Influences Spider Jerusalem is reminiscent of previous "muck-raking" or "Gonzo" journalists such as H. L. Mencken and Hunter S. Thompson. Hunter S. Thompson is perhaps the most obvious inspiration for the character of Spider Jerusalem, and the fictional reporter's fondness for weaponry and spectacular consumption of drugs both indicate a resemblance toward the American gonzo journalist. In Transmetropolitan #13, page 5, a book by Thompson is clearly visible amongst the objects strewn across the table in Spider's apartment. A book entitled "FEAR AND LOATHING" is also visible in Issue #1, Page 1, Panel 3, in the lower left-hand corner of the panel. Visually, Spider Jerusalem is based on Darick Robertson's friend Andre Ricciardi. Planetary One of Ellis's other titles, Planetary, features a character in its seventh issue named Jack Carter, who is a thinly-veiled pastiche of John Constantine, being essentially identical in appearance, role, abilities and diction. The issue is essentially a retrospective commentary on the genre of grim, British-penned comics of the anti-Thatcherite 1980s milieu, of which the Carter character is positioned as the apotheosis. Having faked his own death, Carter reappears in a dramatically altered form with a shaved head and long black coat which he later opens to reveal a bare chest featuring identical tattoos to Spider Jerusalem. Lacking only the spider tattoo on the head and the trademark shades, this former Constantine-cipher has become the spitting image of Jerusalem and departs with the words: "The Eighties are long over. Time to Move on. Time to be someone else". Reception Wizard magazine ranked Spider Jerusalem as the 38th-greatest comic book character of all time. Spider Jerusalem was also ranked as the 12th-greatest comic book character of all time by Empire magazine quoting that "Spider is a true one-off, a character so fearless and vibrant and nonchalantly cool that Patrick Stewart is his biggest fan. And if that's not a recommendation, we don't know what is". IGN also ranked Spider Jerusalem as the 45th-greatest comic book hero of all time stating that Spider Jerusalem isn't quite a role model for the kids but over the course of the series' long life, readers came to know the true Spider Jerusalem and revel in his ultimate victory. References Fictional reporters Fictional drug addicts Transmetropolitan Works about Hunter S. Thompson Characters created by Warren Ellis Comics characters introduced in 1997 Smart drugs in fiction Fictional Pencak Silat practitioners Vertigo Comics characters