Comments on: Planetary: A Love Story

By: Night

Night — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:41:13 +0000

I have been cleaning up the office today and unpacking the boxes from the move. I just placed 16 of the Doc Savage books up on the shelf (8 of which are in a box set). Now I just need to figure out what to do with the 9 boxes full of comics… Planetary looks interesting.

By: Fla

Fla — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:50:02 +0000

Ah…you went there…memory lane for me as well. I was hit when you mentioned Badger and Nexus. If I had the money, those two would be major feature films by now. I am afraid thought that someone would try and just spoil what Mike Baron and “the Dude” did. Thanks for the memories.

By: scaresome

scaresome — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:49:31 +0000

Wow, there is so much to respond to; names echoing through time. I certainly was pleased to see ol’ Cerebus mentioned. I don’t look at comic books or graphic novels much any more these days, I’ll take a look at Planetary.

Some stories seem to take a long time to tell. I remember reading Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey in 1977*. Some twenty years later, we finally see Pern rid the skies of thread. I boggle sometimes to think that the Holmes stories and the Charles Dickens stories were released a bit at a time in the newspapers of the day.

I feel like comic books grew up with me. I read the “ten centers” for the kids; Superman, Batman, Spiderman but also Wendy the Witch, Archie and Jughead, Superboy. I never tended to them at all; they got dog-eared and folded and stuffed in back pockets. But I still have a box of them in a closet. I enjoyed when the Spiderman movie came out (Spider-Man) that I could look at the issue with that story, pretty cool.

With a nod to Corinthians, we do grow up and put away childish things. We read our Tarzans and Jungle Books. Perhaps shift to other super-heroes like Holmes and Miss Marple and Nero Wolfe. We might be pleased when Phillip Jose Farmer includes iconic characters like Doc Savage and Tarzan in the sci-fi genre.

The stories with a long arc appeal to me as well. The Nine Princes of Amber was totally satisfying. Stepping into “world with rules” amaze me. I think that’s why I love Goblin Engineering so much — they break the rule of fantasy (steam engines at the most, no guns, lots of campfires) at their own peril and mishap. The roflcopter looks like it’s about to fall apart.

Thanks BBB, an excellent blog and fun read. I’ll go follow your links now.

*I looked it up; written in 1968. All the Weyrs of Pern written in 1991.

By: Charity

Charity — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:05:26 +0000

I am a comic fan, once an avid collector, and am so much largely out of touch with that world these days, that I hesitate to get back in because I just don’t know what’s good. Planetary looks good…. looks more than good. Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll be buying it soon.

By: Melpo

Melpo — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:35:44 +0000

hmmm…may have to borrow those graphic novels again with the new one. Planetary was hard to put down last time you loaned it to me. I was a bit bummed that I didn’t get to know the ending.

By: Phaedra

Phaedra — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:30:33 +0000

Mmmm…..Planetary. A friend of ours loaned us the first graphic novel…and sadly, that was the only one he had. So now, my husband and I are kinda in the lurch, because we had read only the one. We probably should go out and buy it, but we have a list of other graphic novels we’re following:

The Dark Tower series – starts with a graphic novel version of “Wizard and Glass” and then goes off on it’s own. It’s amazing. The story and the art blend perfectly together. And holy crap the Crimson King is creepy as heck!

Buffy: Season 8 – I love Buffy. I was a die-hard fan, from my junior year in high when it started, through college (I planned classes around it as much as I could), and into my career. The graphic novels feel just like the show did, with the same chemistry between the characters and witty banter.

Red Sonya/Conan – I love barbarians.

ElfQuest – The very first graphic novel I ever read, at age 10. It totally changed my world. These aren’t Tolkien’s elves.

So, currently we are hoping our buddy Joe will buy more Planetary and League of Extraordinary Gentleman to share with us. I’m also hoping to start getting the Fable books one day…but when they’re $20 – $25 a pop, it’s hard to justify.

And Wanted – got that as a surprise present for my husband, based on the recommendation of the comic book clerk. My husband LOVES it. I’m hoping there’s more, just for the joy on my husband’s face as he reads it.

By: Arkaneena

Arkaneena — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:16:54 +0000

Oh man I loved comics back in the day, and Babylon 5, well let's just say one of my characters will be named part Minbari and leave it at that. (Yes I am that much of a nerd.) So much to love, and such a short run. Ah my DVD collection, hmm to relive the memories. If it is on that level of awesome I am going to have to check it out. Thanks .-= Arkaneena´s last blog ..Tier Piece or Nontier Piece That is the Question =-.

By: Kattrinsaa

Kattrinsaa — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:45:23 +0000

I've read that B5 has been likened to an old form of presentation art, where a writer would sit in a shop, and start writing a story, when each page was done, it would be taped to the window for people to start reading, there was no going back and editing once posted (early blogging?). When the actress claudia christian (who played Susan Ivanova) broke her foot/ankle/leg they had to improvise, which is why she was on crutches and in a cast in the episode with the drazi and their colored bandanas as a way of deciding which group leads. I wish the spinoff series about the rangers had lasted.. some good stuff. .-= Kattrinsaa´s last blog ..Conflict of interest =-.

By: bigbearbutt

bigbearbutt — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:24:26 +0000

@Tex – Astro City, agree with you on the uber awesome (except for one, and only one thing. Dark City 70′s stuff from Astro City… I saw where he was going, and appreciated the work, but blech).

You mentioning Sandman reminded me that they’ve been releasing these massive collections of James Robinson’s “Jack” era of Starman, the Starman Omnibus’, and they are phenomenal. And I don’t mean phenomenal for DC, I mean just damn good. The Wesley Dodds Sandman is featured in one arc, old age and all, and is treated with great respect.

The library has fables… lots of Fables graphic novels… and I can’t make myself pick one up. I did read the Y the Last Man series, though, and thought that was pretty darn good in an understated way. Kinda slow, but good.

Another gem? Invincible. Oh hell, I have to go to work. This is what comes of talking to knowledgeable people about comics. Bye!

By: tcx

tcx — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:52:34 +0000

Yes BBB, the world is filled with excellent tales told by great storytellers.
They had to start in comics but video games broadened that world.
And what a good thing that was.
I still remember the discussion that Dick Grayson had with Wayne about Wayne’s decision give the mantle to Jean-Paul Valley.
Back to nowadays I still replay and re-replay Ubisoft’s sight of Jordan Mechner’s idea – Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Trilogy.
It’s all about the stories and how good the characters ideals and thoughts are.

Without messing up your original topic let me just tell you that I still wonder how are Trolls and Worgen becoming Druids. Out of story? Out of Lore?
I feel like it, perhaps that’s why I keep going back to Ultimate X-Men. Good stories with grown up Lore are hard to come by.

Glad you found another good world, kudos to Warren Ellis.