Term I shall be using a lot in the future: "The Great Morrison Circle Jerk."

[thehefner]

Considering how universally-praised Grant Morrison's Batman comics are by all comics blogs and press, it feels incredibly refreshing to read Georgethecat's frustrated response to yet another Morrison fan's condescending attitude:


Like, I honestly don’t give a fuck about how much Grant Morrison knows about the Batverse. What I care about is a good story and a story that has a point. And I’m really not sure I saw one with this nor did it do anything, but raise more questions and plot holes. And what is the point of the book? Like what is Grant’s overall arching theme? And why did he do all this introduction and development of Kathy Kane to only drop it?

And who are these characters, the Orto Netz? Where did he come from? And I swear, if anyone reblogs this and says, “Oh he’s from Batman issue #217” I will actually hit something. Because fuck, I do NOT want crib notes to read my Goddamn comics. This is EXACTLY one of the biggest problems with comics right now. They desperately need new readers and need to draw in new people and reading almost any Bat-story by Morrison is going to confuse the fuck out of them, then they are going to ask questions and be told they should read some obscure fucking story that they don’t have access to and then they’re going to feel like it’s not worth their time because the club is too exclusive and they don’t know enough to join in on the Great Morrison circle jerk.


The bolded parts are mine, but the whole thing is just... god, when can they make an app that allows you to hug comments? I need that in general, but especially now. Granted, I haven't been reading Batman Inc., but George's comments apply to ALL of the other Batman work he's done so far.

I really wouldn't mind them so much if it weren't for the elitist snobbery of the fans, who love the way that Morrison makes them FEEL smart. That right there is about the smartest thing about Morrison's writing, which is generally rich with clever ideas and devoid of anything that makes for a good story.

Comments

[surrealname.livejournal.com]

john, we have to buy this person a pizza.

[benicio127.livejournal.com]

xDDDDD

I like pizza with pepperoni and black olives ;)

[surrealname.livejournal.com]

You are the person getting the pizza?
we share pizza topping tastes. I like you.

[skalja.livejournal.com]

Georgethecat is always awesome.

I really wouldn't mind them so much if it weren't for the elitist snobbery of the fans, who love the way that Morrison makes them FEEL smart. That right there is about the smartest thing about Morrison's writing, which is generally rich with clever ideas and devoid of anything that makes for a good story.

This is true. Honestly, I don't even dislike Morrison's stories, but I don't enjoy them enough to counterbalance all the fangasming in his wake.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Yeah, for the most part, I don't really CARE about his stories, but the frustration I feel towards the fans causes me to somehow feel aggressively apathetic. That's kind of remarkable, really.

[benicio127.livejournal.com]

lkjflkasjflksjflksjfalksd awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I feel so loved <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 So much right back at you <3 <3

Honestly, I don't even dislike Morrison's stories, but I don't enjoy them enough to counterbalance all the fangasming in his wake.

I think the worst is going to a place like the CBR forums because anytime I go into a thread involving the fans there talking about Morrison or a recent Morrison Bat-story is when I feel the biggest disconnect from comics and the fandom in general.

[benicio127.livejournal.com]

Awwww I'm glad you liked my raaaaaaaaaage (I have great rage in my hearrrt) about Morrison.

And like, ugh, he pulled two serious numbers on two characters I love -- Talia and Jason. Talia is now the Evil ex/bitch mom to prop Damian up and give him a moment of redemption and Jason is a balding, pimply redhead who quotes Milton and wears a really dumb costume. And all these new people ask me questions about Jason, right, because they've seen the animated movie or people have told them about comics he's in and they want to get to know more. And the question is always the same: "What's the deal with this red hair thing?" And I have to go into a long, convoluted explanation about a stupid hair retcon and at the end of it, they're always like, "So that makes... absolutely no sense. Who was dying his hair for him while he was dead?" And I'm just like ugggh Morrison, if you're gonna play with toys in the sandbox that everyone else has to use, at least put them back in a condition that other people can pick them up to use.

And that red hair thing speaks so much to his idea that Everything is Continuity so long as what he cherry picks as being the best to fit his story.

And one more thing --- one of the things that I find almost as ridiculous as the fans who think he's an exalted God is when those fans say how scary or awesome his Joker is. All I can think is: are we actually reading the same books??????

OK, I think I'm done... for now. xD

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Talia was already in a bad place as a character after what Rucka put her through in Death and the Maidens (I'm very sad we never got to see her truly recover and take her revenge of Nyssa), but there was still a chance for her to get back on her feet. Not anymore. Morrison's made his characterization essential to Damian's whole origins that we can't go without it anymore. On top of that, you have what Peter Calloway just did with her in Gotham City Sirens. For a second, it looked like there might be a return of character depth. Nope! And considering that there's a whole contingent of fans who HAAAAAAATED Talia already (Bruce/Selina 4evah, ZOMG! Not that I disagree...), Morrison's now just made their hatred justifiable by canon.

Jason is a balding, pimply redhead who quotes Milton and wears a really dumb costume.

Really, when you take Jason and turn him into a poor man's Hush, who was already a poor man's Black Mask... yeah, fail. I don't really care for Red Hood, like, at all, but even for me, that's not the way you go about it.

And I'm just like ugggh Morrison, if you're gonna play with toys in the sandbox that everyone else has to use, at least put them back in a condition that other people can pick them up to use.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Morrison needs to have his own continuity. It's WAY more freedom for him, and it keeps him from mucking about in the communal sandbox of regular canon.

As for the Joker, JESUS THANK YOU. What the fuck do people think is so great, so scary, so innovative about a Joker who's David Bowie (the eyes, Thin White Duke of DEATH, oy) by way of a Silent Hill knockoff PC game from the 90's?

