Between 2002 and 2004, Warren Ellis collaborated with a dozen wonderful artists on a great limited series called Global Frequency. The basic idea behind the series is an emergency team of 1000 specialists who can be called upon at a moment’s notice to handle any situation that needs their special skills. It’s a great way to have a revolving team of people within a structured storyline. It creates almost endless story telling possibilities and Ellis managed to do a some great ones. There was a TV pilot made (which is floating around the internet somewhere) that was never picked up, but I felt that it would make a great series. So, let’s call on the Global Frequency and see what the emergency is.

Miranda Zero (which is the name she uses while no one know her real name) has setup a thousand special phones and recruited a communications genius who goes by the name Aleph. Together they have setup a network of specialists. There are psychologists, nuclear engineers, drivers, martial artists, stunt men and almost anything else you can think of who have been given these phones. When an emergency arises, Aleph is set up to coordinate getting the needed people on the phone and to the emergency location as quickly as possible.

The Global Frequency team is brought in as specialists when normal emergency personnel just can’t do the job. So, when a team of surgeons goes insane in a hospital due to some environmental issues, then the Global Frequency is there. When an alien meme threatens to take over the world, the Global Frequency is there. When a failing satellite threatens to destroy an American city, the Global Frequency is there.

What is wonderful about this series is that the structure allows Ellis to tell many different types of stories. And with the rotating series of artists, he can setup a story that plays to the artists’ strength. Combined with Ellis’ strong storytelling, Global Frequency is a much admired and exciting series that really should be read by all. Highly recommended.