There must be something in the water, over across the Atlantic. How else do you explain it -- four of the ten reasons to pick up comics come from the British Isles? Really, between Garth Ennis, Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis (not to mention Alan Moore and Mark Millar, who would have made the list if there were twelve reasons), you have enough writing treasures to last at least a month or so on a deserted island...

The thing about Ellis, though, is that he has nearly single-handedly made science fiction cool in the comics industry. While Ennis has his fascination with World War II and the American Wild West, and Gaiman has the realms of fantasy and dream, Ellis has brought back the idea of bigger-than-life, mind-boggling concept to power his books. From Transmetropolitan to Planetary, Ellis rewards the intelligent among us.

"In Transmetropolitan Warren Ellis has put passion and commitment back into adult graphic SF. With righteous anger, compelling action and a tasty touch of modern cyberpunk sensibility, Transmetropolitan reminds us of what SF and the Fourth Estate should be about -- and does it!"
-- Michael Moorcock

Ellis first came to public attention doing work for Marvel, writing Excalibur, Ghost Rider (a single issue), Dr. Strange (a single issue), and others (including the most brilliant and brutal treatment of Hellstorm ever). He also did some work for DC, but really gained notoriety with Transmetropolitan, a long-running limited series bearing the Vertigo imprint. The story follows Spider Jerusalem, a journalist who cannot write unless he is in the city that he hates. It is a fantastic story, filled with cynicism, techno punk imagery and an utter bastard of a lead character -- definitely worth tracking down.

Ellis also wrote the first eight issues of DV8, characters created by Jim Lee, very similar in some respects to Gen13. However, Ellis' work was characteristically dark, his violent storylines offset (perhaps too much) by Humberto Ramos' manga-style pencils. Around this time, though, he quietly took over the flagship Image title Stormwatch, and while few people seemed to notice (as the book, like so many other Image titles, had gained a reputation as style over substance), this was the beginning of one of the biggest books in recent years.

Stormwatch came to an end after shortly after introducing characters that would become the grown-up, seedy nightclub version of the Justice League: The Authority. As written by Warren, and later Mark Millar, this was the superhero genre the way it was meant to be. The heroes were proactive, not afraid to kill, and powerful beyond belief. The characterization and dialogue were brilliant, the situations age-old but with a twist. Further, Warren showed his true strength, detailing the book with a science-fiction coat that unified many of his ideas. And the leads? Utter bastards that you can't help but root for.

Lastly (but most certainly not least) is Planetary. The first few covers made it appear to be another super team, out to right the wrongs of the world. In some ways (albeit the most transparent), this is true. However, Planetary is more appealing to the fan of X-Files or The Matrix than Spider-Man. The book (sporting numerous references to the Authority storyline, to boot) is filled with mysteries, international conspiracies, science fiction elements, and more strong characters that are largely utter bastards trying to do the right thing.

See a connection?

Ellis is the writer for those who want to read comics, but can't accept spandex and shiny happy people. There's a lot of darkness in his writing, and if you're not careful, you might mistake him for a man without hope. Read carefully, though, and you'll find an author who simply sees things that we don't.

And bring your imagination -- you'll need it.