Transmetropolitan
I was really late to this party, I realize. I suppose it should be mentioned that I have kind of a love-hate thing with Warren Ellis. On the one hand, we have Stormwatch, The Authority and Planetary. On the other, we have Ultimate Fantastic Four and the fact that he has this ridiculous antipathy for my favorite online hangout. But I figured I’d give Transmet a try, seeing as many people whose opinions I trust had said good things about it. I’m glad I did.
Ellis’ Spider Jerusalem is a bit like a sci-fi Hunter S. Thompson — a hard-drinking, hard-drug-taking rebel-against-the-establishment type who obeys nothing but his journalistic instincts. It’s just that he has a two-headed, chainsmoking cat and he uncovers a scandal involving a half-alien cult leader. In short, everything I ever wanted Mr. Sarcasm to be.
Transmet manages to pull off that very difficult balance of hardcore cynicism with an underlying conscience. It does so in what should be a very worn-out format as well: the “bleak, overcrowded, obviously satirical future” schtick. In short, it’s well worth the time and money.