Catching up on Comics with CGraig: Nameless #1-6

(2015, Image)

After my disappointment with Annihilator, I was a bit worried that maybe Grant Morrison was becoming too "Grant Morrison", too into metafiction, too into self-reference or deep fictional reverence.  For a creator who so rarely disappointed me in the past, and was so frequently unique, Annihilator was like brushing every raw nerve the critics have exposed with a wire toothbrush.

I had amassed all of Nameless before I got to reading Annihilator, but had I actually read it beforehand I likely would have passed on this Image series.

I'm both glad I didn't, but also wishing I did.

Nameless starts off in a very cinematic fashion, opening with our titular hero -- a very British, Constantine-esque mage -- en media res, finishing up a case where he's making an escape through Inception-like layers of surreality.  It's weird, but also speaking some familiar enough language to not make it too off-putting.

By the end of the first issue Nameless has taken on his new assignment and is off to the moon.  In the second issue he meets the boss (virtually) and the team he's to join.  Their objective is to destroy or divert a giant asteroid with a trajectory towards Earth.  Nameless' role is to ward off the negative mojo the rock is emanating, a particular sigil emblazoned on its face a signal that it's not just an errant piece of rock.

As the crew takes off, its revealed that the face of the boss in the virtual console is a facade, masking a room of horrors about him.  Prometheus --or Alien before it-- as Nameless deduces the origin of the structure as an ancient prison for a mad god, and he's worried they've just freed it.  What happens next is a literal horror show as the crew is attacked by an ancient evil and rapidly succumbing to it in horrific ways. 

The crew has a daring mission of exploration and destruction before them, and issue 3 is a wonder, an absolute awe-inspiring visual feast from Chris Burnham (see the preceding post).  There some of the better elements of Ridley Scott's

The third issue ends with the reality of the entire series called into question, doubly, with a two page spread taking place with Nameless on Earth, and the final page showing Nameless horrifically mutilated yet kept alive in a nightmare world.  The fourth issue expands upon all these, weaving between the three realities of space, Earth, and nightmare, and Nameless (and the audience with him) completely unsure of what is real.

The fifth issue features, presumably, a flashback showing Nameless has not been as in control of any situation as he thinks he has (as most of the situations he's been involved with haven't been working out very well), while the story starts looping back to the beginning, bringing back the veiled lady and the angler fish men from whom he tried to steal a key in the opening pages. 

What went from being straightforward through to most of issue three (well, as straightforward as far as Morrison goes) descends into one of Morrison's lesser used traits of total insane mindfuckery.  This is comparable, if not even more confounding than The Invisibles, but, coupled with Burnham's terrifying imagination, far more unsettling.  (About halfway through issue 3 I was convinced that Nameless would make a great movie, and then it takes its turn and I uttered aloud "Nonono, I don't want to see that.")

There was a point where I thought I understood what was going on in the book, a point when I thought I got the story, but this is one of those Morrison-mind-trips where really only he gets all the connections.  They're so mired in his research and knowledge of arcane topics and horror fables well beyond Lovecraft, that deciphering these six issues would be a full time job for at least a year.  This isn't to say that the book isn't worth reading (I hesitate to recommend it because it is so damn weird and gross, but at the same time it's very fascinating and engaging) but it's not wholly satisfying either.  Then again, its structure is one that demands you loop back and give it another pass, or two, or three...if you can stomach it.  

Some of Morrison's works are like Mensa puzzles, only for the truly gifted to solve, but that doesn't mean the non-gifted can't give it a go themselves, nor appreciate its complexity.

Perfect Pages: Nameless #3, Page 1

2015, Image
art - Chris Burnham
colour - Nathan Fairbairn

Just look at the depth on this page.  One of the hardest things to do as an artist is creating a real sense of depth and Burnham here has done it on so many levels.  I imagine some tweaking from Fairbairn puts the spaceship into crisp focus and giving the landscape the slightist bit of blur so that it's obvious that it's much higher up from the ground.  The obvious thing is the manipulation of the landscape, doubled with the position of the the ship, forming the image of the skull, which is utterly, utterly cool, but still not what attracts me to this page.  There's just a great texture here, the lack of solid blacks give the chasm even more detail and definition.  Just an impeccable piece of art.  I stared at this for 5 minutes before moving on with the story.

