Sequart Organization » Grant Morrison

Evolution of the Islamic Superheroine: Post-9/11 Representation of Muslim Women in Comics

Sam Smith — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 17:50:49 +0000

Introduction The primary purpose of this piece will be to discuss the history regarding the increased representation of Muslima, or female adherents of Islam, within fictional mediums such as superhero comics. Specifically, following the September… [more]

With Great Power Comes Great Career Opportunities: A Character Study of Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s Zenith

James Heath Lantz — Sun, 24 May 2020 13:34:16 +0000

Zenith" title="With Great Power Comes Great Career Opportunities: A Character Study of Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s Zenith" style="float:left;" />Colin Smith makes some valid points in his article “He’s Not a Super-Hero, He’s Not Even a Very Naughty Boy: The Case Against Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s Zenith”. Zenith isn’t a superhero. That’s the… [more]

There is Another World: Postmodernism and Identity in Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol

Roque Briones — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:00:00 +0000

Grant Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol is certainly not an easy book to recommend. On the surface, it’s a very dense work with dozens of different literary references hiding in every corner, and it can… [more]

JLA: New World Order Revisited or, What Makes a Story Essential?

Tom Shapira — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 14:00:44 +0000

JLA: New World Order Revisited or, What Makes a Story Essential?" title="JLA: New World Order Revisited or, What Makes a Story Essential?" style="float:left;" />The world of cape-comics has a rather tortured relationship with certain sets of words used to describe a character, creator or project. ‘Iconic,’ for instance, is probably one of the most overused words in our… [more]

Two Sequart Products Spotlighting Comics History

Mike Phillips — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 10:00:41 +0000

Most Sequart books and movies address some aspect of comics history, but the two releases below are especially designed to investigate and further our understanding of the history of this medium we love. The British… [more]

Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods is Now Free on YouTube

Mike Phillips — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 01:00:28 +0000

Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods is Now Free on YouTube" title="Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods is Now Free on YouTube" style="float:left;" />Sequart Organization and Respect Films are proud to announce that their feature-length documentary Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods is now available for free on Sequart’s YouTube channel SequartTV. Grant Morrison is one of the most… [more]

The Tao of Alan Moore and Grant Morrison

Bobby Campbell — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 18:17:28 +0000

I have something of a fascination for the recurring manufactured drama between comic/occult/visionary writers Alan Moore & Grant Morrison. Often times billed as an epic magickal war, w/ thematic shades of Aleister Crowley vs. William Butler… [more]

The British Invasion in Current Previews Catalog

Mike Phillips — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 09:00:30 +0000

The British Invasion in Current Previews Catalog" title="The British Invasion in Current Previews Catalog" style="float:left;" />If you like to make all of your hard-copy purchases through your Local Comics Shop, and you want The British Invasion: Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and the Invention of the Modern Comic Book Writer… [more]

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Hobos and Tramps, Cross-eyed Mosquitoes and Bowlegged Ants…” Loving That Joker… But Which One?

Dave Whittaker — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 15:00:42 +0000

I love The Joker. However I’m not oblivious to how problematic that kind of admiration can be. Recently I have had cause to reflect on this even more. Particularly in light of two things. The… [more]

Smorgasbord #49: Could It Beeee… SATAN?!

Tom Shapira — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 11:00:16 +0000

Shawn and Tom talk about DC’s broken promises, Grant Morrison’s TV deals, Shawn’s thoughts on the Suicide Squad movie, a theory about Earth-Snyder (it’s all Hal Jordan’s fault), the welcome return of Adam West’s Batman,… [more]

Sequart Releases The British Invasion

Julian Darius — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 23:50:05 +0000

The British Invasion" title="Sequart Releases The British Invasion" style="float:left;" />Sequart Organization is proud to announce the publication of The British Invasion: Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and the Invention of the Modern Comic Book Writer, by Greg Carpenter. Moore. Gaiman. Morrison. They came from… [more]

Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously – An Interview with Patrick Meaney

Max Nestorowich — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 15:00:46 +0000

Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously – An Interview with Patrick Meaney" title="Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously – An Interview with Patrick Meaney" style="float:left;" />If you’re reading this, the name ‘Neil Gaiman’ most likely evokes many thought and feelings from you. He may very well be the writer of some of your favorite novels and short stories, the mind… [more]

Smorgasbord #43: With Treelike Reptile Erections

Tom Shapira — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 15:40:20 +0000

As the Internet rages at Rebirth and Nick Spencer, Tom and Shawn discuss the passing of Darwyn Cooke, the latest desperation tactics at Marvel and DC, casting news for Thor: Ragnarok, and August Previews. We… [more]

Thatcherism in the Space Era (Courtesy of Grant Morrison & Rian Hughes)

Arcadio Bolanos — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 20:00:48 +0000

