Reviewing a book like Transmetropolitan presents a problem for the reviewer. Namely, it's pointless. Although Transmetropolitan is released monthly, it is really a much larger story that can't be appreciated in small 22 page installments. The only people who really might be interested in this book are those who are already reading it. For anyone else, picking up a single issue is usually confusing. That's where trade paperbacks come in. The trade collections are a great way to read Transmetropolitan. The best way, in fact. I understand that DC actually sells more copies of the trade collections than it does the individual issues. We have to have the series to have something to collect, however, and for many of us who have been following the story since the beginning, it is simply too long to wait for the collections to come out.

Warren Ellis is one on the most distinctive writers in comics today. His books are fast becoming the comics of choice for the self consciously elite. I am one of those who reads Transmetropolitan each month and I thoroughly enjoy the book. This week was pretty light week for comic titles, so I thought that I'd review Transmet, despite the obsticals. After all, this was the 50th issue and most everyone knows by now that the series will be ending soon. Unfortunately, as much as I like the book and want to give it a glowing recommendation, this particular issue isn't very good.

Spider Jerusalem is a journalist and something of a maverick media celebrity in a decaying future world. He is witty and nasty and it is only occasionally hinted at that he might have a softer side. In the greatest tradition of "outlaw journalist", he says what he thinks needs to be said no matter how much he might get hurt or what government it might bring down. Basically, the story in this issue finds Spider mercilessly beating some information out of Fred, a half human, half... something else. Those who have been reading the book for long will probably feel that Fred deserves it. He is s lousy cog in a stem of corruption that runs all the way to the Presidency and probably beyond. the problem here is that we really don't learn anything that we didn't already know. For anyone not already familiar with the book, the story is hopelessly vague and they will have no idea what is going on.

We do get Ellis' trademark nasty dialog, which carries the book most of the time. Ironically, I have criticized many comics for using language to establish itself as "adult". Too many books used foul language and curse words for their shock value and to show how "current" they are. To me, they most often come across forced and have the opposite effect. Ellis, on the other hand, writes dialog that rings true, if occasionally larger than life. He certainly isn't afraid to pepper his dialog with "colorful metaphors", but they seldom seem as gratuitous as they do in work by, oh say... Garth Ennis.

Further proof that this review is completely pointless is that I am going to tell you that Transmetropolitan is a good book, which is why you shouldn't read this issue. Most issues of Transmetropolitan will make the new reader want to go find all of the trade collections. Sadly, this issue won't do that. It is a nasty, cynical cyber punk view of corruption and change that manages to challenge social values at the same time that it actually reinforces them. When I finally get around to posting my page of Graphic Novel reviews, I will give a glowing recommendation to the Transmetropolitan series. For now, however, I have to say that new readers should avoid this issue, as it has nothing at all to offer them.

Reviewed October 9th, 2001

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are copyright 2001 DC Comics

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