Warren Ellis
Miscellaneous works. All written by Warren Ellis.
Volume 1 (Avatar; Simon Spector, Angel Stomp Future, Quit City, Frank Ironwine; a Jacen Burrows, Juan Jose Ryp, Laurenn McCubbin, Carla Speed McNeil). [From Fantagraphics: The fan-demanded collection of the sold-out Apparat books is finally here! Collected here are all four of the first year's worth of Warren Ellis' Apparat. The four Apparat books are inspired by the pulp magazines of the 1930's and imagine modern day comic books that evolved from the pulps without the influence of super-heroes. Ellis also includes over 10 pages of new essays on the inspiration behind, and the creating of, these self-contained stories.] Book of the Week 1/18/06: One of the reasons I love Warren Ellis (and if you check the Warren Ellis page, you'll see a lot of BotW love) is that he doesn't just do the same thing over and over. He's often out there, trying something new. Apparat is one of those experiments, consisting of four "first issues" of comics from an alternate universe where pulp fiction, not superheroes, shaped the comics industry. The books deal with science fiction, crime, aviation (with no planes!), and a Doc Savage-like hero, all with the bent perspective we've come to expect from Ellis. The art shows as much variety as the stories, and for the most part it's all successful (my only serious complaint is that Juan José Ryp's art, with its mass of evenly weighted linework, really needs color to give the pages depth and focus). I'm looking forward to the next round of Apparat comics. 
Crécy (Avatar Press; OGN; a Raulo Caceres). [From Avatar Press: An original graphic novel from Warren Ellis and his Apparat line of books! A highly trained but under equipped army invades another country due to that country's perceived threat to home security. The army conducts shock-and-awe raids designed to terrify the populace. This army is soon driven to ground, and vastly outnumbered. The English army has to stand and fight, in Crecy, France. On 26 August 1346, modern warfare changed forever. This is the story of England's greatest battle.] 
Red/Tokyo Storm Warning (DC/Wildstorm/Cliffhanger; 3-issue minis; a Cully Hamner; James Raiz & Andrew Currie). [From DC Comics: Red: Everyone has a talent…a special ability or proficiency to be exploited or used for personal gain. Some people possess artistic or athletic talent…but Paul Moses has a talent for murder. RED, an explosive 3-issue Homage Comics miniseries written by the critically acclaimed Warren Ellis (PLANETARY, ORBITER) with art by Cully Hamner (THE AUTHORITY), tells the tale of Paul Moses, a man whose taste for violence was matched only by his ability to dish it out. As a C.I.A. operative, Moses made use of his unique talents for a lifetime, shuttling around the world from one hotspot to the next, dealing justice in its harshest form. Then he retired, content to live out his remaining years in peace. Moses thought he could put it all behind him. Moses was wrong. When a new administration takes over the White House, it brings about a political change that directly affects the C.I.A. The new regime decides Moses knows too much, and has to die…but killing him is easier said than done. Don’t miss this action-packed story of survival and revenge! Tokyo Storm Warning: Giant robots take on atomic monsters in Japan’s capital city in a desperate clash for survival and supremacy! It can only be Warren Ellis’ new 3-issue Cliffhanger miniseries, TOKYO STORM WARNING! On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, wiping out nearly 200,000 human lives and sending shockwaves around the world. But in TOKYO STORM WARNING, that pivotal moment in history happened differently. Instead, the bomb was dropped on Tokyo…and nothing turned out the same! Written by the fan-favorite Ellis (TRANSMETROPOLITAN, GLOBAL FREQUENCY) with art by James Raiz (Warlands: Age of Ice) & Andrew Currie (The Ultimates), TOKYO STORM WARNING imagines the world that might have been from a modern-day perspective! American pilot Zoe Flynn is sent to Tokyo on an exchange scheme, where she is to pilot the ARCangels—immense combat robots used to protect Tokyo from giant monsters that have plagued the city for some 50 years. But where do these behemoths come from? And for that matter, the giant robots that do battle with them?] 
