Vol. 1: Back on the Street, Transmetropolitan

To accurately picture Transmetropolitan's dystopic view of the future as seen through the eyes of outlaw journalist Spider Jerusalem, think of a bizarre blend of Hunter S. Thompson, Phillip K. Dick's Blade Runner and Judge Dredd. You've got abouit half of the concept down now. Transmetropolitan is undoubtably one of the most ferociously innovative comics in recent memory, and my simple review cannot fully explain it. Seriously, buy this comic. You will not be disappointed!

To see what will happen in the future, scientists usually assume that current trends will continue in the way they have until now. That is exactly what Warren Ellis has done. In the twisted future you see in Transmetropolitan, using makeup to change the look of your skin is for babys; everyone else changes not the look of their skin but their actual skin into looking like aliens from space! There are lots of people looking partly human, partly alien, permanently! Why? Because it's cool! Any use for it? Nope!
There are lots of other wacky stuff in the world of Transmetropolitan, but why would I want to spoil the surprise?

TRANSMETROPOLITAN is a true modern classic. As social satire, it tackles everything from the treatment of the elderly to the U.S. Presidential elections. As sci-fi, it features a future seen through the eyes of the truly warped talents of Ellis and Robertson--a weird, all-too-believable pastiche of freaky humanity and wild technology.
The story in "Life on the Streets" started it all. Read it NOW, and then go buy the rest!

Transmetropolitan combines politics, philosophy and twisted humor in an insane, futuristic world to comment on the very real trends and events we see playing out on the world stage today. Warren Ellis is trying to get us to think about what we're doing (or perhaps what we're not doing). Are we analyzing and thinking about things critically? Are we being politcally active? Are we the sheep contributing to the problem or are we trying to be part of the solution? I recommend this series to anyone interested in politics, journalism, comic fans or fans of good writing/story in general.
As for the trade paperbacks themselves, they are excellent quality. Good color and well bound. Get the entire run!!!

"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 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!

Spider Jerusalem is a reporter that has bailed out of The City and is literally living On The Mountain. He is now a hairy hillbilly Grizzly Adams type recluse, and a wild not.

Unfortunately for him, an old editor calls, and tells him he still owes him a couple of books of a book deal, and Spider is forced to go back to the City and start working again.

He aims, shoots....bullseye! Warren Ellis has proven himself to be what this reader daresay the greatest storyteller of the late 90's, whom also will hopefully continue his truly brilliant work way into the new millennium. «Back on the streets» was for me personally a great story, great artwork, funny yet dark...But most of all I found it to be a quite realistic view of modern day America, and the western world, and the way we let media tell us what happens, let the media outrage us or guide or minds into the parts of our world we dare not visit for ourselves. Before we scream "Stop it, It's enough" for a moment - then lapse into the apathy for anything beyond our own well being five minutes later. "Back on the streets". A must-have for anyone who appreciate fine litterature.

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!

TRANSMETROPOLITAN is consistently one of the best monthly comics out there. BACK ON THE STREET is where this magnificent journey begins. Warren Ellis is one of the most unique and innovative writers of comics, and TRANSMET is shaping up to be his best work yet. Add to that the tremendous artisitic talent of Darick Robertson, and you get a classic. This initial volume was a little uneven, but still better than most of what's out there. Current issues are without compare.

This series is gritty and dark. I greatly enjoyed it, even though I don't necessarily agree with the point the writer is trying to make in this collection. (I won't give the story line away since I hate spoilers.) His presentation and dark humor is great though and I highly recommend it. If I had agreed with the message, this would be a 5 star rating.

What can I say? Warren Ellis has found his calling in the beginning of a great, and I guess epic, story. Words of wit and hate roll from the tongue of the journalist Spider Jeuraselem. His dislike of the city is presented in this amazing package of 3 issues that had a home in DC's own imprint Vertigo.

Transmetropolitan is a great series, it's filled with quite a bit of punky, quirky, and deadly sci-fi elements, it's got great coloration and it seems quite well written. My only issue with it is that the main character seems almost completely ridiculous at times, making some of the issues unbelieveable. I suppose if you just distance reality, and don't take it seriously, it's quite the entertaining read.

This graphic novel is ridiculously entertaining. If you haven't already done so, you ought to, in the least, read the first novel. I enjoyed Spider's enigmatic yet intriguing personality. He's a maverick that you'll eventually start to wish you had as a friend. I knew I'd enjoy this novel when the main character, Spider, as he's leaving the mountains, levels a bar called Bastard's with a rocket propelled grenade. "If I'm miserable, then everyone's miserable." LOL. Go Spider!

What an amazing glance into the future society is creating for itself. Transmetropolitan delivers a brutal, scary and amazingly well crafted story accompanied by fabulous art. Warren Ellis' gritty style of writing shines in this book about a journalist (Spider Jerusalem) who is forced out of hiding in the mountains to come down to his former home - a wretched city full of drug addicted household appliances, mutated house pets and people who turn themselves into aliens.

"Transmetropolitan" is really worthy of two stars, but I only gave it one because I see it as my civic duty to bring the overall rating down some. Honestly, this is something you want to read if you find it at a friend's house and he's watching TV and you have nothing better to do. It's not purchase-worthy.

Warren Ellis has some cool ideas, but he doesn't seem to have any idea of what to do with them, beyond scattering them across a vapid skeleton of a story. And I mean, that's the trick, isn't it? Lots of us can come up with a few cool science-fictiony ideas, especially with the help of mind-altering substances, but the writer's job is to weave them into something greater than the sum of its parts.

And "Transmetropolitan," sadly, is less than its parts. Ellis's aforementioned cool ideas (an artificial intelligence that's addicted to drugs? interesting!) end up inert. His protagonist, Spider Jerusalem, is a caricature, and not in a good way--trust me, you've seen his type before. As other reviewers have mentioned, the book's antiauthoritarian themes just seem trite, instead of resonant. The transitions and conversations come off as forced, perhaps as if the book were heavily edited before it went to press, but more as if Ellis didn't take the time to make them believable--he just wanted to give Spider a chance to wave his gun around and act bad. And that's the real flaw: He doesn't take the time, and the story is so simplistic that you just can't buy it. (He also wants you to believe that Spider is an incredibly famous, award-winning writer, but when Spider finally produces some prose, it's...well-punctuated. And angry. But not Orwell or Churchill or even Keith Olbermann.)