“Dare to look to the future”. Because we remember the past and we live in the present, we hold dear the future. We never know what tomorrow might bring and we love dreaming about adventures… [more]

Constructing a Perfect Reality

Jeff Hayes — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:00:19 +0000

“Thus only in a dream we are at one, Thus only in a dream we give and take The faith that maketh rich who take or give”- Monna Innominata by Christina Rossetti The topic of… [more]

Send in the Third String: An Argument for the Importance of Less Popular Superheroes

Jarrett Mazza — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 12:00:31 +0000

It is difficult to choose your favorite superhero. Most fans of any universe or mythology will immediately select the one that is the most well known or frequently seen in comparison to those that are… [more]

Smorgasbord #31: The Mad Machinations of Mr. Miller

Tom Shapira — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 18:00:47 +0000

Tom and Shawn talk Hollywood as a new Crow movie is brought up, Captain America: Civil War gets its first trailer, and Iron Fist becomes a Schrodinger-like phenomenon. In actual comics talk, Frank Miller promises more Dark Knight… [more]

Prometheus Eternal: New Reflections on a Classic Myth

Ian Dawe — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 19:05:20 +0000

Prometheus Eternal: New Reflections on a Classic Myth" title="Prometheus Eternal: New Reflections on a Classic Myth" style="float:left;" />Greek mythology is, it almost goes without saying, full of characters who incur the wrath of more powerful gods by violating their arbitrary rules. Most of those violations amount to stepping outside of the proverbial… [more]

Looking Glasses: Sexual Dangers and Curious Responses in Carroll’s Alice Books and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, Part Two

Nikolai Fomich — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 12:00:10 +0000

Yet the Alice books do not celebrate our heroine’s change, as suggested by Alice’s several disturbing mirrorings with older women. Three of the four major women in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass… [more]

Looking Glasses: Sexual Dangers and Curious Responses in Carroll’s Alice Books and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, Part One

Nikolai Fomich — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 12:00:24 +0000

The seminal Batman graphic novel Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, by writer Grant Morrison and artist Dave McKean, recontextualizes the themes and the motifs of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass… [more]

Alan Moore brings Satire and Subtext to Spawn: Writers Writing Spawn, Part 1

James Kelly — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 19:06:42 +0000

Spawn: Writers Writing Spawn, Part 1" title="Alan Moore brings Satire and Subtext to Spawn: Writers Writing Spawn, Part 1" style="float:left;" />Believe it or not, Alan Moore wrote an issue of Spawn. In the midst of a crass and embarrassing era of comics, could Alan Moore steer Image Comics to substance? [more]

“And Then It Was Continued Thereafter. Unto All Eternity.”: A Quite Unexpected Afterthought on The Multiversity

Dave Whittaker — Sat, 18 Jul 2015 11:00:51 +0000

The Multiversity" title="“And Then It Was Continued Thereafter. Unto All Eternity.”: A Quite Unexpected Afterthought on The Multiversity" style="float:left;" />By far the biggest news to come out of SDCC, for me personally, was She Makes Comics winning best documentary at the independent film festival. Second to this was the fruit borne of the “Multiversity… [more]

Smorgasbord #22: Spirited Away

Tom Shapira — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 18:00:01 +0000

It’s the pre-SDCC episode, so don’t expect any big news. Instead, Shawn and Tom find the time to talk about Warren Ellis’s new James Bond title, Dan Slott’s new Twitter war with Bleeding Cool, Dynamite… [more]

The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?: A Nicolas Cage Superman May Have Been Awesome

Dom Fonce — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 15:00:05 +0000

The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?: A Nicolas Cage Superman May Have Been Awesome" title="The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?: A Nicolas Cage Superman May Have Been Awesome" style="float:left;" />Above shows Nicolas Cage in a skin-tight, Superman suit, an image that recently went viral. Of course, we can laugh at his long hair (he would be a strange looking Man of Steel) and the… [more]

Tim Callahan on Grant Morrison: The Early Years

Mike Phillips — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:00:45 +0000

Grant Morrison: The Early Years" title="Tim Callahan on Grant Morrison: The Early Years" style="float:left;" />As part of its ongoing Patreon campaign, Sequart runs a Book / Movie of the Month Club. Patrons get a digital copy of a Sequart book or movie at the beginning of each month, and… [more]

A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #5 Review

Stuart Warren — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 11:00:44 +0000

Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #5 Review" title="A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #5 Review" style="float:left;" />One of the difficult aspects of reviewing Neil Gaiman’s bookend of his long developed Sandman conceptual universe is making heads and tails of the myriad pathways that intertwine in the grand narrative. [more]