Another thing to note, though, is how the physical comic page compares to the digital.  I pulled the above image from a preview of Nameless #3 on line, while below is a quick picture I took...

Notice the difference in colour on the printed page (and washed out a little more by some artificial lighting and the extra layer of a camera), but it adds a bit more warmth to the image, a further roughness to the terrain.  The grain of the paper gives it added texture, and in my opinion it looks far, far better, even as a crappy photograph with light flare in the top corner.

There's a reason why I haven't gone digital.  It just doesn't resonate the same.  It like watching TV that auto converts programs to high def.  It still works, but it doesn't look as good somehow.  There is such a thing as too clean, too clear, too crisp an image.  Texture gives images and story more life.

Catching up on Comics with CGraig: Annihilator #1-6

(2015, Legendary)

My esteemed colleague Adam X over at Thor's Comic Column on Bleeding Cool has a bit of a distaste for one Mr. Morrison.  We've had many a heated behind-the-column discussions about said Mister, discussions which see the whole crew chiming in on the pro-GrantMo side of things, with poor Adam sitting squarely (and vehemently so) on his side of the camp. 

A cover like this inspires fantasies... but it doesn't pay off

 

 

Not to put words in his mouth (which is something someone says when they're gonna do just that) but the gist of Adam's POV was a general dislike of Morrison's recurring tendencies, such as recycling the deeper wells of comic lore and passing it off as something groundshakingly new or Morrison's penchant/overuse of metatext. 

I shudder to think of Adam's reaction to reading Annihilator, then, as I'm quite sure it would be some fairly horrifying crime against the physical book itself.  Annihilator feeds Morrison's meta demons a gluttonous buffet, all with a tart foundation of that hoariest of meta-cliches where an author meets the character he's writing in the flesh.  It gets worse... it's not just an author, but a celebrated Hollywood bad-boy screenwriter.  If this were a movie, it would be insufferable by minute five.  As it stands as a comic it's barely palatable the whole way through.

I have to say that I was looking forward to Morrison's editor stint over on Heavy Metal this year, but if this is what he's looking at for sci-fi (b-grade 90's Tarantino knock-off edginess blended with Barbarella-level space opera) I'm gonna take a hard pass.  I haven't been this disappointed with Morrison since The Filth...in fact if I'm more disappointed it's because it feels like a waste of effort for one of my all time favourite artists, Frazer Irving.  Oh, don't get me wrong, Irving's work is dazzling as always, but it's a rare instance where Morrison doesn't play enough into his artist's strengths. 

Irving has to do stuff like this to keep it interesting

Think of the world building Irving did in (the lamentably still incomplete) Gutsville that is utterly missing here.  He gets to create a whole other dimension but spends precious little time in it.  The majority of these six extra sized issues are talking heads.  Irving does a good jib with all of the drama, melodrama and comedy but it doesn't let him shine.

This is what most of the book feels like

Tonally Annihilator is a bit of a shit show, not balancing it's weirdness with anything resembling likeable characters.  The weirdness of the alternate dimension never fully solidifies into anything tangibly exciting while the earth-based situation is such a microcosm that it's like the four or five characters live in a solitary LA almost solely inhabited by, and centered around them.

I was going to say that Mr. Robot's Rami Malek would be perfect for the role of Ray Spass but then I have no desire to see this translated onto the screen of any size.  It's not a terrible book, but by Morrison's standards it's about as low as they come.  I'm certain I'm missing a lot of dept and subtext and innuendo and literary/pop-cult references and all sorts of other jazz that Mr. M likes to seed into his work, but with Annihilator it's just not worth the effort of digging in that deeply.

Morrison Madness Results

And, it's done.

After nearly three weeks.

It's done and there is a winner.

And the winner is, with 59% of the vote...

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN.

I could lie and say that I was shocked but well, it would be a lie.

From the beginning, I thought it would come down to either this or JLA but what happened was that YOU decided and THAT is what matters the most.

Was it the right decision? Who truly knows? Was it the work that said the most? Was it the work that made you a Morrison fan?

Maybe not.

