Planetary Vol. 4: Spacetime Archaeology

I fondly remember borrowing the first 3 trades of this fantastic series a few years ago from a friend, and absolutely loving it. When I saw the fourth recently hit the shelves, I wondered about going back through the series again. I was going to wait for this volume to come in softcover, but decided that I could not wait, as it may not even happen this year. It was worth the purchase. Despite being only 27 issues long, much like 'Watchmen', it feels longer than that. Maybe it is John Cassaday's luscious artwork which almost compels you to stop and take a third or fourth look. It could be Warren Ellis' pacing and plot, which make the books feel like a high quality TV drama; there are great one-off issues, which are well encapsulated stories, but there's also a great, over-arcing plot line which comes to a strong resolution. Much like a good BBC show, it is succinct and sweet, leaving the reader with just enough to enjoy the time they spent in Elijah Snow's world.

They say write what you know so Warren has already broken the rules with this, the latest and the last collection of his stunning exploration of the very nature of imagination itself through the media of the fantastic, the detritus of the divine and the cast-off scribblings of his more than bulging ideas folders. Or has he? If it's a case of keeping it familiar so as to promote verisimilitude or conventional reality, then he should have failed. But despite being set in an alternate universe stuffed full to the gills with familiar looking characters and events, Planetary is kept grounded and appealing by the central cast of heroes (Planetary Foundation) and the most wonderfully loathsome villains one could ever ask for (The Four). The real kicker is how rich and original Warren makes this volume of his archaelogy of the fantastic, as though ideas like these had never been seen before. The beauty and tragedy of what the Four have done in this reality is finally matched by the Planetary Foundation's intricate moves against them coming to a head, plot ends are tied up beautifully and all with the spectacular art of John Cassady toa ccompany it, one of the most versatile artists in comics today. Obviously, you'll be reading this as part of a series- but, as part of that series, this more than just completes the overall picture, rather displaying some amazing flourishes and pulling out some new and unexpected tricks right at the last minute. We're living in a new Golden age of quality in comics when series like this can come out and show up the complacent stuttering series for the unimaginative sloppy works they are.

This is the hardcover collection of the last several Planetary comics. First, if you are familiar with Planetary, then you know how wonderful this alternate earth comic is. Warren Ellis is a master storyteller and Cassaday's just shines on the extra thick stock pages. The format truly honors the loving work that has been put into this story. Now for those who know the story, this is simply a collection of the comics. There isn't new material nor is there any real additional work. However, the workmanship of the hardcover is wonderful. The binding is strong, the pages are thick and feel good in the hands. Most of all, the artwork just pops off the page. This is a lovely end cap to the series. If you've never read planetary, getting the 4 volume story is very much worthwhile. If you've read Planetary but would like something more solid and beautiful, you should also pick up this book. Really its truly an outstanding collectible.

Volume four wraps up Warren Ellis excellent series, too soon in my opinion. This volume pulls back from the genre and character pastiches a bit (though they still exist) to focus on wrapping up the plot between planetary and the 4. Yes, this is the end, and to be honest, I was a bit disappointed by the final fight. Warren Ellis wanted to end this comic early, and as a result, Randall Dowling is dispatched far too easily given the build up. Additionally, I'm a bit disappointed in how the series stopped paying attention to Jakita and Drummer (though he did get a backstory issue, to be fair), focusing exclusively on Elijah. That said, a bunch of minor characters do get brought back for the climax, which was nice. And the artwork and dialogue are just as good as they ever were, keeping this series at the 4-star mark. Remember, there's still a collection of crossovers with Justice League and the Authority to read.

Let's keep it that way. One of my favorite phrases. Top to bottom, the world is made of chaotic interlocking systems. Order is something we impose on it. As Planetary makes clear, that is not it's normal state.

Though it took Ellis and Cassady what seemed like an eternity to finish Planetary, the end result is a deeply satisfying science-fiction romp. In the end, Planetary reminds us that, even in a world of limitless sci-fi possibilities populated by a broad array of delightful pastiche characters based on the heroes of classic genre fiction, it's the human drama that makes good fiction really WORK. Planetary began with a sense of wonder, and though that sense of wonder took a back seat to the rivarly between Elijah Snow and The Four, the series ends on an emotional high, as Snow and company push the boundaries of reality itself in a desperate attempt to resolve the character arc which has, under the surface, driven the narrative of the entire series. When it was originally published, many readers complained that the penultimate chapter was disappointing, forgetting that it wasn't intended to be the series' final note. In this collected edition (which includes the final issue), readers will see what Ellis intended to achieve with his conclusion, and as the title of this review says, it's worth the wait.