[surrealname.livejournal.com]

well, john, I'm sure your going to see in your e-mail how passionately i responded to what she said about morisson's joker.

Just thinking about morrison's joker makes me want to punch everything in the god damn universe right in its ugly, stupid face... more so than all the other stuff that does that too me nowadays.

god i am pent up.

[surrealname.livejournal.com]

"And one more thing --- one of the things that I find almost as ridiculous as the fans who think he's an exalted God is when those fans say how scary or awesome his Joker is. All I can think is: are we actually reading the same books???????"


I want to kiss you passionately and buy you roses for saying this. and that comes along with the pizza. I don't actually have to kiss you, but that is the level of passionate agreement i have with you on that subject.

The Joker is... oh man. don't even get me started on what the Joker has meant to me in my life, cause it's just unhealthy, really. But the fucking things that morrison has done with him have honestly been a contributing factor in my decision to no longer buy comic books. HE SUCKED ALL THE FUCKING FUN OUT OF THE JOKER AND TURNED HIM INTO SOME FAN BOY IDEA HE HAS ABOUT DAVID BOWIE! THE JOKER IS NOT DAVID BOWIE! THE JOKER IS THE JOKER! FUCK YOU SO HARD IN YOUR FACE HOLES WITH A LEAD PIPE GRANT MORRISON.

*ANGRY FLAIL*

sorry. I get worked up about things.

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

This is exactly how I feel about Alan Moore.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I completely understand. While I actually like Moore and think that he actually writes stories with characters that sound like real people and not idea-spouting cardboard caricatures, his fans are just as bad (if not worse) for the same fucking reasons.

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

More to the point, I'm sick of people, after hearing I dislike Alan Moore, tell me I 'just haven't read the right stuff' and then quiz me on what I've read. After hearing I've read Lost Girls, LXG and V for Vendetta, they just tell me 'oh those aren't his best work--you should read WATCHMEN!'

I'm sorry, no. I have given the man's work a chance THREE TIMES. I think that is more than fair.

[deadwalrus.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, have you had a go at 'From Hell'?

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

I have seen the film. Again, I am not interested in reading anything written by Alan Moore ever again. I dislike him intensely. I dislike his execution, I think he's a bad writer, and I really don't care for his themes. I think the film version of LXG, despite it's editing problems, was leaps and bounds better than the comics. I think From Hell the film is a solid and good film and have no interest in reading the comic. I was unimpressed with V for Vendetta as a film or a comic, really. And I hope to GOD Lost Girls is never made into anything, because that book just shits upon childhood dreams like it's going out of style.

[deadwalrus.livejournal.com]

I disagree with your opinions on LXG, and based on your liking of the From Hell film I hesitate to recommend the book (best-case scenario you'll be just as disappointed, worst-case the film will be ruined for you). But still, give it a flip-through if you see a copy, even if only for Eddie Campbell's spellbindingly beautiful line art.

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

See, this is what I'm talking about. People insisting that there's no possible way I could dislike Alan Moore, and suggesting other things he's done like I'm going to magically like it. Look. I won't. Because I don't like him. Please, just accept that and leave me alone about it.

[foxhack.livejournal.com]

... But he recommended the art. :(

I found the book version of From Hell to be nothing but words words words words words wtf am I reading words, but the art was pretty interesting.

(And yes, I like the movie a lot... and that's why I got the book. I stopped reading the book and just concentrated on the artwork soon after doing so.)

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Is this the artist that did the work for any of the Alan Moore books I've seen (Lost Girls, LXG, Watchmen, V), because if so that is not my idea of stunning.

Forgive me for jumping, somehow I didn't see the flip through just for the art bit. I don't see how the art could be that amazing for such a bleak story, though.

[foxhack.livejournal.com]

It's okay. I act the same whenever someone mentions Greg Land. (Well, I actually go on a murderous rampage.)

I can enjoy a book written by someone I can't stand solely for the art, and I can enjoy with artwork by someone I loathe with every fibre of my being as long as it's written properly.

And no, the artist only worked on this one series with Moore. He seems to have a very impressive catalog, which I'm just finding out about...

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Murderous rampage about covers my attitude toward Moore, yupyup. The only Moore I like is Christopher Moore, the Disney animator who did my favourite sequence in Fantasia (Pastoral Scene) as well as the animation for You Are a Human Animal. I love his style. It's so lovely.

So this artist, what is he like? Is he anything like Boris Vallejo? Or is his style more of an animation style (personally, I have a pipe dream that one day, Glen Keane might deign to do a graphic novel. It is only a pipe dream, though)?

[deadwalrus.livejournal.com]

*Shrug*. I did mention you probably wouldn't like it, and 'twas only a just-in-case suggestion. But whatever you feel like.

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

I did say before hand that I didn't like and wasn't interested in giving anything another go if it had his name on it. I don't see why you even bothered, to be honest. :\

[foxhack.livejournal.com]

I stopped caring about him the minute I realized he didn't give a damn about what other writers wanted to do, and just went his merry way with Editorial backing him up.

[yaseen101.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my stance on it too. Honestly I also used to think that his work was was brilliant, I didn't get all of it but I felt like it I just kept up with the message boards and the speculators maybe there will be some over-arching and important theme going on with an 'OMGZTHATWASOSM' revelation that ties everything together. But I was wrong.... After the whole Battle for the Cowl bullshit and it was during the Jason arc with Damien handling the business side of things(because lulz he is Bruce's son and Dick is a circuz performer so he can't do business nvm that he lived pretty much all of his life with Bruce) that I gave up and realized that this was all just shit.

Of course I was slowly desentisizing to stuff like that but that one was both an eye opener and a nail in the coffin.

Not to mention I saw just how well Ed Brubaker was handling the Captain America run with similar themes and ideas. After seeing that I can't call Morrison a 'genius' in anyway.