It was a decision. It was decided. What I'm taking away from this whole thing isn't necessarily its result but just the awesome fact that over the course of three weeks, everyone cared enough to vote, vote again and vote some more.

Simply because you love Morrison's work and more importantly, YOU LOVE COMICS!

And you know what makes this thing even better? With a writer as fluid as Morrison, we could do this all over again in the future and get a new and different result.

Why? After seeing the passion in which you all defended your choices, every work of this man's is someone's "WATCHMEN."

Morrison Madness: The Finals

It's taken nearly three weeks but we're here: the MORRISON MADNESS FINALS!!!

From a field of thirty-two potential winners, you've narrowed the field down to two worthy contenders:

ANIMAL MAN (1998) Morrison's groundbreaking pre-Vertigo series. Animal Man started as an ambitious new take on superheroics and quickly developed into a work focusing on the role of a man as father and as a superhero. Animal Man also became known for breaking "the fourth wall" and for its decidedly strong stance on animal rights. This was many Americans first look into the mind of Grant Morrison and Animal Man was one of a small number of seminal works that laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the Vertigo imprint.

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN (2005) Viewed by many as the single most important Superman since Alan Moore's "Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow." This was Morrison's attempt to strip Superman down to its timeless and most essential elements without being hampered by DC Comics continuity. Morrison's run focused on what makes Superman, Superman, providing new ways to look at such tried-and-true characters as Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and even Doomsday. It was done with his longtime creative collaborator, artist Frank Quitely.

And there are your choices...

GO.



Come back tomorrow for the results and some thoughts.

Later!

POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness: The Fantastic Four Voting

Has it sank in yet? We're approaching the homestretch of our li'l MORRISON MADNESS project and I just wanted to take time out to thank Mike P. for creating the brackets for this little thing that's come to take up three weeks of my life and to Graig for creating the master list for which we're taking this from.

And most of all I'd like to thank YOU, for taking the time and interest to participate, comment and most importantly, vote.

Now, on to our FANTASTIC FOUR!!!

As mentioned before We3 took the ALT/PUNK DIVISION with a resounding 83% of the vote.

In yesterday's round of voting, in the META DIVISION, ANIMAL MAN matched We3, percentage-wise, and handed JLA: EARTH 2 its ass with a remarkable 83% of the vote.

In the EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, THE DOOM PATROL was narrowly defeated by JLA. JLA grasped victory at the last second winning with a slim 56% of your votes.

And, in the LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN is working hard to keep ts sun bright and returned to a hero's welcome with 78% of the vote, soundly defeating NEW X-MEN.

And here's your FANTASTIC FOUR!!!

ALT/PUNK vs. META DIVISION, GO!!!



EARLY vs. LATE SUPERHERO DIVISIONS, GO!!!



Join us tomorrow as we have the final round of voting to determine the ultimate of Morrison's many works.

Later!

POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness Round Three Super Blow-Out!!!

Well, damn that looks like a blow-out if I've ever seen one.

In the ALT/PUNK DIVISION finals, We3 simply won. Won with an impressive 83% of your votes. There's your "DANG" moment of... the moment?

We3 moves into THE FINAL FOUR.

In the spirit of "the blow-out," we're gonna have another here at Second Printing as we bring you the final three polls in ROUND THREE of MORRISON MADNESS!!!

META DIVISION, GO!!!



EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, GO!!!



LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, GO!!!



Don't forget to join us here tomorrow for results and to see who advances to THE FINAL FOUR.

Later!

POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness: Round Three: Alt/Punk Division Finals

Here's where it gets gooooood!

MORRISON MADNESS: ALT/PUNK DIVISION FINALS, GO!!!



Join us here tomorrow for ALT/PUNK results and the META DIVISION finals.

POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness: Round Three Bracket Update

And here's your ELITE 8...

Discuss & don't forget to meet us back here for Round Three Monday.

Morrison Madness Round Two, Region Two Results

We've just concluded the separation of the rocket from the boosters in ROUND TWO, REGION TWO of MORRISON MADNESS and you all continue to shock and awe me in the best ways possible.

In the illustrious ALT/PUNK DIVISION, We3 bit into SKRULL KILL KREW and walked away with 76% of its hide.