Reload/Mek (DC/Homage; 3-issue minis; a Paul Gulacy & Jimmy Palmiotti, Steve Rolston). [From DC Comics: Two tales from master storyteller Warren Ellis in one great volume: an espionage thriller that pushes action to its ultimate limits and a tale of revenge set in a not-too-distant future in which robotic enhancements have become the latest rage! The RELOAD/MEK trade paperback is wholly unique, printed in a flipbook format with each story featuring a separate cover. Paul Gulacy (CATWOMAN) & Jimmy Palmiotti (CATWOMAN, TWO-STEP) provide art for RELOAD, the story of Secret Service Agent Chris Royal. He thought the worst part of his day was going to be resisting the urge to smoke a cigarette, but before lunch, the President of the United States will be dead and Washington will be under siege…by a single woman! As thefourthrail.com says “RELOAD is important. You should read it.” On the flip-side, Ellis is joined by artists Steve Rolston (Queen and Country, Pounded) & Al Gordon (TOM STRONG) for MEK, a tale of cultural decay and murder. Sarissa Leon, one of the progenitors of mek culture, has returned home to find her city overrun with technological marvels — her “cyborg” children. But her return isn’t for nostalgia — she’s in town to investigate the murder of her former lover RJ Coin…an investigation that will lead her down a road she could never have predicted!] Book of the Week 3/10/04
Two-Step (DC/Homage; 3-issue mini; a Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti). [From DC Comics: He's a Zen gangster. She's a wirehead camgirl. Together, they don't fight crime. When they run afoul of the Quarry Gang, a berserk, criminal mob (and believe us, that scarcely begins to describe them!) living in the summit of a pyramidal, riverside tower, the result is a gunfight on the frozen River Thames, a Vespa ride down a hundred-story building, and much more! Suggested for mature readers. "TWO-STEP is like the TRANSMET comedy sequences—mad gangsters who shag cars to death, giant monsters rutting on the banks of the Thames and immense artificial penises that play 'Ride Of The Valkyries' when erect," wrote Ellis recently of the series in his email column Bad Signal. "Basically, it's 66 pages about sci-fi shagging. He's a Zen gangster. She's a mobile camgirl. They don't fight crime. At all. Ever. Chase scenes in the Bollywood section of London. Gunfights in the middle of the Royal Frost Fair on a frozen river Thames. Sitar heroes. It's all plotted out, and it's a relaxed, fun little bit. You just can't be in a grim mood when you're writing the script."] 
Atmospherics (Avatar; "remastered" stories from Calibrations 1-5; a Ken Meyer). [From
Avatar Press: Warren Ellis and painter Ken Meyer unleash a totally remastered
version of this terrifying alien tale that has never before been collected
into one graphic novel. She's in a hospital. Except it may be a police station.
She's been traumatized. Or she's been arrested. She's the only living witness
of a cattle-mutilation style attack on humans. Or she's a multiple killer
who has a psychotic reaction to heroin use. Who may not survive discovering
who she really is. This deluxe square bound graphic novel also features
all the stunning paintings Ken Meyer produced for the series, many of which
have never seen print, a special section focusing on how Ken creates his
work, and a new introduction by Warren Ellis!] ArtBomb
review
Bad World (Avatar Press; 3-issue mini; a Jacen Burrows). [From Avatar Press: Warren Ellis and Jacen Burrows, the creative team of the critically acclaimed Dark Blue and Scars, bring to life this sick decent into the foulest reaches of the world we live in. A world of beauty in the eyes of many, but to bleeding-edge writer Warren Ellis, a world filled with evil, sin, decay and filth. A Bad World indeed. Told in a unique format of text and illustrations, Ellis explores the far edges of humanity, the people who are hanging to reality by the thinnest of threads, and those that are simply off their rockers. This collection of all three issues also features a gallery of the stunning artwork of Jacen Burrows and a new introduction by Warren Ellis.] 
Blackgas(Avatar Press; 2 3-issue minis; a Max Fiumara). [From Avatar Press: All six issues of Warren Ellis zombie outbreak tale are collected here for the first time! A tiny little island off the East Coast of America, that sits on its own tiny little fault on the underlying tectonic plate. An odd little history ignored by almost everyone. Until the night of the big storm, and the crack in the fault line, and the release of something foul from the earth's guts, blown across the little town on Smoky Island. And the only two people on the island who were outside its reach are now trapped on a black spit of rock with a population who aren't people anymore. They started eating each other an hour ago. This book is available in two horrific editions with all-new covers by Jacen Burrows - softcover or a special hardcover edition limited to just 750 copies.] 
Dark Blue (Avatar; stories from Threshold 25-30; a Jacen Burrows). [From
Avatar Press: Warren Ellis' critically acclaimed Dark Blue is available
as a deluxe graphic novel illustrated by Jacen Burrows with full grey tones.
Violent, disturbed cop Frank Christchurch has too many problems. He has
a partner who's convinced he's mentally ill, a commanding officer on smack,
and a killer whom no-one else seems to want to catch. The pressure of his
savage life is triggering murderous outbursts and hallucinations. Frank
Christchurch is on the way down. And he might take everyone with him. Nothing
is as it seems. This collected edition features an all-new afterwards by
Warren Ellis. This saga marks the first collaboration between Warren Ellis
and Jacen Burrows, the critically-acclaimed team behind Bad World and Scars.]
ArtBomb
review
Dark Blue Scriptbook (Avatar; a Jacen Burrows).
