Planetary #1: It’s a Strange World

Wildstorm’s Planetary series was a high-concept sci-fi driven exploration of the superhero genre that quickly hit the ground running with a stellar cast of characters and a deeply engaging world that truly feels fully realized. It might not look like it at first, but there were some riveting themes at play in Plantary #1, so let’s dive in.

To start, despite the spectacle of being the “Archaeologists of the Impossible”, Planetary #1 finds it’s most important success in establishing the main characters in such an intriguing way. Jakita Wagner and Elija Snow’s dialogue in the first few panels set a tone that is both mysterious and exciting. It’s a simple offer that get’s this series rolling, but at this point in Elijah’s life after over a hundred years, a job is something he just can’t pass on. We’re quickly whisked away to the New York office of the organization known as Planetary and introduced to the new and uniquely eccentric third member of the team, The Drummer.

Their dynamics are quickly something that I was interested in, with Jakita’s general badassery, Elijah’s sternness and The Drummer’s strange addition, the team starts off strong. However, it wasn’t until learning the story of Axel Brass and the Quantum Brain that I realized this was a sci-fi story unlike anything in comics. The multiverse so often used in the superhero genre comes together in a remarkable way in Planetary #1 as the shape of reality is described through a theoretical snowflake containing the multiverse itself, now leveraged into computing power. This allows the creative team to explore a fundamental component of superhero comics within the pages of just one issue as we see the implications of multiversal manipulations come to light.

Planetary #1 is the type of issue that can surprise you on multiple fronts, from it’s strength of character work to the concise and powerful storytelling. Although, as strong as Warren Ellis’s script is, the visuals take the issue to level is should be at with consistent quality. It’s not the most visually impressive book you will have ever read, despite the Snowflake Multiverse being quite magnificent, but it works when it needs to, capturing everything from a futuristic aesthetic to classic superhero influences. It’s very easy to appreciate.

The story of Axel Brass and what the Planetary team uncovers makes for a thrilling first issue that has essentially everything you could want. This is high stakes intrigue with a scope that isn’t often utilized to such success in comics. It’s a great way to get to know the Planetary team and their mission to discover the secrets of this Century. While I would have liked to see more of Jakita’s motivations and the inner-workings of Planetary as an organization, it seems deliberate from the creative team to keep those elements a mystery for the time being. Still, her importance to the direction of the team and this entire series warrants something insightful soon.

If you haven’t read Planetary, don’t wait as long as I did. Pick up the first issue and dive into this compelling sci-fi story today!