crogdad

September 13, 2010 10:16 pm

It's interesting how The Invisibles comes up pretty much any time I hear a conversation like this. I think people want to like it, or maybe have a sense that there's something there that might be worth reading. Narratively it's kind of like a roller coaster; the point doesn't have to be to "get" anything. You just kind of go along for the ride. If you read it a couple times, certain realizations start to fall into place. That book has always been about the characters for me, though. Grant Morrison was really channeling some powerful archetypes outside of the superhero genre. And it was all wrapped up in the conspiratorial, somewhat paranoid, full-speed-ahead vibe of the late '90s.

V for Vendetta was probably a bit much for my 16 year old self getting into comics. I finally went back to it a year or two ago. The rumors are true - it really is a great comic...

 

March 19, 2009 4:35 pm It is a rather nostalgic book (if you read it back in the day), isn't it? My wife just brought up the Corinthian last night. Scary dude.

February 4, 2009 12:14 am I just went back and read through the whole thing. I actually think it works pretty well. The reader is kind of warmed up to the fact that all of time and space is breaking down as Darkseid pulls Earth into his collapsing singularity (that's just basic Stephen Hawking pop-physics right there). In issue #5, one of the Green Lanterns explicitly says "Get ready for time distortions." So, yeah, the last issue follows through with that warning in mind. The narrative is disjointed, but all of the pieces are there. For me, as a reader, that's enjoyable. I already want to crack issue #1 and start over. Each time I'll be picking up a new thread. I'm amazed that he was able to tell the story he did in seven issues. I know all the connected titles fleshed some things out, but I didn't read any of those except Batman RIP.

I had to look up a couple of things involving Mandrakk and the Monitors, but that's normal for any universe-wide event (at least for me). I have to echo Ron's sentiment from the podcast about juggling so many balls at once. Impressive indeed.

I definitely wouldn't hate on anyone who didn't enjoy it. I've been reading Grant Morrison for years - pretty much anything he puts out. Final Crisis is a good distillation of some of his favorite themes: destruction and rebirth, the power of love, the awesomeness of Superman, excitement yet terror of the unknown, and, above all, the unique medium that is comic books. You couldn't tell this story any other way.

January 22, 2009 3:48 pm That is to say, *he* was preferring that style, not *we*

January 22, 2009 3:45 pm

I really wish I could remember where I read this, but I believe I read Morrison saying one time that we was preferring a style that jumped in right in the middle of a conversation or scene. I think he's taken this idea and run with it full force.

(Final Crisis spoiler ahead)

So you end up with moments like Batman's emergence into Darkseid's lair from seemingly nowhere. It leaves a lot unsaid, and puts a bit of extrapolation in the hands of the reader. Some people find this frustrating, some find it compelling. I know I've had debates/arguments with my friends before over whether he's a "good" writer or not.

November 14, 2008 10:28 am

Gordon, I'm glad you added this to the conversation (I was going to make many of the same points in yesterday's comments, but work does tend to get in the way of internet fun sometimes). I think once a decent sized, color e-reader reaches a reasonable level of market saturation, the whole digital comics sitation will be a no-brainer. I was able to finally play with Sony's reader at Borders last week. It had a really nice feel to it. The screens are not back-lit, but resemble looking at a printed page (totally different technology than LCDs and the like). More comics for less money without the paper is, as you say, win, win, win.

 

That said, I'll hopefully never stop buying comics - the actual physical floppys and trades. But these days, because of time, money, and access, most titles just pass me by.

August 28, 2008 1:53 pm

I think this is safe to call the last comic reading technology you'll ever need: http://pageflip.com/

Not as portable as the iPhone, but, c'mon, it's hands-free.

July 29, 2008 6:10 pm

I love this topic (and the article). Evey few months I check in on e-readers to see where they're at. This was my quarterly reminder. I found Fujitsu is getting ready to push out a color reader. I think that's key, especially for comics, of course.

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMz1iwkZFbE

May 6, 2008 3:19 pm Seaguy's not the best comparison. Although, that did have a certain amount of internal logic.

May 6, 2008 10:13 am "And so we return and begin again." I love it that The Invisibles starts this way. If you make it through, no doubt you'll want to read it again at some point. This series had a powerful effect on me during its run in the 90's. I couldn't wait for new issues to come out (which wasn't always regularly). When people talk about, "I wish comics would try something different," this is what they're talking about; it's always reaching for something big yet remains intimate and personal at the same time.

I definitely have friends who fall into the "this make no sense" camp, but I feel like it's all there if you sort of let go and let it all soak in. Admittedly there are parts that end up a bit muddled. There's also a ton of background info that can be distracting. It's all important, but if you try to put it all together at once it can seem overwhelming. The Invisibles is about the characters more than any of the high concepts, though. And in so far as it makes you really care about this team, it succeeds in spades. I haven't read it in years and I still love King Mob, Fanny, Boy, Robin, and Jack. I still feel sad for Sir Miles in the end, and I'm still really scared of the Blind Chessman.

Good call on Grant Morrison week. Modern comics would not be what they are without him.