TRANSMETROPOLITAN #53
"The Cure, Part Two of Three"
Recommended (8/10)
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DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writer: Warren Ellis
Pencils: Darick Robertson
Inks: Rodney Ramos
Colors: Nathan Eyring
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Heidi MacDonald
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
Ellis continues his quiet crescendo toward this series's climax. The ideas at play in this issue boast a greater gravity than usual, and the madness is toned down somewhat... at least the visual madness is. And the more reined-in tone of this chapter helps to reinforce the real-world corruption that Ellis is addressing.
Spider Jerusalem and his Filthy Assistants rush a former transient prostitute to the home of Spider's underground media-feed publisher. Spider has to interview the hooker quickly as time is running out; not only are the President's agents out to crush them, but Liesl, the hooker, is about to come down from her space-dust high. Fortunately, Liesl brings more than her eye-witness account of the President's depravity to the equation, but physical evidence as well.
The sci-fi exaggerations of the City that Robertson has brought to bear throughout this series are toned down -- actually, practically absent altogether -- but it doesn't detract from the book's appeal. In fact, it reinforces the strength of the story. As the series has progressed, the City has come to resemble our own world more and more, and it's been a subtle transition from the extreme to the chillingly real.
The script stands out as this issue's greatest strength. It's in the dialogue that some mad ideas make their way into the story, and Ellis achieves an excellent balance between the inherent humor of Spider and his assistants and the more serious tone of the plot. Yelena's development as a journalist and a cynic is another treat that the writer has woven subtly into the script as well.
About halfway through this issue -- on page 11, to be precise -- Ellis shifts gears. The lead protagonist seemingly undergoes a personality change, as he speaks tenderly to Liesl. I suspect that for some readers, this emotional-180 might not sit well, but I enjoyed it. I don't think Ellis is offering up a warm, fuzzy version of Spider, but he's demonstrating that sometimes, a journalist has to use a soft hand to get what he needs for the story. Spider is still servicing the story, the truth, but instead of his usual strong-arm methods, Liesl requires a softer touch. Spider has to convince Liesl he's on her side. For me, it doesn't show Spider's softer side, but merely his dedication to getting the answers that he -- and his readers -- must have.
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