb.
Everything.
The stories themselves are just sort of weird little one-shots about random agents across the world who each have different abilities. And by abilities I mean...well, one chick has the power of parkour.
This was (to me) pretty dull and hard to get through. Especially considering you get absolutely no payoff for slogging through 12 issues. I'm sure this appeals to a lot of people out there, but this was definitely not my cuppa.
February 10, 2018
This volume collects all 12 issues of Global Frequency. As such, it tells 12 different stories that come to life through the art of 12 different artists. I will not pretend to know the different artists. I must also admit that some of the art was not too good in my opinion (3 stars max) while other artists blew it out of the water.
I will not go into details of all the 12 standalone stories. Suffice it to say that they offer a glimpse into what the Global Frequency is. Miranda Zero started the rescue organisation and is recruiting all kinds of people for it, from engineers to physicists and hackers and so on (even some parcour artist), based on their expertise but also on where in the US they are situated in order to ensure there is always at least one operative that can be called in at any time with the smallest response time. GF has 1001 members (1000 at the beginning of issue #1).
They respond to threats that are ... unusual if you will. One case was a man that had been turned into a killer machine via incredible feats of technology / bio-engineering until there was nothing left of the man himself (think Terminator) for example.
It usually is some form of technology used by one government or another that then gets out of hand and threatens all of mankind.
Since GF consists of so many individuals, some of which even have extensive combat training, their response time is, of course, faster than that of authorities and they operate in a sort of grey area (not to mention that they only take care of "special" problems). There are some people in the government that don't want to acknowledge them at all, but they seem to be humanity's last chance in every case presented here.
I was a bit apprehensive at first since the common concept always was "kill the problem". It wasn't bad and I saw the need for it, but I would have wished for more diversity like finding another way (or at least trying). As it was, it was all nails and a hammer. However, considering that the GF is the last resort, I guess that wish was obsolete from the beginning. Nevertheless, the stories were often full of blood and gore and violence and I like that each author/artist was not afraid to show "the ugly side".
They are certainly weird stories, not at all the usual thing or what I had expected when I started reading this, but the science-violence combination worked very well and the short, standalone stories are great and fast to read. Equally, I like that the 12 issues have different artists as well as it gives them all different feels, like their own personality.
September 12, 2017
Global Frequency was surprisingly good. This volume collects all the single issues into one.
The Global Frequency is a group of thousands of individuals who are all connected to this private frequency. They are all sorts of people- from intel agents to computer hackers, artists to parkour athletes...in the event of an emergency (generally a rescue operation of some sort) the Global Frequency jumps into action. Due to the huge disparity in the jobs and roles of the members they can sometimes respond quicker than the authorities.
As weird as this sounds-it actually works. Each is a self contained story about different members of the Global Frequency handling missions. The variety of the missions, the villains and the GF members are all over the place. That is what makes this an interesting read. Want to see a elite military unit being sent in to kill a hybrid cyborg? or a an Aussie Police officer and a British Intel agent take down a suicidal terrorist cult? Or even a parapsychologist and a mage (not sure what he is) try to figure out why people in a small village all claim to have seen an angel?
This is just a smattering of the various ideas that populate this rather interesting volume. The artwork varies as each story is done by a different artist. Some are great and some are meh. The stories are pretty interesting all the way through. I liked the strange mix of humor, violence and death (what a cool mixture).
The Global Frequency is a lot of fun to read and is somewhat different than the norm. I think people who like a fun and interesting story with a lot of violence and oddball members will enjoy the Global Frequency.
The Global Frequency is a group of thousands of individuals who are all connected to this private frequency. They are all sorts of people- from intel agents to computer hackers, artists to parkour athletes...in the event of an emergency (generally a rescue operation of some sort) the Global Frequency jumps into action. Due to the huge disparity in the jobs and roles of the members they can sometimes respond quicker than the authorities.
As weird as this sounds-it actually works. Each is a self contained story about different members of the Global Frequency handling missions. The variety of the missions, the villains and the GF members are all over the place. That is what makes this an interesting read. Want to see a elite military unit being sent in to kill a hybrid cyborg? or a an Aussie Police officer and a British Intel agent take down a suicidal terrorist cult? Or even a parapsychologist and a mage (not sure what he is) try to figure out why people in a small village all claim to have seen an angel?
This is just a smattering of the various ideas that populate this rather interesting volume. The artwork varies as each story is done by a different artist. Some are great and some are meh. The stories are pretty interesting all the way through. I liked the strange mix of humor, violence and death (what a cool mixture).
