Customer Reviews

Transmetropolitan Vol 01: Back on the Street

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

"Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street" is a book-length comic by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson. The copyright page notes that the contents of the book originally appeared in single issue form as "Transmetropolitan" 1-3.

This vividly illustrated tale focuses on Spider Jerusalem, a journalist in a futuristic city. This is very much a science fiction story, spiced with references such as one to a Martian secession movement. In this volume Spider investigates a controversy involving an emergent subculture of genetically altered humans.

The tattooed, chain-smoking, gun-toting Spider is a compelling protagonist. The book is violent but intelligently written and often quite funny. The story raises questions about police conduct, multiculturalism, the First Amendment, and the role of the journalist in society. It's a remarkable book that has whetted my appetite for more of Spider's saga.

This was a series I got dragged into kicking and screaming. Before it was a Vertigo title, it was published under the short-lived Helix imprint; ironically, it was the only Helix book I didn't read. Long story short, the Helix books were that bad. Everyone kept telling me, "You need to read this." I kept replying, "It's another Helix book," and I went on my merry way for a couple years.

I kept on buying my usual titles until the series was wrapping up, and my comic store guys (Rich and Ethan at Comic Fortress, Somerville NJ) told me to just try the first volume.

Thank you, guys.

First of all, this is Warren Ellis' most personal, volatile, heart-felt, and above-the-board best writing he has ever produced. The protagonist, Spider Jerusalem, is a Hunter S Thompson of the future; the series reads like Fear and Loathing in Blade Runner (if Ridley Scott had choked to death watching NBC sitcoms, Ted Nugent hunting videos, and porno). He's a hacked-off gonzo journalist who swings between eyewitness to humanity's best and Bill Hicks "we're a virus with shoes" vitriol, and Ellis crafts every word flawlessly.

Darrick Robertson is the perfect artist to complement the words. There is so much detail in every panel, including very human facial expressions (a very lost art in this business of gritted teeth on every cover) and backgrounds that are like a Where's Waldo of minutiae. As blaringly noisy as this vision of the future is, it's also unsettling enough to be glad we don't live there.

Or do we? Ellis weaves a lot of food for thought throughout the series, commenting on our world through his, and maybe there's some Warren Ellis in Spider Jerusalem. His point of view on the government is like no other, for example, and his catagorization of humanity as sheep waiting to be shorn, butchered, and eaten may not be that off the mark.

What Warren and Darrick have given us is nothing short of a masterpiece. This isn't a comic book, anymore than Hunter S just wrote columns. This is Comics Literature, capitalization intended. It's also Great Entertainment.

So set your bowel disruptor on "prolapse", grab a bag of Monkey Burgers, take your Jumpstart pills, and, like Rich told me, just try the first volume.

It's more addictive than crack, and better for you.

I just recently started reading graphic novels and I've been actively searching for some of the more critically acclaimed publications. I started with Preacher and Y: The Last Man. I found both extremely enjoyable -- fantastic art, intriguing stories, and always a healthy dose of humor.

I had high hopes for the same in Transmetropolitan, but ultimately didn't get it. I can see the intelligence in the writing and potential in the central character (Spider), but the perpetual nihilism and references to strange and abstract futuristic concepts left me bored. It reminded me of the popular cyberpunk style of writing, which I never enjoyed either. So in a nutshell this one just wasn't a fit for my personal taste -- I gave up after the second volume. Three stars for the creative effort and strong artwork.

This collection reprints the first 3 issues of Transmet, and deals with Spider Jerusalem, a reluctantly famous writer/journalist who must come back to the city he hates to reclaim his fiery muse and crank out two more books to finish off his contract with his publisher. In his first adventure, Spider gets embroiled in a minor culture war and ends up giving the establishment the finger and getting a hell of a column out of it.This is the sort fo thing you won't get from mainstream comic companies and can't cull from stories about grown men prancing about in tights -- it's a comic that says something and says it well. Warren Ellis and Garth Ennis (PREACHER) are two of the genre's finest writers out there today -- Ennis shares his admiration for Ellis' series in the forward ot this collection. Transmetropolitan is a bit like Hunter S. Thompson 2099. It's a bit like the best of the old 2000 AD comics from the UK -- dark comedy and socio-political satire that is also very entertaining. The artwork is magnificent, the writing is some of the best I've read in comics -- the concept is startling. My highest reccommendation for this book!

This is unlike any comic book I've ever read. It mixes science-fiction with dark humor and an insightful social commentary. For those who enjoyed Warren Ellis' work on DV8, Stormwatch, Hellstorm, and Ruins, prepared to be blown away. If you have ever read any interviews or editorials by the author, you can tell Transmetropolitan is almost autobiographical. The timeframe is the distant future. The story begins with a jaded journalist (much like Ellis) named Spider Jerusalem. He has lived outside of "The City" for five years because he cannot tolerate the corruption and decadence anymore. However, he is compelled to write again, and realizes that he must go back to his own personal hell to do so. The first story-arc, compiled in "Back On the Street" deals with Jerusalem returning to "The City." While he is getting adjusted to his new surroundings, he lands a job as a columnist. And to find material on his first column, he uncovers a plot by the government. This sounds cliched, but I promise you, Ellis makes it work. This book is filled with perverse jokes, dark humor, and ultra-violence. But underneath all that lies a profound message and an insightful morality. It is easily the best comic book of 1997, and one of the best stories I've read in a long time.

