Planetary Best Book Ever?

[Citizen Kane]

Planetary will always remain a delectable piece to read. The only problem with the story was the reveal of the Fourth Man. The story lost some of its mystery, allure, and steam afterward.

[millernumber1]

Planetary will always remain a delectable piece to read. The only problem with the story was the reveal of the Fourth Man. The story lost some of its mystery, allure, and steam afterward.

Interesting. I thought it was clever enough, but not necessary. It does allow for some fun "woah, THAT'S what was really going on" moments.

[Carabas]

Planetary will always remain a delectable piece to read. The only problem with the story was the reveal of the Fourth Man. The story lost some of its mystery, allure, and steam afterward.

It is the kind if twist that you have to do in the first half of your story, because the later you do it the less impact it has, and the less time there is to do anything useful with it.

[millernumber1]

It is the kind if twist that you have to do in the first half of your story, because the later you do it the less impact it has, and the less time there is to do anything useful with it.

Unless you want to end with it, which isn't a very satisfying technique in a long form story.

[Carabas]

Unless you want to end with it, which isn't a very satisfying technique in a long form story.

Well, the main purpose of this kind of twist is to motivate your main protagonist to start taking things seriously, and to make the bad guys look more dangerous, so waiting till the end is not a good way to do that.

[millernumber1]

Well, the main purpose of this kind of twist is to motivate your main protagonist to start taking things seriously, and to make the bad guys look more dangerous, so waiting till the end is not a good way to do that.

Agreed. I think the twist of Elijah was handled quite well in Planetary. I really like the way it changes the relationships between the main trio.

[The Whovian]

Planetary is one of the best books ever. I won't go so far as to say THE best, but it is one of my favorites.

[manduck37]

Planetary is easily one of my all time favorites. I'd be hard pressed to call any book "the best" as they all can bring something unique and different to the table. Planetary is definitely one of those books that lives with you though. I couldn't stop thinking about it.


One of the elements of the story that really blew me away was that the book starts off with investigations in the unusual but they don't really do anything about what they investigate. After a few issues, I was getting frustrated. The ideas were great but ultimately nothing happened. Then Elijah snaps saying that they have to actually do something about all the stuff they investigate rather than do nothing. I realized that Ellis masterfully took us on Elijah's journey and put the reader in his shoes. That is storytelling at its finest.

[millernumber1]

Planetary is one of the best books ever. I won't go so far as to say THE best, but it is one of my favorites.

What do you like about it that puts it in the top tier for you? I found the philosophy and scifi really engaging, and of course the art is very, very polished.

Planetary is easily one of my all time favorites. I'd be hard pressed to call any book "the best" as they all can bring something unique and different to the table. Planetary is definitely one of those books that lives with you though. I couldn't stop thinking about it.

One of the elements of the story that really blew me away was that the book starts off with investigations in the unusual but they don't really do anything about what they investigate. After a few issues, I was getting frustrated. The ideas were great but ultimately nothing happened. Then Elijah snaps saying that they have to actually do something about all the stuff they investigate rather than do nothing. I realized that Ellis masterfully took us on Elijah's journey and put the reader in his shoes. That is storytelling at its finest.

Yes, Ellis's ideas do like to stick with you, trying to change the way you think. I did like the rhythm of the book - it feels quite slow paced, with sudden jerks of intense happening. But the way things are set up and paid off it feels really satisfying, like the way they pay off Ambrose's return after slowly learning who he was, and liking him, and missing him.

[Cap808]

Planetary definitely in my top ten, and thanks for the reminder, as I shall go back and read it this weekend.

[Montressor]

Was that the one with the "angels" and trapping the "Thing" analog in the ship with the huge dead body?

Yes. I was in awe of that body (and its former throne). The entire thing was just...eerie, on a cosmic scale. The fact that the corpse had laid there for so long civilizations had risen up around (and from) it. I had started reading my comics 'blind' around that time--spoiler-free, not even flipping through them at the LCS, getting home, getting baked, and settling in for some good reading. That sequence in the book literally blew my mind the first time I saw it.

I also love the fact that somewhere among all the chaos, Snow was in the DCU during the original Crisis. Not really a spoiler, as it's just something he casually mentions in one brief panel (more like hints at, he doesn't actually say 'Crisis' or 'Monitor' or anything like that).

[millernumber1]

I'm always a bit hesitant about attempts to connect Vertigo type books to mainstream continuity. I didn't mind it when Death showed up in Action Comics by Paul Cornell, but I wasn't a huge fan of Batman and Superman showing up in Sandman itself at the end. It feels like a constraint that doesn't fit with the idea of a book that's deliberately exploring/satirizing the conventions of the mainstream continuities.

[Kaijudo]

Definitely in my top ten favorite books/runs of all time.