I'm halfway through the 400 pages-- where things suddenly change. I was thinking this was the most awesome thing ever, american splendour plus maus plI'm halfway through the 400 pages-- where things suddenly change. I was thinking this was the most awesome thing ever, american splendour plus maus plus gender, and then, this is not a spoiler as it is in the description of the book up top, we have a protagonist as a jew in nazi germany. So disappointing. It was enough, and far more meaningful, to have the suffering the protagonist endures be due to being a woman and =not= being a jew. Such a lost opportunity....more
Even better than Nameless. Beautiful Beautiful art. Clever Clever script. Read it twice in two days. Highly recommended, unless of course you don't liEven better than Nameless. Beautiful Beautiful art. Clever Clever script. Read it twice in two days. Highly recommended, unless of course you don't like Morrison, or you don't like Morrison's non mainstream work....more
Grant Morrison always generates a wide range of responses. Vive la difference! I have been following him since his early days at DC and this is one ofGrant Morrison always generates a wide range of responses. Vive la difference! I have been following him since his early days at DC and this is one of my favorite things. The tightly knit tail eating plot spirals around itself on so many levels. Lots of fun to loathe characters but redeeming as well. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS ART.
I am perplexed by the weird comments about whether it is written in hopes of a media tie in. Like, with Marc Millar at this point everything he does is quite clearly and contractually a development for Netflix, and pretty much everything for the last few years. How does this matter when evaluating a work based on its own merits?
Morrison is one of the greatest writers of the last 30 years. So what if he gets a tie in?...more
If you like Morrison (the Invisibles Morrison, not JLA Morrison) this is a good use of your time. The conventional narrative which departs at some poiIf you like Morrison (the Invisibles Morrison, not JLA Morrison) this is a good use of your time. The conventional narrative which departs at some point is the real value add for me-- it gets paid off in the end though I still have one unresolved issue which I may or may not spend time sorting out.
Quite aesthetically satisfying the way it all turns out and wraps up. Much more pleasing than The Filth, for instance.
The artwork for the series is quite good, consistent and really adds additional layers of meaning....more
I am going to unashamedly copy whole the review by a well known author in his own right and a good friend of mine (author: andrew mayer)
Morrison is a I am going to unashamedly copy whole the review by a well known author in his own right and a good friend of mine (author: andrew mayer)
Morrison is a great comic book writer, but he has a few obvious flaws that can make his work difficult to digest, and have always kept him from reaching the same heights as Alan Moore.
All-Star Superman, while using the same deconstructed narrative and mind-blowingly bizarre gift of invention that are his trademarks, manages to overcome those limitations and essentially create the platonic ideal of what a Superman story should be.
In twelve issues this series manages to truly show how an epic story can be told about a man who cannot be hurt by normal means. It throws us into a universe that is already deep and rich, and where this hero has been that planet's protector for many years. It unflinchingly goes from silly to hardcore sci-fi, all with a strong emotional undercurrent that drives everything forward.
It's not perfect, and I still found myself wondering what the hell he was talking about from time to time, but the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. And with his background in the occult and kabbalistic magick, Morrison manages to take Superman beyond just being a simple Christ figure.
I read someone describe this as is the "only Superman story you'll ever need" and they're probably right.
Note that you'll need to read both volumes to get the full story....more
(I replied to Allyn's 3 star rating of this book...)
Good for you for not getting caught in the rush to canonize this book. A lot of it is relevant spe(I replied to Allyn's 3 star rating of this book...)
Good for you for not getting caught in the rush to canonize this book. A lot of it is relevant specifically as a reinterpretation of comic book morality, which has both gotten looser in the last 20 years and also is probably not interesting to non heavy comics readers.
I love the Dr Manhattan stuff, though :-)
I found Gibbons's artwork to be rather bland. ...more