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Atmospherics
Warren Ellis and painter Ken Meyer unleash a totally remastered version of this terrifying alien tale that has been out of print for many years and never before collected into one graphic novel. She's in a hospital. Except it may be a police station. She's been traumatized. Or she's been arrested. She's the only living witness of a cattle-mutilation style attack on humans. Or she's a multiple killer who has a psychotic reaction to heroin use. Who may not survive discovering who she really is. This deluxe square bound graphic novel also features all the stunning paintings Ken Meyer produced for the series, many of which have never seen print, a special section focusing on how Ken creates his work, and a new introduction by Warren Ellis!
48 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Warren Ellis
1,972 books5,763 followersWarren 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 1, 2017
2.5 Stars
Not my favorite Ellis work but not terrible. A woman witnesses an alien invasion where an entire town is murdered and mutliated, but is this true or is she just a murdering junkie who may have done the killings herself? We are kept guessing and the ending is both surprising and a little predictable at the same time.
The art isn't bad but confusing at times, and really the writing is too. If you are into alien abduction type stories, this one is for you but probably not for everyone.
Not my favorite Ellis work but not terrible. A woman witnesses an alien invasion where an entire town is murdered and mutliated, but is this true or is she just a murdering junkie who may have done the killings herself? We are kept guessing and the ending is both surprising and a little predictable at the same time.
The art isn't bad but confusing at times, and really the writing is too. If you are into alien abduction type stories, this one is for you but probably not for everyone.
May 12, 2020
Short, sweet and relatively straight towards the point another unfairly forgotten Warren Ellis yarn deserves a read and mayhaps a review. One part X-Files (conveniently referenced within), one part bad-cop, and swirled unto a digestible 30 page limit, the quaffage is meant to be chugged A-S-A-P. Alien conspiracy nuts will rejoice. And those more sober amongst us will find much to protest. But for the more reasonable amongst us there’s a pleasant can of literary swill here.
February 12, 2013
Atmospherics is a short story by Warren Ellis that is best described in it's back cover: She's in a hospital. Except it may be a police station. She's been traumatized. Or she's been arrested. She's the only living witness of a cattle-mutilation style attack on humans. Or she's a multiple killer who has a psychotic reaction to heroin use. Who may not survive discovering who she really is.
Confusing in a good way, Ellis' writing is again almost pure gold. Meyer Jr.'s art keeps up the mood and looks great excluding a few way too messy boxes.
A lack of a proper plot takes the fifth star away, but it's a really nice short conversation-based story otherwise that's worth reading.
Confusing in a good way, Ellis' writing is again almost pure gold. Meyer Jr.'s art keeps up the mood and looks great excluding a few way too messy boxes.
A lack of a proper plot takes the fifth star away, but it's a really nice short conversation-based story otherwise that's worth reading.
October 3, 2015
Story's OK. POV (most of the time) interrogation of a strange female talking of ET's cattle mutilation, except it's on people. Nice idea and funny afterword.
My problem is Ken Meyer Jr's art with which I've been sadly disappointed. I've discovered him in B&W when he was illustrating a vampire role-playing game and his drawings were gorgeous. I remember spending hours trying to copy some of them. But here, it looks like napkin doodles with a big marker.
Ok, I'm overdoing it, but so is my disappointment.
3* for the story, 1 for the art, an average 2.
My problem is Ken Meyer Jr's art with which I've been sadly disappointed. I've discovered him in B&W when he was illustrating a vampire role-playing game and his drawings were gorgeous. I remember spending hours trying to copy some of them. But here, it looks like napkin doodles with a big marker.
Ok, I'm overdoing it, but so is my disappointment.
3* for the story, 1 for the art, an average 2.
July 26, 2025
Remember what I said about Warren Ellis and red? Well imagine those were underwhelming and in less the pages. The dialogue is typical Ellis has a good flow yet also conveys exposition well, the pacing is still efficient………. It’s just there’s not much to it. From what I remember A woman is in questioning to the mutilation of a town she was in with the place she’s being questioned in changing from a hospital room to an interrogation room ( again from what I remember). The ending is a twist, don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say to me at least it was a pretty weak ending. All in all it just felt like it was too bare bones to really retain any of the wit that Ellis potentially has. The art wasn’t horrible, didn’t blow me away ( I’ll be merciful though, it didn’t look like it had expensive printing) but it was serviceable. Atmospherics was the equivalent of a pistol in an entire arsenal from a gunsman: it’s not the worst thing he can have, but you do feel like he could be offering better.
