This volume brings a new pace to the story. Spider and his assistants find themselves among a mass media warfare. A storm hits the city, Jerusalem's health is getting worse, and a sniper thunders the Print district. Hidden and prepared to deliver some essential information against the president, the protagonists will have to face unforeseen dangers. In a later part of the volume, Spider, slowly accepting his growing disease, will face the president at the conference room.

Sometimes it's good to read of a total bastard in charge of everything. It's such a comforting thing, in these trying times - to realize that things could be even worse.More to the point, it's good to read of said total bastard being ousted out of power. Won't be just yet, but hey, we're getting there. We're nearing the end now.

Finally! Another volume with significant plot progress! Seriously though, this was a really good volume both in regards to general plot progression and also a few things being thrown in on the side like Spider's illness and Yelena's [I'm sure ultimately unfortunate] transformation into becoming more like him in general. I usually try to space these out because they're honestly a bit depressing [especially in our current political clusterfuck], but I might just go ahead and read the last two volu...

I don't have too much to say except that this series continues to excel. I'll probably have a long review about the entire series with the last book, but as of this reading I can just say that this book continues the greatness of the series. Couldn't put it down.

If volume 7 felt a bit scattered then volume 8 more than makes up for it by being laser focused. Two seemingly unconnected tragedies - a sniper attack and a devastating storm - combine in a deadly attack against Spider's vendetta with President Callaghan. The loss of all of his proof of the President's collusion in murder is a major setback, but combined with the reveal of the deadliness of his illness makes this an important watershed moment in this series. The probable murder of the presidents...

Warren Ellis' graphic novel series is unmistakeably well written. The 90's art style perfectly suits the story, and even suits the cyberpunk genre. It is a gritty, ultra-violent series, with a nice, different take on hacker altruism, inspired by the sci-fi novels of the 80's. Having said that, it is a very difficult series to read. Pure nuggets of creativity are often dimmed by schizophrenic breaks--often by the protagonist--which, I understand, makes this series unique, and to some endearing, b...

It's getting kind of stressful to read this series. Not because it's bad. I'm invested in these characters and I'm getting absorbed in this crazy world. And there's at least one more shoe left to drop. I can feel it. It's made each volume a little harder to pick up, because I know something awful will happen. But I can't stay away, because I need to know what will happen. This is no exception. It's interesting how Ellis can just keep raising the stakes all the time without it feeling like artifi...

Warren Ellis’ Transmetropolitan, Vol 8: Dirge continues the story of Spider’s attempt to take down the Smiler, and the Smiler’s attempt to thwart Spider at every turn and probably kill him. Because this book was written 16 years ago but is still depressingly relevant to everything about modern life, the big incident chronicled in this volume is something called a ruinstorm, a gigantic, destructive bomb of wind and water that apparently used to be much more common before they figured out how to

Finally, something substantial happened in Dirge! after two to three volumes of going almost nothing, Spider Jerusalem and his filthy assistants make a nove against the Smiler, but this volume also shows how powerful their opponent is. Well, that would be obvious since they are going against the president.Spider's sickness is also taking a toll on him and the doctor said he may not live that long.This volume gains up some speed, which tells me that the next one would be an awesome one, a head-to...

The parallels between this story and our current political situation are eerily prescient. Ellis is some sort of genius.

Series review here. My Suggested Reading In Comics

Warren Ellis has written the series so far with 3-issue bursts of a linear story with a couple of one shot issues that either expand the world or are side stories to the overall story arc but with “Dirge” he ditches this arrangement and goes straight out for the story arc. A sniper is picking off innocents in the Print District at the same time the police have “blue flu” and decide to call in sick, en masse. Something’s up and Spider’s on the case. If the carnage wreaked by the sniper weren’t en...

Spider faces his mortality and intends to take down the smiling president...the end seems to have begun...

This series started really strong, but it became kind of a hit-and-miss over time. This one here has a competent overarching plot that ties-in to earlier volumes and actual development that matters in the big picture. It's competent and fun to read, but once again Spider doesn't use the system to make the Smiler's life miserable and we're left with a standard cyberpunk thriller that rides its own reputation. DIRGE is a better volume than SPIDER'S TRASH, but it's still not up to par with the earl...

The sickness catches up and the diagnosis hits. Spider has a deadline and has to start over. 2 more volumes of pure climax to come.

Read this while I was on my NYC trip. It's not bad but felt like a segue into the bigger story. This is probably the first time ever you get to see a "soft side" to Spider. Not a lot happens but it is a fun read. I don't think I would have enjoyed reading it over a 6 months waiting for the next episode to come out - just not enough happening.

I hate it here, but I love this series.Warren Ellis has crafted the outrageous gonzo journalist from sheer hate, cynicism, rage, and good humor. He has infused him with an altruism that is remarkable and relentless, a thirst for justice purely unquenchable, and a righteous wrath that would set any red-blooded human's heart a-pumping. Transmetropolitan is priceless, and truly shocking in the way the cyberpunk series continues to hit home.With the [ author: H.L. Mencken] quote in Gouge Away Warren...

I missed reading Volume 7. However, this book begins with a 'ruinstorm' in city. Spider figures something is happening in city alongside, premediated under 'blue flu' operation - where cops don't show up. A blur suit sniper is firing away in the city. In the end,he collapses unable to write his column based on what he found - his assistant Yelena steps in and writes a column under his name just so that his commitment is not delayed. That's as sentimental as you can get from Warren Ellis. ;) Turn...

A strong addition to the series, Volume 8 is as tight as Transmetropolitan has ever been:A focused arc that takes the plot forward, dials up the tension to about a hundred, quickens the pace and the reader's heart beat, all while being a good story in itself... For the past few years, I know we've all felt powerless in the face of recent events; 'Dirge' is about the startling amount of power one can amass and wield through politics, with cops mysteriously absent from work, allowing crimes to tak...

It's painful to be the, thus far, only rating of this edition, and to give it one star. This truly isn't meant as an antagonistic hate-rating; the book legitimately disappointed me. In the Dirge arc, Ellis attempts to balloon a series of small ideas into an epic. More mature, sophisticated writers could have condensed this 140+ page story into a handful of pages to much better effect. Frank Miller would have established this minor dystopian vision, replete with renegade journalists and by-the-bo...