Grant Morrison: I still don't get it

[Mr. Earle]

Nerder, you're kind of right that some of Morrison's work absolutely is "weird for the sake of being weird". That's exactly the point of what he's doing, and what a lot of people enjoy about it. Lex Luthor building um... a sentient sonic doom-weapon out of spare parts he scrounged up around a prison is a weird idea done for no real reason other than that it's a weird, crazy idea, and that's why people enjoy it.

Other things in his comics are weird for the sake of whatever actual point he's legitimately trying to make by being weird, so it all sort of depends, and you're not really going to pick up on any of that as long as you're blanket-dismissing things for being weird.

THAT SAID personally there's a lot of Morrison's work I don't like and TBH I tend to like him less when he's weird for the sake of making a point about something so I'm not gonna fault anyone else for disliking him.

Agreed. For example i dont like how he nullified Darkseid's spirit frequency with a scream (cool, but hax) and the shrinked the world and put it in the fridge. That **** was ******ed.

But overall FC was an amazing story if you read it multiple times and really understand it. Its the first time we see the New Gods as actuall gods, and not just Superman level beings.


Also, i didnt see anyone mention DC One Million. It was amazing and i highly recommend it.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Here's my feelings on Morrison. It's not an easy read, at all. And this is part of the reason I like him so much. Every panel I don't understand has some root in DC Comics history. I appreciate this, immensely. He has such a knowledge and appreciation of continuity that he uses it to his advantage, hard. This is unlike Geoff Johns, who acknowledges continuity but twists it to fit his story to where the meaning of the original is lost.

Now, honestly, my favorite part of Morrison's works are the annotations. In such an age where all the info is so readily available through blogs, wikipedia, etc., there's no reason not to reasearch his stories and find out something about a character, say Batman, that you never knew before. It makes me a more knowledgeable, well read, comic reader.

Agreed.

I haven't been a big fan of Morrison's Batman run because, frankly, his writing makes me feel really, really stupid.

I'm pretty embarrassed to admit that, but it's better than just accusing him of being a hack writer, which I know he isn't. I just...don't get it. I still buy every issue, but I have to read it 3 times over to understand it.

At first it really pissed me off, and I assumed it must have been his fault. I mean, this has never happened to me before! I'm a reasonably smart, well-read guy. I've read Dostoevsky (for class, but still, heh). But Morrison...reads like Greek to me.

It's very frustrating, because Batman is my favorite character. I really want to read Batman, Inc when it starts, because I think it's a great concept, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit intimidated by it. And I'm starting to feel like I'm wasting my money, because I'm not getting all that I can out of reading a book that, more often than not, baffles me.

He makes me feel stupid too. After you read some of his work and have it explained to you, you'll be able to follow him on your own. I havent taken any writing classes since high school, i am not an avid reader of comic books or anything else, so like you, i'm no expert either. But i read blogs, sites, etc and they help a lot. The more i read, the better i get.

Also, it doesnt help that Morrison is so unconventional. Sometimes he's just being weird for the sake of it, or because it suits some metatext of his and you'll be like "Batman time travels and he's a witch hunter? He is not on a gargoyle looking over Gotham with thunderbolts flashing in the background? OH HELL NAW". But at the end of the day, Dini will write great stories which dont reach too far, and Morrison will write brilliant stories that become classics. Besides, every now and then you'll need a break from street level Batman and stories like "Return of Bruce Wayne" will become awesome to you.

First time i read RIP i was like "WTF is this ****?" And now i cant get enough of Zur En Arrh Batman, the powerful Black Glove organization that brought Batman to his knees, the demonic stuff, Morrison's Joker, or all the metatext in that story about Batman's death being like the Buddhist circle of life. Just read Rikdad's blog about it.

 

[Mass Nerder]

Maybe I should start smoking pot again and then I'll enjoy Morrison more lol.

 

[SpideyInATree]

Maybe I should start smoking pot again and then I'll enjoy Morrison more lol.

Pot DEFINITELY helps! I need to smoke up again myself and re-read this Joe the Barbarian series.

 

[The BatDude]

pot made me like Final Crisis

 

[Visceral]

Here's another thing: I'm not meaning anyone in particular, but whenever there is any remote criticism on Grant Morrison, those who seemed to have enjoyed his work barks out that "You just don't get it!" In a very high-nosed, elitist manner that just spews out egotism. Don't be like that. Perceptions vary. We're not idiots. I applaud that Grant Morrison writes reflective stories, but that doesn't instantly make him a genius, for a writer it's more about what his or her impact on the readers is.