[From Avatar Press: Another chance to see the inner workings of the
most twisted brain in the industry! Warren Ellis fans can now see exactly
how he constructed one of his best stories yet! See the entire behind-the-scenes
scripts and artwork from the smash Dark Blue serial! Jacen Burrows provides
tons of new art and pinups and Warren Ellis offers a new introduction. The
perfect companion to the Strange Kiss Scriptbook.] 
Desolation Jones (1-6; w Warren Ellis; a J. H. Williams III). [From DC Comics: Michael Jones was a British spy who'd seen better days - but things took a turn for the worse once he fell into the Desolation Project's hands. Now he's the preeminent detective for an elite clientele - the underground community of ex-spooks in gritty L.A.] 10/11/06 
Down (Top Cow; 3-issue mini, Tales of the Witchblade 3-4; a Tony Harris, Cully Hamner). [From Image Comics: Get all of Warren Ellis' best Top Cow work including the mini-series Down #1-4 as well as his Tales of the Witchblade issues #3 and 4. If you're an Ellis fan, this is a must-have in your collection Includes new cover art by fan favorite, Tony Harris!] 
Lazarus Churchyard: The Final Cut (Image Comics;
mix of previously published and new material; a D'Israeli).
[From Image Comics: He's an ex-terrorist from the scrag-end of
London with a connoisseur's understanding of every foul narcotic known
to humanity. He's a four hundred year old derelict and hated by at least
half the inhabitants of a poisoned and depopulated Earth. He's actually
a bit of brain locked inside a body sculpted from intelligent plastic
that renders him immortal. And all he wants to do is die. Meet Lazarus
Churchyard, suicide-crazed unkillable junkie trapped in a future so disgusting
that it makes him the good guy by default. Lazarus Churchyard was originally
serialized in Blast! magazine at the top of the Nineties, where it garnered
critical acclaim from British national newspapers, music press like the
NME and Select, and BBC Radio. Lazarus Churchyard: The Final Cut collects
the classic core stories by writer Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Planetary)
and artist D'Israeli (Sandman, Batman), as well as the never-before-seen
story, Finality, created especially for this volume. These are the funny,
strange, violent, grotesque and sad stories of Lazarus Churchyard, rescued
from the dirt and polished up for a world that's caught up with them.]
ArtBomb
review
Ministry
of Space (Image Comics; 3-issue mini; w Warren Ellis; a Chris Weston).
[From Image Comics: This is the story of how we could have gone to
space. Maybe how we should have gone to space. This is the story of the
Ministry of Space. The black budget that financed the move into space. The
deaths of the test pilots taken from the surviving Spitfire flyers of the
Battle of Britain. And in 2000, the end of the Golden Age, as America and
Russia begin moving into space. The secret revealed, and the destruction
of a man who sacrificed himself for the Ministry of Space. Plus, a sketchbook
section by CHRIS WESTON and an all-new appendix by WARREN ELLIS revealing
the facts behind the fiction!] Book of the Week 2/23/05
Ocean (DC/Wildstorm; 6-issue mini; a Chris Sprouse & Karl Story). [From DC Comics: Lying beneath Europa's half-mile-thick mantle of shear ice is the only ocean in the solar system not on Earth. And within those cold waters could rest the key to life on Earth—and quite possibly its extinction!] Book of the Week 11/30/05: Warren Ellis is a science geek, and his best shorter works are science fiction. And this may be his best science fiction: almost a print movie, fast action and tons of ideas tossed out to form a plausible future (Microsoft is the villain, so maybe it's not fiction after all!). The story involves a weapons inspector cum trouble-shooter sent to Europa (a moon of Jupiter) to investigate a stunning new discovery deep in that moon's ocean. He finds himself racing against an evil corporation (modeled after guess who) to control and/or destroy the discovery, which has the potential to control or destroy the human race. The series moves like a rocket, and as with much of Ellis's work, reads much better in one sitting than spread over time. Of the minis Ellis has done in the past few years, this is probably the strongest. Highly recommended!
Orbiter
(DC/Vertigo; OGN; a Colleen Doran). [From DC Comics:
Renowned writer Warren Ellis (THE AUTHORITY, PLANETARY) teams up with indie
fave Collen Doran (A Distant Soil) to produce a hardcover graphic novel
that explores man's relationship with the last unexplored frontier: space.
When a space shuttle missing for a decade zooms back to Earth with seemingly
alien modifications and a missing crew, three specialists cheated out of
their dreams of spaceflight are the only ones who can unravel the mysteries
behind the bizarre situation.] ArtBomb
review Old Book of the Week 11/30/05: Perhaps less successful than Ocean as a story, but highly charged with a sense of wonder and sheer love of the space program, this story about a space shuttle that mysteriously disappeared ten years ago and has now re-appeared is almost more a vignette than a story—but what a vignette! If you've ever gazed in awe at th stars, or dreamed about riding a NASA rocket to space, this book will grab you by the soul and never let go. 
