Nobody ever accused Warren Ellis of lacking imagination. The latest collection of the Spider Jerusalem saga, Transmetropolitan: Lonely City, is packed with laser-guided satire and neo-adolescent wish fulfillment in the form of a bowel disruptor. Sliding his story of government manipulation and counter-manipulation between moments of reflection and observation makes Ellis's downbeat ending a bit less nihilistic than it could have been. Despite the gulf separating us from Jerusalem's City, it's not hard to draw parallels between his milieu of police-run riots and state-maintained misery and our own less colorful environment. Lonely City drags the man who's more "anti" than "hero" out into the world he professes to hate and forces him to do something about it, while never descending into the boring comic-book morality he fights daily. —Rob Lightner

Warren Ellis improves on his already outstanding stories and characters in the second collection of Planetary: The Fourth Man. While scraping their way through their investigations, the three archaeologists of mystery, enigmatic themselves, deal with their own past and learn more about the creepy metahumans lurking behind practically every oddity on the planet. Ellis seems to take pleasure in turning superheroic icons inside out. Fans will find references and deconstructions from the Golden Age to the post-postmodern comics world. John Cassaday's penciling adapts itself well to the stories, giving intimate barroom chats and epic battles against giant ants equal credibility. While reading Planetary, one gets the sense that superhero comics really do have somewhere to go after being so thoroughly demolished in the '80s and '90s—and that we'd do well to keep reading. —Rob Lightner

Warren Ellis' searing and satirical socio-political adventures of Spider Jerusalem, the freelance, drug-addled, brain-damaged, anarchic investigative journalist, finally reach their awesome climax - and with gusto! Spider is close to finally nailing US President Callahan, whose attempts to hide his 'unusual' passions have left a bloody trail in his wake. But time is short: the President has declared martial law and his death squads are closing in on Spider - though they may be saved the trouble if terminal illness gets him first! Swamped with awards and accolades, this is an acclaimed creative team delivering one ending that won't leave you disappointed! Worning: Adults only!

From the twisted and endlessly-innovative mind of sensational, award-winning writer Warren Ellis (The Authority, Transmetropolitan), comes Planetary, a mysterious organisation endlessly probing and dissecting the secret history of the Earth. But in Crossing Worlds, Planetary probe a little too far, tearing the very fabric of reality and finding themselves in alternate universes! There they encounter jackbooted metahumans The Authority; a twisted incarnation of fabled superteam the JLA; and various versions of the Dark Knight himself, Batman! Battling either alongside or against Planetary, these three new stories feature a host of familiar legends and heroes as they've never been seen before!