Nameless #4: The Logic of a Nightmare

Ian Dawe — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 19:00:57 +0000

Nameless #4: The Logic of a Nightmare" title="Nameless #4: The Logic of a Nightmare" style="float:left;" />After four issues, I can safely say that I’m still not really sure what’s going on in Nameless. Just as I get, or at least seem to get, a handle on the proceedings, reality shifts… [more]

Eating Brains: Zombies and Dystopianism

Stuart Warren — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 11:00:47 +0000

In 2013 I was at SDCC meeting Julian Darius for the first time. After a long, harrowing comic-con experience we both went to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund after party. There were famous people… [more]

Five Reasons Why Comics Scholarship is Important

Stuart Warren — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:00:07 +0000

Before getting into comics, I had no idea where to start, or how to approach comics as a body of work. Over the course of several decades comics have diversified into a multi-headed beast. There… [more]

“Our Sonnet’s End Attained, Awaits The Hearse Let’s Raise Our Gaze From Verse… To Multiverse!”: Multiversity #2, Superjudge

Dave Whittaker — Wed, 20 May 2015 11:00:16 +0000

Multiversity #2, Superjudge" title="“Our Sonnet’s End Attained, Awaits The Hearse Let’s Raise Our Gaze From Verse… To Multiverse!”: Multiversity #2, Superjudge" style="float:left;" />Grant Morrison, and to some extent the metaphysics of the DC Multiverse, have a very Gnostic flavour with an affinity for Manichean Dualism. Universe A and Universe B, The Invisibles and the Archons, Apokolips and… [more]

Portraits In Alienated British Youth Circa 1989-90, Part Five: Aim For The Head (Of State)

Ryan C. — Sat, 09 May 2015 11:00:16 +0000

The fourth and final installment—this time un-numbered, as we’re through counting down to the day and find ourselves at it—of St. Swithin’s Day begins with the most painfully obvious line you could imagine: “today’s the… [more]

“Text Is Vulnerable To Criticism.”:The Multiversity: Ultra Comics #1

Dave Whittaker — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 11:00:57 +0000

The Multiversity: Ultra Comics #1" title="“Text Is Vulnerable To Criticism.”:The Multiversity: Ultra Comics #1" style="float:left;" />Well. Here we are. The penultimate issue of the Multiversity event. If we are to take anything away from this issue it is the realization that, contrary to my initial impressions and predictions, the greater… [more]

Portraits In Alienated British Youth Circa 1989-90, Part Four: Way Too Calm Before The Storm

Ryan C. — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 11:00:03 +0000

First off, apologies to those of you who may be following this series for the delay between our last segment and this one. I wanted to wrap up on my OMAC retrospective here at Sequart… [more]

Nameless #3 Balances Sanity and Madness

Ian Dawe — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 19:00:52 +0000

Nameless #3 Balances Sanity and Madness" title="Nameless #3 Balances Sanity and Madness" style="float:left;" />The new issue of Nameless is a step up in scale and in pacing from the previous issues, There’s some plot momentum happening and certain dramatic elements seem to be moving into place for a… [more]

Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 22

Max Nestorowich — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 11:00:04 +0000

Hellblazer, Part 22" title="Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 22" style="float:left;" />Issue 25 “Early Warning” Writer: Grant Morrison Art, Colors, & Cover: David Lloyd Letters: Tom Frame As stated before, over the 300 issue run Hellblazer would be written by many of the comic industry’s biggest… [more]

Can You Read The Raven’s Speech: Multiversity Mastermen #1 Splendour Falls

Dave Whittaker — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 11:00:36 +0000

Multiversity Mastermen #1 Splendour Falls" title="Can You Read The Raven’s Speech: Multiversity Mastermen #1 Splendour Falls" style="float:left;" />Firstly, dear reader, my apologies for the delay. This write up has been one of the toughest but also one of the most enjoyable thus far. The more I reread Mastermen the more I realize… [more]

Nameless #2: All Spaced Out

Ian Dawe — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 20:00:58 +0000

Nameless #2: All Spaced Out" title="Nameless #2: All Spaced Out" style="float:left;" />While the first issue of Nameless explored dream territory and the kind of dark modern-day occultism of Sandman or Constantine, the second issue literally takes right off into space, going to Event Horizon territory and… [more]

“I’m Making Dream Art”: Further Thoughts on Nameless #1

Dave Whittaker — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 12:00:55 +0000

Nameless #1" title="“I’m Making Dream Art”: Further Thoughts on Nameless #1" style="float:left;" />There are at least two ways to write Lovecraftian horror. One is to take the various elements of the Cthulhu mythos and tell your own story within that framework. Another way is to use various… [more]

Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 19

Max Nestorowich — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 12:00:57 +0000

Issue #21 “The God of All Gods” Writer: Jamie Delano Art: Mark Buckingham, Alfredo Alcala Colors: Lovern Kindzierski Letters: Elitta Fell Cover: Dave McKean Continuing directly from the previous issue, “The God of All Gods”… [more]

Batman #1—The Ultimate Batman Comic

James Kelly — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 16:00:57 +0000

Batman #1—The Ultimate Batman Comic" title="Batman #1—The Ultimate Batman Comic" style="float:left;" />Batman's co-creator Bill Finger crafted in 32 pages every single tone and approach to his character that would follow in 75 years. Batman #1 is the single greatest Batman comic ever produced. [more]

DC is Re-Branding (or De-Branding) Its Universe. So What?

