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Your Pal Eric - 08 March 2007 02:18 PM

I think Morrison is one of the closest things to “subversive” in mainstream comics, in terms of both content and narrative structure.

Eww, I hate the way I come off when I try to have conversations like this.  It’s like, “As soon as I quit working at this Starbuck’s, I’ll make the world pay for what they’ve done to me in the pages of the poetry book I’m writing.  TAKE THAT, EMOTIONAL ARSONISTS OF FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL!”

I think that says more about the state of mainstream comics then the skill of Morrison.  Like white musicians covering black musician’s songs.  Grant Morrison is the Pat Boone of comics.  Taking material that may be too scary for traditional fans (young straight male) to handle from the original source and making it more palatable for them. 

Luckily I’m paid to talk like this.  And if you think this is bad, my best friend is a philosophy professor, that’s some deep shit.

ohhh yooouuuu Stevie….

Ok this was NEXT to impossible for me. 

1.  Micronauts Vol. 1 1-12 by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden

2. Young Avengers Vol. 1 1-12 by Allen Heinberg and Jimmy Cheung

3. Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 153-175 by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, Brent Anderson, Paul Smith, Walt Simonson, John Romita, Jr.

4. Fantastic Four Vol. 1 242-244 by John Byrne

5. X-Men / The New Teen Titans - Apokolips…Now by Chris Claremont, Walt Simonson and Terry Austin

These are my most read stories and constant point of reference (at least in my head).  When I think of FF it’s the birth of Nova story.  When think of X-Men it’s the Brood.  Micronauts is my all time favorite series.  YA is my favorite book now.  I think it might be a little more precious due to the fact that there are only 12 issues thus far.  The X-Men Teen Titans book though…..  that was a wet dream come true growing up. 

Left off my list…

Squadron Supreme
Walt Simonson’ s Thor
The Proctor mega storyline in Avengers featuring my favorite cast of all time.
and Alpha Flight Vol. #12.  I remember every moment of reading that book.  What the day was like, where I was, when I bought it and how it broke me into tears to watch my favorite superhero (at the time) die…. horribly.

x a v i o r

ultimatexavior - 08 March 2007 04:19 PM

ohhh yooouuuu Stevie….

Ok this was NEXT to impossible for me. 

1.  Micronauts Vol. 1 1-12 by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden

AH, Xavior…

The Micronauts Vol. 1-12. 
The Micronauts were my faves for years. Almost made my list. It has to be #6 (but this is top 5) considering the source material (toys…yes I had them), this book blindsides you. I tried looking at the Devil’s Due version, and got a headache, I couldn’t do it. This was a fantastic book; it had plenty of Star Wars elements, but it seemed very different. 

I didn’t buy ROM (hated it), which in strange way seemed like a sister book…the toy thing, my uncle bought it. Bill Mantlo, wrote both ROM and the Micronauts and breathed so much life into both that they bled in the rest of the Marvel Universe and outlasted the toys that inspired them. He also created Cloak and Dagger; I was a huge Mantlo fan. He wrote one of my favorite issues of all time (no, not top 5) Marvel Fanfare #40: Spidey vs. the Hulk, with Michael Golden art. God bless Mr. Mantlo…

Anyhoo…I loved the Micronauts for years, but one through twelve, they were special. *sigh*.

Bill Mantlo contributed as much to my childhood as George Lucas, Chris Claremont,  & John Byrne.  I LOVED Rom though. 

x a v i o r

redemmie - 08 March 2007 02:04 PM

Grendal (Devil’s legacy)
Johny The Homicidal Manic
Deathwish Miniseries/Doom Patrol #70 (more for their portrayal of trans characters)
How Loathsome
Kid Eternity Miniseries (I think its the only Grant Morrison comic I still like)
Books of Magic miniseries

I used to really love Morrison.  I just about have all of his Doom Patrol and Invisibles comics.  But as of late I have not been able to get into his stuff Past or present.  His use of unusual (for comics) narrative techniques is interesting and have to give him that, but the actual content tends to lack substance.  His presentation of alternative cultures tend to have a colonialist aspect to them, the invisibles is a good example of this.  When I first read it I did find it exciting (I was 27 and living in Ohio), but after living in L.A., my own exposure to bdsm communities, and my own gender transition his work just doesn’t have the same excitement.  Its like seeing a cute person in a club dressed in leather and esoteric symbols, sporting a whip but no understanding of the meanings and contexts that their look entails.  Its all presentation and no substance.

