An Open Letter.

Dear Mr. Ellis,

Well this is awkward.  After reading your Astonishing X-men mini-run, Xenogenesis, I was convinced you were mad.  After introducing Ghost Boxes, possibly the worst thing in an X-book since the Mojoverse, you felt the need to bring them back and make them the foundation for a terrible, unnecessary short run.  I might have even accused you of being responsible for the bad art in those books.  It’s all kind of a blur, no one is ever sober during the podcasts.  Especially Joe.

Looking back on your CV, I wasn’t immediately sure that it was just a fluke.  I mean the 2099 imprints were awful (don’t get me wrong, I own them all but they still really are all awful, anyone remember Ravage?).  Hellstorm: Prince of Lies was another 90’s title that fades into the background as forgettable.

But unlike Rob Liefeld, people actually came to your defense.  Within a few weeks I had Planetary and TransMetropolitian in my hot little hands and I had to eat my words.  Planetary was an excellent book.  Great plot, compelling characters, great art (I guess if I ragged on you about the art before, I have give you credit now) and the one-shots were awesome too.

TransMet was the book that turned it all around for me though.  Spider Jerusalem is amazing!  The short choppy narration reminded me of the Preacher. Spider’s insanity and chemical dependence mixed in with more than a touch of violence kept me wondering what he would do next.  Throw him into a cynical, futuristic world which he himself is only a part of because he took advance money on a book deal and ran off, and it’s a formula for hilarity. Paradoxically, he’s a likeable character because he acts like a complete a-hole all the time and to everyone he meets.  Forget the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas comparisons, Duke and his lawyer stumbled their way through the plot while Spider storms his way through the book disrupting the bowls of anyone dumb enough to get in his way.

So in conclusion, I was wrong to judge you on Ghost Boxes alone.  I apologize for implying…well let’s just say all the things that I implied…and for saying that Grant Morrison could take you in a fight, you would totally eat his babies.

Your newest fan,

Ken