Monday, June 18, 2007

Grant Morrison: The Early Years.........

Now this is a strange one:
Grant Morrison: The Early Years
".... his trailblazing creation of Zenith, through his metatextual innovations on Animal Man, to his Dadaist super-heroics in Doom Patrol. Along the way, he also addressed Batman with ... Arkham Asylum and the literary Gothic storyline."

It looks at just those 5 books. Four of them I understand, but Gothic? And why do we need everything spelled out to us anyway, is it so wrong to have our our differing ideas of what the fuck goes on in Grant's mind?

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:53 AM

    "And why do we need everything spelled out to us anyway, is it so wrong to have our our differing ideas of what the fuck goes on in Grant's mind?"

    No, Richard, there's nothing wrong with having your own ideas about what goes on in Grant's mind, but there ARE people out there who WOULD like to read about some recurring themes that Grant uses, not to mention wanting to read the 20-page interview with Grant (in the back of the book).

    You use the word "us" as if everyone reads and interprets literature the same way you do.

    Thanks for posting a link, though.

    Mike Phillips
    Editor-in-Chief
    Sequart.org

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  2. See, this is what happens when you post in a pissed off mood......

    Anyway:
    by "us" I meant everyone who reads a Grant Morrison comic and actually takes time to think about it deeply enough to formulate their views on it.

    I always love when any artistic work generates multiple viewpoints in as many people as possible.
    What frustrates me is when many, many people read something like a Grant Morrison comic, take it at face value and then moan about it being too wordy, too difficult or just too weird.
    My problem with books like this, or the previous Invisibles companion: Anarchy For The Masses, is that they have the effect of setting the story in stone. The printed word has a tendency to be a very final word.

    Now, having said all that, I bought the Anarchy For The Masses book, and may well end up buying this one, such is my devotion to Mr Grant.

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  3. Anonymous4:26 AM

    Ah, I see.

    I understand what you're saying. And you have a good point. BUT, I feel that we need critical analysis of comics in order to help it gain more of an artistic status. People love to argue about movies and books, so I feel that if this book can raise some arguments in the same way, beautiful.

    Besides, haven't you ever wanted to find out more about Donnie Darko, Radiohead's KID A, or Stephen King's DARK TOWER series? Or is your interpretation of those things as far as you're willing to delve. I don't know, I just thought it was a good idea at the time, and if you DO end up buying a copy, please feel free to argue it's points, because that's the idea.

    Agree to disagree, and thanks again for helping us out!

    -Mike Phillips

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