Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson: Transmetropolitan

[Themistocles]

Tasteless, beautiful, overblown, understated, vibrant, decaying genius. Brilliant stuff. I am constantly advised by psychometric tests to be a journalist and if that meant being Spider Jerusalem, I'd be on that course already. Any other thoughts?

 

[direstraits]

Strangely, Ellis is one of few writers of note that I hadn't really picked up on. I've been hunting his Transmetro for some time now, but here they have the latter Volumes. I'm sure I've his work in other series somewhere, but I don't remember from where.

Somehow in my mind Transmetro is always associated with The Invisibles by Grant Morrison. If you've read The Invisibles, how does this compare?

ds

 

[Themistocles]

Sorry, can't offer a comparison there; I'm no comic buff (I simply can't afford to be - they're so expensive...) and haven't read The Invisibles. I personally connect his work to Garth Ennis', but that's quite possibly simply because of their friendship and similar names!

 

[direstraits]

I'm not a comic buff either (not anymore). But I do like to buy good graphic novels or comics trade paperbacks - just as much as I'd buy a good novel.

I'd like to think I have a decent spread of works (but nothing too superhero-ish, with the exception of the excellent Astro City), but as you said, it too expensive to own em all!



Garth Ennis is rude, loud, an instigator, brutal but honest, and relies more on shock than tender loving care to storyline. Which is not always a bad thing. My opinion based on Preacher. Similar to Ellis?
ds

 

[direstraits]

I just finished the first volume of Transmetropolitan. How do I say it.. disappointing.

I heard many good things about it, and probably had too high an expectation. Not a very strong a curtain-raiser. Found the premise weak, and I don't think I feel too much for the main character. Had things too easy, and a fark-everything attitude that's too reminiscent of a spoilt brat.

Weak volume ones are very common in any series, I know, and the series may get better in later volumes. I'm not sure I'll pick up any more though.

ds

 

[direstraits]

I just picked up and finished the 2nd volume of Transmet, and I have to say it's heads and shoulders above in quality to the first volume. In fact, I came back to the first volume and had a higher appreciation of the work there after I was finished with the second (but the second is still better than the first).

Here it becomes clearer the job that Spider does, and it's very easy to see Spider's inclinations (and by extension, what Ellis feels as well) towards myriad subjects, such as politics, religion (which was hilarious, but may tick people off), the subject of a human soul, and what really happens to people who chose to be cryogenically frozen upon death are finally awoken in the future.

The book feels a lot less like a story than a vehicle for Ellis's commentaries.

Much better, and I can say with more certainty now that I will indeed get the latter volumes.

ds