The Global Frequency is a lot of fun to read and is somewhat different than the norm. I think people who like a fun and interesting story with a lot of violence and oddball members will enjoy the Global Frequency.
February 11, 2018
I'm not sure how this hasn't got past the development stage of a TV series. The first 12 episodes have already been written even. They could be lifted as is from the graphic novel. That's how good this series is. This is Warren Ellis at his best.
The premise of the series is simple. 1,001 experts in their fields have committed to be on-call when disaster strikes. They fight alien technology, terrorists, government experiments gone wrong, etc.
The premise of the series is simple. 1,001 experts in their fields have committed to be on-call when disaster strikes. They fight alien technology, terrorists, government experiments gone wrong, etc.
October 21, 2015
3.5
I'm torn with this series.
The action is awesome, it runs all the way through with minimal stops for explanation. The situations are fantastic because the writing creates a whole world with such a limited experience. It's just 12 issues, all centered around action pieces and out of this world scenarios.
That's great and all, but there isn't any character development. Each issue is a new cast (save for two). Whenever shit hits the fan (because there are instances where things go smoothly) there is just no tension. We don't care for the character beyond what we are given from the beginning of the issue.
In a way this series seems like a bunch of random outlandish ideas that Warren Ellis had, but no way to fit them in a bigger story.
So yes it's an awesome book, but it feels like it's lacking major storing.
I'm torn with this series.
The action is awesome, it runs all the way through with minimal stops for explanation. The situations are fantastic because the writing creates a whole world with such a limited experience. It's just 12 issues, all centered around action pieces and out of this world scenarios.
That's great and all, but there isn't any character development. Each issue is a new cast (save for two). Whenever shit hits the fan (because there are instances where things go smoothly) there is just no tension. We don't care for the character beyond what we are given from the beginning of the issue.
In a way this series seems like a bunch of random outlandish ideas that Warren Ellis had, but no way to fit them in a bigger story.
So yes it's an awesome book, but it feels like it's lacking major storing.
August 11, 2019
Doce historias cortas en las que vemos como Global Frequency, una agencia privada formada por 1001 efectivos a lo ancho del planeta, protegen al mundo de las más diversas amenazas. Las historias son muy irregulares y totalmente independientes, lo que se resalta aún más al ser todos los ilustradores distintos.
Los episodios son, en general, flojitos, siendo los mejores los dos primeros, con un regusto a Planetary que se pierde en las siguientes. Está bien para echar un rato, pero bastante lejos del mejor Ellis.
Los episodios son, en general, flojitos, siendo los mejores los dos primeros, con un regusto a Planetary que se pierde en las siguientes. Está bien para echar un rato, pero bastante lejos del mejor Ellis.
March 22, 2020
I read this book a couple of years ago and commented that I wish there was more of a thread to tie this book together. Rereading it now, I realize that this was a monthly comic that has been collected in trade, and not a graphic novel/ one story. And for a year of comic books, it’s pretty great. Yes, there is not much of a thread from issue to issue, but if I was reading this month to month I would have dug it.
November 17, 2024
3.5 stars
The Authority meets mission impossible. 1001 people all over the world share one common goal: drop all your shit when the Global Frequency calls.
12x short one shots with one theme; baddies need to be stopped and the team/protagonist differs every single time. Imagine it as one big, high speed action scène, every time. Mostly hard science, but there's a whisper of magic.
The Authority meets mission impossible. 1001 people all over the world share one common goal: drop all your shit when the Global Frequency calls.
12x short one shots with one theme; baddies need to be stopped and the team/protagonist differs every single time. Imagine it as one big, high speed action scène, every time. Mostly hard science, but there's a whisper of magic.
May 11, 2020
El tomo recopila los 12 números de la serie; tuve sensaciones encontradas porque hay historias que son muy buenas, otras que son ingeniosas y otras olvidables. De todas formas, siempre hay una idea, un diálogo o una situación que levanta aún la más floja. En definitiva, no le crean a las 4 estrellas que puse: soy muy fan de Ellis.
December 27, 2023
My favorite Warren Ellis graphic novel so far . 12 stories of the Global Frequency.
May 15, 2017
No me gusta hacer reseñas negativas, pero parece que este no es mi año. De la mano del (casi) siempre interesante Warren Ellis llega este tomo publicado por ECC, Frecuencia Global, una obra publicada por Wildstorm en 2003 que parece que llegó a tener un piloto para una serie, pero ahí se quedó. Al escritor lo conocemos por ser otro inglés loco, autor de cosas como la reverenciada Transmetropolitan, las magníficas Planetary y The Authority o la irreverente y divertida Nextwave. Qué decir de él. No es Alan Moore (¿quién más lo es?), pero es capaz de hacer cosas interesantes, por lo que siempre es recomendable darle una oportunidad.
