Fables of Deconstruction Part 1 - Planetary

I may revisit this posting in the future, Planetary is one of those titles that like Watchmen, is so multi-layered and referential that it makes it extremely difficult to nail down all the nuances in one sitting. But in the meantime, for those who don't know - Planetary is one of Warren Ellis' two magnum opii (along with Transmetropolitan) that put him on the map. It's a metaphorical sci fi opera with enough comic Golden and Silver Age references that the only comparison is Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (of which I will be covering soon enough). The fact that it's so well-written and hooks you into the mystery of comic history is a testament to the writing skills of Mr. Ellis and it makes up for some of his more lacklustre efforts.

On the surface, Planetary is a shadowy organization that dubs itself as "Archeologists of the Impossible", finding the secret history of humanity - whether it includes giant monsters, superhumans, alien visits, magical phenomena, bizarre cults, extra-dimensional crossovers, etc etc - ie., everything that takes place in modern sci fi and fantasy. If it existed, it's the job of Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner and the Drummer to find it, log it, and if unable to use for the betterment of humanity, keep it hidden from those who would use it for evil gain.

But that's the surface, and it's what is happening underneath that truly creates all the complexities that make this a difficult entry. For below the cover story is the tale of the superhumans that have always existed. Those gifted individuals whose powers were the wellspring of most of the great works of fiction: pastiches of Fu Manchu, Tarzan, Doc Savage, the Shadow, Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, John Carter, and others famous in history or even contemporary, like Vertigo's John Constantine and Chow Yun Fat's Hard Boiled cop Tequila. Ellis touched on these icons of fiction in another title, The Authority, with the character of Jenny Sparks who shares this bloodline - but here we see that these people were the beginning of the secret history and a great conflict continues between those who are their descendants, and those who covet the title.

Like I said, I can't even begin to cover the narrative and the themes that play themselves out. But take my word for it, it's a long series that continues to this day but worth the time spent.