It's hard to overstate the religiously transcendant goodness of Transmetropolitan; these books are greatness beyond human ken, and could probably be set up in shrines as small but powerful local deities if you had such a mind. I'm getting ahead of myself here though, reviewing the entire series, so I'll stick to the volume at hand.

Transmet Volume One deals with the extremely reluctant return of one Spider Jerusalem, Outlaw Journalist, to what passes for civilization in a far, but somehow familiar, dystopian future. Out of money and delinquent on a book contract, he reluctantly departs his mountain stronghold (equipped with, among other security blankets, an Ebola Bomb) for the decadent, vibrant, decaying, glittering cesspool of civilization known only as The City.

If there is a man for every age, then Jerusalem is the man for this one; hateful, sinful, cynical, and dedicated only to his own casual urges and the pursuit of Truth, he wades into the bloody stinking mess that his once and future home has become and quickly finds a disaster in the making, as the City turns a blind eye toward the seemingly inevitable massacre of a truly bizarre, but ultimately harmless, subculture in one of its many teeming ghettos. Nothing seems to stand in the way, except, perhaps, a lunatic with tar filled lungs, a bad attitude, and a typewriter.

Can an old fashioned newsman save the future, with only words and a hefty dose of gratuitous violence? You're about to find out.

Transmet follows the adventures of hard hitting, chain smoking, drug abusing, foul mouthed reporter Spider Jerusalem as he travels through the City of the future. That's the basic premise. However, the series is so much more. It is a discourse on politics, journalism, and above all, The Truth. Especially in today's era of Homeland security and paranoia, the series is vital. Described by Warren Ellis as a 1300 page graphic novel, Transmet is a work of art.

The foundations of the series are layed out in Back on the Street, which collects the first three issues of Spider's journey. Yeah, it's a little short, but you can't skip it- the events in this TPB provide the basis for everything else that happens in the 60 issues run.

Most people know Ellis as the creator of the groundbreaking super-hero comic "The Authority." Understand- there are no super heroes here. There are no hereos, in fact. Ellis conveys the insanity of the city, and the fact that Spider is just doing his best to hep the millions of people who dont want to listen to him. This is the series which Ellis poured most of his persona, and it shows- by the end, you want to find Spider at a bar and listen to him talk all night long. Darrick Robertson's art is amazing- it has the level of detail that Bryan Hitch brings, but still has a comic flair and style which brings the city to life. You can get lost just staring at his buildings.

Buy this book, and then buy the rest. I promise you will find it entertaining. At the very least, it will open your eyes to the word around you.

"That's what I hate most about this city- lies are news and Truth is obsolete." -Spider Jerusalem.

If you get a kick out of gritty, bleak, dystopian sci-fi futures in the vein of, 'Blade Runner,' William Gibson novels, manga from Katsuhiro Otomo, etc. then you will definitely love sinking your teeth into Warren Ellis' epic and beautifully realized viewscope of the not-so-distant future. This first volume, collecting issues #1-3 of the series, is naturally the perfect starting point for those new to the series and once you get a taste of the fantastic writing, brisk pacing and brilliant artwork - you'll be glad you hopped on aboard for the ride.

Due to the current political climate, recent publishers have been squeamish about publishing anything even vaguely nihilistic, especially on a political level. Luckily, this one slips through the cracks.

These stories are satisfyingly blunt, twisted and hilarious. They make potent insight into current society by taking things to the extreme in a futuristic setting, as good dystopian fiction is apt to do. It's refreshing to read something so confrontrational as there seems to be a shortage of that lately. One rather nifty thing about Warren Ellis's work is that he actually manages to have a bit of optimism mixed in with that cynicism - a sort of light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, unlike most authors, he manages to tackle this without being cheesy or leaving gaping plot holes.

This is an excellent read for anyone who wants some biting social commentary, enjoys interesting science fiction or simply just wants to laugh.

It is truly a shame that Transmetropolitan is a comic book as it will be dismissed by most as just that. Ellis has beautifully illustrated the average American's attitude towards government and politics. Our protagonist, Spider Jerusalem, exposes government corruption in "The City" through his column "I Hate It Here." The people love him for it, but they never take a proactive role in changing the system; rather, they continue their lives as normal. This is so reflective of American culture that it is down right scary. Ellis deals with many other social issues as well and every time he is right on the money. EVERY American should read this book and take it's message to heart.

Additionally, no review of Transmetropolitan would be complete without praise for Robertson's art work. He does some of the best work out there today and is a perfect compliment to Ellis' writing!