Published in 1997-2002, Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson's Transmetropolitan became famous for its foul-mouthed protagonist, Spider Jerusalem, and his "filthy assistants." But it's also a long-form comics masterpiece, a sci-fi comic that succeeded despite the odds, and an examination of journalism and politics - and how they intersect, or fail to do so. This book explores all these topics and more, from multiple points of view. It also includes interviews with both Ellis and Robertson.

Through works like Transmetropolitan, Planetary, and The Authority, Warren Ellis has changed the history of comic books. In this book, Kevin Thurman and Julian Darius examine Ellis's body of work, exploring (among other topics) how his early work for Marvel Comics prefigures the concerns of his later work, how his super-heroes respond to comics history, his use of religion, his use of violence, his fascination with lizards (and what they reveal about the human condition), and how his characters often use anger as a stimulus for revolutionary social action, in defiance of the West's 21st-century malaise. Topical interviews with Ellis complement several essays, expanding the reader's understanding of the themes in Ellis's work.

This definitive, unauthorized study of Christopher Nolan's landmark 2005 film demonstrates how BATMAN BEGINS adapted and fused a half century of comic books into a single, unified movie. This book also examines past attempts to film Batman's origins, how those origins evolved over time, and where Nolan's realism falls on a spectrum with past Batman movies and even the 1960s TV show. Dr. Julian Darius manages to reveal secrets to even the most hardcore Batman fan, while remaining fully accessible to those new to the character. From Sequart Research & Literacy Organization. More info at http: //Sequart.org

In 2010 and 2011, legendary comic-book creator Warren Ellis sat down over several days to film career-spanning interviews for the documentary film Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts. In these extensive interviews, Ellis discusses his life, his work, and his thoughts. He looks back over how his career has evolved, describes his writing process, explores the themes that fascinate him, and details the role technology has played in his work (and in the development of his famous online persona). Only a small fraction of this material made it into the film. This book is a record of these historic interviews, as well as a fascinating portrait of one of comics' greatest writers.

He's a tenured creative writing professor. A well-respected novelist. And a recovering sadistic pervert with a penchant for young girls. His name is Julian Darius, which by great coincidence just happens to be the name of this novel's author. She's a teenage groupie who insists he buy her a collar before they have sex. She seems to know his desires better than he does. And she wants to fulfill them - even ones he claims not to have. The result is a strange love story that explores how far we'd really go, given the opportunity... and whether men and women could truly live together, if they were completely honest about their desires. This erotic and violent novel, criticized as pornographic, is nonetheless supremely literary and won its author a Ph.D. in English. WARNING: SEXUAL CONTENT, VIOLENCE, TRANSGRESSIVE THEMES, INTELLIGENCE. From Martian Lit. More info at http: //martianlit.com

The deadliest school massacre in U.S. history, its victims in grade school. A terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Three separate, coordinated bombings, culminating in a suicide car bomb that killed a public official and sent shrapnel into the crowd. This isn't fantasy. It all really happened... in rural Michigan, in 1927. This historical screenplay dissects the Bath school disaster. It explores the attacks' mysterious perpetrator, including the haunting final message he left for the police and the traumatic childhood that may have spurred his crimes. But the story also explores the myriad ways the attacks affected its victims, transformed a town, and reflected a moment of transition in American history. From Martian Lit. More info at http: //martianlit.com

MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT examines WATCHMEN from a variety of perspectives and uncovers surprising answers about the history of scientific theory, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, WATCHMEN's murder mystery, Rorschach and Steve Ditko, the secrets of Captain Metropolis and the Minutemen, whether the Comedian was right, who shouldn't read WATCHMEN, and how the motion picture adaptation illuminates the original text. From Sequart Research & Literacy Organization. More info at http: //Sequart.org