Some of the most glaring problems with Grant Morrison's work on month-to-month titles is the lack of pages to really get his stories moving. I think so, anyway, and this 'graphic novel' gives him just the right amount of room to play. Taking the premiere superheroes of our age and twisting them so delightfully makes for a splendid read and manages to tell us something about our protagonists as well.
Now, I've always been a fan of 'alternate universe' stories, and of the DC Heroes, so this is obviously ticking a lot of my prerequisites straight away, but Grant Morrison shows himself to be a deft storyteller even beyond his use of my favourite tropes. His pacing is delicious and his characterisation gives us just enough, allowing those familiar with the characters to fill in the blanks, as well as letting the imagination create closure on the new villains in the piece. The mystery is enticing, not confusing, and leaves me wanting to see more stories involving these people.
I would suggest this more for those who have read other, more 'standard' comic books, and who are familiar with the unique language of the medium, as some of the transitions and decisions can be a little jarring, but Morrison never dumbs down for his audience. If you allow him to tell you the story and let his voice fill your mind, he can, and will, take you to another world. In this case, quite literally.
I have spoken about Mr Morrison's work on this book but his collaborator, Frank Quitely, is once again on form with his unique, lumpy, beautiful art. Keeping characters recognisable while maintaining your own style is one of the hardest aspects of the comic book artist but Quitely's figures are at once ours, from decades past, and his own. Raw yet superhuman. Frightening yet touching. I was put off at first but the humanity of these gods shone through. Obviously I lack the words to describe the artwork properly, but suffice to they suited the writing perfectly, portraying the horror of the alternate Earth and the despair felt by the heroes as the story progresses.
A great book. I can't recommend it enough and its a must for any fan of superhero fiction.
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