January 10, 2023
Curious; very Warren Ellis in that it's intriguing and engaging in the way that his writing can be most times.
A stunningly short affair that frankly soured me a bit because it felt like I was paying a good amount for very little real content.
Yes, the art is painted instead of drawn the traditional way and I've worked with a comic artist myself who liked to draw that kind of art - it's a lot of work and has some stunning effect on some pages. BUT, overall the art was mostly uninteresting to me and apart from certain pages/panels, it was mostly very boring, bland and apart from curiousity that led me to try and study it, I would not recommend it to anyone in a hurry for the sake of the art.
Overall, a nice idea, one that perhaps will appeal to some and is a bit of an X-Files-ish super-short story. But one in the end that hampered both by its shortness and the experimental artwork that in my humble opinion was an experiment not worth repeating without a serious re-think.
A stunningly short affair that frankly soured me a bit because it felt like I was paying a good amount for very little real content.
Yes, the art is painted instead of drawn the traditional way and I've worked with a comic artist myself who liked to draw that kind of art - it's a lot of work and has some stunning effect on some pages. BUT, overall the art was mostly uninteresting to me and apart from certain pages/panels, it was mostly very boring, bland and apart from curiousity that led me to try and study it, I would not recommend it to anyone in a hurry for the sake of the art.
Overall, a nice idea, one that perhaps will appeal to some and is a bit of an X-Files-ish super-short story. But one in the end that hampered both by its shortness and the experimental artwork that in my humble opinion was an experiment not worth repeating without a serious re-think.
April 9, 2021
This is a small story which feels a bit like an afterthought. The sequential art framework is very similar to Morrison and McKean's "A Glass of Water" but the story is Ellis' through and through with his cussing, smoking and blood and guts.
Being short it is thankfully void of ramblings and that keeps it focused even if the final twist is a bit on the dumb side (dumber than Alien Abductions etc? well, yes, in its heightened world it is).
It will be ok as a small things but Ellis' smug epilogue is what sinks it. His "Do you know I am a Bastard" schtick was old by 1999 and reading it now is just incredibly grating.
Being short it is thankfully void of ramblings and that keeps it focused even if the final twist is a bit on the dumb side (dumber than Alien Abductions etc? well, yes, in its heightened world it is).
It will be ok as a small things but Ellis' smug epilogue is what sinks it. His "Do you know I am a Bastard" schtick was old by 1999 and reading it now is just incredibly grating.
June 24, 2024
Remastered and recolored from the original 2002 release, Atmospherics is a rollicking good time...if your idea of a good time is a completely nuts take on alien abductions and/or adverse reactions to heroin use. I thought that this was fantastic. I enjoy everything that I read by Warren Ellis. I don't own his entire catalog or anything, but his name attached to a project makes me more inclined to pick it up.
This is basically a prestige format comic book/ graphic 'novelette'. I'd rather have a skinny 48 page book that is good than a bloated, 120 page trade paperback filled with nonsense double page spreads.
This is basically a prestige format comic book/ graphic 'novelette'. I'd rather have a skinny 48 page book that is good than a bloated, 120 page trade paperback filled with nonsense double page spreads.
May 11, 2021
It's really rather unfortunate that Warren Ellis says in his afterword
"People say to me, where do you get your ideas from? I get my ideas from being a bastard"
Considering all the recent #metoo accusations he's had thrown at him. He's going to be one of those writers in retrospect the writing was literally on the wall.
"People say to me, where do you get your ideas from? I get my ideas from being a bastard"
Considering all the recent #metoo accusations he's had thrown at him. He's going to be one of those writers in retrospect the writing was literally on the wall.
September 29, 2021
A woman with two stories? Sides? Something about an off woman, that's for sure. The story is trying to set itself between two vague possibilities. Not terrible, but not great either. The artwork solely was awsome, suits perfectly with the atmosphere. Not a bad read at all, but it won't be the same for everyone else.
