Transmetropolitan

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Warren Ellis

Artist: Darick Robertson

Publication date: September 1997 - November 2002

Source: Helix/Vertigo

When people think of kick-ass fictional heroes, they usually think of cops, soldiers, and other assorted tough guys who get to carry guns. Newspaper columnists, on the other hand, are rarely thought of being able to kick anything bigger than a split infinitive. Except for gonzo journalists like Hunter S. Thompson, members of the fifth estate are a pretty meek bunch. But in Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson's tripped out sci-fi epic Transmetropolitan, journalist Spider Jerusalem is the only hope for a futuristic society on the verge of utter collapse. Forced back into the sprawling futuristic city from his mountain retreat, Jerusalem takes on the fatcats who would enslave us all armed only with a black suit, his computer, and every single recreational drug ever invented. Oh, and a gun that can cause uncontrollable, explosive diarrhea.

Navigating through a city where people can turn into beings of pure energy, fast food restaurants sell buckets of fried eyeballs, and the number one kids show is about a porno called Sex Puppets. Spider and his two assistants try their hardest to rattle the populace from their techno-addled slumber. In the best satirical tradition, Transmetropolitan explores issues of truth, freedom, and the power of the written word in a bizarre world that, for all its weirdness, is almost identical to our own. It may sound a little heavy, but don't worry, there's plenty of sex and violence to help the medicine go down.

Transmetropolitan Issue #1