Planetary Influences

[Metaphysician 26]

Many of us here have probably read the comic "Planetary," Warren Ellis' story of superhuman archeology and dark forces suppressing the extraordinary. In what ways have you drawn from the series for your own characters or campaigns?

[Tarek 1]

Re: Planetary Influences

 

Planetary.

 

It has a very interesting take on Marvel's Fantastic Four, and the entire series struck me as being written by the only intelligent people working for that comics company.

 

Seriously. There's a depth of thought there that's completely missing from the rest of the titles set in the same universe, such as The Authority, which is a basic adolescent power fantasy.

 

I particularily like the way the writer weaves a "secret history" of the planet under what appear to be the day to day activities of the normal world. In Planetary, most of the time you get the feeling that most people have heard about superheros, but have never met one personally. There are mysteries that haven't been solved.

 

"Kaiju Island", where all the giant monsters are dead and have been for years... except that one flies over at the very end of the comic. "The Gun Club", with Jules Verne as one of the astronauts. Little things like that.

[Chimpira 34]

Re: Planetary Influences

 

Planetary.

 

It has a very interesting take on Marvel's Fantastic Four, and the entire series struck me as being written by the only intelligent people working for that comics company.

 

Seriously. There's a depth of thought there that's completely missing from the rest of the titles set in the same universe, such as The Authority, which is a basic adolescent power fantasy.

 

I particularily like the way the writer weaves a "secret history" of the planet under what appear to be the day to day activities of the normal world. In Planetary, most of the time you get the feeling that most people have heard about superheros, but have never met one personally. There are mysteries that haven't been solved.

 

"Kaiju Island", where all the giant monsters are dead and have been for years... except that one flies over at the very end of the comic. "The Gun Club", with Jules Verne as one of the astronauts. Little things like that.

 

That's pretty funny seeing as Warren Ellis was the creator of The Authority. Of course the point of the first 12 issues was for it to be over the top. He was also able to make the characters somewhat interesting. After Ellis stopped writing the title I stopped buying it.

[Chimpira 34]

Re: Planetary Influences

 

I run a pulp game that is tied into my main Champions game. One of the characters plays the father of Jimmy Dugan and in my champions game I run a npc that is the daughter of Jimmy Dugan. I model the Pulp hero game after Planetary.