Millions of miles from home, hundreds of ships descend into the stormy atmosphere of a hostile frozen world. On board, an army of resolute men and women brace for the coming assault. They are an invasion force, on an impossible mission — destroy the devastating enemy weapon garrisoned below. Planet Death #1 delivers an action packed issue that feels like it was ripped out of the world of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000.

Planet Death #1 doesn’t deliver anything new in its concept, but instead delivers a visceral story that’s just packed with visuals that feel familiar but still keep you in awe.

Written by Derek Kolstad and Robert Venditti, Planet Death #1 is a fairly predictable comic that puts readers, and its characters, right into the meat grinder with a planetary invasion gone horribly wrong.

Kolstad and Venditti don’t give us massive battles with countless numbers of bodies thrown into the mix. Instead, the dup narrow the focus a bit and follow Corporal Scott and his battalion that are part of the first wave. The issue follows everything from the preparation to the drop to the attempt to survive those first moments where Scott winds up being the lone survivor of his team.

But Scott isn’t quite the faceless soldier and we get a tease of his motivation and a reason to cheer him on, for him to make it home. The experience is a mix of Warhammer 40,000 with All You Need is Kill, and add in a little bit of Starship Troopers. It’s a straightforward concept and idea that doesn’t veer too much from its basic concept.

The visuals by Tomas Giorello are impressive. With color by Sunny Gho and lettering by Tom Napolitano, the comic looks amazing with art that perfectly fits the concept. The futuristic settings and characters look great and the action is fierce and chaotic. But, like the story itself, the overall look of so much feels a bit derivative of what has come before. Corporal Scott’s preparation looks a lot like animation of a Space Marine in Warhammer 40K getting prepared. The aliens they face look like the Locust in Gears of War. None of it is bad but it all creates a bit of deja vu while reading the comic.

Planet Death #1 is an entertaining comic that knows exactly what it is. It’s loud sci-fi action and doesn’t deviate much from that. It’s all about the chaos and a mission with large explosions, lots of action, and a rock and roll attitude about it all. The bodies pile up, the death count is high. It’s everything you’d want and expect from this sort of series.

Story: Derek Kolstad, Robert Venditti Art: Tomas Giorello
Color: Sunny Gho Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Bad Idea provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics