Transmetropolitan, Vol. 10: One More Time

Transmetropolitan (Collected Editions) #10

by Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson (Illustrator), Rodney Ramos (Illustrator)

The final volume in the saga of outlaw journalist Spider Jerusalem written by comics superstar Warren Ellis.At last, it’s the final showdown between Spider and the absolutely corrupt President of the United States in this new printing of the finale to the classic dystopian saga from Vertigo.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Cyberpunk, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Warren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.

The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.

He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.

Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.

A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.

Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.

Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I grow up, I want to be Spider Jerusalem.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A somewhat worthy end

Warren Ellis's cyberpunk Hunter S. Thompson ends.

It probably went on for too long, but it was quite a ride. It turned out to mostly be a political thriller about taking down a president (who seemed like to kill people, which was irresponsible of the protagonists to push him in retrospect).

There were probably more interesting directions Transmetro could have taken, but ultimately it was inevitable that top-level politics would be the core of the series. These parts just seemed a lot less fresh and relevant than the earlier chapters, which went all over the place with its social satire.

Whether or not themes of corrupt politicians and the power of fearless journalism have aged badly by now, it can't be denied that Ellis was ahead of his time. It was such a forerunner to the offensive sense of humor so prevalent to the aughts, actually.

Worth rereading, of course, and it got to a happy ending by the end. Still, there's other tighter Warren Ellis scifi I'd have to recommend more

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the end of the road, and what a crazy ride it was.Dark, satirical and hilarious, it's one of the best graphic novels I read and now it's over.

Spider you insane bastard I will miss you.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is it, the end of the road for Transmet, and Callahan, and Spider. Maybe Ellis fooled me, but I had the distinct feeling while reading this that he'd had much of the ending planned from very early on in the series. There are so many little things that come back around to have an impact, large or small. Or maybe he's just really good at juggling details on the fly, I don't know. Callahan's fall was satisfying, even if one element had been done before. I especially loved watching regular background character Robert McX come into his own, and the anchorwoman (whose name, if she even had one, I can't recall) who turned the camera on the troops trying to intimidate her out of telling the news. The look on her face is priceless. Spider's personal ending is unexpected, and definitely caught me by surprise. It makes the whole book feel complete and finished, but also like the world itself isn't finished.

I read the newer release, which includes the I Hate It Here and Filth of the City specials. Each one is presented as excerpts from Spider's books, a few paragraphs per page with full size illustrations from various artists. It's the most you'll get of Spider's actual writing in one place. The quality here varies a bit, but the voice never does. It's Spider through and through.

It's the last trade, and I'm not sure I've gotten around to Robertson's art. The simple fact of the matter is that I don't think anyone else could have been nearly as good at illustrating the world of Transmet as Robertson was. His art is very detailed and incredibly expressive, and the tone is always exactly what the book needs. This is one of those cases where the success of the book is entirely a joint effort.

It's jarring to realize that this book is ten years old. It doesn't feel it. It's every bit as timely as it was when Ellis first wrote it. I hope that, ten years from now, it won't be quite as timely. But I wouldn't bet much money on it.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was a somewhat pointless exercise in nostalgia. Or is that redundant?

In the late 90s, when I was in my early teens, DC's Vertigo imprint was in its halcyon days. Vertigo was to mainstream comics what HBO is to mainstream TV: more complex and sophisticated; there was swearing and graphic content (a Vertigo comic always had that alluring 'suggested for mature readers' note on the cover, which the disaffected clerks at the comic store I went to fortunately took merely as a suggestion); and it was just generally, well, better. The writers were also almost exclusively Brits; I'm not sure what that suggests. Alan Moore wasn't a part of Vertigo's lineup (I believe he had some kind of dispute with DC after Watchmen, and never wrote for them again), but From Hell is the kind of thing that Vertigo would have published. Probably the best known of the old Vertigo writers nowadays is Neil Gaiman, who wrote the fantasy series Sandman. My personal favorite was Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's Preacher, which was kind of like On the Road meets a Clint Eastwood Western. And then there was Ellis (Warren that is, not Bret Easton) and Robertson's political satire Transmetropolitan.

Transmetropolitan wasn't my favorite then, and I now believe that I judged it well. That's not to say there aren't positives. The series begins as cantankerous political journalist Spider Jersualem, who has written a bestselling campaign book hilariously titled Shot in the Face, is compelled by an unfulfilled book contract to leave his cabin somewhere in a peaceful, mountainous landscape and return to 'The City' (New York?) to once again cover politics. Like an aging gunslinger, and despite his initial bitching, it takes him no time at all to again start getting off on the propinquity to secrets and power, back in the game. Transmetropolitan also offers a vivid and often convincing near-future world- a world in which people drown in irrelevant information and stimuli, and in which the ubiquity of technology (there are screens everywhere in Transmetropolitan, both in apartments and handheld), while not eradicating inequality or existential dread, nevertheless makes it easier to forget the dying planet, to forget yourself. Just calling it 'The City' is an interesting touch, as well- a suggestion perhaps that at this point in history life in New York City has more in common with life in Moscow than with life in, say, rural Iowa.

But the line between satire and wallowing is quite blurred here. The pervasive mind-numbing 24/7 media background that Ellis's characters live with is so redolent of dumb scatological humor that it would place Ellis in the awkward position of moralist if it weren't so clear that he revels in it. Think sex dwarves with Hitler moustaches. Think bowel disruptor ray-guns. Laughing yet? No? There's something that feels very, very 90s about the idea that anyone could find this stuff either offensive (where was Tipper Gore on this?) or subversive, or anything other than boring.

There are some compelling characters in the political ranks. The series begins during the second term of a president Jerusalem dubs The Beast, a sort of punchy and darkly avuncular Richard Nixon, who reveals his governing philosophy with tie loosened, sleeves rolled up and three sheets to the wind, in one of the impossibly candid interviews Jerusalem always manages to get:

Look, my job isn't to make everything beautiful. My job isn't to make living life a good time. My job is to keep the majority of people in this country alive. That's it. If fifty-one percent eat a meal tomorrow and forty-nine percent don't, I've done my job...now get the fuck out. Interview's over.

But the real threat to the country is the candidate who defeats The Beast in the election (The Beast is allowed to run for a third term; apparently term limits have been eliminated, or at least extended), Gary Callahan (otherwise known as The Smiler), whose sociopathy and mendacity make him more dangerous but also a somewhat less interesting character than The Beast. Can you really imagine an American president having his entire family murdered in an attempt to garner sympathy and boost his flagging poll numbers? Actually, don't answer that.

But these two characters also help me to think about my real problem with the series. The Beast, despite his moniker, is one of the few characters with any ambiguity. I wasn't certain what to think about him, and that made him interesting. Callahan on the other hand is such an irredeemable sociopath, and he and Jerusalem are so obviously headed for their own O.K. Corral, mano a mano, that the reader has no choice but to venerate Jerusalem as much as Ellis clearly wants you to. Sure, he's lewd and crude and self-destructive, but that's all part of his roguish charm- for all his foibles, we're never allowed to question that Jerusalem is a fighter for the Truth, and that telling the Truth is a relatively simple matter of intestinal fortitude. Furthermore, or so the story somewhat quixotically suggests, not only will truth eventually out, but people (once truth has been delivered to them on their devices) will be able to identify truth and agree on it, will care, and will at the end of the day stand up for Freedom. This is a sentiment that just doesn't hold up very well in 2019, it seems to me. I guess this is typical of comics- Truth, Freedom, Good, Evil, all capitalized- but I did believe that these titles were intended for mature readers.

Speaking of spinning myths and casting folk heroes, it seems Spider Jerusalem is supposed to be an homage to Hunter S. Thompson; but he is more a testament, like the character of Duke in Doonesbury, to how Thompson eventually opened himself up to caricature, whether the caricaturists were intentional or not. Early Thompson, as a writer, was much more nuanced and serious- and yes, funny- than anything you'll find in this series. At least he was until 1974, when he got drunk in a hotel pool in Kinshasa instead of covering the Ali-Foreman fight.

If you are convinced that you are the only sane person in an insane world, you're going to love this series. It will also help if you think sex dwarves that look like Hitler are funny. In other words, you will love it if you're a teenager. The first two installments are quite bad, however. If you must read it, please begin with Volume 3, Year of the Bastard. I promise you won't lose anything in the way of story- badass journalist, evil presidential candidate, future America, go.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warren Ellis's eerily prescient, wonderfully charming, and incredibly weird graphic novel series Transmetropolitan comes to a brilliant end with Volume 10, "One More Time". Spider Jerusalem takes down the President with the only weapon in his arsenal: the Truth. Ah, man, if only...

[Ed Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It remains to be seen whether illicit sex is actually damaging to a president in this day and age." So asks a reporter in this future dystopia written in 2002. Reporting from the real year 2019, now it has been seen: if he is white, male, and a smooth talker, he'll bounce right back.

But this fantasy, at least, has a happy ending. Right after the president says this, "It always works. I always get away with it. I always come back. You don't get it. You're all here for my amusement, that's all. If the president does it, it's not a crime," he gets punched and arrested by a bad-ass cop. "You're resisting arrest m*****f***er, aren't you? You want to hear about your rights mister president?"

The most corrupt president imaginable is finally brought down when journalists, en masse, stop repeating his lies. But things had to get very dark before they were willing to do that.

Sure there is a lot of juvenile stuff throughout this series. There is also a lot of beautiful detailed art and interesting ideas. And the overall message that we need to speak truth to power is always important.

As one reporter says, after he finally sees the light: "In a country whose revolutionary agenda is defined by free speech, the people's ability to ask informed questions should be enshrined by a president, not vilified."

[Dev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series did seem to lose its way a bit in the middle, but the last 3 or so volumes were absolutely amazing and I was very satisfied with the ending in general and also where all the characters specifically ended up. A really great series, although it did take me awhile to get through because of the heavy subject matter. Overall I think it does have a good balance of dealing with political issues and still being comedic, but it's definitely a difficult balance to maintain.

[Britton · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me." - Hunter S. Thompson

I find that the best pieces of science fiction are often worried. As Charlie Brooker pointed out, science fiction is often a good way to illustrate the worrying trends that we've accumulated. This is becoming more and more apparent since the future seems to be becoming more of a reality as the years move along. I should also add that science fiction often works best when it's angry.

Transmetropolitan is a very angry, contentious book. It's a good comic to read when you're feeling angry about the world that we find ourselves living in and feeling like there's nothing, you can do. Transmetropolitan is Ellis at his most angry, and most politically opinionated and while I don't agree with everything Ellis has to say in here, I do find myself in enthusiastic agreement with his main thesis with this series: this system is broken, and it needs to change immediately.

Ellis isn't subtle in this series, and there's plenty of targets that he takes shots at with this series. Much of the humor in this is often uproarious and madcap, and the characters and situations that our main cynical bastard Spider Jerusalem finds himself in often proves to be a romp. But unlike his friend Garth Ennis, Ellis doesn't get lost in the crude humor of his series, it is merely a means to an end.

Unlike DeConnick or Andrews, who are content to blame the issues of society on an overarching evil bogeyman. Ellis is more interested in what creates a society that allows corruption to fester and infect the system that's supposed to be looking out for us. Much of his concern revolves around the complacency and disillusionment of average people, who are often led to believe that their votes and opinions don't matter, so why even try to engage. But Ellis seeks to beat the complacency and disillusionment out of his readers and get them to act to make true changes to our society.

We share Spider's frustration and hatred of the city, and his rage at the carelessness of the people around him. Spider isn't easily likable and in fact is a huge pain in the ass for anyone who is unfortunate to come across his path, for better or for worse. But the points that he makes are often right, and Ellis does just enough to make us sympathize with him, even as much of an ass he is to his 'filthy assistants' and everyone around him.

Much of the science fictional aspects of this series are often light, not focusing too much on how this stuff would work in the world but exploring how these technologies affect the people who live in the world. Like all great science fiction, it often questions how the future will affect the people who live in it and how it changes the world around us. I was reminded a lot of Philip K. Dick's work in how Ellis manages to combine the surreal and the mundane, where all these wacky sci-fi inventions are just another part of life, and Ellis never stoops to ogling over how cool everything is.

While being an entertaining, science fiction romp, it is also a great piece of journalism through fiction. Much like David Simon's The Wire, Transmetropolitan is a series that exposes the dark truths of the world we live in through a fictional lens, though unlike The Wire, it is much more of a madcap romp. Ellis isn't as committed to realism as Simon is, as Ellis takes more notes from Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo journalism. He sees that truth doesn't always have to be real to attain the intended effect.

Transmet has proven to be more poignant as we move into the post-Trump era of United States politics, particularly with his depiction of The Beast, who almost seems like a carbon copy of our previous president, though somehow, he's less sleazy. Transmet is one of those series that gives me fire as a journalist, I don't know if I want to be as confrontational or as bitter as Spider, but I would like to make a similar impact in my own work as a journalist.

But within its anger, I was surprised to find how compassionate and emotional this series proved to be. I often find that anger is a perversion of sadness, and Transmet is a prime example of that. Ellis' anger is masking the sadness that he has over the degradation of our society and the ideas of compassion and decency...and as this series has aged, I find that the message of Transmet to still ring true...and it shouldn't. The anger in Transmetropolitan often hides the vulnerability that is shown in its characters, and even reveals part of Ellis himself...even if he doesn't entirely mean to. For all the angry, puerile shit that Warren throws at us, there's an undeniable sense of humanity within Transmetropolitan, and that's what gives it charm after all.

At the end of the day, Ellis is a lot like Thompson. He surrounds himself with the ugliest parts of humanity to expose the ugly truth that surrounds us in our daily lives. Transmetropoltian is Warren Ellis off the leash, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spider and the Smiler meet up for a final "interview" and the fate of Spider and his brain disease is revealed.

Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson end the series in the tone of the books that went before it, with the kind of bravado and knack for compelling storytelling readers have come to expect from this duo and "One More Time" is a fitting end to this brilliant character.

I will say that I felt the showdown with Spider and Smiler, while satisfying, was a bit uninventive in how Spider brings Smiler down - it's a trick that he pulled on the President earlier in the series when he was campaigning and I felt the Smiler's confessions to be a bit drawn out and overlong. And also, if he'd gone that far and was literally holding a gun to Spider's head, why not pull the trigger?

That was maybe my only problem with the book, otherwise its righteous words and politics echo through the years, 10 now since it ended, with the same potency as when they were written. And the series holds up really well, I enjoyed this second reading of the series as much as the first time.

The little details are hilarious too. Throughout the series there have been little messages of "Free Steve Chung" on the sidewalk screens and in the final issue is a newspaper headline with "Steve Chung Freed!". Spider's garden also spells out "F*** YOU" when looked at from an aerial vantage, and the border guard from issue 1 gets his comeuppance.

It ends in the best way possible, I won't spoil it, but it's brilliant and makes me wish Ellis and Robertson would return to do another series with Spider. If you've never read "Transmetropolitan" (and why would you be reading a review of the last book in the series if you haven't?) or, like me, it's been years since you read it, pick it up again and treat yourself to some quality, original comics fare.

Spider, you degenerate - I love you. Thanks Warren and Darick for this amazing series!

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like the ending was a bit of a waste. Would've been nice to see him actually go away after everything he did, instead of getting better for no particular reason, just by being lucky.

Other than that, though, it's a great series. Sixty issues and pretty much not a single bad one among them all - great characters, great story, great action, great writing, throughout, never losing the fire, never fallling into the pit where any longer series tends to go. A rare treat.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spider and the Smiler meet up for a final "interview" and the fate of Spider and his brain disease is revealed.

Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson end the series in the tone of the books that went before it, with the kind of bravado and knack for compelling storytelling readers have come to expect from this duo and "One More Time" is a fitting end to this brilliant character.

I will say that I felt the showdown with Spider and Smiler, while satisfying, was a bit uninventive in how Spider brings Smiler down - it's a trick that he pulled on the President earlier in the series when he was campaigning and I felt the Smiler's confessions to be a bit drawn out and overlong. And also, if he'd gone that far and was literally holding a gun to Spider's head, why not pull the trigger?

That was maybe my only problem with the book, otherwise its righteous words and politics echo through the years, 10 now since it ended, with the same potency as when they were written. And the series holds up really well, I enjoyed this second reading of the series as much as the first time.

The little details are hilarious too. Throughout the series there have been little messages of "Free Steve Chung" on the sidewalk screens and in the final issue is a newspaper headline with "Steve Chung Freed!". Spider's garden also spells out "F*** YOU" when looked at from an aerial vantage, and the border guard from issue 1 gets his comeuppance.

