Transmetropolitan: Lust For Life (Issues 4-12)
by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson
DC Vertigo
Following past successes with Hellblazer, Excalibur, and Stormwatch, Warren Ellis does himself one better by teaming up with Darick Robertson to bring you Transmetropolitan. Finally a comic book hero armed not with metastrength or superweapons, but a hero armed with a brain and a keyboard. What a concept! Spider Jerusalem is a mix of Hunter S. Thompson, William S. Burroughs, and Henry Rollins. In an undisclosed futureworld, outlaw writer Jerusalem has returned to “The City” from hermitage to document the fast food slaughter and ground beefing of humanity’s last few sacred cows: sex, religion, commercialism, vanity, prejudice and politics (lots of sci-fi politics).
Whereas issues one through three set premise and pace, issues four through twelve define the true potential and possibilities offered within the pages of Transmet. Readers familiar with the work of the aforementioned writers (part Burroughs and Thompson, as well as William Gibson) will be more than adequately familiar with Transmet’s format: a writer whose interpretation of truth and reality via his editorial column, I Hate It Here, seems to be on a constant collision course with those around him. The intricacies in Ellis’ writing is well-balanced by Robertson’s Blade Runner-like artwork, depicting a world similar to that of Miller/Darrow’s Hard Boiled.
Initially I resisted Transmetropolitan, due to the fact I took the works Transmet is partially derived from as being somewhat sacred, but as the comic’s more inventive and original nature took greater shape, I came to realize Transmet has what so little of the world around us doesn’t: a deep and sincere appreciation for the written word. Since becoming a convert, I’ve been able to recommend Transmet to people with weak and even no appreciation for comics, yielding significantly positive results. This Transmet trade is more than a thorough and worthwhile read – even for a comic book! It’s easy for someone to say a comic book will change the way you look at comics. It’s another to actually deliver. Flawless. DC/Vertigo, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019; http://www.dccomics.com
