I just don't get the appeal of Morrison, but what I hate is people telling that I just don't get him. I actually understand him better than most, it comes down to the fact that Morrison isn't radical he is just post modern. I call Morrison the Wizard of Comics, as in the Wizard of OZ because once you pull back the post modern curtain you clearly see what he is doing.
The thing is people just don't think of Morrison as post modern just because he doesn't deal with deconstruction that often. His wheelhouse is interpretation and reinterpretation, aspects of post modern thought that are usually overlooked. And once you realize this it becomes boring, you spend most of the time trying to figure out the source of the material which takes you out of the story.
I'm right there with you! (Didn't realize how upset this made me)
I'm not saying he isn't a great writer and his literary and Silver Age references are incredible, surreal, and interesting. I enjoyed 7 Soldiers. But sometimes I was lost in what he was talking about. I LOVED All-Star Superman! The most unique mondern tale of a classic Silver Age story! Pure Superman gold! BUT, I've never read a writer that uses metaphor the way Morrison does... but I hate it.
I too understand a fair amount. I do. But I'll be the first one to admit that I'll read other sights and see MANY things that I didn't get. Or a reference to a silver age occurance that there was no way I could have possible have known. If not for some of there "Morrison Decoder Encryption" Sights... I'd only understand about 25% of what I just read. Morrison is in-accessable! Plain and simple.
I consider myself a fairly educated person, and I'd argue I have a Masters in comics, yet I find myself scratching my head after each issue of Morrison's. Comics should be read and enjoyed, I'm all for deeper meaning and "adult" story telling. Metaphor and Irony and Mystery and Comedy are all welcome in my comics... I loved Sandman. It used Myth and Metaphor beautifully. I understood references to Shakespear & Dante as well as other DC classic characters such as Constantine, Swamp Thing, Dr. Destiny, the silver age Sandman, Fury, Prez and others. Gaiman entertained me on an intellectual comic book, graphic level, without making me feel I needed a decoder ring.
But FUCK YOU Grant, if you think I'm going to go page by page and have a Google page open and my Superhero Encyclopedia cracked just to enjoy one issue of Batman & Robin. I'm sorry, but Batman R.I.P., Final Crisis, & The Return of Bruce Wayne may be some of the most pointless crap I've even indulged in!
Morrison has outstanding technical skills, the problem is he also has an axe to grind fairly often and this gets in the way of the actual story. The prime example I use for this is JLA: Earth 2, which also contains his other hallmarks through out. For nearly the entire length it is a serviceable read with you looking forward to the climax, but then he pulls the rug out from under you with some meta-commentary on why superheroes always win. It makes sense and in someways it is clever, but that doesn't means it is enjoyable. When I actually see people saying this a great story I am left dumbfounded.
But perhaps the thing I dislike most about Morrison is his ego. He like many other writers believe their views on the character need to be expressed at all costs. This attitude more than anything is going to hurt DC especially now since everything one of their big names are effected by this. The thing is you can't do this or after the writer leaves the line is going to suffer. Morrison has done this before with the X-Men. Coincidentally Mike Marts was the head editor at the time too, so expect the Bat-books to enter a bad phase soon. The one that more than any has caused me not care about Morrison is his treatment of the Fourth World. The sheer hubris of this man to think his vision is better than Jack THE KING Kirby makes me want to slap.
I know Tracie will weigh in on the Morrison X-men books... :)
You raised a real good point. What now, with the 4th world characters? Really!? Now what? What write will want to touch that train wreck now? Is Darkseid dead? Are the New Gods dead? What is going on? And what writer is brave enough to tackle that?
I just don't get the appeal of Morrison, but what I hate is people telling that I just don't get him. I actually understand him better than most, it comes down to the fact that Morrison isn't radical he is just post modern. I call Morrison the Wizard of Comics, as in the Wizard of OZ because once you pull back the post modern curtain you clearly see what he is doing.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is people just don't think of Morrison as post modern just because he doesn't deal with deconstruction that often. His wheelhouse is interpretation and reinterpretation, aspects of post modern thought that are usually overlooked. And once you realize this it becomes boring, you spend most of the time trying to figure out the source of the material which takes you out of the story.
I'm right there with you! (Didn't realize how upset this made me)
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying he isn't a great writer and his literary and Silver Age references are incredible, surreal, and interesting. I enjoyed 7 Soldiers. But sometimes I was lost in what he was talking about. I LOVED All-Star Superman! The most unique mondern tale of a classic Silver Age story! Pure Superman gold! BUT, I've never read a writer that uses metaphor the way Morrison does... but I hate it.
I too understand a fair amount. I do. But I'll be the first one to admit that I'll read other sights and see MANY things that I didn't get. Or a reference to a silver age occurance that there was no way I could have possible have known. If not for some of there "Morrison Decoder Encryption" Sights... I'd only understand about 25% of what I just read. Morrison is in-accessable! Plain and simple.
I consider myself a fairly educated person, and I'd argue I have a Masters in comics, yet I find myself scratching my head after each issue of Morrison's. Comics should be read and enjoyed, I'm all for deeper meaning and "adult" story telling. Metaphor and Irony and Mystery and Comedy are all welcome in my comics... I loved Sandman. It used Myth and Metaphor beautifully. I understood references to Shakespear & Dante as well as other DC classic characters such as Constantine, Swamp Thing, Dr. Destiny, the silver age Sandman, Fury, Prez and others. Gaiman entertained me on an intellectual comic book, graphic level, without making me feel I needed a decoder ring.
But FUCK YOU Grant, if you think I'm going to go page by page and have a Google page open and my Superhero Encyclopedia cracked just to enjoy one issue of Batman & Robin. I'm sorry, but Batman R.I.P., Final Crisis, & The Return of Bruce Wayne may be some of the most pointless crap I've even indulged in!
Morrison has outstanding technical skills, the problem is he also has an axe to grind fairly often and this gets in the way of the actual story. The prime example I use for this is JLA: Earth 2, which also contains his other hallmarks through out. For nearly the entire length it is a serviceable read with you looking forward to the climax, but then he pulls the rug out from under you with some meta-commentary on why superheroes always win. It makes sense and in someways it is clever, but that doesn't means it is enjoyable. When I actually see people saying this a great story I am left dumbfounded.
ReplyDeleteBut perhaps the thing I dislike most about Morrison is his ego. He like many other writers believe their views on the character need to be expressed at all costs. This attitude more than anything is going to hurt DC especially now since everything one of their big names are effected by this. The thing is you can't do this or after the writer leaves the line is going to suffer. Morrison has done this before with the X-Men. Coincidentally Mike Marts was the head editor at the time too, so expect the Bat-books to enter a bad phase soon. The one that more than any has caused me not care about Morrison is his treatment of the Fourth World. The sheer hubris of this man to think his vision is better than Jack THE KING Kirby makes me want to slap.
I know Tracie will weigh in on the Morrison X-men books... :)
ReplyDeleteYou raised a real good point. What now, with the 4th world characters? Really!? Now what? What write will want to touch that train wreck now? Is Darkseid dead? Are the New Gods dead? What is going on? And what writer is brave enough to tackle that?