In the much heralded META DIVISION, JLA: EARTH 2 let you keep the stockings for your "disguise kits," taking away 55% of your votes and our dignity, intact. BATMAN, dead, could not be reached for comment.

In the celebrated EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, DOOM PATROL proved, once again, to not know the meaning of their name and walked away triumphant with a resounding 90% of the popular vote. BATMAN: GOTHIC, dead yet again, could not be reached for comment.

In the swinging LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN smiled that smile only a Superman can as it watched MARVEL BOY crawl away like a cockroach. MARVEL BOY managed a mere 7% of your votes while ALL-STAR SUPERMAN up, up & away-ed with a resounding 93% on the vote.

All four winners will advance to ROUND THREE of the semis.

Please, re-join us this weekend as we update the brackets ROUND THREE of MORRISON MADNESS!!!

Morrison Madness & Results for Round Two, Region One of The Superhero Divisions

Sorry about the one-day delay, folks. Life kinda got in the way but to make up for lost time, we're going to have two rounds of REGION TWO action for you.

Now how about those ROUND TWO, REGION ONE results!

In the EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, JLA soared to all-new heroic heights with a whopping 87% of your votes.

While in the LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, NEW X-MEN was truly "fabulous," going to its second stage of evolution and won with 75% of the vote.

Both advance to ROUND THREE of the semis.

Now, how about a double helping of ROUND TWO, REGION TWO voting...

ALT/PUNK DIVISION, GO!



META DIVISION, GO!



EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, GO!



LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, GO!



Come back Friday for the results as we head in for the homestretch of MORRISON MADNESS!

POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness & Round Two, Region One Results

How was your Monday? Did it involve supermodels, Carvel ice cream cakes and jetpacks as mine did?

Pity.

Well, not everyone's cut out to live a... *chuckle...* Devonian lifestyle. Ah, fish-with-legs humour.

How, about some results from yesterday's voting, then.

In ROUND TWO, REGION ONE of ALT/PUNK DIVISION voting, VIMANARAMA walked away with a slim 52% of the vote narrowly defeating THE FILTH while in the META DIVISION, it looks like ANIMAL MAN decided to be the winner it is, twice and smacking down SEVEN SOLDIERS with a slim margin of victory, 51% of your vote.

WOW, you guys don't play!

BOTH advance to ROUND THREE of the MORRISON MADNESS semi-finals.

How about some ROUND TWO, REGION ONE SUPERHERO DIVISIONS VOTING!

EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, GO!!!



LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, GO!!!



Tune your internet frequencies to us tomorrow as we come back with more results, results, results!

POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness: Round Two, Region One of The Alt/Punk vs, Meta Division Semi-Finals

Is it time for ROUND TWO already? Why, yes, it is! Let's make a day of it!

ALT/PUNK DIVISION: ROUND TWO, REGION ONE, GO!



META DIVISION: ROUND TWO, REGION ONE, GO!



Vote early and often. Find a box, stuff it but make sure you're back tomorrow for the results and ROUND TWO, REGION TWO voting in THE SUPERHERO DIVISIONS.

Later!

POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness Round Two Preview

Can you feel that. Yes, it's excitement. That is Morrison creeping into your brain, children. Whispering to you to vote. Telling you to tell your friends to vote. Vote for Morrison. A vote for Morrison is a vote for love. Help us detonate a MORRISON LOVE BOMB unlike this world has ever seen. VOTE.

Gave upon this below.

YOU did this... you can do more.

Come wreak more Morrisonian havoc, Monday, in ROUND TWO, ROUND ONE of MORRISON MADNESS!!!

Morrison Madness: Round One Results

Well, I'm freshly graduated from sexy bounty hunter school and ready to show you the results...

Of the ALT/PUNK VS. META DIVISION: ROUND ONE, REGION FOUR & THE SUPERHERO DIVISIONS: ROUND ONE, REGION FOUR.

In the ALT/PUNK DIVISION, We3 was "gud" enough to eke out a victory against THE INVISIBLES with 53% of the vote.

While in the META DIVISION, BATMAN pulled a black glove from its cape and proceeded to smack THE MYSTERY PLAY about the face, walking away with 87% of the vote.

