501

So this is all the issues we should have gotten two volumes ago! Better late than never?

Finally Ellis manages to do some decent plot and story construction. This is all pretty good stuff. Of course planetary is like Lost or the X-Files with so many layers of mysteries piled on top of each other that even when things are 'explained' you are still left with many, many unanswered questions.

I still have several quibbles even with these issues
* such as Snow sounding distinctly Spider Jeruselm-esque at times
* some characters being shown in very classic film-version style while others are updated creating a feeling of inconsistency
* the lack of themes or overarcing messages, except for 'hey look at this thing i did which is like a thing i read once' etc.

but overall this is far more competent than the previous 2 volumes so grading on a curve, i settled on 4 stars.

PS: The french guy mentioned in the first issue, who's been to mars, is probably a reference to [b:The Nyctalope|5810724|The Nyctalope on Mars|Jean de La Hire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348004016l/5810724._SX50_.jpg|5982729] . ( )

Issue #27 finally came out, & I dug up my back issues & read the series from start to finish because I wanted to get a sense of the narrative arc since this tale was 10 YEARS in the making.

The Verdict: this is one of the most brilliant extended storylines I've ever encounters. It will stand the test of time, up there with Watchmen and others of the 'hero' genre.

PLANETARY is ultimately a holographic version of the Arabian Nights; it can be read as hero-noir, pastiche/tribute to the history of comic books & pulp & pop culture, delightful space-time science theoretical exploration, or a personal story of redemption and revenge.

I was amazed that Ellis found a way to keep his narrative tone & pacing in tune over the course of 27 issues & 10 years-- that in itself is to be lauded. ( )

So this is the kind of series that you don't read one and then come back 6 months later to read the next one. There's just too much going on. So I had to go back and read some of the 2nd one to get it. I'm still a little shaky on exactly who "The 4" are but at least I wasn't totally lost.

This was probably my least favorite of the Planetary graphic novels but that still puts it in the "pretty dang good" area. I need to get the fourth one now before I forget what happened in this one. ( )

How is there only one volume left? ( )