The Multiversity: Society of Super-Heroes (DC)

writer: Grant Morrison
artist: Chris Sprouse

via Weird Science DC Comics

I've been reading Grant Morrison for years, and am still figuring out how to read him.  Today, while looking at Multiversity #2 (which is what this basically is), I realized he's a little like Quentin Tarantino by way of Indiana Jones.  He technically started writing comics in the late '70s, but he's a product of the '80s, the decade that saw popular culture become acceptable.  Or in other words, the birthplace of everything we know now.

The thing that really makes Morrison distinctive, though, is his ability to synthesize whole experiences.  Famously, he did that as a personal challenge with Batman, and his version of the Justice League was the start of, somewhat curiously, everything that Marvel has done ever since, including its wildly popular Avengers movies.

What he does is accept that every insane thing comic books take for granted and then approach them from that perspective.  He doesn't just follow the general template, like so many other writers.  He incorporates.  He incorporates like crazy.

This issue of Multiversity is the Justice Society issue.  Like the opening issue of the project, it's apparent that he's trying to make good on his Final Crisis ambition.  You may remember how he opened that, with the character Anthro, who's the narrating lead in this issue.

Incidentally, another character, used opposite Anthro/Immortal Man, is Vandal Savage, repackaged as a sort of prototypical Ra's al Ghul.  Now, why hasn't anyone else made such a connection?  And how cool would this version of Anthro be in a more extended capacity?  Although, of course, history has shown that other writers don't always approach Morrison's versions that same way he does.  Not to knock the new Klarion!

Morrison's Atom is more interesting than I've ever seen Al Pratt.  He does Dr. Fate better than anyone.  His Green Lantern is Abin Sur (with a new look that is justified in the story).

Overall, this is a great issue.  He clearly had a lot of fun creating it.  Artist Chris Sprouse (who's best known for his Tom Strong work with...Alan Moore) is a great collaborator for this content.  I don't know what to say.  I'm loving Multiversity.