TRANSMETROPOLITAN #54
"The Cure, Part Three of Three"
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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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 |
Occasionally, people ask me why I do this online comics review thing, especially now that it's no longer a paying gig. A few others ask me why I enjoy my job at the local newspaper. The answer is simple: I get a kick out of writing. I enjoy the way the keys feel as I click away, and there's something of a rush when I really get going, when thought and typing merge into a seamless process. When I finish a story or a review, it's a genuine thrill.
Ellis touches on that idea here, as he has in previous issues. He delves into the importance of writing to oneself to tell a tragic story, about a writer who knows he's not going to be able to continue writing for long. It's a powerful element that's well balanced by the tragic figure's ultimate triumph.
Government forces have created the illusion of a riot in the Reclamation Zone in the City, all to allow the President to declare martial law. Spider Jerusalem realizes the Smiler doesn't want to control people's actions but ideas, and that he's only got hours to get his expose written and out into the public consciousness before all media are gagged. There are problems, though: Spider's condition is worsening, and the police are tailing the Filthy Assistants, Channon and Yelena.
There's an impressive intensity in the art this month, reinforcing the sense that time is growing short. There a nice contrast between the chaotic scenes in the City and the quiet, sparse sterility of Qi's apartment. The most striking image in the book comes on the final page -- a splash page at that. It's a simple reaction shot that serves as payoff after a couple of years of buildup. The timing of the script combines perfectly with a perfect moment of ego deflation.
Ever had one of those moments when you're struggling to find the right word? It's right on the tip of your brain, but you just can't seem to get a good hold on it. Ellis taps into that universal experience to convey something far more serious. Imagine that happens to you, and you know that you may never find the word, or any others. Imagine that's how you not only make your living, but writing is what you need to do to feel as though you exist for a reason. Spider Jerusalem is a great journalist, but he's a lousy human being, and he faces the prospect of being neither in a short time.
Ellis balances the ideals of journalism and the inherent corruption in politics nicely with the more human story of one man's quest to tell one last story before he fades away. That sense of desperation and drive to achieve brings this otherwise outrageous series down to earth.
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