Rating: 
Summary: A Renaissance comic book
Review: This is unlike any comic book I've ever read. It mixes science-fiction with dark humor and an insightful social commentary. For those who enjoyed Warren Ellis' work on DV8, Stormwatch, Hellstorm, and Ruins, prepared to be blown away. If you have ever read any interviews or editorials by the author, you can tell Transmetropolitan is almost autobiographical. The timeframe is the distant future. The story begins with a jaded journalist (much like Ellis) named Spider Jerusalem. He has lived outside of "The City" for five years because he cannot tolerate the corruption and decadence anymore. However, he is compelled to write again, and realizes that he must go back to his own personal hell to do so. The first story-arc, compiled in "Back On the Street" deals with Jerusalem returning to "The City." While he is getting adjusted to his new surroundings, he lands a job as a columnist. And to find material on his first column, he uncovers a plot by the government. This sounds cliched, but I promise you, Ellis makes it work. This book is filled with perverse jokes, dark humor, and ultra-violence. But underneath all that lies a profound message and an insightful morality. It is easily the best comic book of 1997, and one of the best stories I've read in a long time.
Rating: 
Summary: Good introductory material
Review: This novel in and of itself it a bit thin. It represents the first three comics in the Transmetropolitan series, and it takes us from a peaceful mountain to a squalid city, with great loss of hair.Spider Jerusalem is a reporter of the future. The future is not the greatest future in the world, but that's about what we expected. Things haven't changed much, with people remaining people despite the neverending careening forward of technology. And Spider understands people and government. How they work and what they do. In his own words, a journalist is a gun with one bullet. Aimed correctly, it can blow the kneecap off the world. Which is what he proceeds to do. Before embarking on this series though, a warning is in order. This is not for the easily offended. Or even the occasionally offended. You need a cynical view of the world and thick skin to read Transmetropolitan. The fact that people are cloned, less brains, and sold to Long Pig restaurants shouldn't give you a shiver. Wanton drug use shouldn't bother you - not in the sense of condoning it, but in the sense that you need to be able to accept is as a part of the story without letting it distract. If you can read this, you'll love it. If your world view just isn't that cynical, run, don't walk, away from this series.
Rating:
Summary: Weird at first, but you'll grow to like it
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Gritty and dark. How I like them.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The finest and sharpest
Review: This was a series I got dragged into kicking and screaming. Before it was a Vertigo title, it was published under the short-lived Helix imprint; ironically, it was the only Helix book I didn't read. Long story short, the Helix books were that bad. Everyone kept telling me, "You need to read this." I kept replying, "It's another Helix book," and I went on my merry way for a couple years.
I kept on buying my usual titles until the series was wrapping up, and my comic store guys (Rich and Ethan at Comic Fortress, Somerville NJ) told me to just try the first volume.
Thank you, guys.
First of all, this is Warren Ellis' most personal, volatile, heart-felt, and above-the-board best writing he has ever produced. The protagonist, Spider Jerusalem, is a Hunter S Thompson of the future; the series reads like Fear and Loathing in Blade Runner (if Ridley Scott had choked to death watching NBC sitcoms, Ted Nugent hunting videos, and porno). He's a hacked-off gonzo journalist who swings between eyewitness to humanity's best and Bill Hicks "we're a virus with shoes" vitriol, and Ellis crafts every word flawlessly.
Darrick Robertson is the perfect artist to complement the words. There is so much detail in every panel, including very human facial expressions (a very lost art in this business of gritted teeth on every cover) and backgrounds that are like a Where's Waldo of minutiae. As blaringly noisy as this vision of the future is, it's also unsettling enough to be glad we don't live there.
Or do we? Ellis weaves a lot of food for thought throughout the series, commenting on our world through his, and maybe there's some Warren Ellis in Spider Jerusalem. His point of view on the government is like no other, for example, and his catagorization of humanity as sheep waiting to be shorn, butchered, and eaten may not be that off the mark.
What Warren and Darrick have given us is nothing short of a masterpiece. This isn't a comic book, anymore than Hunter S just wrote columns. This is Comics Literature, capitalization intended. It's also Great Entertainment.
So set your bowel disruptor on "prolapse", grab a bag of Monkey Burgers, take your Jumpstart pills, and, like Rich told me, just try the first volume.
It's more addictive than crack, and better for you.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Vertigo series since Preacher!!!
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Imaginative!
Review: 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?
Rating:
Summary: The first chapter in one of the greatest comics of our era
Review: Transmet follows the adventures of hard hitting, chain smoking, drug abusing, foul mouthed reporter Spider Jerusalem as he travels through the City of the future. That's the basic premise. However, the series is so much more. It is a discourse on politics, journalism, and above all, The Truth. Especially in today's era of Homeland security and paranoia, the series is vital. Described by Warren Ellis as a 1300 page graphic novel, Transmet is a work of art. The foundations of the series are layed out in Back on the Street, which collects the first three issues of Spider's journey. Yeah, it's a little short, but you can't skip it- the events in this TPB provide the basis for everything else that happens in the 60 issues run. Most people know Ellis as the creator of the groundbreaking super-hero comic "The Authority." Understand- there are no super heroes here. There are no hereos, in fact. Ellis conveys the insanity of the city, and the fact that Spider is just doing his best to hep the millions of people who dont want to listen to him. This is the series which Ellis poured most of his persona, and it shows- by the end, you want to find Spider at a bar and listen to him talk all night long. Darrick Robertson's art is amazing- it has the level of detail that Bryan Hitch brings, but still has a comic flair and style which brings the city to life. You can get lost just staring at his buildings. Buy this book, and then buy the rest. I promise you will find it entertaining. At the very least, it will open your eyes to the word around you. "That's what I hate most about this city- lies are news and Truth is obsolete." -Spider Jerusalem.
Rating:
Summary: Quite Possibly The Most Important Comic Ever
Review: 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!!!
Rating:
Summary: True Social Sci-Fi
Review: 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!
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