Scars (Avatar; 6-issue mini; a Jacen Burrows).
[From Avatar Press: Collected now for the first
time, Warren Ellis' brilliant six issue crime opus, Scars, with the stunning
art of Jacen Burrows, is available in this deluxe trade paperback. John
Cain has been working Homicide long enough to get hard to pretty much anything;
even wrenching personal loss. Today, it all gets too much. Today, he gets
assigned something that finally breaks through his defenses -- a child killing
that hits horribly close to home. Until now, he's been a good cop, a cop
who goes by procedure because it's the best way to ensure that scum go to
prison. Today, he makes the parents of the victim a chilling promise. He
will find the killer using any means necessary. And the killer will not
get away with it. Whatever happens. How much of a monster do you have to
become to hunt monsters?] 
Switchblade Honey (AiT/Planet Lar; OGN; a Brandon McKinney).
[From AiT/Planet Lar: Space Opera the Hard Way. Earth, losing its
first war in space, pins its last hope on giving a new vessel to a crew
of naval officers court-martialed for dissent— a crew just as likely
to abandon Earth to the alien Chasta and the guns it makes out of stars.]
Bad Signal (Avatar; collected web essays; a Jacen Burrows).
[From Avatar Press: Collected for the first time, this graphic novel
features the Bad Signal columns profusely illustrated with dozens of stunning
new illustrations by celebrated artist Jacen Burrows. Warren Ellis' e-mail
column shows that he is a modern master of the short form essay as his biting
wit makes even the most esoteric of topics must reads. Ellis describes the
work as "Bad Signal is me on the move, emptying my head of thoughts
and shoving them into a handheld computer with a wireless modem plugged
into it, so that I can instantly bug four thousand people with useless email
from public toilets all over the world."] 
Bad Signal 2 (Avatar; collected web essays; a Jacen Burrows).
[From Avatar Press: Continuing the series, this graphic novel features
the latest Bad Signal columns profusely illustrated with dozens of stunning
new illustrations by celebrated artist Jacen Burrows. Warren Ellis's e-mail
column shows that he is a modern master of the short form essay as his biting
wit makes even the most esoteric of topics must reads. Ellis describes the
work as "Bad Signal is me on the move, emptying my head of thoughts
and shoving them into a handheld computer with a wireless modem plugged
into it, so that I can instantly bug four thousand people with useless email
from public toilets all over the world."] 
Come In Alone (AiT/Planet Lar; essays).
[From AiT/Planet Lar: "They want me to entertain
you bastards," Warren Ellis began his series of columns for the comic
book Internet destination website Comic Book Resources. Part social commentary,
part sitting at-the-feet-of-Socrates, part kick in the ass, COME IN ALONE
was the column that would zig when you thought it would zag. This collection
of all fifty-two columns includes Ellis' unique take on the comic book industry,
features first-class interviews with top-flight comic book professionals,
and even includes the legendary Old Bastard's Manifesto. Wrap this all up
in an evocative and spooky cover by Brian Wood, and you've got a collection
of commentary that midwifed the birth of the comic book industry into the
21st century.] Old Book of the Week 3/10/04
From the Desk of Warren Ellis 1 (Avatar; collected web essays).
[From Avatar Press: Jacen Burrows offers up this creepy cover on
a new printing of this essential guide to the bizarre mind of one of the
industries most popular writers. Peer into the twisted brain of the madman
by seeing what arrived From the Desk of Warren Ellis! A collection of essays,
columns, journals, lectures, travelogues and fragments written for an Internet
audience by Warren Ellis, the creator and author of Transmetropolitan, Planetary,
and Strange Kiss. From the Desk of Warren Ellis Vol 1 contains writing from
1995 to 1998 on a variety of subjects, including the eating of sheep faces,
Sin City, the ugliness of comics, the parallel world where Stan Lee dies
in a horrific plumbing accident, how to write for comics, and why Michael
Moorcock scares the hell out of him. From the Desk of Warren Ellis: cheaper
than buying a computer.] 
From the Desk of Warren Ellis 2 (Avatar; collected web essays).
[From Avatar Press: More rants from the mad genius! Peer into the
twisted brain of the madman by seeing what arrived From the Desk of Warren
Ellis. A collection of essays, columns, journals, lectures, travelogues
and fragments written for an Internet audience by Warren Ellis, the creator
and author of Dark Blue and Strange Kiss. From the Desk of Warren Ellis
Vol 2 contains writing from 1998 to 1999 on a variety of subjects, including
his leaving Hellblazer and how he will save the industry all by himself.
This expansive tome also features over twenty new illustrations by Jacen
Burrows! From the Desk of Warren Ellis: better written than your diary.]
