Transmetropolitan Vol. 7: Spider's Thrash [Paperback]

Warren Ellis (Author), Darick Robertson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Transmetropolitan | Publication Date: November 1, 2002

Investigative reporter Spider Jerusalem attacks the injustices of the 21st century while working at the newspaper The Word in the latest new edition of the graphic novel series written by comics superstar Warren Ellis, co-creator of PLANETARY. The hammer has come down, but outlaw journalist Spider Jerusalem has managed to stay one step ahead of his detractors: the President of the United States and his lackeys. After losing his job, his bank account and his apartment, Jerusalem and his filthy assistants have gone underground to implement his plan to bring down the President.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"* "Waren Ellis and Darick Robertson take a Hunter S. Thompson analogue and put him through a 23rd century wringer. It's angry political sci-fi and it's funny as hell." - Playboy * "Transmet is brilliant future-shock commentary." - Spin" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Warren Ellis has created and written The Authority, Transmetropolitan, Orbiter, the award-winning Planetary, Ministry of Space and much more. Darick Robertson is the critically acclaimed artist and co-creator of Transmetropolitan. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563898942
• ISBN-13: 978-1563898945
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #528,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eerily relevant, November 23, 2002

By 

Christine Hoff Kraemer (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Transmetropolitan Vol. 7: Spider's Thrash (Paperback)

This most recent Transmetropolitan collection takes a distinctly darker turn as Spider and his 'filthy assistants' go underground and Spider's health begins to suffer. More than ever before, Ellis' social commentary on his dystopian City hits close to home. Previous collections have satirized the decadence and sloth of modern American life by exaggerating it in daringly hilarious ways, but _Spider's Thrash_ descends to address modern-day social problems more directly. Although the issue on child prostitution presents a still more corrupt and degraded world than the one we live in now, the issue on the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill and their subsequent homelessness is not exaggerated at all. Ellis' demonic president, The Smiler, also seems creepily relevant to the post-9/11 attack on civil liberties, particularly when Spider quotes the newsfeeds as saying, 'The President is officially 'studying the constitution to protect the people from outmoded language and ideas therein.''

If it sounds like this collection gets a bit preachy, it does, and plot continuity suffers as a result. But those of us who have come to know and love Spider and his mad quest for the truth aren't likely to stop reading. As director Darren Aronofsky (_Pi,_ _Requiem for a Dream_) says in his introduction, 'Profanity + anger + revolution + cynicism + drugs + cigarettes + truth + justice - fair = Spider Jerusalem. . . . A true original.'

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spider Jerusalem is back...., November 14, 2002

By 

"spongebobdurden" (Ames, IA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Transmetropolitan Vol. 7: Spider's Thrash (Paperback)

Your friendly neighborhood outlaw journalist is back. Warren Ellis combined the humor of Palahniuk, the prose of Hunter S. Thompson, and the anarchic sensibilities of British punk rock into the greatest comic book character of all time: Spider Jerusalem. The comic is consistently funny, satirical, and eye-opening. Ellis uses the medium for his trademark brand of cynical social criticism...and it shows more than ever in this collection. Spider gives the big F-YOU to the government, and corporate America in this trade. He branches out on his own, publishing his column illegally for no money. This time neither the president nor the paper can censor him. God help us all. I definately recomend this trade to any fans. You must read this, it's Ellis and Robertson at their best.

3.0 out of 5 stars Better but not so earthshattering., August 5, 2010

By 

Rac A. Powsky "hello" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Transmetropolitan Vol. 7: Spiders Thrash (New Edition) (Transmetropolitan - Revised) (Paperback)

I just finished reading Transmetropolitan Vol. 4: The New Scum and this is definitely better than that one. There's a lot more hope in this thing and Spider Jerusalem gets to do more than complain and whine. This might as well be called "How Spider Got His Groove Back" without the Jamaican muscle boys. The first story is abotu Spider getting involved in a free news service which preconfigures blogging but notes that Spider has plenty of money. There are assassinatin attempts but they fail.

The second part is a series of vignettes about the more desperate members of society including child prostitutes and crazy people. There's a degree of pointed parody but a lot of it just feels like Ellis is reaching for a type of transcendence amidst the sorrow. Good stuff. Not great, but definitely worth a read or two. And the art is excellent.