En el apartado gráfico nos encontramos a un puñado de autores (uno por número, porque esto salió publicado por entregas mensuales), muchos de ellos muy conocidos (Glenn Fabry, Steve Dillon, Simon Bisley, Chris Sprouse, Lee Bermejo…), pero que, y aquí llega la primera sorpresa, no parecen interesados en que de aquí salga una obra bonita. Es cierto que muchos de ellos son conocidos por un estilo sucio, pero parece que las indicaciones del guionista consistieran en revolcarse en el feísmo (hasta Chris Sprouse, conocido por su limpísimo Tom Strong, aquí está irreconocible). El resultado es que parece que estemos leyendo algo publicado en los noventa en 2000 AD (la revista que publicaba Judge Dredd) más que en 2003. Los únicos que me parece que, en mi opinión, destacan gráficamente son Lee Bermejo (sin salirse del tono sucio del marcado por el resto) y Tomm Coker (que recuerda bastante al estilo del Jock de Los Perdedores).
Esta obra contiene doce historias autoconclusivas en las que La Frecuencia Global, una organización formada por 1001 miembros anónimos reclutados por sus diversas capacidades, se encuentran durmientes hasta que son convocados para enfrentarse a una amenaza para la humanidad. Estas amenazas siempre son responsabilidad de proyectos secretos gubernamentales poco éticos, lo que nos garantiza violencia, paranoia, conspiraciones y, por qué no decirlo, un poco de espíritu revolucionario (pero poco). El propio formato hace que solo haya dos personajes fijos (Miranza Zero — la jefa — y Aleph — la persona que los coordina telefónicamente — ), lo que, teóricamente, da más emoción a cada episodio, puesto que los protagonistas no son fundamentales para la trama y pueden morir, pero en la práctica hace que te dé un poco igual porque tampoco te ha dado tiempo a encariñarte mucho con ellos. Lo de que cada episodio sea autoconclusivo hace que la serie en su momento se pudiera coger en cualquier momento, pero, en mi opinión, la falta de una subtrama hace que no enganche.
En mi opinión, lo mejor de esta historia ya se había contado en Planetary y con unos personajes mucho más interesantes, y la ya comentada ausencia de subtramas de este formato nos deja un guion vacío que solo muestra violencia por violencia, y una acción espídica que no lleva a ninguna parte. Además, el tono adrenalítico de cada episodio hace que se caiga rápidamente en el aburrimiento (en todos los episodios peligra el mundo; en todos los episodios se salva el día por los pelos).
Por lo que toca a la edición, decir que (...) PUEDES SEGUIR LEYENDO LA RESEÑA EN NUESTRA WEB: https://elbuscalibros.com/frecuencia-...
En el apartado gráfico nos encontramos a un puñado de autores (uno por número, porque esto salió publicado por entregas mensuales), muchos de ellos muy conocidos (Glenn Fabry, Steve Dillon, Simon Bisley, Chris Sprouse, Lee Bermejo…), pero que, y aquí llega la primera sorpresa, no parecen interesados en que de aquí salga una obra bonita. Es cierto que muchos de ellos son conocidos por un estilo sucio, pero parece que las indicaciones del guionista consistieran en revolcarse en el feísmo (hasta Chris Sprouse, conocido por su limpísimo Tom Strong, aquí está irreconocible). El resultado es que parece que estemos leyendo algo publicado en los noventa en 2000 AD (la revista que publicaba Judge Dredd) más que en 2003. Los únicos que me parece que, en mi opinión, destacan gráficamente son Lee Bermejo (sin salirse del tono sucio del marcado por el resto) y Tomm Coker (que recuerda bastante al estilo del Jock de Los Perdedores).
Esta obra contiene doce historias autoconclusivas en las que La Frecuencia Global, una organización formada por 1001 miembros anónimos reclutados por sus diversas capacidades, se encuentran durmientes hasta que son convocados para enfrentarse a una amenaza para la humanidad. Estas amenazas siempre son responsabilidad de proyectos secretos gubernamentales poco éticos, lo que nos garantiza violencia, paranoia, conspiraciones y, por qué no decirlo, un poco de espíritu revolucionario (pero poco). El propio formato hace que solo haya dos personajes fijos (Miranza Zero — la jefa — y Aleph — la persona que los coordina telefónicamente — ), lo que, teóricamente, da más emoción a cada episodio, puesto que los protagonistas no son fundamentales para la trama y pueden morir, pero en la práctica hace que te dé un poco igual porque tampoco te ha dado tiempo a encariñarte mucho con ellos. Lo de que cada episodio sea autoconclusivo hace que la serie en su momento se pudiera coger en cualquier momento, pero, en mi opinión, la falta de una subtrama hace que no enganche.