Ryan C. — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 12:00:13 +0000

Note: This is a “companion editorial”—of sorts—to the “Marvel Is Rebooting Its Universe. So What?” piece I wrote for Sequat on Wednesday, January 21st. Apparently there’s something of a PR war going on between the… [more]

About Face: Character and Portrayal in Snyder’s Batman

Dave Whittaker — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 12:00:23 +0000

Batman" title="About Face: Character and Portrayal in Snyder’s Batman" style="float:left;" />DC’s decision to essentially relaunch and, therefore, reboot its output three years ago met with as much praise as it did criticism. Despite proceeding in the wake of Grant Morrison’s seven year labyrinthine run, one… [more]

“…Of Past Times and Beginnings. Before The Before.”: The Multiversity Guidebook #1 Maps and Legends

Dave Whittaker — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 12:00:54 +0000

The Multiversity Guidebook #1 Maps and Legends" title="“…Of Past Times and Beginnings. Before The Before.”: The Multiversity Guidebook #1 Maps and Legends" style="float:left;" />One of the things that appeals to me most about comics is the breadth, depth and scope of their world building. Their longevity far outweighing that of say even the most consistently broadcast of television… [more]

Grant Morrison’s Nameless #1

Ian Dawe — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 20:00:57 +0000

Nameless #1" title="Grant Morrison’s Nameless #1" style="float:left;" />When a story, in any medium, is told using the “language of dreams,” that’s usually a signal for the author to take his or her hands off the narrative wheel and let the story spin… [more]

J.M. DeMatteis and His Neglected Contribution to the Revival of DC

Stuart Warren — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 18:00:48 +0000

“Has our world become so twisted, so violent, that this is the kind of hero we produce?” Lois Lane, in a different world, types on her computer a new story and reveals to the world… [more]

Portraits In Alienated British Youth Circa 1989-90, Part Three: Every Day Is Like Sunday

Ryan C. — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 12:00:48 +0000

I can’t stand Morrissey, but when I was between the ages of, say, 16 and 19, I thought he was pretty cool—which is precisely what I was supposed to think, given that his music has… [more]

Portraits In Alienated British Youth Circa 1989-90, Part Two: Trident Makes Its Mark—But Ultimately Gets Speared

Ryan C. — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 12:00:46 +0000

Trident Makes Its Mark—But Ultimately Gets Speared" title="Portraits In Alienated British Youth Circa 1989-90, Part Two: Trident Makes Its Mark—But Ultimately Gets Speared" style="float:left;" />In August of 1989, a modest little anthology series with some serious “A-list” talent appeared on British comic store shelves and, presumably, at a few newsstands (or newsagents, as they’re called across the pond) as… [more]

On All-New Miracleman Annual #1

Julian Darius — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 13:00:34 +0000

All-New Miracleman Annual #1" title="On All-New Miracleman Annual #1" style="float:left;" />One of the oddities of Marvel finally reprinting Miracleman is the relative lack of interest it’s generated. We’re talking about a work regarded as being as important as Watchmen in super-hero comics history (and arguably even more… [more]

Portraits In Alienated British Youth Circa 1989-90, Part One: Introduction

Ryan C. — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 12:00:31 +0000

Maybe it was something in the water—or something in the air—or just something floating around in the larger cultural zeitgeist of the time—but whatever the reason behind it all may have been, from the late… [more]

“What Happened To Happy Endings?”: The Multiversity: New Thunderworld Adventures #1

Dave Whittaker — Sun, 04 Jan 2015 12:00:12 +0000

The Multiversity: New Thunderworld Adventures #1" title="“What Happened To Happy Endings?”: The Multiversity: New Thunderworld Adventures #1" style="float:left;" />Forgive me if I start by stating the obvious, but there something quite archetypal and mythic about Captain Marvel. Obviously because his powers derive from some pretty mythic figures themselves. Add to this a halcyon… [more]

Quintessential Superman: Tom De Haven’s It’s Superman!

