"Life is strange. Let's keep it that way."

While many have likened it to The X-Files of the superhero world, Warren Ellis' Planetary functions more as historical science fiction aimed at providing a backbone for DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint, a mini-universe that encompasses the world of other such notable comics as Stormwatch, The Authority and WildC.A.T.S. Patterned after the classic Jack Kirby/Stan Lee opuses of the 1960's, each issue comprises part of a larger story arc while simultaneously providing self-contained (and often creepy) tales that don't leave casual readers feeling alienated. Basically, you can come in at any point and not be left out in the cold.

The book finds at its center the character of Elijah Snow, a hundred-year old man who doesn't appear to be a day over forty and who happens to have the ability to control temperature within his immediate area. Hardened by the rather dark years of the twentieth century, he has gone into self-imposed seclusion in the Midwest. Contacted by a mysterious woman named Jakita Wagner, Snow is given an attractive proposition: Join a shadowy superhero-investigative organization known as Planetary, and he will have all records of himself erased from every database and mainframe on the planet. Planetary itself is an enigma, made up of Wagner, an uberwoman who can run at speeds of 120 mph and appears to be nearly indestructible, The Drummer, a young, goateed slacker who can telepathically link with machines, Snow himself, and an unseen Fourth Man, who has more money than God and funds the operation. Soon enough, Snow is accompanying the crew on secretive investigations that range from the uncovering of dinosaur cloning sanctioned by the Japanese government (a la Godzilla and Monster Island), quantum computers built during World War II that can map a snowflake-shaped multiverse, ghostly Hong Kong policemen that exact revenge from beyond the grave and unearthed "Shiftships" that have entered our universe through a hole in space/time called "The Bleed."

All this is combined with a wry sense of humor and pathos that leaves the reader with a sense of wonder not present in superhero comics in almost thirty years. The key to Planetary lies in the past, the secret histories and conspiracies that Ellis creates to tie the Wildstorm Universe together. While readers new to comics will appreciate the straightforward breakneck storytelling and mean characterization, seasoned pros will recognize original riffs on classic comic fare. Ellis is a man in love with the golden age of comics, and it's hard not to grin knowingly when he evokes characters that bare strong similarities to Doc Savage, Fu Manchu, Tarzan, and The Shadow. But his hand also extends to current trends as well. In Issue #8, a story which ostensibly details a funeral is a thinly-veiled jab at the penchant for "gritty" comics that has been seen in the 80's and 90's. In a less-steady grasp, it could easily devolve into a meandering diatribe on the value of comic stories of yesteryear. Ellis is wise enough to keep the plot moving in pace with the jokes, and the end result is solid and rewarding. Incidentally, a good deal of fun in Planetary, as in virtually every other comic penned by Ellis, can be had in counting his uses of the word "bastard," one which he never seems to tire of employing.

Of course, a great deal of Planetary's brilliance is supplied by artist John Casaday, whose simple line style conveys precisely the moods of the characters and the enormity of the backdrops they find themselves set against. Casaday has not forgotten that, while these are people, they are also superheroes, and are possessed of the glamour befitting them. Snow, Wagner and The Drummer are indeed exciting, attractive people, but they remain essentially human. On the grander scale, Casaday provides some truly stunning renderings of the nearly unrenderable, including vast spires of alien civilizations and massive picture frames that provide access to interdimensional space. Colorist Laura Depuy is to be commended as well for the depth her hues give the pencils. Undoubtedly, bringing some of Ellis' ethereal ideas to page must at times be a daunting task.

Reading the finished product, however, is a tremendous pleasure, as evidenced by the fact that early issues of Planetary are fast becoming scarce at comic retailers. Ellis recently announced that the book will end at Issue #24, marking also the end of Ellis' run in the superhero genre, so discriminating readers would do well to devour this must-read while it's still on the shelves, as it is rare to come across a superhero book possessed of this sort of depth.

-- David Rosiak

Planetary, published by DC Comics, is currently available only through comic retailers.

We welcome your comments on The 11th Hour and this review. Please send letters to: letters@the11thhour.com