RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books Grant Morrison: Did Gaiman Write a Story About Him?

I was thinking tonight about Neil Gaiman's "Calliope" issue of Sandman.

The gist of the story is that a writer, running out of ideas, finds a way to imprison one of the Greek Muses of myth in order to start coming up with new ideas for his stories. Sounds like a great plan, until it turns out the muse in question is the former lover (and mother of the child of) Dream of the Endless...and he doesn't take kindly to mortals who imprison mystic beings.

Once Dream finds out what happens, he frees Calliope and curses the writer. The curse that the writer will never run out of brilliant ideas...but he won't have time or ability to actually turn them into coherent stories.

Sort of like Morrie over the past few years, I think.

oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh snap!

Don't you roll your eyes at your sister Uschi, young man.

Do you not like ASS?

Everyone knows how much you like Grant Morrison's ASS.

Predictable as ever, Doctor!

Sure, Pro. Suuuurrrreeee.

IN THE ASS!

Yeah, but unfortunately these days that book seems the exception, rather than the rule.

How so?

It's nearly the only book that, in my opinion, Morrie's written since his early "X-men" issues that didn't collapse under the weight of its own ideas into incoherence (and even the X-men fell apart at the end).

In "All Star" a plot was set up in the early issues (Luthor finds a way to use the sun to slowly poison Superman), the middle advances the rest of story (Supes decides to accomplish a number of tasks before he dies and we see how he goes about it) and now it's coming to a conclusion (Superman looks like he's about to die) that more or less seems to be logically connected to what was set up at the beginning.

Granted, it might turn to shit in the final issue but so far, so good.

Also, the "kitchen sink" approach Morrie likes to use seems to work better for a classic style Superman than most other books.

I haven't actually been reading any of his Batman, based solely on the facts that (A) don't like the Kuberts and (B) don't care enough about the character (sorry rob). So, the only things I've read from him since/during X-Men (which was only honestly hampered by editorial forces and artist changes) was We3 and All-Star Superman. Both of those are pure works of art. Doesn't hurt that he's got Quietly with him. I've always had a theory Frank Quietly and Phil Jimmenez are the only artists that "get" Grant's scripts. They're the only ones I've seen that can tackle his wild concepts, and keep the reader flowing even if the script wandered off into a cloud of haze.

But, I digress. My point is that with ASS and WE3 alone, you can't honestly say he's had no solid scripts since the era you speak of...

I never read We3 and, to be honest, forgot it existed. So ya got me there.

Still, even if you add We3 to the mix, I think his recent career still largely consists of stuff that doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense or, in the alternative, starts out really interesting and the descends into "WTF just happened", in no particular order:

JLA: Classified
Seven Soldiers of Victory
Marvel Boy
Fantastic Four: 1234
Seaguy
Vimanarama
Batman
Absolute Final Crisis (so far)

And, as noted above, even his X-men work, which started out really strong, fell apart at the end, what with Magneto/Xorn a drug addict, the weird "Days of Future Past" pastache and the like.

You really should. Great story.



I thought it was good, and tied neatly into Seven Soldiers.



Didn't like them all (and still haven't read the last issue), but liked enough of them. The interconnected-but-not-really nature that ran through all of the books was a clever touch.



Haven't read it. But, I think it came out before/during X-Men, didn't it?



Same with this one. I think this was before/during X-Men. Don't know, really. But, it was DAMN good. It's not a conventional FF, but you can't say it doesn't make sense. It's actually a very basic Fantastic Four tale.



Haven't read them.



It's only been a single issue! Give him some time before you shit down his throat...



That's your opinion. While I didn't like every aspect of how it ended (and if I remember correctly, Magneto was forced on him by the editors), it was still solid work. Hell of a lot better than the decade of X-Men before it, and the X-shit they've churned out since...

Just not my cup of tea. Sad stories about pets, even in a sci-fi setting, depress me waaay too much.

Gaiman wrote that story a long time before New X-Men, G

Gaiman was writing about writers in general. you can apply what he was discussing to just about any writer.

Agree with Pro on Marvel Boy and FF:1-4. I just re-read Marvel Boy a couple of weeks ago and it was crazy weird but brilliant.

Then again, I've been a fan of Morrie's since The Invisibles and THAT was some weird shit.

Regarding WE3: I've read that. I never got what the big deal was. Bought it cuz it was Vertigo and Quitely on the doodles.

What makes that story so great for so many people?

I know. I didn't mean to imply it was literally a story about Morrison. I was asking if the story wasn't a metaphor for what happened to Morrison's writing.

Hey, I hear you! Honestly. It hurts to get through it. But, I really think it's worth it by the end...

I think it's because there's so much heart in it. Plus, you have to have a soft spot for animals. Otherwise, I'm certain the more pro-active Animal Rights Activists get a little validation from the concept. Not saying it's for everyone. But, I liked it...

Mxy and Grant Morrisson are dating.

It's actually a threeway with us two and the DC Universe.

Son, the Milestone Universe has been asking about you.

THAT CHEATING WHORE!!!!

I used to date Warren Ellis but I got turned off because he kept shouting his own name during sex, and while praying before meals.

Wny do we fall, Mxy?

I think it's the beard.