The Invisibles -- Grant Morrison

[HareBrain]

I've just started re-reading this series after a gap of a few years. It makes much more sense this time (partly from having read the autobiographical bits of Supergods), and I am amazed afresh at how brilliant it is. Its ideas-per-page quotient must be about the highest out there, and it's wildly ambitious in its nature-of-reality theme without disappearing up its own end.

A search on the title didn't throw up many results, though. Who else has read it, and what did you think?

 

[Radix]

I love the series &
give it a complete reread every few years~

 

[Mladen]

I read it years ago, and although I enjoyed it, large chunks of it felt like padding (at the time).
I remember "The Filth" covered a lot of similar ground, and did it more quickly... I probably need to re-read both though.

If you liked the Invisibles, have you read 'Shade: The Changing Man' from the same Vertigo era?

 

[HareBrain]

SPOILERS (sort of)

I reached the end of "Kissing Mr Quimper" last night and it threw up a couple of questions that I don't think are answered in the final book.

One is, who is the chess-player? The bottom-right panel on p208 suggests he might be Enoch (stories removed by the Nicean Council), but then why the apple symbolism?

Two, in the same panel he says something interesting that I interpret to mean that John of Dreams became Quimper -- which would make sense, given that his fate is never otherwise cleared up. And they both use a stick. But I can't find that confirmed on the internet at all.

Radix, if you've read it several times, any ideas?

 

[Radix]

Did John of Dreams become Quimper?

Grant says he did in "Anarchy For The Masses: The Disinformation Guide to The Invisibles" but, you know...it's Grant-

Did your search find this in the Barbelith Underground?

& now it's time to reread this series again~

 

[HareBrain]

If Grant says it too, that confirms it for me. The chess-player's comment seems quite clear:

'Quimper said I was to tell you something ... he said, "Once my name was John"'

I skimmed that Barbelith thread, but couldn't find any reference to the chess-bloke's quote. Maybe I'm the only one to ever spot it. Yay me!

Of course, John then reappears later as his old self, but it's clear he's gone over to the "bad" side.

I'll probably need another ten readings to work out the last book.

 

[King Mob]

loved it, the invisibles was what really got me back in to comics after not reading any for years, this and transmetropolitan i could re-read over and over

 

[doctordarts]

Was really excited about finally getting into this; HATED it. Grant Morrison basically patting himself on the back. It just confirmed for me how hit-and-miss Morrison is; for me, he really needs an editor that reins him in, otherwise he just seems to think number of ideas on paper equals quality. It doesn't; it has to flow.

 

[The Big Peat]

Two, in the same panel he says something interesting that I interpret to mean that John of Dreams became Quimper -- which would make sense, given that his fate is never otherwise cleared up. And they both use a stick. But I can't find that confirmed on the internet at all.

I believe it is somewhere on the internet these days that you've got to look for the man in the white coat.

While I believe then even links John-A-Dreams to the Invisible Chessman. No, I don't get it either.

 

[HareBrain]

I forgot I started this thread.

I hope 2011 wasn't the last time I read it, because it feels like only a couple of years ago.

While I believe then even links John-A-Dreams to the Invisible Chessman.

I guess you meant "Which I believe", but invisible chessman? Is he invisible?

 

[The Big Peat]

Err... blind chessman. Not invisible. Indeed not. My brain wasn't particularly there while writing this sentence. Er. That sentence.

I really shouldn't be editing in this frame of mind.