What stories have improved the most upon re-reading?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Seven Soldiers for me. Probably my favorite Morrison, but the first time I read out of proper order and got really lost.

Oooo, that would be better upon re-reading, which I've never done because that's a lot of comics, but I think I'll give it a shot

[dancj]

Seven Soldiers for me. Probably my favorite Morrison, but the first time I read out of proper order and got really lost.

I hope that's true for me. That series completely lost me, so I'm hoping my second read will make more sense.

[dancj]

Flex Mentallo - I actually understood this the second time round.

[Yoda]

This is quickly becoming the "Which Grant Morrison stories actually make sense after re-reading" thread.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Oooo, that would be better upon re-reading, which I've never done because that's a lot of comics, but I think I'll give it a shot

I hope that's true for me. That series completely lost me, so I'm hoping my second read will make more sense.

Follow the reading order, and remember to hunt for ther obscurest possible references to DC continuity.

It's a MasterPiece.


It also is the themathic and pratical prequel trop Final Crisis: a lot of FC is foresadowed in 7S (and not just in the Shilo mini).

[BohemiaDrinker]

This is quickly becoming the "Which Grant Morrison stories actually make sense after re-reading" thread.

In all fairness, Grant is an author who frequently requires more than one reading. Some people see this as a flaw. (I don't).

[RBerman]

This is quickly becoming the "Which Grant Morrison stories actually make sense after re-reading" thread.

Too true! He does that on purpose. Not just re-reading a particular series, but re-reading it after reading other series. He re-uses the same themes and tropes, so they are easier to spot with practice. So... what's the right order in which to read Grant Morrison's work in order to sidle into the concepts gradually? How about:

JLA (basic heroism with occasional worlds-within worlds)
DC One Million (context for for the next story below)
All-Star Superman (his best-received work)
Batman and Action Comics (accessible heroics)
Joe the Barbarian (not too long or hard to digest, introduces unreliable narrator concept)
Arkham Asylum (Worlds within worlds, implicate order)
Animal Man (intertextual weirdness begins)
Seaguy (getting weird, criticizing consumer entertainment)
JLA Classified and Seven Soldiers (his first attempt to homage the Fourth World's interconnected stories)
Final Crisis (homaging the details of the Fourth World)
Doom Patrol (surrealism, introduces Flex Mentallo)
Flex Mentallo (lays out his metaphysics and biography most explicitly)
The Filth (explores his metaphysics further)
The Nameless (optional weirdness)

I found that each of these made more sense the more of the "previous" works in the list I had read. How would you reshuffle them or include other work he's done?

[Adset]

I'm trying desperately to think of a non-Grant Morrison option.

You know what I'll go with? Flash volume 2. It's not that I didn't enjoy it as it was being released (I certainly did), but I find my enjoyment is enhanced reading it nowadays as one long, continuous saga. You've got the Baron/Messner-Loebs stuff the first 60-ish issues with Wally stepping into the role old of Barry Allen, Waid comes in and expands the Flash-verse with the Speed Force and the extended Flash family, and then Johns takes over and does terrific work building up the Rogues and creating Zoom. I tend to ignore the remaining issues after Johns...

To me, it just reads as a superb/layered history of Wally West. He starts off as a young jerkass, in a bit over his head, and matures into one of DC's premiere heroes along the way. Long stints by the creators give it a sense of continuity you don't often see in a Big Two book 200+ issues long.

And yes I am aware Grant Morrison did come in and write the book for a spell

[BohemiaDrinker]

How would you reshuffle them or include other work he's done?

Chronologically.

Trust me.

[married guy]

I'm trying desperately to think of a non-Grant Morrison option.

You know what I'll go with? Flash volume 2. It's not that I didn't enjoy it as it was being released (I certainly did), but I find my enjoyment is enhanced reading it nowadays as one long, continuous saga. You've got the Baron/Messner-Loebs stuff the first 60-ish issues with Wally stepping into the role old of Barry Allen, Waid comes in and expands the Flash-verse with the Speed Force and the extended Flash family, and then Johns takes over and does terrific work building up the Rogues and creating Zoom. I tend to ignore the remaining issues after Johns...

To me, it just reads as a superb/layered history of Wally West. He starts off as a young jerkass, in a bit over his head, and matures into one of DC's premiere heroes along the way. Long stints by the creators give it a sense of continuity you don't often see in a Big Two book 200+ issues long.

And yes I am aware Grant Morrison did come in and write the book for a spell

Totally agree with this!

I'd also throw in Robinson's Starman.
While it was good at the time, reading it again from start to finish was an absolute joy. (And a great way to spend a few days!)

[Bored at 3:00AM]

It also is the themathic and pratical prequel trop Final Crisis: a lot of FC is foresadowed in 7S (and not just in the Shilo mini).

The last time I was in Europe, I noticed that Seven Soldiers is actually sold as part of Final Crisis on its cover, which makes way more sense that what DC originally did when they pointlessly muddled and confused Morrison's already challenging story with so many contradictory and superfluous tie-ins like Countdown to Final Crisis, Death of the New Gods, and Last Will & Testament of the DC Universe (none of which connected in any way with what Morrison was doing).

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Chronologically.

Trust me.

Agreed. Morrison's work tends to come in definitive phases in which he explores the ideas he's interested in through many different lenses and styles. There's also a growth to his writing ability that would make jumping back a little jarring. Animal Man & Doom Patrol are written by a different guy from the one who wrote JLA, Flex Mentallo & Invisibles, who is different from the guy who wrote Seven Soliders, Final Crisis & Batman.

Same deal with the Morrison who is currently doing Wonder Woman: Earth One and The Green Lantern. A lot of the obsessions and artistic ticks remain, but his ambition and craft keeps growing.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I'm trying desperately to think of a non-Grant Morrison option.

I suspect King & Gerads's Mister Miracle is going to read even better the second time around.

[Kyer]

I only read trades or done-in-one's and like it much better than the idea of waiting weeks or even months between story continuations. (Back in the 1970's after first watching Star Wars and learning there were more coming...years apart... THAT was sheer torture!)

[shadow6743]

For me its the New 52 Red Hood and the Outlaws series. While I like the new series better than the New 52, I did not give that series a fair reading when it was coming out. The characters at the start of the series are not likable, but I found as it went on they I genuinely liked them and the series overall. I think it takes a certain amount of courage when writing not to make characters likable from the start of a series.

Also, Grayson, I was pretty upset after Forever Evil that Nightwing was "dead" so I gave in to fan outrage and did not read the series when it was coming out. I have the omnibus now, and it has to be one of my favorite Nightwing series of all time.