Looks cool right? If you haven’t heard of this comic, perhaps you have heard of its creator. Warren Ellis. With a career like his. He’s pretty much a household comic name. I figured with all this X-men talk, we start highlighting some other good works of different creators. Enough with all this DC and Marvel reviews. I wanna give you something fresh.

Well, okay, not exactly fresh. As you can see Transmetropolitan is a little dated. And no, I’m not just going to tell you. It’s called research, readers. Try it out, you might just learn something. Remember, I don’t do spoilers. Now, granted the age is pretty dusty, but believe me. *Insert fine wine quote here. Look, it’s about a giant city in the future. Where people are very different. But somehow you feel like you’re looking in a mirror. It’s a perfect satire. Even more so then when the comic was penned. The Beast, Trump, read the comic. You’ll understand.

A precise storyline? Check. Awesome artists? Check. Almost a prophetic glimpse of our future? Big check. This is not some digusting gore or sex comic either. No it’s cyberpunk at it’s purest. Realizing that man is heading down a very interesting and somewhat evil path. And every day seems to be rushing faster and faster in that direction. Let’s hope we don’t.

As with any classic piece of literature. I couldn’t begin to describe in accurate words, what Mr. Ellis created. It’s so far reaching the wikipedia article doesnt begin to scratch the surface of his art. Describing a future where people come back from being cryogenically frozen, but it may not be what they hoped. That issue is one of the most interesting things I have ever read. Let alone in comic books. And the greatest thing about it, it was just something Mr. Ellis drops in on you. Like a cold bucket of water. That’s how I can describe some of the stories he writes. What if you could erase your memory of your present life and live back in time. Would you?

Now this is more to bring attention to a great comic then some type of review. The only thing I want to “review”. Is on the subject of social satire and non-super hero comics. I’m not saying that there isn’t any left or something. I just think there should be more. And you people need to read them more often.

Cyberpunk novels and comic books warm my heart. I’m biased. Granted there’s not to many Warren Ellis’ out there. And what he did is uncopyable. But there’s other examples of great comics. Maybe not cyberpunk but definetly taking a hard look at society and the direction it’s headed. Ever heard of this comic? Came out during the Iraq War. Now there’s an even darker war brewing in America it seems.

I hope so cause it’s great. So great you have to look it up yourself. It’s a pretty long read. So be prepared.Thankfully(?), Transmetropolitan is a lot shorter and keeps you turning pages till the end. And you will want to get to the end. Guaranteed. And the end will probably piss you off. So what. Please don’t bother Mr. Ellis to write more. He will if he will and begging for it might not be the best choice. Or, maybe, he wants to piss us off at the end. Keep us wanting more.

So basically, I see a lack of social commentary comics. Or even ones that aren’t mainstream (DC/Marvel) being ever noticed. Maybe back in the dark recesses of the Vertigo fans. Cause it’s sure as shit really not talked about alot mainstream. The hero story is soaking up all notice of a very large art form. And I personally don’t want them (non-hero comics) to be pushed down further. Now that they are putting a little blood in comic movies. I support it sure. But, is it a ploy to get disillusioned fans back to the movies? Yes. So support the comics you don’t know about. They matter too.

In conclusion, both this man, Spider Jerusalem, and the comic he is in. Have influenced me more then a little bit. Especially, when it comes to writing to the huddled masses. But also, it influenced my idea of where comics could go. Spider could look at his own world and almost seem like he’s talking to us. But that’s because it’s still the world that’s developing. The humanity we are creating. Support unknown comics. Classic or not. And read Transmetropolitan.

Whatever. You probably won’t. Probably couldn’t take reading it anyways. Takes actual thought. And I’m done repeating myself.

I need a cigarette and a bong hit now.

(Oh yeah 2 years after this article the future is looking bright! Check out my look at CyberPunk 2077 in Cyberpunk 2077 and the overhyped return of an awesome genre)

(Also if you are looking to purchase these comic books the complete collections can be found here.)