En mi opinión, lo mejor de esta historia ya se había contado en Planetary y con unos personajes mucho más interesantes, y la ya comentada ausencia de subtramas de este formato nos deja un guion vacío que solo muestra violencia por violencia, y una acción espídica que no lleva a ninguna parte. Además, el tono adrenalítico de cada episodio hace que se caiga rápidamente en el aburrimiento (en todos los episodios peligra el mundo; en todos los episodios se salva el día por los pelos).
Por lo que toca a la edición, decir que (...) PUEDES SEGUIR LEYENDO LA RESEÑA EN NUESTRA WEB: https://elbuscalibros.com/frecuencia-...
February 15, 2013
Warren Ellis mentioned in an interview that he wrote this book in response to 9/11. Not that attack of 9/11 but the response of people to it, and how some would say "I wish Superman(or whoever) were real to stop things like this." His response in this book is that it can be everyday people like us to stop these things. Each issue is a single issue about a single event, and a group of people (brought together by the Global Frequency) to stop a bombing, a virus release, etc.
Each issue has a different artist, but Warren Ellis is the writer throughout. So the art tends to vary issue to issue, but all of it is great. The end was a bit lacking, but only in that fact that there is no real end. It is just the end of a singular story, and nothing overarching. I probably can't recommend a Warren Ellis book enough.
Each issue has a different artist, but Warren Ellis is the writer throughout. So the art tends to vary issue to issue, but all of it is great. The end was a bit lacking, but only in that fact that there is no real end. It is just the end of a singular story, and nothing overarching. I probably can't recommend a Warren Ellis book enough.
May 8, 2017
Me encanta el concepto de esta serie, una agencia global formada por 1001 agentes especializados en distintas disciplinas repartidos por todo el mundo, que se encarga de misiones especiales de rescate y emergencias fuera del ámbito normal de las fuerzas del orden, allá donde sea necesario, en un tiempo record y con una efectividad máxima... cada episodio se encarga a un dibujante distinto y cuenta una historia conclusiva escrita por Warren Ellis, con lo que el arte es bastante irregular pero el nivel es bastante bueno en general, hay grandes artistas poniendo su granito de arena en esta serie.
En cuanto a las historias en sí... Miranda Zero (la creadora de la agencia) y Aleph (la encargada de comunicar a los agentes sus misiones y darles apoyo informático y tecnológico) son dos personajes que sirven de nexo de unión y se repiten en todas (o casi todas) las historias, pero por lo demás cada historia tienen protagonistas nuevos que se ven en situaciones distintas, algunas muy extremas, y en muchos casos los protagonistas no terminan sobreviviendo a la amenaza del día... entre estas amenazas encontramos bombas bacteriológicas, virus informáticos, cyborgs enloquecidos, armas orbitales de la época de la guerra de las galaxias fuera de control, drogas con efectos extraños... muy variado todo.
Como digo la idea me encanta, y no puedo dejar de imaginar este concepto llevado a la televisión... luego la realización es bastante irregular, me costó entrar en las primeras historias porque Ellis no nos da una introducción en la serie, sino que nos mete directamente en la acción y sólo nos da información de la agencia y de los personajes principales con cuentagotas.
En todo caso una serie muy entretenida y con altas dosis de acción.
En cuanto a las historias en sí... Miranda Zero (la creadora de la agencia) y Aleph (la encargada de comunicar a los agentes sus misiones y darles apoyo informático y tecnológico) son dos personajes que sirven de nexo de unión y se repiten en todas (o casi todas) las historias, pero por lo demás cada historia tienen protagonistas nuevos que se ven en situaciones distintas, algunas muy extremas, y en muchos casos los protagonistas no terminan sobreviviendo a la amenaza del día... entre estas amenazas encontramos bombas bacteriológicas, virus informáticos, cyborgs enloquecidos, armas orbitales de la época de la guerra de las galaxias fuera de control, drogas con efectos extraños... muy variado todo.
Como digo la idea me encanta, y no puedo dejar de imaginar este concepto llevado a la televisión... luego la realización es bastante irregular, me costó entrar en las primeras historias porque Ellis no nos da una introducción en la serie, sino que nos mete directamente en la acción y sólo nos da información de la agencia y de los personajes principales con cuentagotas.
