Planetary Book Two

Wildstorm Classics: Planetary #2

by Warren Ellis, John Cassaday (Illustrator), Jerry Ordway (Illustrator)

Best-selling writer Warren Ellis (TRANSMESTROPOLITAN, THE WILD STORM) and acclaimed artist John Cassaday (STAR WARS, UNCANNY AVENGERS) deliver this epic, mind-bending tale of an interdimensional peacekeeping force tasked with tracking down evidence of superhuman activity. These mystery archaeologists uncover unknown paranormal secrets and histories, such as a gateway to the Dreamtime in Ayers Rock, a space capsule over a century old and an alien construct adrift within our solar system. Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner and the Drummer. These three Archaeologists of the Unknown have delved into the secret places where most would fear to tread. Now they are preparing to take on their strangest challenges breaking the power of the Four and bringing their own fourth member back from the dead! This second of two volumes collects PLANETARY #15-27, JLA/ TERRA OCCULTA and BATMAN/ NIGHT ON EARTH

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Fantasy

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 27, 2018

About the author

Warren 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.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Two was an excellent! If I were forced, I'd say this was better than Book One. And I loved Book One!

First of all, you get the ORIGIN STORIES for the cast in this.
That alone was worth it for me, because I'd been wondering what the deal was with Elijah's two sidekicks since I met them.

Along with that, there's plenty of strange tales, crazy adventures, and even a rescue mission that brings the characters in from all over time. It was surprisingly sweet and kinda made me tear up a bit at the end of it.



The Planetary/Batman issue seems to be a favorite issue among fans of this title, and now I can see why. It was absolutely as cool as everyone told me it would be! Well worth reading on its own, even if you aren't interested in the rest of the Planteary stuff.

Ok. Elijah and the gang end up going to visit a version of Gotham to help solve some strange crimes. As they do.



And they also get to meet the local cops on the Gotham PD, Dick Grayson and some dude with green hair and a creepy laugh...



If you can't get your hands on this comic, you can click the spoiler tag to see what makes this issue so awesome.

Basically, there's a guy who's powers are going wonky and he is causing different dimensions to overlap and invade each other. And because this is Gotham, he's scrolling through the multiverse and bringing up all the different versions of Batman. It's honestly one of the coolest issues out there.













There's also a Planetary/JLA issue, but (to me) it was just...eh.
It's an Elseworlds tale with an evil Planetary vs a different version of the Trinity.
Not terrible, but not as cool as the Batman issue.



Definitely Recommended!

[Javier Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Como ventajas respecto a la primera parte... en vez de concentrarse en episodios individuales y aparentemente inconexos, Ellis va relacionando todos los casos de la agencia y nos va desvelando el pasado de los personajes principales. Si para el final del primer tomo quedaba claro que el autor nos proponía un viaje por el siglo 20 reinterpretando muchos de los temas y personajes de los cómics y las novelas pulp, en este segundo tomo parece querer darle un sentido a todo, creando una red que entrelaza los distintos sucesos y explica las motivaciones y trasfondo de los personajes.

Como desventaja... el conjunto pierde algo de frescura y el esfuerzo por querer dejarlo todo bien atado conduce a algunas explicaciones que aunque a veces resultan graciosas por metareferenciales (el tema de que el universo está compuesto por múltiples mundos bidimensionales y cosas así) a veces se mezclan en un galimatías de tecnocháchara y conceptos de magia y terror cósmico bastante difícil de seguir y más aún de digerir (claro Ellis, claro), así que por el final de la serie cuando más épico se pone todo me vi leyendo algunos pasajes en diagonal porque me parecía que no aportaban nada y que el autor igual se estaba quedando un poco conmigo.

En todo caso el cómic está muy bien, temáticas atrayentes y variadas, personajes molones, un dibujo espectacular y un montón de referencias para el que quiera detenerse a pescar (yo cojo las que me vienen al vuelo, pero seguro que se me escapa alguna), en conjunto un particular homenaje de Ellis a la cultura popular del siglo veinte que merece ser leído.

Por cierto, aunque no sea necesario leer nada para adentrarse en planetary, la cosa se disfruta algo más combinando esta lectura con la parte de The Authority de Ellis (los 12 primeros números), no es que halla muchos cruces entre las series pero si comparten algún personaje y algún concepto y la lectura de ambas puede ayudar (o no) a entender un poco mejor las idas de olla de Ellis.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Gabriel Llagostera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buenísimo, buenísimo, buenísimo. Uno de los puntos altos en el blockbuster comiquero moderno. Ellis lleva a los personajes a límites insospechados y a cruces con otros universos y otros tiempos. Los distintos elementos plantados anteriormente se unen y cobran un nuevo sentido sobre el final.
A destacar también el dibujo de Cassaday, tal vez en su mejor momento: la narrativa, el armado de las viñetas... todo maravilla, todo funciona.
El tomo se complementa con dos crossovers: uno con la JLA (medio flojo) y otro con Batman (muy bueno).
Obra maestra del género.