June 5, 2023
Warren Ellis does it again.
Admittedly, I'm a Warren Ellis fan. Been buying and reading his comics for the last 10 years. Some of it brand new, when it's first published. 1 Other times I'm, like with this book, playing catch-up.
Warren never disappoints. Try this book. If you've never read an Ellis book this will give a taste of just what he can do.
Admittedly, I'm a Warren Ellis fan. Been buying and reading his comics for the last 10 years. Some of it brand new, when it's first published. 1 Other times I'm, like with this book, playing catch-up.
Warren never disappoints. Try this book. If you've never read an Ellis book this will give a taste of just what he can do.
September 16, 2017
Artig å prøve å forstå hva som foregår. Original setup for en comic novel hvor de fleste rutene er av bare ei dame som blir intervjuet. Mistenker at dette egentlig var en novelle, men glad for at det ble gitt ut i denne formen. Slutten fungerte dårlig. Burde vært lengre.
Kunst: 2
Kunst: 2
July 10, 2019
It is what it is - a fun little macabre thriller/horror tale, amusing but not that impactful.
March 22, 2020
Not that interesting the story is short and bland.
May 28, 2021
The art was better than the story. I especially liked the gallery at the end.
August 14, 2024
A short intriguing story that was a pretty fun yarn about Aliens. Had a nice twist and interesting concept in regards to Alien “hunting.”
December 2, 2015
Forget accusing Greg Land of tracing off his anatomies, or of criticizing Rob Liefeld's grasp on anatomy. In this brief comic most panels are repeated several times. One of the panels is repeated no less than seven times, and most are repeated at least four or five times. And we're speaking of a comic that is composed of 30 pages (it says 48, but the remaining 18 pages are just sketch galleries and an afterword by Warren Ellis). Seriously, this could be Warren Ellis' best comic (and it is not), but the way it's sketchedly and amateurishly painted by Ken Meyer and the ridiculous repeating of panels would still turn it into garbage. I'm tired of good stories ruined by impossibly unskilled artists.
I'm only giving two stars because Warren Ellis' story is good enough, although we're far from his peaks of genius that are Transmetropolitan and especially Planetary.
I'm only giving two stars because Warren Ellis' story is good enough, although we're far from his peaks of genius that are Transmetropolitan and especially Planetary.
December 15, 2016
This was odd for me to read, because I felt like I'd read it sometime before, only I don't think I really had.
Entirely apart from the reading deja vu, however, it's a pretty solid story and fun to try and figure out what's going on, and Warren Ellis is as (almost) always an inspired writer. Something about this just left me feeling a little "meh" afterwards, which may be simply because I want everything Ellis writes to be Transmetropolitan and it obviously isn't.
That's my problem, though, not the book's. The book is a fun, quick read and you shouldn't hesitate to check it out if you're a Warren Ellis fan.
Entirely apart from the reading deja vu, however, it's a pretty solid story and fun to try and figure out what's going on, and Warren Ellis is as (almost) always an inspired writer. Something about this just left me feeling a little "meh" afterwards, which may be simply because I want everything Ellis writes to be Transmetropolitan and it obviously isn't.
That's my problem, though, not the book's. The book is a fun, quick read and you shouldn't hesitate to check it out if you're a Warren Ellis fan.
July 5, 2011
Classic Warren Ellis. Not for the faint of heart, and with bonus bitchy diatribe at the end.
August 29, 2013
Just your average aliens mutilating humans like cattle for fun story meets female serial killer junkie driven wild by heroin story
December 25, 2013
An interesting short read, but not much more than that.
March 18, 2015
Not great, but entertaining enough. Minor work by Warren Ellis.
June 26, 2015
Plain boring.
July 12, 2013
Pretty good considering the length. Nice narrative, artwork is lovely black and white water colour
December 5, 2013
if ya'll dont preeshyaet this... we gonna haev a prawblum
July 23, 2015
The afterword was funny, the art was cool, the plot was well, there. Mr Ellis had better.
April 21, 2018
It's a Warren Ellis story
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews