Comics This Week
“Planetary: Leaving the 20th Century - Volume 3” (Warren Ellis)
It’s been so ridiculously long since the last volume of Planetary, but it’s been worth the wait (nearly four years since Planetary: The Fourth Man). This volume is Warren Ellis writing his strongest science-fiction superhero conspiracy fantasy work, with John Cassaday’s breathtaking art infusing every moment with a planet-sized dose of pure awe-inspiring wonder. I had to stop to catch my breath after every chapter. Not hyperbole, it really was that good.
“Madrox: Multiple Choice” (Peter David)
Good, but maybe I shouldn’t have read this after Planetary. I remember thoroughly enjoying Peter David’s writing on X-Factor all those years ago (way back in 1993!). This book essentially lets him play with a similar stable of characters — Madrox, Wolfsbane, and the hilariously-named Strong Guy — but the humour felt a lot more forced this time round. Still an interesting story, but I don’t see what all the critical raving was about.