Thursday, January 12, 2006

Walk with the animals, talk with the animals...

...duh duh la la la with the animals. Okay I don't know the words to that Dr. Doolittle song but I do know that the first trade of Grant Morrison's Animal Man run is a great read. I know that anyone who is anyone in the world of comics, blogs and comic-blogs has already read these stories but I didn't so you can skip this post or see if my head is securely lodged in my ass.

Coyote Gospel is a brilliant piece of four coloured fiction. It manages to arc between looney-toon action, to Vertigo "mature readers" while blurring the line between fiction, reader and creator. The artist and writer create these stories but it is the reader that gives them life. It is the reader that bring meaning and understanding to this story. Morrison created it with his art team but makes you acutely aware of the fourth dimension by deliberately blurring the lines of "fiction."

In one masterful swoop this story is infused enough layers to make your head spin. There are internal realities that are related although they shouldn't work together in one story. Then when you think it's all over the "creator" is added to this story drawing your attention to the actual medium, through the use of the medium. It isn't actually Morrison's computer or the Artist's hand you see but graphic representations that help frame the action of the story.

The whole invasion thing is a bit off-putting because there is obviously stuff happening that relates to the plot here, but it's dealt with quickly enough to not slow down the pacing too much.

I like that the kid has a mullet, and that everyone wears t-shirts describing themselves. But what the fuck is up with Buddy's Daisy Dukes? I know it was the eighties but those short shorts and pink t-shirt are kind of flaming for a married man. But who am I to say anything I work with hippies and I'm the one with a pink t-shirt in this office. What can I say? I'm not afraid of colour.

Also B'wana Beast is now less sucky to me. That is some fucked up power that guy wields. I guess I can just imagine him riding a giraffe/cheetah hybrid to safety in Crisis of Infinite Earths. And now I know why Mike Sterling posted so much about the Mirror Master. Nothing like a Scottish thug to make a great villain.

Wow, this really added a LOT to intelligent debate and assessment of the current state of comics. Let me sum up "Grant Morrison is good. Comics from the eighties have funny looking stuff in them."

1 comment:

Jhunt said...

Grant Morrison's Animal Man was, for a brief period, the only coic i was reading. I made trips to the comics store every month to pick up the newest issue, and the newest issue alone.