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US Comic-book series by writer Warren Ellis (1968- ) and artist John Cassaday (1971-2024), published by Wildstorm Comics (which later became an imprint of DC Comics). The series ran for 27 issues and was published sporadically from April 1999 to October 2009. Three additional issues outside the main series, one of which crossed over with Batman, were also published in 2000, 2002 and 2003; two of these were drawn by other artists.
The series revolves around Planetary, a team of "Archaeologists of the Impossible" seeking to unearth the hidden history of the world, and with it the life story of their enigmatic, Amnesiac member/leader Elijah Snow. Along the way, Ellis explores the archetypes of pop culture, using new characters that serve as stand-ins for Tarzan, Doc Savage, Fu Manchu, the Shadow, Superman, Godzilla and many others to provide a tapestry for a broader mystery and a celebration of the magic of the unknown. An early quote from the series embodies Ellis's approach: "It's a strange world. Let's keep it that way."
The entire series is collected in five volumes (graph coll 2000-2010 5vols), with volume five containing the three additional issues noted above; and in a two-volume oversized "Absolute" edition (graph coll 2005, 2010), comprising the main sequence of issues #1-#27 plus different bonus material. [JP/DRL]
collections
Planetary
Absolute Planetary
links
Entry from The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (2011-current) edited by John Clute and David Langford.
Accessed 15:29 pm on 21 January 2025.
<https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/planetary>