Planetary: Spacetime Archaeology (Review)

Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: John Cassaday
Publisher: WildStorm/DC Comics
Collects: Planetary #19-27

What is it about British comics writers? They all seem to be able to tap into this fantastical, "the world behind the curtain" idea that I, being from the UK, love. Maybe it's something in the water.

Warren Ellis is no exception to this, and Planetary is a now-complete series that he did with (American) John Cassaday from 1998 to 2009, about the shadowy organisation Planetary, which is dedicated to investigating the secret history of the world.

But it is also so much deeper than just that intriguing premise. It is about exploring the tropes and archetypes of fictional storytelling in almost every medium since cavemen drew on walls. More on that later though; for now, let's talk about the three main characters.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Blackest Night (Classic Review)

Originally released earlier this year. I wrote this review for a different site when the trade came out and thought I'd repost it here.

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Ivan Reis

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Blackest Night #0-8; Blackest Night Director's Cut #1

DC's big Event story for this year comes out of Geoff Johns' run on Green Lantern. The dead are rising in the form of the Black Lanterns, and they are out to terrorise the living.

Like Larfleeze with his Power Battery, I could not put this book down. First of all, its visuals grab your attention and refuse to let go. I've never really been one for Ivan Reis' art – I don't hate it, it just never clicked with me – but Blackest Night completely won me over. Every single one of the eighty zillion characters that appears in this is stunning, with Reis capturing their beauty and/or power each time, whether they be in the back- or foreground.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Lone Ranger: Now and Forever (Classic Review)

Originally released in 2007.

Writer: Brett Matthews

Artist: Sergio Cariello (with art direction by John Cassaday)

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Collects: The Lone Ranger #1-6

Let's get one thing straight right away: The Lone Ranger is a superhero.

He wears a mask, he has a "sidekick", he rights wrongs. He's a superhero. He's in a significantly different category from most superheroes in comic books, but he is no less of an American cultural icon.

As such, it is no wonder that Dynamite eventually got around to giving this classic character a modern upgrade. Someone would have eventually. As a fan of Westerns, I decided to give it a try.

The Weekly Trade #2

What I bought this week.

The Walking Dead: Too Far Gone by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard - Still my favourite ongoing series in comics right now. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Planetary: Spacetime Archaeology by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday - Recently got into this old series from two great creators and have been loving it. I'll be sad to read the final instalment.

Fantastic Four: The Future Foundation by Jonathan Hickman and Neil Edwards - I was determined to read this in paperback, but dammit last week's trade got me excited for more, so I got the hardback.

Anyone else care to weigh in?

A-Musing: The Next Batman Movie Villain

With Christopher Nolan's next instalment in the Batman film series, The Dark Knight Rises (if that is its real name), set for a July 2012 release, speculation has been rampant online as to the identity of the villain(s).

Nolan is spoiled for choice, with over 70 years worth of material to dig through. Will he pick another big name character, or go for someone more C-list? This is the guy who made Inception, so who knows how his mind works.

But I can offer you my guesswork, based upon hours of speculation and logical reasoning that I just made up on the spot. Knowing the world as I do, there will very probably be an official announcement immediately upon my posting this list, so enjoy it while you can.

(This list only includes villains I consider to be high-level. No Penny Plunderer or Calendar Man. It also discounts villains that Nolan has explicitly denied, such as the Penguin, Mr. Freeze and the Riddler.)

Fantastic Four: Prime Elements (Review)

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Artist: Dale Eaglesham

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Collects: Fantastic Four #575-578

With this story, Jonathan Hickman has finally stepped out of the "testing the waters" period that every new writer goes through with iconic titles and firmly stepped into the "doing his own thing" category.

And, boy, do I love it.

Smart, funny, exciting -- this is everything I want from the Fantastic Four.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Where Do I Start With... Batman

Who?

Debuting in Detective Comics #27 in May of 1939, Batman/Bruce Wayne/The Dark Knight/The Caped Crusader/Matches Malone/The World's Greatest Detective was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, and remains one of DC's (and the planet's) most recognisable superheroes.

Orphaned when his parents were killed by a mugger in front of him, Bruce Wayne dedicated his life to fighting crime. Travelling the world, he acquired the skills and knowledge necessary for this cause, and now he tirelessly wages a one-man war on crime in Gotham City. But you probably knew all this already. I mean, it's Batman!

Okay, so where do I start?

The Weekly Trade #1

What I'm buying this week.

Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton (Volume One) by James Robinson and Sterling Gates with various artists - After reading the amazing New Krypton storyline, I'm very excited to see what happens next in this intruiging saga. I'm also loving both Robinson and Gates' work on this iconic character.

Fantastic Four: Prime Elements by Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham - I'm a little behind here, because I only read the Fantastic Four in softcover. But I love the feel Hickman has given to this series, and can't wait to read this (after rereading his first volume; it's been a while).

(UPDATE: Turns out Return of the Dapper Men isn't out in the UK until December. I compensated by getting the next two items.)

Batman: Arkham Reborn by David Hine and Jeremy Haun - I think this is the only trade I'm missing from the early "Batman Reborn" era. Hopefully this will fill in a few gaps.

Superman/Batman: Night and Day by various writers and artists - Whenever I pick up one of these books, I am always pleasantly surprised by the quality. But I suppose with two of DC's biggest characters, i should be obvious. Plus, there's some excellent creative talent in this volume.

Look out for reviews throughout the week; and feel free to offer suggestions or tell me what you're picking up in trade this week, new or old.

A-Musing: Comics Writers as Film Directors

This was something I put together a while back after watching Jurassic Park and realising how similar it is to a Geoff Johns story (I refuse to explain further). I posted it on a few message boards and figured I might as well stick it up here too.

Geoff Johns/Steven Spielberg – Both recognised as maestros of their separate crafts, and in both cases it is well deserved. They know how to create memorable moments that stay with you forever, whether complex or simplistic, and they can tell the shiz out of a good story. Not to mention the fact that they have both been responsible for some of fiction's most iconic heroes.

James Robinson/Quentin Tarantino – One word comes to mind when thinking of these creators: Effortless. And that is by no means an insult. They both handle multiple-character stories brilliantly, getting across who each of these people are without beating you over the head about it. They can also put together a story perfectly, like a brick wall, but aren't afraid to throw in a few tricks too, all without breaking a sweat.

Thor: Siege Aftermath (Review)

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Artist: Richard Elson and Doug Braithwaite

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Collects: Thor #179-181, 611-614

At the end of the day, when all the numbers are counted up, I probably lean more favourably towards DC than Marvel. I don't know why, it's just one of those unknowable things.

That said, Thor is both my favourite Marvel character and series (a rare duo). I jumped on the series with J. Michael Straczynski's first trade and instantly loved it. When Kieron Gillen took over writing with Latverian Prometheus I was, like all comics fans are in such circumstances, a little worried.

But he pulled it off. Gillen aptly captured the tone and atmosphere of the series, and annihilated any doubt from my mind. I greatly anticipated his next big Thor story.

Superman: Earth One (Review)

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Artist:  Shane Davis

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Original graphic novel

For those of you who are not aware, Superman: Earth One is DC's recent attempt to "moderise" Superman for today's audience. It is a self-contained story that retells the classic origin we all know and love.

A young Clark Kent arrives in Metropolis, unsure of what to do with his life. Eventually facing an alien threat, he realises that he can only save humanity by standing apart from them as Superman, but still must hold on to the human values he was raised with.

There were two moments that stood out in this for me. One was in the writing and one was in the art, so I guess that works out pretty well.