Greg Carpenter — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:00:17 +0000

It’s Superman!" title="Quintessential Superman: Tom De Haven’s It’s Superman!" style="float:left;" />A few weeks ago, I wrote a column praising Michael Daugherty’s Metropolis Symphony. Near the end of that column, I called the Grammy-winning piece one of “the quintessential creative works” about Superman, listing it alongside… [more]

Tarot, Trans-Gender Robots, and Friendly Bandage-People: The Doom Patrol Interview with Rachel Pollack

Jacurutu Ninety-Nine — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 12:00:47 +0000

Doom Patrol Interview with Rachel Pollack" title="Tarot, Trans-Gender Robots, and Friendly Bandage-People: The Doom Patrol Interview with Rachel Pollack" style="float:left;" />Jacurutu Ninety-Nine: The beginning of your run on Doom Patrol coincided with the beginning of the Vertigo line at DC. Grant Morrison left his run with a spectacular ending, but the series was very popular… [more]

A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #4 Review

Stuart Warren — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 00:00:30 +0000

Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #4 Review" title="A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #4 Review" style="float:left;" />Written by: Neil Gaiman Art by: J.H. Williams, III Cover by: J.H. Williams, III Dave McKean Variant Cover by: J.H. Williams, III Dave McKean The long awaited Sandman Overture #4 has arrived, just in time… [more]

The Super-Heroics of Miller and Moore Part 7: Legacy

James Kelly — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 18:00:37 +0000

Alan Moore and Frank Miller’s Impact on Comics Commercially The legacy and influence an artist has on all who follow him/her is always surprising. Some artists take a great work as an inspiration to try… [more]

“A Perfectly Finished Work of Art Right Where I Am Sitting Now.”: Cosmic Trigger -The Play

Dave Whittaker — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 18:00:56 +0000

Cosmic Trigger -The Play" title="“A Perfectly Finished Work of Art Right Where I Am Sitting Now.”: Cosmic Trigger -The Play" style="float:left;" />A fair few of you may not have heard of Robert Anton Wilson. This is tragic. A fair few of you may have heard of people influenced by Robert Anton Wilson. This is not so… [more]

Jorge Borges in Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #22, A Companion Reader

Desmond White — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 12:00:59 +0000

Doom Patrol #22, A Companion Reader" title="Jorge Borges in Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #22, A Companion Reader" style="float:left;" />One final look at the intertextual themes in the first four issues of Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol (#19 to #22). [more]

“The Characters Remain Unaware of My Scrutiny, but Their Thoughts are Transparent”: The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1

Dave Whittaker — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 18:00:46 +0000

The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1" title="“The Characters Remain Unaware of My Scrutiny, but Their Thoughts are Transparent”: The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1" style="float:left;" />Whether he explicitly stated it or not Pax Americana is to be Grant Morrison’s Watchmen Redux. Of course it is so much more than this as well. During the initial drafting of this article Pax… [more]

Grant Morrison, Watchmen, and the Art of the Polemic

Greg Carpenter — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 12:00:48 +0000

Watchmen, and the Art of the Polemic" title="Grant Morrison, Watchmen, and the Art of the Polemic" style="float:left;" />In order to criticize a movie, you have to make another movie. —Jean-Luc Godard A few years ago I stopped reading monthly comic books. It wasn’t an ideological decision—just a reader’s. Most of the comics… [more]

“New Paradigms for the Super Hero Team Structure?”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 45)

Colin Smith — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 12:00:03 +0000

Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 45)" title="“New Paradigms for the Super Hero Team Structure?”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 45)" style="float:left;" />Continued from last week. No-one could accuse Morrison of being blind to Skrull Kill Krew’s satirical potential. In 1995, he spoke enthusiastically of the book’s capacity to discuss the likes of “catastrophy in the 20th… [more]

“Until It Destroys Your Brain”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 44)

Colin Smith — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 12:00:52 +0000

Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 44)" title="“Until It Destroys Your Brain”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 44)" style="float:left;" />Continued from last week. Not everything in Morrison and Millar’s rebuffed pitches to Marvel went to waste. The former’s dogged belief in the quality of the Apocalypse 2099 proposal would have only been strengthened by… [more]

“It Would Have Made a Great Comic”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 43)

Colin Smith — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 12:00:05 +0000

Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 43)" title="“It Would Have Made a Great Comic”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 43)" style="float:left;" />Continued from last week. Yet whatever its strengths, Morrison and Millar’s 2099 proposal went to waste, with a far less sweeping and less nostalgic series of changes being introduced instead. As part of the ongoing… [more]

Akira Toriyama and the Japanese Superman: Son Goku and Science Fiction

Stuart Warren — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 12:00:25 +0000

There is a divergence between Eastern and Western fantasy in the modern age that is nascent but hidden beneath cultural barriers. Americans can watch an episode of Dr. Who and enjoy the languishing British empire… [more]

“The Greatest and / or Worst Picto-fics of All Time”: The Multiversity: The Just #1

Dave Whittaker — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 18:00:57 +0000