It ends in the best way possible, I won't spoil it, but it's brilliant and makes me wish Ellis and Robertson would return to do another series with Spider. If you've never read "Transmetropolitan" (and why would you be reading a review of the last book in the series if you haven't?) or, like me, it's been years since you read it, pick it up again and treat yourself to some quality, original comics fare.

Spider, you degenerate - I love you. Thanks Warren and Darick for this amazing series!

This particular edition is also worth getting as you get “I Hate It Here” and “Filth of the City” which make up “Volume 0: Tales of Human Waste”, along with “Volume 10: One More Time”, so you’re getting two books for the price of one!

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really exciting and grand conclusion to this series. Warren Ellis has of course aged poorly but I think this series holds up pretty dang well, perhaps more than you'd expect for an edgy cyberpunk comic from the late 90s.

Some minor criticisms of the series:

I think Ellis should have given us more background issues on the supporting characters like Ennis did with Preacher.

Could Ellis really not have come up with a more compelling evil president? He's a murderous asshole, but the main thing he did is cheat on his wife with prostitutes... I guess life is crazier than fiction because the current President seems to have done much worse (minus the murdering to cover up his tracks... hopefully!).

The final third especially the pages and script get pretty thin. I don't really mind that to be honest, I prefer that over caption filled dense pages.

Darick Robertson's art isn't the most consistent. But its incredible he did all 60 issues on a monthly, not a single fill-in issue. He even did a bunch of covers. His afterword suggests that Ellis was occasionally late getting him the script, or perhaps the rotating door of editors had something to do with that.

We got two specials (I Hate It Here and Filth of the City) that have guests artists and what is supposed to be excerpts from Spider's column. We needed a third to cover the last third of the series!

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic finale to a superlative series. Spider Jerusalem is one of the most profound, disturbing and memorable characters ever put to panels.

This series’s total relevance to the “society” of our current existence is not lost on this reader.

Perseverance, insolence and a smidge of wagging the dog are the keys to survival, or so it would seem.

Definitely worth the journey.

[André · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tale has come to an end! One more time for the last strike, one last chance to take the president down. Outlaw Spider Jerusalem planted the last seed of controversy in order to take president Callahan down. Troops invade the city and the mass media goes berserk after the new revelation against the president.
People's wrath heats up the streets after the police brutality against a group of students. Consequently, coups grow up between citizens and the system. For that reason, in the middle of all this chaos, an almost crippled fugitive Spider Jerusalem has to face a sociopath president one last time.
Our dear antihero will have a harsh conclusion. Spider is aware of his sickness and its consequences but, will he be the same unorthodox figure? Well, there's a 1% chance of happening it.

The series is not exclusively about Spider Jerusalem but in the end, the whole tale has grown around him. He's definitely the main figure of the story - unorthodox, liberal, and eccentric, a gonzo-journalist type of character that could only bring unusual outcomes in such dystopian society. Jerusalem is perceived, after all, the people's hero and the system's number one enemy. He's careless, but a different kind of carelessness, a paradoxical carelessness of morality towards the American people. His end is unexpected. However, it's his end that highlights all his achievements against the status quo, a martyr type of character.

The series provides a cloudy future reality that may happen, a reality ceased in trivialities, mass media propaganda and basic stimulus. Ellis' perceived society in the series is an excessive example. Although, it's that exaggeration that makes the story truly creative and original. The author managed to portray a superficial society that fastens around propaganda, indoctrination and violence - a scary illustration of a shallow tomorrow.

Overall, Spider Jerusalem (with his negligent attitude) coined a new type of character within comic books, a humorous and sarcastic style that will amuse any reader. Transmetropolitan is more than a sci-fi story embraced in black humour, it's a hint about a depthless near-future environment.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The End. I might come back to review this. It felt very safe for a series like this. But still enjoyable.

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review will not go into the political theses that the whole series is shoving into its readers, for it may take a very, very long essay just for me to express how much Transmetropolitan reflects the political landscape, its limitations and how much more complex reality is. Transmetropolitan for the most part captures all the stench that us people would simply not smell, the ugly details in our own city and the scandals that might have transpired in our governement that we immediately forget because we are more interested in other things like, the next episode of a tv series, or cute cats, or what would our next profile picture would be like.

