Underwhelmed by Transmetropolitan

[Libaax]

The ideas and characterizations that made Transmet and Planetary so groundbreaking are much more commonplace now in the current comic milieu than they were 10-15 years ago. The freshness has definitely worn off a bit.

Speak for your self. I read Transmetro years ago and never liked it much but i read Planetary only in 2011 and it was still great,ideas rich,groundbreaking to me. Quality comics are timeless even if some parts gets dated. Freshness doesnt make a comic good or great on its own.


Planetary is much better read as finished series to many fans like me who read it years after.

[MartinRedmond]

I thought it was hilarious. Started reading with issue 2 or 3 or something like that. I like the short stories much better than the 6 parters.

Planetary is awful, plotless, aimless, dull.

[Billy Batson]

And the prize for the worst post goes to...Martin!

[carabas]

Worst post not in a political thread... I've seen much worse.

[Sacorn69]

I thought it was hilarious. Started reading with issue 2 or 3 or something like that. I like the short stories much better than the 6 parters.

Just finished the series again, and I'm the same, I like the short stories more than the longer ones. There seemed like a bit of padding going on in the end wih multiple page fight scenes etc. I think I read the last four trades in about the same time as the first two took.

Overall though, it's still one of Vertigo's best :)

[Sacorn69]

Oops, double post :)

[MadDog1981]

I enjoyed it at the time. I don't know how I would like it on a re-read. It was kind of a product of it's times.

For the wrestling fans, it would be like trying to go back and watch ECW for the first time ever in 2012. You would probably not see why it was so different and groundbreaking in 1995.

[MartinRedmond]

And the prize for the worst post goes to...Martin!

I think I gave up at the Vertigo homage when Constantine called someone a toerag. It was the only thing of interest so far.

[Desaad]

If I have a problem with it, it's the same problem I have on re-read of most of Ellis' work; it's really very shallow, innit wot?

No, but really; I find it acceptable when we're getting punchy superheroic action, well crafted and what not, and in that context his work is actually some of the headier, more complex stuff in the market. But when you're doing a book specifically about futurism and discontentedness with the status quo on every conceivable level...well, it was just too ambitious for poor ole Warren, I think.

I didn't think it was INSIGHTFUL, is what I'm trying to saying. Which is very much what I thought it was trying to be. And that desire was much more self conscious in something like "Transmet" than it was in something like "Planetary" (outside of a few issues, like the Vertigo piss take issue, which was really just eye rollingly bad).

[Karl O'Neill]

I'm so-so on Warren Ellis's work. I liked most of Transmet.

It's provocative, rather than deep.

[a fire in london]

It was mostly juvenile humor but when he wanted to Ellis could pull on the heart strings. Some great gems in the series.

[fever00]

Transmet is one of those weird comics that isn't really meant for typical comics readers, though it's partly responsible for getting me into comics. Really, it seems meant for people who like high brow lit, but also enjoy curse words, and insane art. To really understand it, you need to be familiar with Hunter S. Thompson, but that also kind of ruins it. Transmet is basically Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 on acid, and in the future.

[Mr. Holmes]

If I have a problem with it, it's the same problem I have on re-read of most of Ellis' work; it's really very shallow, innit wot?

No, but really; I find it acceptable when we're getting punchy superheroic action, well crafted and what not, and in that context his work is actually some of the headier, more complex stuff in the market. But when you're doing a book specifically about futurism and discontentedness with the status quo on every conceivable level...well, it was just too ambitious for poor ole Warren, I think.

I didn't think it was INSIGHTFUL, is what I'm trying to saying. Which is very much what I thought it was trying to be. And that desire was much more self conscious in something like "Transmet" than it was in something like "Planetary" (outside of a few issues, like the Vertigo piss take issue, which was really just eye rollingly bad).

This sums up my thoughts. Even though Ellis seems to be apathetic about superheroes, it works well for me when he balances out bombastic action with subtle nods to greater concerns, but focusing on those concerns, Ellis falls flat.

[Bonemachine]

I remember reading some of it a couple years ago when I was first getting into comics and really liking it. However, I just revisited it and was massively disappointed. Ellis was definitely trying way too hard to be edgy and after reading masterwork like Preacher, it just comes across as juvenile.

For example, this is a quote from Spider, "Something's not right. I can feel it in my left testicle, the one with a piece of masonry nail in it."

Come on man, it reminds me of Seth McFarlane trying and failing miserably to be clever, funny and relevant like Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

[Billy Batson]

If you take things too seriously then maybe Transmet isn't for you.