The Multiversity: The Just #1" title="“The Greatest and / or Worst Picto-fics of All Time”: The Multiversity: The Just #1" style="float:left;" />Three issues in and the Multiversity event shows no signs of slowing down or disappointing. One of the added joys of The Just for me personally was seeing more of Ultra Comics and that books… [more]

“A Fading 2099 Universe”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 42)

Colin Smith — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:00:31 +0000

Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 42)" title="“A Fading 2099 Universe”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 42)" style="float:left;" />Continued from last week. The problem with Skrull Kill Krew obviously wasn’t a lack of ambition on Morrison and Millar’s part. The same was true for several of their other substantial pitches to Marvel during… [more]

The Multiversity Interlude: Whatever Happened to the Supercontext?

Dave Whittaker — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 12:00:35 +0000

The Multiversity Interlude: Whatever Happened to the Supercontext?" title="The Multiversity Interlude: Whatever Happened to the Supercontext?" style="float:left;" />“It’s only part of something much better that will be wonderful… To believe that things are going to get better and we will participate in things getting better… Is just us about to become something… [more]

“To Shoot Every Last Skrull On Earth”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics Of Mark Millar, Part 41)

Colin Smith — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 11:00:34 +0000

Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics Of Mark Millar, Part 41)" title="“To Shoot Every Last Skrull On Earth”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics Of Mark Millar, Part 41)" style="float:left;" />Continued from last week. Despite the precipitous collapse and subsequent flatlining of Swamp Thing’s sales in the second half of 1994, Millar’s career at the half-point of the decade still appeared to be in rude… [more]

“So Many Questions are Left Unanswered”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 39

Colin Smith — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 11:00:36 +0000

Continued from last week. For the third time in ten months, Millar’s Swamp Thing had presented abortion in a wholly negative light. Nothing that he’d write in the remainder of his tenure on the book… [more]

“A Narrative Structure in Which Despite a Series of Ridiculous Mishaps, All Goes Well”: On Multiversity: The Society of Super-Heroes: Conquerors of the Counter-World #1

Dave Whittaker — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 17:00:56 +0000

Multiversity: The Society of Super-Heroes: Conquerors of the Counter-World #1" title="“A Narrative Structure in Which Despite a Series of Ridiculous Mishaps, All Goes Well”: On Multiversity: The Society of Super-Heroes: Conquerors of the Counter-World #1" style="float:left;" />Nearly a month ago the Multiversity event kicked off in grand fashion. Not long after that I took a lengthy and in depth look at the first issue. With the release of The Society of… [more]

“Do You Remember Earth Two or Earth X?”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 35

Colin Smith — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 11:00:44 +0000

Continued from last week. Though Millar’s River Run tales are rarely anything other than predictable, they’re also undeniably focused, purposeful and enthusiastically told. Even when he’s sketching out the inevitably baleful career of a psychopathic… [more]

The Anatomy of Zur-en-Arrh is Available for Order by Comics Shops

Julian Darius — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 20:30:17 +0000

The Anatomy of Zur-en-Arrh is Available for Order by Comics Shops" title="The Anatomy of Zur-en-Arrh is Available for Order by Comics Shops" style="float:left;" />Cody Walker’s The Anatomy of Zur-en-Arrh: Understanding Grant Morrison’s Batman is now available for order through Diamond Comics Distributors. The Anatomy of Zur-en-Arrh is listed in the book section of the current Previews catalog. You… [more]

“Nobody Actually Believes This Comic is Haunted or Cursed, Right?”: Multiversity #1 and The Past, Present and Future of Grant Morrison’s Grand Narrative

Dave Whittaker — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 20:25:12 +0000

Multiversity #1 and The Past, Present and Future of Grant Morrison’s Grand Narrative" title="“Nobody Actually Believes This Comic is Haunted or Cursed, Right?”: Multiversity #1 and The Past, Present and Future of Grant Morrison’s Grand Narrative" style="float:left;" />Whenever one reads a Grant Morrison title one ends up contemplating his other works in varying degrees. His separate tenures on a variety of DC titles, alongside his creator owned titles, and even works for… [more]

“Even The Worst Among Them Has Potential”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 32

Colin Smith — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:00:13 +0000

Continued from last week. So, the Millar who wrote Swamp Thing was enthusiastic, ambitious, and ethically engaged. But for all his efforts and good intentions, and for all the occasional highpoint, the run was heavy-handed,… [more]

Living Like a Comic Book: Casanova vol. 1 “Luxuria”

David Faust — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:00:38 +0000

Casanova vol. 1 “Luxuria”" title="Living Like a Comic Book: Casanova vol. 1 “Luxuria”" style="float:left;" />Note: In my previous article on Matt Fraction, Gabriel Ba, and Fabio Moon’s Casanova, I examined the series in its relation to themes present in the fiction of Thomas Pynchon. This next series of articles… [more]