[Maxi Parada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Después de los maravillosos 14 números que recopila el primer libro. La segunda mitad es igual o incluso más fantástica . La historia toma dimensiones más macro ( literalmente) y nuestros protagonistas luego de haber encajado las piezas de la historia y acabar con el gran mal, se embarcan en un viaje para arreglar cuentas pendientes con viejos integrantes del grupo

El cómic concluye con dos crosovers uno con la jla y otro con Batman. Seguramente lo más flojo de todo a pesar que el de Batman me gustó más.

Exclente historia

[Christopher (Donut) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review may contain spoilers.

Part two of the "Absolute" collection comprises parts three and four of the original collection, plus two crossover stories.

The JLA story was very good, I thought, even if it was an absolute head-spinner. Here we had just been through a 27-issue epic quest to take down the evil Fantastic Four, and Ellis goes and makes Elijah Snow and his team the bad guys, and Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince, and Clark Kent the sole survivors of the DC Universe, all of whose other heroes have been systematically and ruthlessly eliminated by Elijah Snow.

But we know evil Planetary is a different universe from the Planetary we've just been reading about, because Jakita Wagner looks like this:



And not her usual sweet Tarzan's daughter self:





"Stand or fall I know there shall be peace in the valley and it's all an affair of my life with the heroes and villains."

[penta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pod koniec tempo trochę siadło, a dodatkowe opowieści nie reprezentują równego poziomu, ale generalnie jest to porządna seria, która może i nieco się przeciągnęła, ale nie na tyle, by zaniknęła jej dusza.

[Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Прочитав другу половину Планетарію, а саме номери з 15 по 27, для тих хто забув то нагадаю, що серія розповідає про організацію яка досліджує таємну історію світу і кожний номер якої був деконтсрукцією або метакоментарем певного літературного або коміксного елементу.

Якщо ж говорити про сюжет другої половини, то дослідження невідомого відійшло на другий план й історія в основному зосереджується на протистоянні Планетарію з Четвіркою, а також на розширенні сюжетних ліній та розкритті персонажів з минулих номерів. І через це мені друга половина сподобалася менше. Вона ні в якому разі не є поганою і я скажу, що такий зміст акценті скоріше є правильним рішенням ніж ні. Однак, для мене сюжети навколо дослідження були головним гайлайтом серії, якого тут не вистачило.

Якщо говорити про історії які конкретно сподобалися, то виділю номер з подорожжю Елайджі в Опак-Ре, номер в якому Планетарій зловили місцевий аналог Людини Факела, номери з ангелами та місцевим Беном Ґрімом, а також фінальний номер який є таким собі епілогом до усієї історії в якому завершується одна сюжетна лінія.

Планетарій це неймовірна серія з неймовірним малюнком. Повернувшись до неї я просто не міг відірватися до самого кінця настільки вона мене зачепила. Я неймовірно радий, що нарешті прочитав цей комікс після того, як багато років відкладав це знайомство. Прочитайте цю серію, вона справді цього варта. І пам'ятайте головне:

- Це дивний світ.
- Давай збережемо його таким.

[José Magalhães · Rating 3 out of 5]

Artwork is great. The writing and the plot pales in comparison. I expected much better. Couldn't care less for all the characters.

[Henry Blackwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is as derivative and as pointless as it gets. I actually don’t hate the concept of this even though it’s executed awfully. It’s about a secret team who solves crimes and mysteries on a multiverse level. The bad part of this is the fact that Warren Ellis has the writing chops of a teenage boy. He seems to think it’s interesting enough for there to be a secret society there doesn’t seem to be any story outside of that. The characterisations of his cast are non existent even when we finally get their secret origins... and by the time we get them it doesn’t add anything to the story.

There’s no point to any of this other than ‘look at my team it’s SOOO much cooler than any team of marvel or DC’s’. Even the stories reek of that sentiment. Some of those stories include twisted origin stories for DC members (Batman/Supes/WW) as well as some weird Cold War that’s happening with the Walmart version of the Fantastic Four. It’s not interesting or intriguing at all. And that’s what a spy novel should be full of.. intrigue! Not just saying something is interesting just because you said so.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good !!

PLANETARY #15 – In The Beginning. Creation Songs.
“And he didn’t need a red cape to do it. he just had to be him.”

PLANETARY #16
“I am not afraid of you, Mr Snow.”

PLANETARY #17 – In The Lost City of Opak-Re
“But you are here. And he is dangerous.”

PLANETARY #18 – The Gun Club
“There’s a whole planet on your side.” – John Stone

PLANETARY #19 – Mystery in Space
“A ship this size, this old, with its own ecosystem.. they could have evolved there.” – Dr Kwelo

PLANETARY #20 – Rendezvous
“We wait. We just wait.” - Snow

PLANETARY #21 – Death Machine Telemetry
“We contain universes there are vastnesses in every grain of sand.” – Melanctha

PLANETARY #22 – The Torture of William Leather
“Now we see what kind of ghost man you are.”