En todo caso una serie muy entretenida y con altas dosis de acción.
November 4, 2019
I am a Warren Ellis fan, or at least I thought I was until I started reading that book.
I mean Trees was frustrating with its slow pace but this!!!!
I even joined goodreads specially to write this review.
I have never been so frustrated with a graphic novel as much as I have with Global Frequency. The story lines and the dialogues are so cheesy! They might appeal to a middle school kid.
Stories are fast-paced, dumb, unconvincing, and have no substance.
I am giving it a (very generous) two-star review for the art which is the only upside.
I loved Transmetropolitan and I think is one of the greatest graphic novel series ever made, but this is just pure disappointment.
I mean Trees was frustrating with its slow pace but this!!!!
I even joined goodreads specially to write this review.
I have never been so frustrated with a graphic novel as much as I have with Global Frequency. The story lines and the dialogues are so cheesy! They might appeal to a middle school kid.
Stories are fast-paced, dumb, unconvincing, and have no substance.
I am giving it a (very generous) two-star review for the art which is the only upside.
I loved Transmetropolitan and I think is one of the greatest graphic novel series ever made, but this is just pure disappointment.
March 26, 2014
Special Ops team that operates on a global scale to save the world from threats. Not a believable story. I couldn't get into it.
April 18, 2020
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
Every second count. Isn’t that what they always say? Whether you’re drowning in the middle of a river or being held at gunpoint by a psychopathic serial killer, it’s within those precious seconds that everything can change and that means you either suffer a terrible death or live to see another day. But what if state-issued protection (police, army, etc.) wasn’t enough? What if the answer lied in a whole different system that didn’t abide by the same rules as everyone else? Created and written by Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Planetary, The Authority), this graphic novel collects 12 issues consisting of 12 stand-alone stories drawn by different artists and all looking into the heroic feats of an independent international rescue organization.
What is Global Frequency about? The world in which this story is set resembles that of the 21st century with a science-fiction twist that comes in a myriad of forms, whether it’s mutated human-weapons or sinister cults. Founded by the mysterious Miranda Zero, this graphic novel looks into an agency made up of a 1001 agents scattered across the globe with singular expertise perfect for unexpected crises too big or too strange to handle by governmental means. All connected via a special mobile phone, these hidden heroes are only solicited by Aleph, their tactical and strategic operator with unlimited technical support, when danger is in their proximity.
While the idea in principle merits some notice, the result leaves a lot to be desired. By having stand-alone stories set in the same world but following a different cast of characters each time—besides Miranda and Aleph who remain recurring figures—allows no room for character development. Then again, it can be argued that the graphic novel didn’t have that purpose in the first place but it doesn’t help when the newly-introduced agents in each story vary greatly in their skill sets—and, inevitably, in their response time and problem-solving strategies—and their personalities. From a young computer-tech prodigy to a retired detective, very few stand out much more than others but all remain relatively average when it comes to their charisma and appeal. With a distinctive and effortless blend of gore, violence, and dry humour, creator Warren Ellis thus looks to tease readers a radical take on our response to terror.
As part of creator Warren Ellis’s pitch for this twelve-issues comic book series—which never got renewed for more afterward—is the solicitation of a different artist for each issue. While it is a refreshing idea that allows the graphic novel to withhold a certain element of surprise, it, unfortunately, led to some rather unimpressive artwork that hardly contributed to the volume’s identity. Rough, unpolished, unconvincing. The visual design for most of the stories struggled to form a cohesive whole and invites skepticism rather than admiration for the work before us. Despite efforts by colourists David Baron and Art Lyon to unify the issues through shades and tone, the artistic vision for this graphic novel remained ordinary. If it weren’t for the episodic nature of this graphic novel, where the structure of each story looked to skim over world-building and character development and have recourse to quick resolutions, the artwork could’ve played a much bigger role in helping this title dig itself out of its hole.
Global Frequency is a cursory look at an alarming world filled with danger that only a covert intelligence organization could hastily handle.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
September 30, 2020
I loved this one. It reminded me a lot of Planetary, just with less superheroics.
Global Frequency is a global team of 1,001 agents all with specialized skills. Each issue features a new cast (some show up every issue, but the core team changes) dealing with some new weirdness in places all over the world. Think X-Files or Fringe type happenings.
Each issue is also drawn by a different top notch artist, which plays right into the different agents being used for each mission.
I think some people found the different characters and the mash-up of plots confusing, but that's just how Ellis sometime likes to tell a story. Overall I found this to be top notch work from Ellis and his all star cast of artists.