At any case, check out the link if you got the time. It's enlightening.

Thank you. That seems to be the thing Morrison does as well when you speak with him....sometimes anyway.

 

[Mace Dolex]

When it comes to writers I don't really seek out the "hot" if I just happen to pick up one that Morrison writes it's only coincidence.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Pot DEFINITELY helps! I need to smoke up again myself and re-read this Joe the Barbarian series.

Your low standards of weird...disturb me

 

[SpideyInATree]

Your low standards of weird...disturb me

I think that it's weird. Sue me.

 

[8Diagrams(WU)]

Weed and comics are a good match.

 

[Tron Bonne]

I think that it's weird. Sue me.

I will. In Space

 

[Two-Face=Badass]

I will. In Space

Or on top of a very tall mountain.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Riding a giant mutant crab that was Earth

 

[Assassin]

My favorite Morrison work is All-Star Superman, probably the best Superman story I've ever read.

not even close for me.

 

[Mystirious]

Riding a giant mutant crab that was Earth

In a Madonna costume

 

[Assassin]

Agreed.

He makes me feel stupid too. After you read some of his work and have it explained to you, you'll be able to follow him on your own. I havent taken any writing classes since high school, i am not an avid reader of comic books or anything else, so like you, i'm no expert either. But i read blogs, sites, etc and they help a lot. The more i read, the better i get.

Also, it doesnt help that Morrison is so unconventional. Sometimes he's just being weird for the sake of it, or because it suits some metatext of his and you'll be like "Batman time travels and he's a witch hunter? He is not on a gargoyle looking over Gotham with thunderbolts flashing in the background? OH HELL NAW". But at the end of the day, Dini will write great stories which dont reach too far, and Morrison will write brilliant stories that become classics. Besides, every now and then you'll need a break from street level Batman and stories like "Return of Bruce Wayne" will become awesome to you.

First time i read RIP i was like "WTF is this ****?" And now i cant get enough of Zur En Arrh Batman, the powerful Black Glove organization that brought Batman to his knees, the demonic stuff, Morrison's Joker, or all the metatext in that story about Batman's death being like the Buddhist circle of life. Just read Rikdad's blog about it.

I agree with you, i like most of his DC stuff that I have read, but I hated All Star Superman. Also, good comics shouldn't have to be explained to you. i loved Final Crisis after i read about it but the fact that I didn't get it the first time and i'm a huge DC fan makes me hate it.

 

[Mystirious]

Why do you hate All Star Superman

 

[Assassin]

because it isn't my superman. it's too campy for me. I liked it better when it was whatever happened to the man of tomorrow.

 

[Mystirious]

I thought it was a really neat Superman comic book

 

[Assassin]

I thought it was a really neat Superman comic book

but you also like gail simone lol every one has different taste.

i grew up with superman and batman because my father was a big fan when he was a kid. i have these things in my head on how Superman is suppose to be and ASS didn't match it. It's the same with me and campy 60's era batman, my dad likes it because he grew up with it but i can't stand it.

 

[Watchman]

How was All Star campy?

 

[Mr. Earle]

but you also like gail simone lol every one has different taste.

i grew up with superman and batman because my father was a big fan when he was a kid. i have these things in my head on how Superman is suppose to be and ASS didn't match it. It's the same with me and campy 60's era batman, my dad likes it because he grew up with it but i can't stand it.

He was too hax and perfect, he was Richards + Lex + Atom + Steven Hawking all into one, etc. With so many powers and good traits, there is no room for other superheroes. So its not my Superman either, but its a version that encompasses every other version that we've had so far, and tells the ultimate Superman story if you like.

And if you get the messages of the story, everything that Morrison is saying about Superman, how can you not love the story? Besides, i enjoy some more crazy stories every now and then. Hax Superman, Lex with temporary powers, all the crazy science that Superman does, the Titanic in the Fortress, its just Morrison with his imagination going balls to the wall. It was epic!

 

[Mystirious]

but you also like gail simone lol every one has different taste.

i grew up with superman and batman because my father was a big fan when he was a kid. i have these things in my head on how Superman is suppose to be and ASS didn't match it. It's the same with me and campy 60's era batman, my dad likes it because he grew up with it but i can't stand it.

Fair enough then

 

[Assassin]

it had donny osmond in his amazing technicolor dreamcoat, i don't even need to go further.

 

[The Sage]

I thought it was a really neat Superman comic book

It is...it's great.