Transmetropolitan, Vol. 7: Spider's Thrash
Story:
Art:

Written by Warren Ellis
Pencils by Darick Robertson
Inks by Rodney Ramos
Colors by Nathan Eyring
Letters by Clem Robins

Notes: Contains issues 37-42 of the series and a introduction by director Darren Aronofsky

Published by Vertigo/DC Comics.
Distributed in the UK by Titan Books.
Price: £10.99
My verdict: Pledge allegiance.

Spider's lost his gig at The Word, forced out by the sinister forces that are amassing against him. However, you can't keep a good journalist down--at least not one this popular. So Spider seeks out a new venue for his rantings: The Hole, a guerilla news source that can't be stopped because it can't be tracked down. He's got other problems as well: his body may give out before he can finish what he started.

Having already read the final issue of this series, it was a grateful relief to go back and check out Spider's adventures more than two years away from the closing I just left. It's also refreshing to note that my previous comments about this series still ring true: it didn't wander off and get lost somewhere (100 Bullets) or completely lose its balls (Preacher). It rocked till the end. And I discovered that probably some of my favorite Transmet stories are included in this trade. "Business," a heart-breaking and unflinching look at child prostitution; "There is a Reason," regarding the mentally ill who find themselves homeless; and of course, the titular story in which Spider urges his readers to remember the cities as they are, the constantly in-flux living filthy organisms that they are.

Ellis' writing is particularly sharp as the series begins to round the final turn towards home, but Robertson's art is inspired as well. A single page of what appears to be a rave occurring--with the young punks dancing on the side of a building--is just one example of how he's getting even better at creating the whacked out future City of Spider.

This isn't really a good jumping on point for anyone--I always hate people coming in in Act III of the drama--but some of the stories can serve as standalones, and there's no reason they wouldn't make someone want to dig up copies of the previous six volumes. This particular book, along with all the other in the series, is highly recommended.

QUOTE: "Something's not right. I can feel it in my left testicle. The one with a piece of masonry nail in it."