Global Frequency is a global team of 1,001 agents all with specialized skills. Each issue features a new cast (some show up every issue, but the core team changes) dealing with some new weirdness in places all over the world. Think X-Files or Fringe type happenings.
Each issue is also drawn by a different top notch artist, which plays right into the different agents being used for each mission.
I think some people found the different characters and the mash-up of plots confusing, but that's just how Ellis sometime likes to tell a story. Overall I found this to be top notch work from Ellis and his all star cast of artists.
February 3, 2024
Extreme fast pace gives a sense of urgency. This rescue organization has to act quickly and decisively. I want to turn pages to keep up with the action, but I also want to take my time to enjoy the art. Great selection of artists for this collection who utilize creative page layouts. Highly recommended!
December 13, 2018
Too superficial plotlines; way too much violence. I'm beginning to suspect that all those simultaneous projects are wearing the author thin. If he could focus on fewer, I bet they'd be really good (again).
(Awesome art by Lee Bermejo again in one episode. I really like his style.)
(Awesome art by Lee Bermejo again in one episode. I really like his style.)
August 23, 2025
That would be a hell of a series to follow monthly. Funny how there is zero effort to explain things, but the characters' charisma goes deeper and deeper.
August 24, 2017
Mil e um agentes, especialistas em áreas díspares, unificados por pertencerem à Frequência Global, uma organização privada de intervenção a nível planetário. Acidentes naturais, experiências científicas fora de controlo, crimes violentos ou iniciativas pouco escrupulosas de governos, são problemas insolúveis até a rede solta de agentes coordenados pela Frequência entrar em ação. Uma série clássica e um pouco esquecida de Warren Ellis, que reuniu um forte talento visual nos seus doze números. O futurismo alastrante da obra de Ellis faz falta no panorama editorial nacional. Crítica completa no aCalopsia: Global Frequency.
March 21, 2020
Some of these punchy serials were pretty interesting, others were just blah. Almost all of them felt just a little too short, probably due to the same format constraints that keep me from reading any comic series issue by issue.
January 8, 2016
This is a good test for comics that rely so much on technology: read them 10, 12 years later. Global Frequency was published from 2002 to 2004 and it's fresh in 2015. It serves as a counterpoint to Transmetropolitan.
And it actually began when Transmetropolitan ended, in 2002. That other series was an anti-system delirium, centered around a single character, distilling heavy doses of hatred, scepticism, lucidity, humanism, sometimes all those at once. The leading character, a journalist, incarnated the distrust of political leaders and the whole political system and, most of the time, society and humanity at large, and carried the burden of being a voice of reason, even if it meant destroying himself, in the process.
Global Frequency is, in a way, the system. It is sort of a governmental agency. But not something like NSA. There are 1001 agents, and every single one of them seems like an outcast of society. The axis of them all, Aleph, looks (and acts) like a cyberpunk. This series anticipated a lot of what is happening today with the anarcho-capitalists, for instance, that see Bitcoin as an utopic thing. Or the hackers that are going deep in the high frequency trading business in Wall Street. These days, it's not easy to separate people. Hackers can be leftists. Or right wing libertarian nuts. You can be hired because you are a computer genius. You can be a Snowden, and take a long time to wake up. There is a brilliant, quite brutal episode, called Hundred, where Aleph shows she knows how terrorist hackers think, when she defuses, by talking, a dangerous situation.
Warren Ellis does not write about a black and white world. His journalist, in Transmetropolitan, was not my hero, even if he voiced plenty of important issues. And his Global Frequency agents are very uncomfortable. They are, most of them, cruel and ruthless. But Ellis puts them in the obvious position of heros. They are the ones who rescue people - the Global Frequency is called upon when no one else has the skills to do the rescue. So we have to compare them to "heros" like the ones that have been forced upon us, like the word police, that have been invading country after country or changing governments when they dislike them, or to soldiers, in general, glorified in their violence.
And it actually began when Transmetropolitan ended, in 2002. That other series was an anti-system delirium, centered around a single character, distilling heavy doses of hatred, scepticism, lucidity, humanism, sometimes all those at once. The leading character, a journalist, incarnated the distrust of political leaders and the whole political system and, most of the time, society and humanity at large, and carried the burden of being a voice of reason, even if it meant destroying himself, in the process.
