The violent over the top stuff didn't bother me in the slightest, on Preacher. I just felt it lost its way a bit. I know Ennis was out to show a wide variety of characters, as part of the philosophy of how a person's interaction makes up a person's character, but the main plot seemed to get lost/dragged out into insensibility.
I liked the characterisation very much, and thought the violence was kind of cool. I thought it was plot weak. He could have told the story in 20 issues, not 70 odd.
As for Transmet.... this is Ellis living life vicariously through his character, as an ultra-cool famous writer cum martyr. I have never been so disappointed by anything. Having said that there was the first tpb, which I thought was excellent. Which probably heightened the sense of disappointment.
I was also probably poisoned by reading Ellis's collection of columns, called Come in Alone, whcih gave too much insight into Ellis the man. It became impossible to distinguish Ellis the man from Spider Jerusalem the character.
I've just finished Global Frequency tpb #1, which is another Ellis book, which I also thought was lukewarm, but at least I didin't think it was Ellis masquerading in comic book drag.
