After years of self-imposed exile, cynical journalist Spider Jerusalem is forced to return to a job that he hates and a city that he loathes. Working as an investigative reporter for the newspaper The Word, Spider attacks the injustices of his surreal 21st century surroundings.

Starting with the story "The Scum", Spider Jerusalem learns of the vicious murder of political consultant Vita Severn, one of the few people that he liked. Moving into thrilling stories like "Lonely City" and more—Absolute Transmetropolitan Vol. 2 picks up where Volume 1 leaves off, collecting the exciting stories found in Transmetropolitan #19-39, Vertigo: Winter's Edge #3, and Transmetropolitan: Filfth of the City #1!