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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN num: 9781563896484
ISBN number: 1563896486
Label: Wildstorm
Manufacturer: Wildstorm
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 160
Printing Date: March 01, 2000
Publishing house: Wildstorm
Release Date: March 01, 2000
Sale Popularity Level: 33974
Studio: Wildstorm
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
This very first collection stars a team of super- powered mystery archaeologists who have uncovered evidence of super-human activity that spans the centuries. The team includes the ancient and enigmatic Elijah Snow, hot-tempered Jakita Wagner, and the insane techno-expert Drummer, as they deal with a World War II supercomputer that can acess other universes, a spectral spirit of vengeance, and more!
Amazon.com Review:
Layers of mystery wrap Planetary: All over the World like rice candy. Follow the enigmatic heroes Jakita Wagner, Elijah Snow, and the Drummer as they excavate the secret history of the world from its wealth of bizarre happenings. Though the characterization isn't sparklingly brilliant--the 'insane' Drummer behaves more like the A-Team's Murdock than a believable madman--the stories are both broad and deep, exploring a web of conspiracies and shadowy superheroes that manipulate and 'protect' our world. Clever retellings of primal comics myths are interlaced with X-Files-esque secret government tales, and they drive the reader back and forth to collate evidence; the characters can't do all the work. Illustrator John Cassaday mirrors Warren Ellis's script from circumspect to sublime, befitting the best successor yet to the pulp comics of the 1940s. --Rob Lightner
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Rated by buyers 
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I keep coming back to this extraordinary story by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday. It's the ultimate post-modern comic -- basically a deconstruction of the great superhero mythology that came before it.
The series starts out with solid, almost self-contained stories, but soon it becomes obvious that Ellis is building to some grander story arc. In later issues, he continually shocks the reader with scenarios that are just plain fun to read, but also speak to his overall goal (reexamining the conventions that make superhero comics work). Or something like that.
Either way, Planetary is smart and hard-hitting. Too bad the final issue still hasn't come out after 2 years.
Rated by buyers -
Warren Ellis is a tough writer to love. So much of his work can just be so cynical that it can put you off as a reader. But that's not a problem here. This series has no qualms about showing pure wonder and humanity, and that's why I feel that Planetary is Ellis' masterpiece. It's smart, it's intriguing, it has some excellent characters that Ellis develops beautifully over the course of the series, and, most importantly, it's a very entertaining read.
Planetary tells the story of Elijah Snow, a strange man with stranger powers who is recruited by the mysterious Planetary organization. Planetary is devoted to finding and preserving strange artifacts and individuals around the globe and, for reasons unknown, they see promise in Elijah and his abilities. "It's a strange world," goes the organization's slogan. "Let's keep it that way." As Elijah encounters everything from an island of giant monsters to a real life ghost, the edges of a mystery linking everything Snow and his teammates discover gradually begins to reveal itself.
Just as Ellis tops himself with every issue, artist John Cassaday also brings it all to the table--his pencils, matched with Laura Martin's lovely colors, are a beauty to behold. Planetary is one of the greatest comics of the last 25 years and it all begins here.
Rated by buyers 
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Blood and Rain
Blood for the Masses
Originally in SavageNight E-zine.
Planetary: All Over The World And Other Stories
Writer- Warren Ellis
Artist- John Cassaday
Reviewed By
B.L.Morgan
3 Stars
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if super-heros existed in The Twilight Zone? Well, me neither. Just in case you did, if the Marvel or DC Universes were mixed with Rod Serling's show the result would be something like Planetary.
The main characters in Planetary are supposed to be archaeologists digging not for fossils but for the hidden history of the world. The hidden history consists of murderous ghosts, armies of half-man half-spider things beneath Chicago and dimension hopping aliens galore.
The artwork in Planetary was flashy and pleasing to the eye. You won't see me complaining this time about the way the women were drawn in this comic. Jakita Wagner looked too good to complain about her.
Now for the problems: Too many of the characters in Planetary too closely resembled classic heroes for my taste. The character that pushed it way over the edge was Doc. Brass. He's a dead ringer for Doc. Savage: The Man Of Bronze.
Another problem were that none of the story lines were ever resolved. An interesting story would get started, then right in the middle get dropped. Then the book would move on to something else.
If you want a graphic novel with really great artwork and great ideas that are never fully developed then get a copy of Planetary: All Over The World And Other Stories. Otherwise, give it a pass.
Rated by buyers -
It is hard to put into words the genius mythologising found within the pages of Planetary. Basically, twisted heroes as villains, pulp analogues, adventurers, and the secrets in the corners of the world, and the relationships between all those mentioned above. Just pure gold. This is Ellis' genius and knowledge of pop culture shown at its very best.
Rated by buyers -
I originally came to this series because I liked John Cassaday's artwork in "Desperados" immensely, and I wanted to see what he could do when he was given a chance to stretch out. The guy sure did deliver; "Planetary" features page after page of fantastic design work, reminsicent of everyone from Wally Wood and Kelly Freas to almost every fantasy/adventure newspaper strip (Flash Gordon, Prince Valiant) that was ever worthwhile. Cassaday is so damned good, in fact, that it may take you a while to realize how good he really is; he's understated and subtle, he knows when to back off and add quiet, restful moments, and his line work is somewhat lighter and more refined than a Kirby clone or a Steranko-wannabe. This is not to underplay the high quality of the coloring and lettering and production work in the title, but they just give CassaDay a boost instead making him work against them.
Ellis does his usual gig of combining cynicism, paranoia, sentimentality, gonzo humor, biting wit and genuinely interesting interpretations of classic comic book cliches and institutions. (After you see what "The Four" have done to the world of "Planetary", you may never be able to look at Marvel's "Fantastic Four" the same way again.) "Planetary" is especially intriguing because of the central mystery of the history and motivations of its two main characters (the Drummer doesn't really count as a main character, because he is obviously just following Jakita's lead) and the shadowy conspiracy they may or may not be opposing.
The nature of the series allows the "main" mystery to be explored via individual "stand alone" issues that are affectionate revivals and tributes of all kinds of pop culture and sci fi classics. You never know who or what the subsequent issue will be about. A version of Doc Savage shows up early, as does Godzilla and Alex Raymond's pulp adventures and anime twists and Hong Kong cinema themes as well. But each issue also has revealed clues and hints as to what is "really" going on here (Ellis calls it "the secret history of the 20th century).
Some reviewers have criticized the early volumes in the series as being weak in characterization and maybe a little "flat". I think this was a deliberate choice by the series' creators, since the early volumes are laying the groundwork for deeper, more revealing events in the 2nd set of six, but it's a valid criticism. If you don't have a lot of fondness and affection for old icons like Doc Savage, the Hulk, Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes, etc., many of the early issues may leave you cold. For what it's worth, what the characters lack in depth in the early issues, they make up in attitude and snappy dialog.
Whether Ellis will finally be able to deliver a satisfying conclusion or flame out like David Lynch did with "Twin Peaks" is anyone's guess. But I'm not worried about it...I'm just enjoying the ride.
To paraphrase Joe Queenan, if we had 10 comics writers like Ellis, we'd be living in a Golden Age of comics storytelling. But we don't and we're not. That's OK...there are gems among the rubbish, and this is definitely a gem. Great stuff.
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