I will give a review therefore on the technical details of the comics, and how each of its details affected my appreciation towards the material.

First, I want to say that Warren Ellis is a brilliant writer, not just a comic book writer, but a writer writer. He can be able to sustain a reader's interest in his prose, even though there are many times that I felt that he is just saying the same things over and over. He also have these over-the-hedge array of random words, that when put together, crafts one nasty picture that only a deranged mind can concoct. He is the real Spider Jerusalem.

Darick Robertson's art is as equally nasty as Ellis' writing. He made Spider a dirty bastard with inexplicable charm, his filthy assistants sexy, useful and filthy, and the Smiler oozing of political deceit. His use of bright colors and a highly contrasted palette exacerbates the violence, rowdiness and ugliness of the futuristic dystopian City. What Ellis says, Robertson shows. It is a dirty, beautiful tandem.

The story on the other hand meanders at the middle of the series, picking up steam on the sevenrh or eight volume. I elt that Transmetropolitan could be better told in fewer issues. But this comment of course is highly subjective. I binged-read the whole series in two weeks, cramming everything into my brain a story that took the original issues years to tell. So I'm just warning you guys that Transmetropolitan is better experienced in small doses.

The ending is what I expected it to be, happy with a sprinkle of sadness, as how many Vertigo series of that era has ended (I'm talking about Y The Last Man, Scalped ans Preacher) - a male protagonist too tired for the action but not completely retired, content to live in some place with grass and trees.

Just a spoler here: I really, really wished to see Spider using his Bowel Disruptor on the president, in its highest setting, with all the details and splatters displayed in all of its brown glory, (pretty sick, eh?) but I didn't get that. How sad.

I cannot imagine at first that I will read a journalism-themed comic book until the end, but Transmetropolitan is just that good. Read this one and it is like you are reading the real news.

[Negativni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uh! Ovo je bilo veliko razočarenje..

Transmetropolitan sam počeo čitati nakon odličnog Y: The Last Man series koji me iznenadio složenom radnjom i kvalitetom kojom je napisan. Tražio sam nešto "slično" a Transmetropolitan je iskakao na sve strane pa sam njega uzeo čitati.

Transmetropolitan naravno nije sličan Y: The Last Manu, nego možda Lobou, ako se dobro sjećam tog stripa, tu mislim ponajviše na "ultranasilje" kako to Amerikanci vole reći.

Glavni lik Transmetropolitana je Spider koji je pljunuti Hunter S. Thompson likom i djelom, ali uz to i unatoč recikliranju ideja strip je ipak donio i neku svježinu na scenu. Ima tu i dobrog humora, ismijavanja fanatizma pa čak i nekih zanimljivih futurističkih koncepta kojih se ne bi postidio ni neki hard sf roman. No problem je što mi se čini da se onda sve počelo ponavljati, a već mi je 4. dio bio pomalo naporan zbog previše pojednostavljenog političkog sustava iako je to bila glavna tema i zaplet tog dijela pa sam nakon toga stao sa čitanjem serijala.

Nakon toga sam se bacio na čitanje drugih razvikanih stripova koje sam propustio i otkrivanje novog francuskog vala koji me oduševio.

Onda je nedavno izašlo hrvatsko skupno izdanje "Transmetropolitan 5: Još jednom", za koje sam ja greškom mislio da je Transmetropolitan, Vol. 5: Lonely City tako da sam nenamjerno, ali kako se sada pokazalo - srećom, preskočio nekoliko dijelova i uzeo čitati sam kraj serijala (9. i 10. dio) i već mi je odpočetka bilo naporno.
Smetalo mi je pre-pre-pretjerivanje sa svime. Čak mi je i Spider postao jako iritantan. I jednostavno nisam to mogao čitati.

Što je najgore osjećao sam se (opet) prestar za ta sranja... i skoro opet odustao od stripova, ali srećom nakon toga sam posudio Perzepolis jedan od najboljih stripova koje sam pročitao...

[Trin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I have to take back all the mean things I said earlier this year about Warren Ellis. I still don’t get what the big deal with The Authority is, or why his runs on Iron Man or Hellblazer are so great, but this—this I get. This I love. Spider Jerusalem is fucked up and sexy and brilliant—my first real comics crush in years (and guys with too many tattoos are going to have a much better chance with me until it wears off, so thank Ellis for that, boys). Channon and Yelena, his filthy assistants, are awesome, too, so check check check, you’ve got real characters that change and grow. And plot! Fantastic plot! Not to mention pretty superb world-building—I believe in this weird, technologically explosive, still basically self-involved vision of the future. This was the fun and insightful political reading I was looking for earlier in the year, and it’s too bad I had to wait for my friend to practically smack me over the head with it, but you don’t have to make the same mistake! No! Go read it now!

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give the final volume of TRANSMETROPOLITAN five stars based on three principles: 1) This series is a required reading for young and feeble minds in the age where spectacle and real issues have become indistinguishable. 2) It goes back to the series' roots of breaking down the power of media in entertaining and unforceful ways and 3) there actually is over 100 pages of bonus material in my edition so it's cool.

But what have I thought of TRANSMETROPOLITAN's ending? It was all right. Maybe the final confrontation with the Smiler was a bit of a wet firecracker, but unlike Vol. 7 to 9 it had substance. Warren Ellis stopped biding his time and making Spider do stupid, self-destructive crap for the hell of it. TRANSMETROPOLITAN is one of these stories that ignores that it's great. It's probably a tad too long for what it is (I would've stripped it it 6 or 8 volumes), but it made me believe the system can still be overthrown again and sensitized me to the power of media in a way I haven't been before.

Should you pay for all the volumes like I did? Maybe, but I suggest you do it only if you like comic books more than I do. Was it worth reading? Oh hell yeah. I'll probably read the entire thing again a couple more times. It must take not much longer than half a way to read from cover to cover.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review of the entire Transmetropolitan series:

What a wild and wonderful ride this series has been. There is a lot of commentary, social and political, throughout the series. Some I agree with, some I don't, and some seems to be edgy for the sake of being edgy.

That being said, I love Spider Jerusalem and his Filthy Assistants. There's a nearly bipolar wave to ride with Spider, and it feels reminiscent of real life. Some days I feel like I could take on the world, and others I feel like I'd rather be anyone else.

I think the second half of the series is really the heart and soul of the story, and there's much more meat on the narrative bones. And obviously, some of these situations of chaos and uncertainty take on even deeper meaning the more they mirror our own current events.

Overall, if you can jump some of the "shock value" hurdles plopped on the path, then you're in for a book with a lot of violence, comedy, twisted stories, and a voice about the world that's well worth being heard.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, fitting end to an ultimately brilliant series. I don't know why it took me so long to get to this, since Ellis is one of my favorite writers, but I'm glad I did. Amazingly prescient throughout--the story of outlaw journalist Spider Jerusalem vs. "the Smiler," a psychotic president, has some amazing parallels to what's going on around us daily, with each new outrage of the Trump administration. Hopefully, there's someone out there to take on the Spider role in the current battle, too. A couple of the best final pages of any series, too. Really, really good and very highly recommended!

[Artemy · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was awesome. Oh man. I can't believe I resisted for so long and at first hated this series. It is brilliant. And the ending is absolutely perfect.
It is a bit surprising to see such a long-running comic to not loose its pace and momentum until the very last page. Bravo, Mr. Ellis, bravo, Mr. Robertson.

[Titas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting finale.

Detailed review soon (maybe)

[The Library Ladies · Rating 4 out of 5]

(originally reviewed at thelibraryladies.com )

It was a re-read almost four years in the making. Ten volumes, two awful presidents, two awesome lady assistants, one literally two faced cat, and numerous bowel disruptor guns later, and I have finally reached the end of Spider Jerusalem’s return to Gonzo reporting in a dystopian cyberpunk future. My re-read of “Transmetropolitan” has been wild to say the least. And if you remember from the end of my last review, I was a little worried that it had ended in a way that feels a little dated given recent political shenanigans. But let’s jump on into “One More Time” and begin our fond farewell.

