Understanding Superhero Comic Books by Alex Grand

There’s a line from the Sherlock Holmes stories about how a great mind could take a drop of water and argue for the existence of an ocean somewhere. Even in the smaller books, there’s a bigger story, an aim. Morrison and pretty much every commentator worth their salt has argued for a long-term shift away from the mega-gritty heroes of the present day: what Morrison called “torment superheroes.” Seaguy is one of Morrison’s back-to-basics efforts, but even his easygoing work has the author aiming high. Think of it as a mission statement rendered in panels. The series has been published sporadically since 2004. Seaguy is a superhero rigged up in scuba gear, who pals around with a cigar-smoking floating fish, Chubby Da Choona. And so, a list of 15 comics by Grant Morrison, beloved of the Scorpion god.

The Scotsman is kind of a scout for the discipline of comics: a finder-out and a deep-delver in the field. Even if you don’t like heroes, Morrison still ought to rank high on your list. He has been compared to a griot: a specialized cultural bard who sings ritualized stories about important legends for the benefit of society. In a demographic that scorns superheroes, Morrison is unabashedly pro-cape. Since the Reagan Era, Morrison has put his stamp on every kind of mainstream comic. He started appearing in American comics back in the ‘80s, and hasn’t slowed down in 30 years. Morrison was part of the wave of British innovators imported by Karen Berger, the greatest editor of the modern epoch. Grant Morrison might not be a prophet, but how could we tell? Morrison has been with us for three decades, and has rarely, if ever, been wrong.

MAKE READY FOR THE REIFICATION OF MORRISONIAN RANKING LIST INCOMING: PSYCHOSOMATIC EMOTI-MEMORY TRIGGERĭESIGNATE: MORRISON, GRANT – SEQUENTIAL ART IMAGINAUT –īEYOND THE SUPERUNKNOWN LIES THE FULL ONSLAUGHT OF ALL-ENCOMPASSING SELF-STUFF ::: ALL IS ONE “Never underestimate the sentimentality of a Scotsman, Clark.”-Batman, JLA #12: “Rock of Ages”

Understanding Superhero Comic Books by Alex Grand