Category: Global Frequency

By Warren Ellis & various (WildStorm)
ISBN 1-84023-858-5

The second volume of Ellis’ take on International Rescue (no hidden Islands – lots of guns) crossed with Mission: Impossible sees the planetary saviour squad of 1001 agents tackle hi-tech hitmen (drawn by Simon Bisley), kidnappers (Chris Sprouse and Karl Story), deranged gene-therapists (Lee Bermejo), super-violent bio feedback experts (Tom Coker), an attack on their own “headquarters” (Jason Pearson) and an attempt by the US military to cull their own surplus population back to a manageable level (Gene Ha).

This is a most modern comic series, stripped down to all its most essential elements, frenetic, vastly, graphically violent and always thundering along at top speed. Being drawn by the top artists in the industry doesn’t hurt either. Think of six summer blockbusters per volume and don’t worry too much about making sense.

© 2003, 2004 Warren Ellis and DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

 

By Warren Ellis & various (WildStorm)
ISBN 1-84023-849-6

The Global Frequency is a pan-national organisation owing allegiance to no government, dedicated to cleaning up the technological, biological and other extraordinary menaces perpetrated by delusional rulers and/or the deranged populations of our patently insane planet. Run by the charismatic but stroppy Miranda Zero, with 1001 specialists based all over the world, they take on the tasks that the authorities can’t or won’t – with or without their approval.

Each story is drawn by one of the industry’s top talents in an all-out action-fest. Pared down, terse dialogue races beautiful graphics to spectacular conclusions as Ellis blends the ethos of Thunderbirds with the tactics of Mission: Impossible to solve the dilemmas of The X Files. ‘Bombhead’ (with art by Garry Leach) finds the solution to a malfunctioning and long-forgotten cold-war weapon; ‘Big Wheel’ (art by Glenn Fabry – with a little help from Liam Sharp) deals with a Cyborg assassin built by the US military, and ‘Invasive’ tells a last stand tale of alien incursion (drawn by Steve Dillon).

‘Heaven’s One Hundred’ finds desperate agents to handle one of the dumbest hostage situations ever (Roy Allan Martinez), ‘Big Sky’ deals with the aftermath of an invasion by Angels (John J Muth), and the volume concludes with David Lloyd’s gripping illustration of ‘The Run’, as an Ebola bomb is set to devastate London and only a Le Parkour (urban street racer) runner can find and stop it.

This is comics as pure action. There are no textures or sub-plots and nothing but a hint of backstory. This is a full-pelt run to the end of the tale as a series about last-minute rescues ought to be, with pictures by some of the best in the business. I’m not sure if that’s enough to sustain a long run but since that’s not the point of a miniseries or graphic novel that shouldn’t be too much of a problem, no?

© 2003, 2004 Warren Ellis and DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.