Comic: Bad Planet

Last Updated on July 26, 2021

What happens when you combine the creative minds of the great Thomas Jane, Tim Bradstreet, Steven Niles, and James Daly III on a single intergalactic project filled with menacing space alien spiders, flying convertibles, big-chested scientists, and a renegade anti-hero who doesn’t give a f*ck? You get the comic series BAD PLANET, that’s what, and thanks to Raw Entertainment, you an snag the 6-part series in one hard covered bound black & white limited edition, just in time for the Holidays!

When I picked up BAD PLANET, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. Even after reading the highly entertaining introduction by Jane, I still wasn’t sure just what kind of ride BAD PLANET was gonna be. That ride turned out to be of epic proportions, one that entertained the hell out of me with both its story, its artwork, and how the events seemed to unfold magically as it flowed from page to page. It’s rare when a comic book of this caliber can deliver on all levels of what makes a good comic good, but BAD PLANET managed to do so brilliantly, and in glorious black & white, no less.

The story unfolds when an alien spiders land on Earth and begin eating and destroying everything in their path with hopes to take over the planet and suck it dry of all of its resources, thus making it a ‘bad planet.’ When a beacon alerts those on a space cargo ship, a lone detainee escapes and makes his way to Earth to rid the planet of the spiders. Not out of humanity, but out of revenge. He teams up with an African boy, an Australian scientist, and a big-boobed space expert to devise a plan to rid the planet of these alien f*cks, no matter what the costs.

BAD PLANET is very much along the lines of other alien invasion pulp stories from the 50s and 60s, with elements from modern day cinema in there as well. The little spider-like alien bastards are a cross between the face suckers in ALIEN and the arachnids in STARSHIP TROOPERS. Least to say, if you liked either of those films,or any other film like them,you’re gonna love BAD PLANET.

And as the title would suggest, each character, from the main alien baddie to the boob-enhanced chick with a Ph.D., is 100% badass, likely bleeding from the personas of the comic’s creators Jane and Bradstreet. And while it might seem obvious, there’s nothing like an ensemble of badass comic book characters to get you in the right spirit, to help you bleed testosterone, smoke a pack of cigarettes, and down a bottle of Jack Daniels without thinking twice. BAD PLANET will help you on your way to masculine town in no time.

BAD PLANET VOL. 1’s black and white presentation is top-notch and worth the extra weight in gold, and perfect for any fans of the series, or for those looking to get sucked into to what happens when we have an alien on our side during an alien invasion. As far as modern day pulp comics featuring alien invasions, it doesn’t get any better than this. And if it were ever to be made into a movie, it’d be the hottest ticket in town.

Grade: 4 on 4