Every time I read a Warren Ellis book I always get a similar feeling: this is a disturbed guy who's very creative. Plantary is more on an extension of his creative side than his disturbed side. It's akin in tone to the X-Files (pre-Mulder's leaving), sort of a "monster of the week" adventure story but with a developing mythology to keep you coming back. This is an example of Ellis on top of his game, nothing's wasted.
Warren Ellis' true genius is that he realizes that it's all been done before. So he just resolved to do it better than everyone else. Planetary is a post-modern comic for people who love comics but are less sure about post-modernism. That is its greatest strength and its only weakness. To best appreciate this trade you have to know about Captain Marvel (or Shazam!), Japanese monster movies, pulp heroes, the Fantastic Four, et cetera. Ellis does a good job of keeping the book from relying too heavily on that but it still does rely on it.
He's not alone. John Cassidy is right up there next to him, drawing some of the best work of his career. Cassady does amazing work keeping the book looking fresh and innovative. He's truly one of the best artists in the field. His art is clean, his lines simple; the action is always clear and he gives a great sense of emotion. He also, and this is a big testament to his talent, changes his art style to complment the story. These changes are sometimes subtle and sometimes dramatic but they are always for the best of the book. I remember reading an interview with Warren Ellis where he told DC that he and Cassidy wanted to a different style cover every month and when DC asked if fans would be able to find the book every month, his response was that it'd always be the most interesting looking book on the shelf. I think they succeeded with this trade. It is superb.
B+
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