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Global Frequency

by Warren Ellis

Short-lived series from Warren Ellis, with a great premise

Global Frequency

This fast-paced thriller of planetary terrors and world annihilation introduces The Global Frequency, an independent defense intelligence organization that secretly defuses the lingering threats and dormant experiments of the 20th century. Unknown to the world at large, this secret society of 1,001 specialty sleeper agents is called upon to prevent the impending threats of Armageddon that were created by careless governments and immoral scientists over the last century. In this hard-hitting first volume, various expert operatives are sent on desperate individual missions to thwart an alien virus invasion, destroy a nuclear-powered cyborg, and deactive a hidden Ebola bomb.

Miranda Zero, the mysterious leader/benefactor/recruiter of Global Frequency is is always at hand to call in the correct specialist, with her catch phrase: “You’re on the global frequency!”

The albums all have excellent artwork, each drawn by a different artist. Where the series falls short is the storyline.

While the premise is intruiging, the whole enterprise seems very contrived. We know nothing about the Global Frequency itself, it’s just there, the characters are just there and have been part of the group for years. The villains are just one-dimensional and exist only to serve as villains. Except for Miranda herself, no other character appears in more than one album, so no backstory or character development ever happens.

Each story follows a standard pattern; a end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scenario, a few specialists tapped with the repeated “You’re on the Global Frequency” line, and a race against time to defuse the situation.

After a dozen albums, I think even the author got bored.