Global Frequency is, in a way, the system. It is sort of a governmental agency. But not something like NSA. There are 1001 agents, and every single one of them seems like an outcast of society. The axis of them all, Aleph, looks (and acts) like a cyberpunk. This series anticipated a lot of what is happening today with the anarcho-capitalists, for instance, that see Bitcoin as an utopic thing. Or the hackers that are going deep in the high frequency trading business in Wall Street. These days, it's not easy to separate people. Hackers can be leftists. Or right wing libertarian nuts. You can be hired because you are a computer genius. You can be a Snowden, and take a long time to wake up. There is a brilliant, quite brutal episode, called Hundred, where Aleph shows she knows how terrorist hackers think, when she defuses, by talking, a dangerous situation.
Warren Ellis does not write about a black and white world. His journalist, in Transmetropolitan, was not my hero, even if he voiced plenty of important issues. And his Global Frequency agents are very uncomfortable. They are, most of them, cruel and ruthless. But Ellis puts them in the obvious position of heros. They are the ones who rescue people - the Global Frequency is called upon when no one else has the skills to do the rescue. So we have to compare them to "heros" like the ones that have been forced upon us, like the word police, that have been invading country after country or changing governments when they dislike them, or to soldiers, in general, glorified in their violence.
July 25, 2013
Global Frequency is an international, independent organisation founded by the mysterious and secretive Miranda Zero. It's made up from 1001 agents all over the world and deals with occurrences and situations too big, strange or dangerous to be handled by conventional means, such as eco-terrorism, mass hysteria, or secret government cyborgs out of control. The agents range from law enforcement representatives, both active and retired, professors, scientists, tech savvy teenagers, intelligence operatives and just generally experts in some field or other. Every single member can be called on in a crisis, connected in a world wide nexus, controlled by the enigmatic Aleph, who sits at the centre of the organisation and co-ordinates everything.
This series was originally published from 2002-2004, and I was sorry to discover that there are only the ten issues collected in this one volume. Each issue is a stand-alone story, featuring a few of the various agents of Global Frequency. The only recurring characters in each story are Miranda Zero and Aleph, and I'm assuming Zero must do constant recruiting, as being an agent for the organisation frequently seems to be very dangerous, and quite a few of the agents don't survive their various missions. Each issue is illustrated by a different artist, which adds to the separateness of the stories. Not all the stories were as entertaining, and in certain cases, I didn't really like the art much (the more I read of graphic media, the more it's becoming clear that it doesn't matter how good the writing is, if I don't like the art).
Global Frequency is an action packed and exciting mini series. Ennis can be an extremely capable writer when he sets his mind to it. I liked the episodic feel of the various issues, but was sorry to see that we don't find out more about Aleph, Miranda Zero and the bigger purposes for the organisation. I would really have liked to keep reading the series, with a "new crisis each issue", and the occasional development on the founding and background of the group. Sadly, that is not to be, so I guess I should be grateful that I liked more of the ten issues in the collection than not.
This series was originally published from 2002-2004, and I was sorry to discover that there are only the ten issues collected in this one volume. Each issue is a stand-alone story, featuring a few of the various agents of Global Frequency. The only recurring characters in each story are Miranda Zero and Aleph, and I'm assuming Zero must do constant recruiting, as being an agent for the organisation frequently seems to be very dangerous, and quite a few of the agents don't survive their various missions. Each issue is illustrated by a different artist, which adds to the separateness of the stories. Not all the stories were as entertaining, and in certain cases, I didn't really like the art much (the more I read of graphic media, the more it's becoming clear that it doesn't matter how good the writing is, if I don't like the art).
Global Frequency is an action packed and exciting mini series. Ennis can be an extremely capable writer when he sets his mind to it. I liked the episodic feel of the various issues, but was sorry to see that we don't find out more about Aleph, Miranda Zero and the bigger purposes for the organisation. I would really have liked to keep reading the series, with a "new crisis each issue", and the occasional development on the founding and background of the group. Sadly, that is not to be, so I guess I should be grateful that I liked more of the ten issues in the collection than not.
February 18, 2016
Warren Ellis escribiendo sobre lo que mejor le sale escribir. Complots, tecnología extraña, diálogos punzantes y personajes bastante turbios.
Esta serie consta de 12 capítulos, cada número es autoconclusivo, lo cual está bastante bien porque uno puede ir de acá para allá y leer más distendido las aventuras de esta organización tan particular que es la Global Frequency. Los únicos personajes que aparecen en todos los números son Ms Zero (la directora de la organización y una "badass" total que se las banca todas) y Aleph (una punki encargada de comunicarse con los 1001 integrantes de la organización...clara referencia a la obra de Borges en cuanto a este personaje).