“Ritual Must Be Observed”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 31

Colin Smith — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 11:00:19 +0000

Continued from last week. As for his two warring Lodges of super-mages, Millar seems to have used them as a symbol of religious sectarianism and reconciliation. Their differing interpretations of how to save the world… [more]

“Why Try to Create a New God?”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 30

Colin Smith — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 11:00:40 +0000

Continued from last week. But for all the carelessness and clumsiness of Millar’s scripts, his and Morrison’s Swamp Thing consistently displays a deliberate and serious moral purpose. Indeed, the comic persistently plays out two quite… [more]

“Take a Look Inside My Mind”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 29

Colin Smith — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 09:00:17 +0000

Continued from last week. It’s impossible to believe that Morrison and Millar’s Swamp Thing wasn’t intended as an allegory. For all that Morrison’s original plans appear to have been significantly modified by his junior partner,… [more]

“Old Souls, Dark Agendas”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 28

Colin Smith — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 11:00:46 +0000

Continued from last week. The final pages of Millar’s Swamp Thing depict the Earth on the eve of a historically unprecedented golden age. (*1) Humanity has been empathetically transformed through the god-like Swamp Thing’s influence,… [more]

Why Aren’t Horror Comics Scary?

Matthew Amylon — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 15:00:11 +0000

Six months out from its announcement at 2014’s Image Expo, we’re still waiting for a solicitation on Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham’s “The Nameless,” a book that I can guarantee you, based on those two… [more]

“A Martyr for All Mankind”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 24

Colin Smith — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 14:00:01 +0000

Continued from last week. At first, Morrison and Millar’s scripts were religious only in the very broadest sense of the term. With the former’s influence clearly dominant, Swamp Thing’s series-opening crisis of identity is clearly framed… [more]

Everything’s Just Vibrations: A Review of GraphicAudio’s Final Crisis Production

Max Nestorowich — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 11:00:31 +0000

Final Crisis Production" title="Everything’s Just Vibrations: A Review of GraphicAudio’s Final Crisis Production" style="float:left;" />Due to the restrictions of life, I often find myself being unable to read as often as I would like, comics or otherwise. Luckily, audiobooks exist, allowing me to make good use of the time… [more]

“[The] Most Morally Objectionable Comic DC Has Ever Published”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 23

Colin Smith — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:00:37 +0000

Continued from last week. As ever, it’s impossible to precisely disentangle Morrison’s influence from Millar’s. Yet Swamp Thing’s storylines and themes certainly bear the stamp of many of the former’s recurrent passions; magic and folklore,… [more]

Sequart Releases The Anatomy of Zur-en-Arrh: Understanding Grant Morrison’s Batman

Julian Darius — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 15:00:26 +0000

The Anatomy of Zur-en-Arrh: Understanding Grant Morrison’s Batman" title="Sequart Releases The Anatomy of Zur-en-Arrh: Understanding Grant Morrison’s Batman" style="float:left;" />Sequart Organization is proud to announce the publication of The Anatomy of Zur-en-Arrh: Understanding Grant Morrison’s Batman, by Cody Walker. Grant Morrison has made a career of redefining heroes, but his work with Batman has… [more]

Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #21, A Companion Reader

Desmond White — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 11:00:21 +0000

Doom Patrol #21, A Companion Reader" title="Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #21, A Companion Reader" style="float:left;" />This article series is an informal annotated bibliography for Grant Morrison’s first four issues of Doom Patrol. Have I ever seen an annotated bibliography before? Apparently not. [more]

Killing the Planet: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 22

Colin Smith — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 11:00:05 +0000

Continued from last week. Those first four issues of Swamp Thing by Morrison and Millar set the template for the rest of the series. The pretence of an everything-you-know-is-wrong reboot was swiftly abandoned, and “Alec… [more]

“Make Him a Monster Again, Make Him Dangerous”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 21

Colin Smith — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 11:00:18 +0000

Continued from last week. Morrison later made a point of emphasising how central his contributions to Millar’s Swamp Thing had been; “I worked out a large scale thematic structure based on a journey through the… [more]

Sneaking Barry Allen Back: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 20

Colin Smith — Tue, 27 May 2014 11:00:17 +0000

Continued from last week. Millar’s habit of writing Swamp Thing tales, which demanded the presence of off-limits DCU characters, never entirely faded. Even at the climax of his run, and despite almost three years of… [more]

Grant Morrison’s 9/11: New X-Men’s “Ambient Magnetic Fields”

