Global Frequency

"Good morning, Earth. You're on the Global Frequency."

Global Frequency is a twelve issue science fiction comic series created and written by Warren Ellis, and illustrated by a different artist every issue. It has been drawn by Gary Leach, and will also be illustrated by Glenn Fabry, Steve Dillon, Roy Allan Martinez, John J. Muth, and David Lloyd. The covers are done by Brian Wood. The series began in October 2002, and is released by Wildstorm/DC Comics.

The Global Frequency is an open conspiracy group. Created and run by the enigma Miranda Zero, they go around cleaning up end-of-the-world problems for the governments. They have a thousand and one agents around the world, each with their own special uses. Anyone could be an agent: your neighbor, your loved one, or your best friend. At anytime they could be called through their special cellphone, and dash out pulling on their Global Frequency badge or jacket.

From the description one might think of Warren Ellis's series Planetary. From my reading it has a similar concept, but we shall see how close it is after a few more issues come out. Also, like the first few issues of Planetary, Global Frequency is supposed to be a stand-alone series. This means that each issue will have enough merit to be picked up and read by itself and still be enjoyable.

1. Bombhead
2. Invasive
3. Big Wheel
4. Hundred
5. Big Sky

"Are you on the Global Frequency?"

The art is very well done, definitely up to the modern standard of comic book illustration. Each book is done by a different team of artists so the styles differ from story to story. Issue 3's depiction of a horribly twisted biomechanical being is probably one of the creepiest things I've seen in the genre.

That said... I found the two books I read, "Invasive" (#2)and "Big Wheel" (#3) to be extremely under-written, even for comic books. They both deal with dramatically rich science fiction ideas, the first a memetic virus from space which has taken over peoples' brains, and the second a radically enhanced military cyborg who has succumbed to the stress of his transformation and run amuck. But the stories themselves are barely there - a page or two of setup, the team goes in, encounters the threat, a few tiny dabs of character and insight appear, and then the threat is neutralized by clever means and/or personal sacrifice on the part of a team member. Basically, they just weren't interesting to read. I know the modern comic book has much more to offer than this, and I can't help but wonder if the positive reviews I have read about this series on the internet are just the result of leftover good feelings about Warren Ellis' other book "Transmetropolitan"...