Ok, yeah, coming from that perspective I can kinda see your point…but even “presentation and no substance” can be pretty hot.  %-P   I didn’t truly discover Grant until JLA, outside of Shade: the Changing Man nothing at Vertigo then tickled me. So, I’m getting to know some of his older stuff for the 1st time now. I dig most of it enough to be a fan of his mainstream work.  But give the guy props for introducing a trans character to the fanboys of the midwest.

And I refused to read the Harry Potter books for several years because I was convinced J.K. got the idea from “Books of Magic”!!!  Thievin’ bitch!!

ultimatexavior - 08 March 2007 07:57 PM

Bill Mantlo contributed as much to my childhood as George Lucas, Chris Claremont,  & John Byrne.  I LOVED Rom though. 

x a v i o r

That’s right…you’re the ONE who liked Rom…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  ;-)  I’m kidding, I had the X-Men crossover issue and I liked it, I just couldn’t get around the toy. Which I hated.

I bought the 1st 12 issues of Micronauts not too long ago at a 1/2 off sale. I loved the art…the story didn’t intrigue me enough to continue.

I have the entire run of Rom—it’s fantastic.

Your Pal Eric - 08 March 2007 08:34 PM

I have the entire run of Rom—it’s fantastic.

WORD!

x a v i o r

ultimatexavior - 09 March 2007 08:51 AM

Your Pal Eric - 08 March 2007 08:34 PM

I have the entire run of Rom—it’s fantastic.

WORD!

x a v i o r

*cough*NERDS*cough*

I’m just teasing!  I love you both….....

but not in “that” way. 

:o)

5. Grip: The Strange World of Men (by gilbert hernandez)
4. Ex Machina (BKV)
3. Thor (Eric Masterson Saga, V1. 432-??, DeFaclco)
2. Sandman (Gaiman)
1. Supergirl: Many Happy Returns (Peter David, Issues 75-80)

my five - in no particular order…

1) JLA 195-197
This was the original hit of crack that turned me into the drooling junkie whore you now see before you.  It was basically one big JLA/JSA/Secret Society orgy, lovingly rendered by my god George Perez.  I’ve yet to completely recreate that high - but i keep trying!

2) Legion of Super-Heroes V2 (the “Five Years Later” run)
It was a toss-up between this or the Great Darkness Saga, but 5YL won because i thought it was such a brilliant mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat for a good year or two before it eventually wandered off-track.  not for everyone, probably, becuase of all the dense legion history.

3) Animal Man 1-25-ish
I still think Grant Morrision has yet to top this, though i haven’t read Invisibles yet.  I’m really rather “Grant agnostic” these days - i think he comes up with a lot of brilliant ideas, but usually seems too A.D.D. to really follow through with them in any way that’s satisfying (sorry Brett!) This run was the exception for me, though.  he really brought it all together at the end and blew my mind.  can’t wait to see more of those yellow aliens in 52!

4) Top Ten
Gotta get me some Alan Moore on the list somewhere.  I could read this book over and over!  it’s so brilliantly detailed, with soooo many little hidden references to comics and cartoons.  the world itself is ridiculous and yet the characters seem so real and the story is both suspenseful and hilariious.

5) 2001 Nights, by Yokinobu Hoshino
okay - so this is my wild card.  if you like realistic sci-fi, this is a book for you.  it’s told as a series of interlocking short stories that keep jumping ahead in time, showing man’s increasing exploration into space.  the stories are beautifully written and the art is amazing (though b&w)