Final issue of Planetary ships today
The final issue of Warren Ellis and John Cassaday’s “Planetary” ships to stores today. The series debuted in April 1999 and has been a critically acclaimed and Eisner-nominated comic book throughout its run. The much-delayed series features an organization tracking down the world’s secret history. “Indiana Jones meets the X-Files” was what I used to pitch people on the series at my comic book store, where Planetary along with “The Authority,” also by Warren Ellis, were among my favorite books of 1999.
In fact, the WildStorm of 1999 was something of a reader’s paradise, especially for someone like me, with a fascination for pulps and superheroes. In addition to Ellis, Alan Moore was creating the America’s Best Comics line for WildStorm, with Tom Strong, Promethea and others. In retrospect, we should have known it was too good to last. But in 1999, my first full year of owning a comic book store, it seemed the future was at our fingertips, and brilliant, wonderfully illustrated comic books would be ours forever.
This is not to knock what there is today; there are great comic books coming out all the time, anymore. Just this year, we’ve had Asterios Polyp, A.D.: After the Deluge, The Big Kahn, The Photographer, and I’m sure lots more I’m not thinking of at the moment.
But 10 years ago was a personally and professionally exciting time for me, and “Planetary” was part of that. I had been aware of Ellis first from “Excalibur” and later for “Transmetropolitan,” but “Planetary” increased my respect for his work.
Cassaday, who was raised in Texas and Oklahoma, was already on my radar after having drawn “Desperadoes” for WildStorm. Around the time “Planetary” came out, I named Cassaday the artist to watch for the future in an issue of Diamond Comics’ retailer newsletter. I think that prediction turned out pretty well. In addition to “Planetary,” Cassaday illustrated “Captain America” and “Astonishing X-Men,” and now is becoming a director, scheduled to helm an upcoming episode of Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse.” Cassaday spent much of the last four years drawing the graphic novel “I Am Legion,” and is also attached to direct the film adaptation of that project.
Both Ellis, Cassaday, and many of the fans of “Planetary” are in different places, literally and figuratively, than when this series started 10 years ago. But I for one am very much looking forward to seeing how the story ends.
- Matt Price
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