Global Frequency

by Warren Ellis

Other authorsBrian Wood (Cover artist), Lee Bermejo (Illustrator), Jon J. Muth (Illustrator), Steve Dillon (Illustrator), Glenn Fabry (Illustrator), David Lloyd (Illustrator), Simon Bisley (Illustrator), Gene Ha (Illustrator), Garry Leach (Illustrator), Chris Sprouse (Illustrator), Karl Story (Illustrator)9 more, Liam Sharp (Illustrator), Jason Pearson (Illustrator), David Baron (Colourist), Kristy Quinn (Editor), Scott Dunbier (Editor), Michael Heisler (Letterer), Tomm Coker (Illustrator), Art Lyon (Colourist), Roy Allan Martinez (Illustrator)
Paperback, 2013

Description

Created by Entertainment Weekly 'It' writer, Global Frequency is a worldwide rescue organization that offers the last shred of�hope when all other options have failed. Manned by 1001 operatives, the Frequency is made up of experts in fields as diverse as�bio-weapon engineering and Le Parkour Running. Each agent-equipped with a special mobile vidphone-is speciffically chosen�by Miranda Zero, enigmatic leader of the Global Frequency, based on proximity, expertise, and, in some cases, sheer desperation! This 288 page volume collects the entire 12 issue Global Frequency storyline in one trade paperback featuring art by mindblowing�collection of artists including: Lee Bermejo, Glenn Fabry, Steve Dillon, David Lloyd, Gene Ha and many others.

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2002-2004

Physical description

26 cm

Publication

New York, NY : DC Comics, c2013.

ISBN

9781401237974

Library's rating

Library's review

1001 people around the world are on the global frequency. They are all experts on something, specialists on nearly anything in the human experience. And when something goes horribly wrong, they're usually there to stop it.

The comic is an anthology of 12 issues, each telling a different story. The
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only major recurring characters are the enigmatic leader of the organization, and the cheeky human switchboard who coordinates them all, and the genres vary from hyper-violent horror via action thriller to mystery and suspense. Even though the quality of the storytelling is quite high, it's therefore slightly difficult to know who would and wouldn't enjoy the collection as a whole.

Overall, I really liked this book, but I came short of loving it, the episodic nature of the concept being both its main selling point and, as I kept reading, its main flaw. There is next to no continuity or mythology being built here, each story would work nearly as well in isolation as it does in the collection. There's thus also no real sense of closure, the final story not feeling inherently more important the rest (if anything, the penultimate story is the one that stands out as pleasantly mythology-serving), but I suppose that is to leave the door open to further stories down the line. All in all, though, it was a solid reading experience, and I would definitely buy it should Ellis ever make more.
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Rating

½ (31 ratings; 3.9)

User reviews

LibraryThing member ragwaine
This was pretty damn good, but that's kind of expected of anything from Warren Ellis. His standard approach is to write gritty, brutal, technological, action-packed stories and this was exactly that. The main idea - that a civilian group has taken on the responsibility of policing a cold, heartless
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government - is very slick, and having a multi-tasking, mohawked, "Aleph" was the icing. The format is a little different in that there really isn't an overarching plot, it's more like a bunch of short stories that could be read in any order. Each story has a little funny/surprise ending (as is common for short stories) and each story is drawn by a different artist. The reoccurring characters are almost never the main protagonists.

The only problem I had with it was that 3 of the 12 stories ended the same way.
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LibraryThing member amobogio
Some of Ellis's best writing and an assortment of artists make this a must have for his fans. Superb mix of big ideas, great character sketches (sketches more than full development due to the large cast) and the usual Ellis wise-assery... characters die and even though you may have just met them,
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you feel the loss intensely.
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LibraryThing member BruceCoulson
Well-written, with an assortment of artists (some better than others). The Frequency is a quiet organization that deals with various problems that require unusual solutions and odd skill sets. Some very good stories, even with Ellis' political diatribes that creep in.
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
Absolutely phenomenal series, and obviously Ellis' baby, being that each of the twelve episodes are by a different, yet phenomenal artist(s). I have to say, stepping into this series with absolutely no expectations at all was a fun way to do it. I found this collection in a $5 trade bin at a comic
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shop, and bought it on the Warren Ellis name alone. No additional thinking about it.

With the exception of one of the twelve, these stories are set up in a similar fashion: Something's happened. Nearest GF (Global Frequency) operative(s) are contacted and dispatched. Fast. On the fly, we're given the basic problem. Over 22 pages, the GF team first struggles with the issue, then deals with it. Often, but now always, violently. Within that framework, the pace, depending on the story is Fast!, or Do it! Do it now!, or HolyshitnotimetoexplaingogoGO!.

This series highlights Ellis' unbelieveable imagination, and creative brilliance at putting seemingly innocuous events and tech together into potential weaponized disasters.

I get why some people are slagging this, it's definitely not a series built for everyone, but hot damn, it's likely my favourite thing by Ellis.

I totally loved this. I'm on the Global Frequency.
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Media reviews

The storytelling is dense, heavy on concept and ramification pushed just a little further into science fiction.
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