I've collected all of the single issues as well as the trade paperbacks of Planetary for one simple reason: It's unequivocally the best comic book series ever made. From Warren Ellis' grand, sweeping vision to John Cassaday bringing it to life, the book morphed and changed with each issue, but when it's read in its entirety, you can see how it all fits together into a very pleasing whole.

"Planetary" seemed rather gimmick-y at the onset, and I doubt many writers could have pulled it off, turning it into nothing short of a masterpiece, with each new issue interesting in its own right while still feeding you bits of the overall story cycle. It worked. But as every good entertainer knows, it's best to leave the audience wanting more. Ellis delivers a closing chapter here that explains what needs to be explained and implies further adventures down the road. Perfect. As for the art, what can I say? If you aren't familiar with Cassaday's work, it is pretty and clear and adds to the story. If you DO know Cassaday's work, well, hey, it's Cassaday ... what more do you want? $.02 contributed.

Fourth volume of paperbacks in the series which collects issues of the comic Planetary. Which is about a special team who deal with weird events. And their battle against the four. A group of superpowered individuals who are controlling the destiny of the human race to their own ends. This collects issues nineteen to twenty seven of the series. And brings the whole ongoing story to a close [volume five collects special stories featuring the three main characters, and stands independent of the main narrative]. This is not a volume you will have any chance of understanding if you haven't read the first three, so new readers should start with Planetary TP Vol 01 All Over The World And Other Stories (Planetary (Windstorm)) . Previous volumes contained individual parts which were largely self contained stories - often in the style of a particular comic or other piece of popular fiction of days gone past. This ones forms a more continuous narrative. The first part ending on a cliffhanger that leads into part two. Whilst they do keep the style of before, the homages to other fictions and the like, plus the superb artwork and colouring, it's all about how Snow takes the fight against the four directly to them. And how he comes to understand his place in the world. Some very fascinating physics comes into play. Some characters do get their origins filled in. And as mentioned, the whole ongoing storyline is brought to a conclusion. The sheer amount of detail in the art and the writing means this is something you can read many times and find new things or things you'd forgotten on each occasion. The volume ends with short biographies of the writer and artist and colourist, plus a cover reprint, and a listing of other works by the writer. An excellent end to a very good series.

... and this is the perfect conclusion. Sure, it's too short, but still really enjoyable. Sure, I feel uncorfortable but... It's the right ending. Everything close like a marvelous circle. Aye Aye Aye to this story!

Zusammen mit Authority ist Planetary wohl eine der anspruchsvollsten und originellsten "Superhelden"-Serien. Ähnlich wie bei Moore's "Leage of exraordinary Gentlemen" werden hier bekannte Figuren aus Film, Comic und Popkultur hart an der Plagiatsgrenze vorbei genüßlich zitiert und quasi wissenschaftlich von den Archeologen der geheimen Geschichte der Welt unter die Lupe genommen. An Spannung, interessanten Charakteren und Ideen enthält jede Ausgabe mehr Stoff als ein ganzer Jahrgang beliebiger Marvel-Serien dieser Tage (die immer wieder mal von der DC-Serie Planetary liebevoll vorgeführt werden). Die Geschichten sind großartig geschrieben, stylish gezeichnet und schließlich gekonnt zurückhaltend coloriert. Ein echtes Lesevergnügen für etwas anspruchsvollere Comicleser.

Entre évocation des New Gods et paradoxes temporels pas comme les autres, Warren Ellis et John Cassaday terminent en beauté une des séries cultes des années 2000. Elijah Snow et sa bande terminent leur exploration des bas-fonds de la pop culture du XXe siècle, et s'offrent un duel final contre les Quatre. (enfin, trois contre quatre, ce n'est pas exactement un duel. mais on se comprend)

Best comic series ever! Volume 4 has a surprisingly optimistic tone for a series that doesn't shy away from the darkest parts of humanity. I won't spoil anything, almost every issue is fantastic in every regard. Both Ellis & Cassaday are at their absolute best in this series. So read them, but start at the beginning. 10 / 10