Transmetropolitan

Transmetropolitan is a cyberpunk comic book series of the author Warren Ellis and the signer ( Pencillers ) Darick Robertson, which was first published in 1997 by DC Comics and describes the struggle of journalist Spider Jerusalem against the excesses of a mad metropolis of the future and against abuse of political power and indifference.

Content

The beginning of the series introduces the lead character, a strong style similar to Hunter S. Thompson, extroverted and egomaniacal gonzo journalist named Spider Jerusalem, who by his publisher, to whom he still owes two books, with threatened lawsuits from his existence as a long-haired, paranoid is mountain hermit again driven back into the nameless city where he receives as a columnist in the fight against indifference, abuse of power, social injustice and ruthless exploitation. The partial slightly dystopian -themed, but exuberantly colorful metropolis that provides the venue for the series, is an absurd overtightened place in the best cyberpunk tradition, modified with alien DNA human, intelligent police dogs, drug-addicted machines, nanotechnological wonders and countless bizarre micro cults and subcultures abound.

Armed with an unconventional photo - glasses and his laptop provides the protagonist with harsh words selbsterkorenen his adversary in the pillory. Main Targets and center of two storylines are two politicians; initially the President, always just " the beast" ( the beast, the beast, in the German version of " The Monster " ), called later, after his deselection, his fascist successor, "the smiler " ( the smiler, in the German version " The smiler ").

Over the gliederbaren in three acts Spider Jerusalem action wins two female companions, Channon Yarrow and Yelena Rossini, which are probably similar to Hunter S. Thompson's assistant, Deborah Fuller and his last wife Anita Bejmuk. Similarly, these accompany them at the end of the series ailing from a degenerative neurological disease Spider back in the secluded shelter of the mountains.

About the Series

The first episode of Transmetropolitan was published in 1997 in the then new company specializing in science fiction imprint helix of the American comic book publisher DC Comics; episode 13 from the series after the end of helix was taken over by the Vertigo imprint of the same publisher. The series spans 60 episodes and in 2002 reached its end point as planned.

Today Transmetropolitan is distributed by Vertigo in the form of ten anthologies. In addition, two special volumes were published. Unlike usual in DC, the author team did not come from the rights to the publisher.

In German Transmetropolitan was the speed Verlag, a publishing imprint of Thomas Tilsner, published in 32 volumes, containing in addition to the 60 issues of the regular U.S. series reprints of some special editions.

Stylistic classification

As part of a comic also increasingly establishing itself ends cyberpunk, Hardboiled and neo-noir direction of the other series have emerged since the nineties. Can be compared with " Transmetropolitan " in particular the series " Preacher" by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, "Sin City " by Frank Miller, " Midnight Nation " by J. Michael Straczynski and "Violent Messiah" by Joshua Dysart and Tone Rodriguez DM.