The good news is that “One More Time” immediately assuaged the fears I had at the end of “The Cure”. It wasn’t going to be so easy as a sex scandal to bring down The Smiler, much as it didn’t do much of anything in our own present reality. But Spider, Yelena, and Channon weren’t going to give up so easily, and the beginning of the final confrontation between Spider and The Smiler is underway. What that means for Spider and his assistants is a bit murkier. Warren Ellis is known for brash and over the top themes as well as a dark cynicism, and we find both of those things in abundance. But there is also a whole lot of hope in this last volume, and that hope is something that I myself am clinging to. Again, you don’t know how things are going to completely shake out, but as Ellis unfolds everything and makes it all come together, reaching far far back in the series to do so, we go back to other storylines and other characters from the past who all have their parts to play, and it makes you wonder if Ellis had known from early on where they were going to end up. It works that well. In terms of the final confrontation, I was of two minds when it came to how impactful I found it. On one hand, it felt a little rushed and neat and underwhelming. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll be vague, but it just kind of ended with less of a bang and more of a pop. I certainly wouldn’t call it a whimper. But it wasn’t the big to do that perhaps one would expect. But on the other hand, maybe that’s how this kind of thing would have to end. Maybe it does have to be more muted, because that shows that the monster who causes so much grief and havoc is really just pathetic and fallible. So while I had wanted more, less may be more appropriate.

It’s the ultimate message of this story that truly resonated with me and made “One More Time” a satisfying end to a series that I still love. And that is that the truth is the most important thing above all else, and that the true heroes are the ones that sacrifice and give their all to make sure that it comes out. Spider Jerusalem is violent, grumpy, antagonistic, and a bit of a jerk. But he is devoted to making sure that the world knows the truth of how things are, and he will fight tooth and nail and to his own detriment to make sure that it all gets out. And along with him we get Channon and Yelena, two ladies who have tenacity, brashness, brains, and the drive to help him get that truth out as well as pursue their own goals. This trio is by far one of the best in comics, even if they aren’t exactly the most likable, because they are entertaining and chaotic and filled with hope. “Transmetropolitan” is teeming with hope. And as someone who has at times felt hopeless in our own political and social climate, this was a true antidote to that hopelessness. At least for now. But if there’s one thing you should take from “Transmetropolitan”, it’s to keep fighting that good fight. I don’t know what the next election will hold. I don’t know if we’re stuck with our own Beast/Smiler for another four years or not. But I know that we can learn something from Spider, Yelena, and Channon.

I am going to miss The City. I’m going to miss The Filthy Assistants. I’m going to miss Spider. At least until I decide to re-read again. Until that time, “One More Time” was a fabulous end to a fabulous series.

[Pat the Book Goblin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“People keep saying to me, you’re doing a good job, Spider, you’re really changing things, Spider. And it’s all bullshit. I’m not changing a fucking thing. I’m a writer. A journalist. I can’t change shit. What I do is give you the tools to understand the world so that you can change things. And I’m stuck here, only hoping that you do.”
—Spider Jerusalem

This ten volume series was hilarious, raunchy, raw, and just brilliant. I loved this series.

[Otherwyrld · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a lot of words I could say about this final volume, but one of the characters said it better.

In a country whose revolutionary agenda is defined by free speech, the people's ability to ask informed questions should be enshrined by a president, not vilified.

Transmetropolitan issue 58, page 5, published 2002

Wow, just fucking wow. Where's the real life Spider Jerusalem right now, because we really need someone like him to tell the truth, to speak up for those without a voice, to campaign for justice and most of all, to never give up no matter what the cost.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[Chris Comerford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally, I couldn't have asked for a better ending.

[Michelle Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am incapable of writing this review without spoilers. So, be warned.

Thank you, Mr. Ellis. Thank you for giving Spider the best possible outcome that fucker could ever deserve. In the sun, his ladies doting on him as he tinkers in his garden, quiet and at peace. Not dead. Not dying, but living, on his terms in his own time, like the glorious bastard he is.

Incredibly satisfying wrap up as the baddies fall and the good guys STAY ALIVE!

The back half of this volume includes a sampling of Spider's columns. Funny and painful and insightful, beautifully written, I would follow his writing anywhere, any when, were he a real person.

Spider is my hero, I wish I'd read these back when I was majoring in journalism. I did okay with my column in the school paper, but now I know I could have done better. I keep my pair of red and green geometric glasses in my jewelry box, even knowing my amply curvy girl bod will never be able to cosplay them.

Read during the October 2015 24-hour Read-a-thon.