Planetary

Planetary 1-13

Here we go.  This is Warren Ellis at his best.  Here, watching and not doing is a feature, not a flaw.  And the things we get to see along with Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner, and The Drummer are simply magnificent. 

A John Woo movie in comic form.  I love it so much.

Ellis' Vertigo commentary.

Ah, the grim and gritty era of superheroes.

I'm a sucker for this kind of action shot.

I love Ambrose Chase's look.

I love his powers.

I love his guns.

Just because it's true doesn't make it any more okay.

Ellis kills the JLA

After this and Apollo/Midnighter's original team, how many more JLA iterations has Ellis written?

Even better, Ellis doesn’t stop there the way he does with most of his series.  Here, he has the time to explore an actual overarching plot, where the dark Fantastic Four are the archnemeses of the Planetary organization.

Props, of course, to John Cassaday, doing apex mountain art here.  This series couldn’t possibly have attained the heights it does without him.

If it weren’t so late, I’d still be reading.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy

Planetary/Authority

The teams never actually meet face to face as they all battle an alien threat, and it’s probably for the best.  But it also makes for a disjointed crossover that doesn’t feel all that substantial.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Planetary/Batman

There’s something about Batman that makes seeing juxtapositions of all his iterations unbelievably cool.  He’s had so many distinctive looks from so many legendary artists over the years, all instantly recognizable.  Seeing Cassaday’s take on them here is the primary reason for this comic’s high rating.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good