PLANETARY #23 - Percussion
“If I’m leaving, can I break their stuff?” – Little Drummer Boy

PLANETARY #24 – Planetary Systems
“Life on Earth is surrounded by protective systems. Astonishing complexity. Great mystery.” - Snow

PLANETARY #25 – Join the Four, Seize the World
“What will be become? When we go through?” - Kim

PLANETARY #26
“You think the word matters so much, don’t you?” – Randall Dowling

PLANETARY #27 -
“Well’s pal who made his time machine in 1888 only went forward ..”

.....
PLANETARY / JLA – Terra Occulta
“Fast and dark; a vicious undertow.”

PLANETARY / Batman – Night on Earth
“Who are you, Sherlock Holmes?” – Jakita
“Hey. You hired me because you wanted a detective.” – Snow ..
“There’s some kind of transvestite hooker running down the alleyway at us.” – Drums {observing the 1960s Batman}

[Cale · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I read the second half of Planetary, so I had forgotten just how well Ellis had stuck the landing. There are a couple of weaker issues in here (the Elseworlds-style crossover with JLA especially), but those last two issues of the main series are just amazing through and through. Snow is a savior, and that is his ultimate goal - not defeating the Four, not preventing a parallel world from owning his Earth - saving a person. The book makes that point in the strongest way possible, and the final pages are so powerful. This volume answers many of the mysteries the series was built on, and does so in a way that does not diminish them. It's got less of the 'monster-of-the-week' feel of the first volume as it focuses on the internal mysteries, but it doesn't diminish anything.
This also includes what I consider to be one of the best Batman stories of all time, the Planetary/Batman crossover, which has so much fun with its concept (and the flirting between Batman and Jakita is great). Cassaday's art is astonishing throughout, and he gets many opportunities to let it shine. There's a reason he won an Eisner for this.
If you've ever read any Warren Ellis and enjoyed it, pick this up. I'm not sure it's the high point of his writing (I've always preferred Transmetropolitan), but it's still an amazing work that any author would be proud to have under their belt.

[Chad Jordahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story, pretty well executed. I liked that each issue had the feel of a standalone story within a broad overall arc. Excellent art.
The two bonus crossover issues were a mix. I didn't like Planetary/JLA: Terra Occulta, but Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth was fun.
Odd detail: Warren Ellis and Jerry Ordwa put Popeye in the Planetary/JLA: Terra Occulta issue. He's a background character in a transit station in Gotham City, walking in front of Diana Prince / Wonder Woman! He didn't feature in the story after that, so I don't know why the famous cartoon sailor man was in a superhero /scifi comic.

[Peter Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spend most of my time in the Planetary series audibly wondering "What the hell is going on right now?" But it is always enjoyable and book 2 really helped close it strong.

I think it's one of those series that the real heads can dig deep into but I don't have a ton of DC lore and history in my brain so I felt like I was missing the reference most of the time. Still, the stories are weird and wild and the characters fantastic. It was recommended by the dude who runs my local shop and I'm not disappointed whatsoever.

[Chaitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this one, I liked. I didn't warm up to the issues in Book One all that much as it was way too obvious what it was going for and took a long time to get there. But once Snow stops mucking about and does whatever it is that he should've done in the first place, I liked it a lot. I also liked getting Drums' and Jakita's backstory, and I'd have appreciated one for Ambrose Chase as well. Of the extras, the JLA crossover was meh (I've never liked JLA) but the Batman multiverse was cool. Like Jakita I liked the polyester version also.

[Miguel Poveda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Segunda recopilación de los cómics de la serie Planetary, en los que, a través de las aventuras de Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner y El Batería, miembros de la sociedad que da título al cómic y encargados de desentrañar los secretos del mundo como peculiares arqueólogos. Peculiares porque lo que se encuentra el lector son guiños a toda la cultura pop del siglo XX, centrados principalmente en los superhéroes de Marvel y, en este caso, DC. Una obra interesante y entretenida.

[Zack! Empire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad I finally finished this series after starting it over 10 years ago, but it wasn't as good as I recall. I did like the ending, but a lot of the ideas don't really seemed fleshed out at all. Like, it's almost as if Warren Ellis' idea of decompressed storytelling is working against him. He can't go in to more detail without making a denser issue, or a multipart story arch.

[Matt Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A more inconsistent read than I remember, this volume brings the series to its satisfactory (if oddly underwhelming) finale - but still, some wonderful, inspired stories, and consistently great artwork throughout, men’s this is still an essential read.

[Bruno Barcellos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tudo que me agradou no volume anterior, em termos de criatividade mais o ápice de conclusões e respostas. Com bônus ainda tem duas histórias excelentes com a Liga da Justiça e Batman que são maravilhosas. Com certeza vale a releitura no futuro

[Aliyu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a strange world, let's keep it that way.

An examination of the various ages of comic book superheroes.

Everything about this story is both interesting and strange at the same time. If you have never read this comic, then please go and do so now.

[Johan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to Book One, Book Two is more spectacular, more weirdness, more action, but it is at the expense of the storytelling. So minus one star.

[Chusomander · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a strange world. Lets keep it that way.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe a little less fun than the first half of the series, because it becomes more about its own mythology rather than the episodic structure it was doing before.