Julian Darius — Sat, 24 May 2014 11:00:03 +0000

New X-Men’s “Ambient Magnetic Fields”" title="Grant Morrison’s 9/11: New X-Men’s “Ambient Magnetic Fields”" style="float:left;" />Grant Morrison’s New X-Men debuted in 2001, about five months before 9/11. New X-Men came at an interesting time in American comics history. Marvel was being reinvigorated under Joe Quesada, radically upping its storytelling and… [more]

“Try Telling That to a 23-Year-Old Who Just Wanted to Play with the Toys”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 19

Colin Smith — Tue, 20 May 2014 14:00:28 +0000

Continued from last week. That “bloody big shadow” of Alan Moore’s extended far beyond the pages of Swamp Thing. Trying to compete with his achievements on the title was a daunting enough prospect. But Moore’s… [more]

“Follow me; I seek the everlasting ices of the north…”: DC’s Frankenstein in Post-Millennial Publication, Part Two

Dave Whittaker — Fri, 16 May 2014 11:00:52 +0000

We left the last article after establishing various conventions of the Creature and ended on the discussion of a crossover and crisis event. We begin this article with another company-wide crossover and crisis event. To… [more]

Gathering Moss: On Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Non-Superhero Graphic Novels

Emmet O'Cuana — Thu, 15 May 2014 17:00:20 +0000

Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Non-Superhero Graphic Novels" title="Gathering Moss: On Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Non-Superhero Graphic Novels" style="float:left;" />Last week Rolling Stone released its list of “The 50 Best Non-Superhero Graphic Novels.” Writer Joe Gross wrly notes that assembling such a list is tantamount to placing a large target on his back. A… [more]

“Swamp Thing was Just a Vegetable who Lived in a Bog, after All”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 18

Colin Smith — Tue, 13 May 2014 11:00:41 +0000

Continued from last week. For almost a decade, Wein and Wrightson’s estimable if brief spell on Swamp Thing would prove impossible to follow. At best, the character would feature in some mildly suspenseful tales marked… [more]

Grant Morrison: The Zoids Years

Robert McLaughlin — Wed, 07 May 2014 11:00:53 +0000

Zoids Years" title="Grant Morrison: The Zoids Years" style="float:left;" />Grant Morrison is well known for looking at the banality of life and giving things a unique cosmic twist. To live in his world of a magic-fuelled, comic rock-star means working in a world of… [more]

Starting Out Again at the Top: Swamp Thing (1994 to 1996) — The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 17

Colin Smith — Tue, 06 May 2014 11:00:53 +0000

Swamp Thing (1994 to 1996) — The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 17" title="Starting Out Again at the Top: Swamp Thing (1994 to 1996) — The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 17" style="float:left;" />Continued from last week. It’s no overstatement to say that Mark Millar’s first major breakthrough at DC Comics owed everything to Grant Morrison. Offered the chance in 1993 to write Swamp Thing, Morrison assumed the… [more]

Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #20, A Companion Reader

Desmond White — Fri, 02 May 2014 17:00:15 +0000

Doom Patrol #20, A Companion Reader" title="Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #20, A Companion Reader" style="float:left;" />This essay series will devote time and attention to intertextual themes in the first four issues of Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol (#19 to #22). [more]

Twilight of the (New) Gods Part 2

David Faust — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 11:00:33 +0000

Death as a Beginning. Both Ragnarök and Final Crisis begin with the unthinkable: the death of a god. For Ragnarök, it is the death of Baldr that signifies that something is very wrong in the… [more]

Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #19, Addendum

Desmond White — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 11:00:14 +0000

Doom Patrol #19, Addendum" title="Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #19, Addendum" style="float:left;" />This essay series will devote time and attention to intertextual themes in the first four issues of Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol (#19 to #22). [more]

“Forgive me, Superman. I’m not very good at losing.”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 14

Colin Smith — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 11:00:46 +0000

Continued from last week. Some in the UK fan community saw Millar as Morrison’s heir apparent on the JLA. But despite later claiming that he’d once turned down the chance to write the Justice League, Millar… [more]

Twilight of the (New) Gods, Part 1

David Faust — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 11:00:50 +0000

Introduction “This is the way the world ends…” William Blake. Ever since the moment humanity began to ask about its origins, we also began to wonder about our ultimate end, and what, if anything, comes… [more]

“An Arrogant, Aristocratic Batman?”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 13

Colin Smith — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 11:00:24 +0000

Continued from last week. But how were Morrison and Millar to explain away the Batman’s aloof and frequently contemptuous attitude towards even his fellow super-heroes? If the Dark Knight was to be cut away from the… [more]

Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #19, A Companion Reader

Desmond White — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 11:00:26 +0000

Doom Patrol #19, A Companion Reader" title="Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #19, A Companion Reader" style="float:left;" />The first four issues of Grant Morrison’s run of Doom Patrol are rife with allusions to popular culture and the fine arts bound by a love of opposites. [more]