No puedo elegir números favoritos de toda la historia porque me gustaron todos, pero me zarparon la cabeza particularmente: la historia en la que una integrante salva Londres de una bomba bacteriológica llegando al objetivo haciendo Parkour (clap clap..), el número dibujado por Simon Bisley, el número protagonizado por un integrante japonés dibujado de manera preciosa por Lee Bermejo y el número dibujado por Steve Dillon sobre como una lesbiana salva un barrio infectado por un virus cibernètico.
Cada número es especial ya que está dibujado por un artista diferente y ninguno baja del "muy bueno" en cuanto a arte se refiere. Todos los dibujantes parecen sentirse a gusto con los guiones de Ellis y no me desagrado ninguno.
Muy recomendable, de lo mejor que escribió Warren Ellis alguna vez y, sospecho, que se trata de uno de sus laburos más personales al mejor estilo Planetary.
Esta serie consta de 12 capítulos, cada número es autoconclusivo, lo cual está bastante bien porque uno puede ir de acá para allá y leer más distendido las aventuras de esta organización tan particular que es la Global Frequency. Los únicos personajes que aparecen en todos los números son Ms Zero (la directora de la organización y una "badass" total que se las banca todas) y Aleph (una punki encargada de comunicarse con los 1001 integrantes de la organización...clara referencia a la obra de Borges en cuanto a este personaje).
No puedo elegir números favoritos de toda la historia porque me gustaron todos, pero me zarparon la cabeza particularmente: la historia en la que una integrante salva Londres de una bomba bacteriológica llegando al objetivo haciendo Parkour (clap clap..), el número dibujado por Simon Bisley, el número protagonizado por un integrante japonés dibujado de manera preciosa por Lee Bermejo y el número dibujado por Steve Dillon sobre como una lesbiana salva un barrio infectado por un virus cibernètico.
Cada número es especial ya que está dibujado por un artista diferente y ninguno baja del "muy bueno" en cuanto a arte se refiere. Todos los dibujantes parecen sentirse a gusto con los guiones de Ellis y no me desagrado ninguno.
Muy recomendable, de lo mejor que escribió Warren Ellis alguna vez y, sospecho, que se trata de uno de sus laburos más personales al mejor estilo Planetary.
Read
September 18, 2019Warren Ellis is a master of the single issue comic. He consistently crafts 22-page stories that are compelling, succinct, and powerful, short stories you can pick up and enjoy without knowing anything. Whenever I read an Ellis comic, his reverence for the single issue comic as an art form shines through. Global Frequency, then, is a perfect showcase for Ellis’ single issue prowess. The series consists of 12 stories – each drawn by a different artist – about an intelligence organization that thwarts crises around the world (“cleaning up the 20th century” as Ellis calls it). Every story presents a different case that Global Frequency works to solve, featuring rotating members with two main characters repeating. You can pick up any issue and understand completely what’s going on; every issue is essentially a quick injection of espionage, tightly plotted and quickly paced while providing exactly what you need for the story. The whole series is a fascinating experiment and very well done. All the artists bring their A-game, with nary a bad-looking page in the book. If I had to choose, the issues by Lee Bremejo and Gene Ha are my favorites.
While I enjoyed all the stories, they get repetitive reading them back-to-back. I suggest spacing out your reading for maximum effect.
While I enjoyed all the stories, they get repetitive reading them back-to-back. I suggest spacing out your reading for maximum effect.
February 17, 2015
Loved this, sad to see it had such a short run, excellent pace and the various artists on the issues where all top notch. This could and should have ran for longer so more background on the operatives could have been established. The mission impossible/man from uncle vibe i enjoyed and the fact that it was a rescue organisation was also very cool. Its a shame the proposed t.v. series never got past the pilot episode stage. I think toady this series would have gone further. Mr Ellis rocks again.
September 6, 2015
Fantastic. People have been after me to read this for ages, and I'm so glad I finally took their advice. Warren Ellis writes some of the best single issues in comics—I came to Global Frequency expecting a long, slow build, like in Planetary, but found instead these chiseled, expansive issues, closer to his run on Moon Knight, but with Planetary's political edge. I'll be returning to this one in the near future.
March 14, 2022
That was a fast read. Generally the one-per-issue stories presented here were uneven in quality, these dealing more with sci-fi/supernatural concepts were better than more ground to earth "thriller action" ones because of Warren Ellis creativity in sci-fi and dense atmosphere, while majority of the "realistic ones" suffered from plot holes and overused trophes like "one man army" "governments/"military are useless" etc.
December 15, 2015
AWESOME!
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