Both advance to ROUND TWO of the playoffs.

While in the ROUND ONE: SUPERHERO DIVISION FINALE, BATMAN: GOTHIC just made the cut, winning with a slim 51% in the EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION.

In the LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, MARVEL BOY like the cockroach, ultimately outlasted WildCATS, scoring with 77% of the vote.

Both advance to ROUND TWO of the playoffs.

Come back tomorrow as we set things up for ROUND TWO with pretty brackets and stuff.

This has been fun and interesting, hasn't it?

Feel free to discuss any surprises or upsets in the COMMENTS section and we'll see you here tomorrow.

Morrison Madness & Alt/Punk Vs. Meta Division: Round One, Region Four Results

And we're back!

Would you like some SUPERHERO DIVISIONS: ROUND ONE, REGION THREE results? We have results.

We have no chicken and waffles, though.

That, you have to find on your own.

In the EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, DOOM PATROL defeated AZTEK with 73% of the popular vote while in the LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, in what will someday be known as "Ticknart's Folly," ALL-STAR SUPERMAN didn't even register his tugging on its cape, flying away at the speed of "Whatever" with a resounding 97% of the vote!

Both advance to ROUND TWO of the playoffs.

On to the epic that has been called by many, ROUND ONE, REGION FOUR of THE SUPERHERO DIVISIONS.

EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, GO!



LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, GO!!!



Come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion of ROUND ONE with Region Four results for ALT/PUNK vs. META DIVISIONS and results for today's poll!

POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness & Results for Round One, Region Three of Alt/Punk vs. Meta Divisions

Welcome back!

In Round Three of ALT/PUNK DIVISION voting, SKRULL KILL KREW remembered just where it came from, leaving Vampirella in the dust with 77% of the vote.

In Round Three of META DIVISION, JLA: EARTH 2 edged out Seaguy with 62% of the popular vote.

Now, how about some ALT/PUNK VS. META DIVISION, ROUND ONE, REGION FOUR voting!

ALT/PUNK DIVISION: ROUND ONE, REGION FOUR, GO!



META DIVISION: ROUND ONE, REGION FOUR, GO!



Please, come back tomorrow for more poll results and some SUPERHERO DIVISIONS: ROUND ONE, REGION FOUR slug-out!

POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness & Results for Round One, RegionTwo of The Superhero Divisions

In the EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, REGION TWO showdown, we've what's been the closest call so far with BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM barely edging out FLEX MENTALLO with 54% of the vote.

And in the LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, REGION TWO, NEW X-MEN slashed it's way to a win with 61% of your votes.

Both advance to ROUND TWO of the playoffs.

EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION: ROUND ONE, REGION THREE, GO!



LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION: ROUND ONE, REGION THREE, GO!



Tommorrow, results for Round One, Region Three of ALT/PUNK vs. META DIVISION!

POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness & Results for Round One, RegionTwo of Alt/Punk vs. Meta Divisions

Thanks for coming back!

In Round One, Region Two of The ALT/PUNK DIVISION, THE FILTH just edged out Kill Your Boyfriend with 59% of the vote.

In Round One, Region Two of META DIVISION, SEVEN SOLDIERS defeated DC 1 million with 69% of your votes.

Both will advance to ROUND TWO of ALT/PUNK VS. META DIVISION.

Now, on to ...


ALT/PUNK DIVISION: ROUND ONE, REGION THREE , GO!



META DIVISION: ROUND ONE, REGION THREE, GO!


POLL CLOSED.

Morrison Madness & Results for Round One, Region One of The Superhero Divisions

In what can only be described as a decisive victory, the people have spoken and in the EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, JLA absolutely slaughtered ZENITH with an astounding 94% of the vote.

And in the LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, THE FLASH broke away at the last minute and won with 62% of the vote.

Both advance to ROUND TWO of the playoffs.

Now, for ROUND ONE, REGION TWO of THE SUPERHERO DIVISIONS!

EARLY SUPERHERO DIVISION, GO!

POLL CLOSED.



LATE SUPERHERO DIVISION, GO!



Now, this one is going to be interesting.

Come back Monday for more results and another round of voting!

POLL CLOSED.