Bad World

by Warren Ellis, Jacen Burrows (Artist)

Warren Ellis and Jacen Burrows, the creative team of the critically acclaimed Dark Blue, bring to life this sick decent into the foulest reaches of the world we live in. A world of beauty in the eyes of many, but to bleeding-edge writer Warren Ellis, a world filled with evil, sin, decay, and filth. A Bad World indeed. Told in a unique format of text and illustrations, Ellis explores the far edges of humanity, the people who are hanging to reality by the thinnest of threads, and those that are simply off their rockers. This complete collection features a gallery of the stunning artwork of Jacen Burrows and a new introduction by Warren Ellis.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

80 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 1998

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

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comic lists complex conspiracies and beliefs, some that threaten the world. Believers organize themselves into groups that want to clone Jesus, or sell fetuses, or use guns because the Bible says so, or uphold that the Earth is the center of the universe. It sounds weird to normal people, but it's also plausible that some nuts would believe these far-fetched theories. I checked some of them - they have websites! Each page has quotes that are interspersed with short, sarcastic comments from the writer who swiftly ridicules their beliefs. The artwork is made up of full-page captions. They are truly gorgeous and worth a look even if you ignore the text. The second issue has zoosexuals, cannibals, piss drinkers. Wonderful! The author then takes a stab at politicians, delusional individuals, some who use guns, some who kill their own children, believers in UFOs and aliens. I can't tell if some of these are inventions - the author is certainly capable of it - but they are all entertaining.

[Ilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of vignettes which you would have found on Warren Ellis’s blog from 10 years ago – indulging his delight at the grotesque delusions people around the world succumb to. It doesn’t add up to much more than a warning about what random weirdos are capable of. Burrows does some fine work illustrating these examples – I particularly enjoyed his renderings of bloodthirsty angels and Jesus figures.

[Venus Maneater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellis opens to us a world of conspiracy theories, fringe science and freak occurrences. Illustrated by the perfectly chosen Jacen Burrows.

Classic Ellis with a little more humor and a little less cynicism.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peguei neste livro a pensar que ia ler mais um comic outrè... e sai um longo ensaio gráfico às voltas com a estranheza surreal que se encontra pelos recantos mais obscuros da internet. Ellis é um autor que tem a mão no pulso do fervilhar digital e esta colecção de vinhetas mostra a sua capacidade de pegar no absurdo e empacotar como reflexão sobre a colisão entre a incapacidade humana de lidar com a causalidade e a indefinição do conceito de normalidade consensual. Teorias da conspiração, sexualidades desviantes, loucuras religiosas, anormalidade em estado bruto é o que nos é oferecido com delirantes ilustrações de Jacen Burrows.

[Hamlet]

This is less a "comic book" than an art-accompanied essay on the madness around us. Extremely interesting art, a glimpse of some of the world's sickest, saddest, funniest and most pitiable people - and the delusions that make them who they are. Everything from Heaven's Gate to black helicopters to intercourse with chickens. Not for the faint of heart - or the stomach or mind. This book can be enjoyed at this level - a chance to snicker at, pity or be sickened by the stories, but the unspoken questions it asks about more mainstream ideas we make this a truly fascinating read.

[Jukka Kuva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again it's Warren Ellis being critical about our society. The difference to his other works is, this time he isn't making it up. Bad World is a collection of true stories about very disturbed people and the very disturbed things they've done. Along with Burrows' half-parodical drawings it's a very pleasant read. Not too shocking for a member of the internet generation but still shocking enough so that it has some value.

The three issues are filled with text but it still doesn't really take that long to read them. It's well worth the time.

[Elh R' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellis is a fuckin' genius !!! I love this man ...

Here we have 3 books, double page drawings, and Ellis writing about conspiracies and lunatics of the world. It is actually a non-fiction work. Every drawing tells something new. Of course, it is full of dark humor, and commentaries from Ellis.

A fast interesting reading

5/5

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes the human race has its cannibals, necrophiles, zoosexuals, serial murderers, religious nutjobs, sick business people, murderous neighbors etc., but thankfully that's still a minority, Warren. How about OK World with some bad people?

[Ma'Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would love to see more writers doing straightforward graphical commentaries on the world like this. Why isn't there a comic book version of the radio program This American Life?

[Brendan M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellis is one of the greats, but Burrows' art gave me Crossed flashbacks. Lots of fun, this one, though.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of his best books, but it's fascinating nonetheless.

[TJ Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not his best. More of a comic-themed collection of the depravity of humanity...A bad world.