DC Hardcover Collected Editions Part 3

[ukbondraider]

I'm interested in the Doom Patrol Omnibus, but I'm concerned about the size. My friend has the Invisibles Omnibus and it's really too big to read enjoyably. If someone who has gotten the book could take a picture of it next to another omnibus so I can see how large it is in comparison I would appreciate it.

Im not sure how to upoad pics on here so will leave it to someone else but it is virtually identical in size to the invisibles omnis. Doom patrol is probably 2 or 3mm thinner overall.

[Balakin]

Is the Doom Patrol omnibus worth buying by someone who could barely 'get' Invisibles? I mean, I really enjoyed the middle part of the Invisibles Omnibus (you know, the part where there was an actual narrative, and plot-lines that made some sense ) but the beginning and especially the end felt like my mind was being raped by a leprechaun while being shot full of hallucinogens while listening to hippies talk about their auras and 'the universe maaaan'.

I like your description. I felt the same way but I actually enjoyed it Can't wait to get Doom Patrol.
Oh, and Invisibles is really rewards multiple readings. Also, readign some annotations and anlaysis couldn't hurt either.

[victorxd1999]

For those interested in Daytripper, I've done a review about it in the Weekly reviews thread
http://community.comicbookresources....eviews-part-10

[TomSlick]

But then again, I'm still kinda thrilled and amazed that it even managed to be collected. Between it, Miracleman, and (the quasi-legal, but apparently against Morrison's wishes) Zenith-- many of the books I never thought would be bound for trade have made their way into my hands.

Tell me about it.
Years ago - maybe 10-12 or so - I resorted to getting the original 2000AD progs off Ebay (they actually weren't all that expensive at the time, which surprised me) to collect what was technically volume 4 of Zenith. At the time you could get 1-3 for fairly cheap in tpb form.

Is the Doom Patrol omnibus worth buying by someone who could barely 'get' Invisibles? I mean, I really enjoyed the middle part of the Invisibles Omnibus (you know, the part where there was an actual narrative, and plot-lines that made some sense ) but the beginning and especially the end felt like my mind was being raped by a leprechaun while being shot full of hallucinogens while listening to hippies talk about their auras and 'the universe maaaan'.

It's much more coherent than the Invisibles. It's more on the level of Animal Man. Personally, it's one of my favorite Morrison works.

[Ben11345]

A shop near me has Absolute New Frontier for £30. I've never read the story but love Darwyn Cooke and the film. Are the extras,size and binding worth it for the price or should I just wait for the deluxe edition?
Thanks

[The_Dark_Knight]

A shop near me has Absolute New Frontier for £30. I've never read the story but love Darwyn Cooke and the film. Are the extras,size and binding worth it for the price or should I just wait for the deluxe edition?
Thanks

The Absolute is gorgeous. Not sure where conversion rates are these days, but the Absolute can often be purchased or $30-$40 USD. Unless it seems the Absolute is a good deal more expensive than the deluxe, I'd go Absolute (but, that's always my advice, so take it for what it's worth).

[Invisible Swamp]

A shop near me has Absolute New Frontier for £30. I've never read the story but love Darwyn Cooke and the film. Are the extras,size and binding worth it for the price or should I just wait for the deluxe edition?
Thanks

That's a tough one.

The Absolute is gorgeous and worth every penny. It is arguably the nicest of all DC's Absolute Editions.

But the Deluxe Edition is supposed to include the material from the one-shot and might (might!) have the corrected version of a misprinted page from the Absolute.

Put it this way... I'm probably gonna double dip on it. So you can't go wrong either way.

[titansupes]

There's a deluxe New Frontier coming? I thought it was just a new paperpack...?

[Invisible Swamp]

There's a deluxe New Frontier coming? I thought it was just a new paperpack...?

You're right; I misspoke. It's the first time the complete story's collected in paperback. And I could've swore I read that it will have the material from the one-shot, but now I'm not sure about that.

Sorry to raise hopes.

[Catspit]

Is the Doom Patrol omnibus worth buying by someone who could barely 'get' Invisibles? I mean, I really enjoyed the middle part of the Invisibles Omnibus (you know, the part where there was an actual narrative, and plot-lines that made some sense ) but the beginning and especially the end felt like my mind was being raped by a leprechaun while being shot full of hallucinogens while listening to hippies talk about their auras and 'the universe maaaan'.

I was almost embarrassed to say something because I don't read a ton of stuff... but I have to re-read pages and sections over multiple times just to get a gist of what might be going on. It's a very hard read in my opinion.. and although I find the story kinda cool, if the rest of the volumes read the same I might have to second guess contiuning on with the series. (Invisables Deluxe Vol. 1)

[aquitaine]

I was almost embarrassed to say something because I don't read a ton of stuff... but I have to re-read pages and sections over multiple times just to get a gist of what might be going on. It's a very hard read in my opinion.. and although I find the story kinda cool, if the rest of the volumes read the same I might have to second guess contiuning on with the series. (Invisables Deluxe Vol. 1)

The beginning of the Invisibles was just impossible. The first... quarter or so is utterly incomprehensible to myself and everyone I showed it to... It gets really good and enjoyable for the middle... half or so, and then goes back into crazy town hardcore for the final quarter. I wouldn't recommend it unless you like that kinda stuff.

It's much more coherent than the Invisibles. It's more on the level of Animal Man. Personally, it's one of my favorite Morrison works.

Hmmm, I enjoyed Animal Man, but it wasn't my favorite. Maybe I'll hold off on Doom patrol. Thanks for the info I enjoy kooky and even things that require some thought to get (I really like Jonathan Hickman's indie work, like Pax Romana for example) but some of Morrison's stuff just seems obscure and incomprehensible for the sake of being incomprehensible. It's the black metal of comic books.

[Balakin]

but some of Morrison's stuff just seems obscure and incomprehensible for the sake of being incomprehensible. It's the black metal of comic books.

I think it's the Dillinger escape plan of comic books. It has crazy jazz-hardcore which is as accessible as a brick wall but it has its pop songs too (and I think both Morrison and DEP reuses old themes).
Or Protest the hero, because even if I don't understand what are they doing with their instruments, I can still enjoy the songs.

[aquitaine]

I think it's the Dillinger escape plan of comic books. It has crazy jazz-hardcore which is as accessible as a brick wall but it has its pop songs too (and I think both Morrison and DEP reuses old themes).
Or Protest the hero, because even if I don't understand what are they doing with their instruments, I can still enjoy the songs.

I'll give you the Dillinger reference, but my black metal reference was because black metal artists tend to purposefully make things as unpalatable and difficult to digest as possible to cater to a fan base that analyze it and thinks it's better than everything else. I don't get that from Dillenger, they sound more like tech-wank whereas real underground black metal sounds like a buzzsaw recorded on a kid's boombox in one take.

Props for the Protest The Hero reference (saw them about two months back, amazing show) but their music is much more accessible and generally palatable to the public than either Dillinger or underground black metal.

Anywhoo, yeah. Morrison.

[Balakin]

I'll give you the Dillinger reference, but my black metal reference was because black metal artists tend to purposefully make things as unpalatable and difficult to digest as possible to cater to a fan base that analyze it and thinks it's better than everything else. I don't get that from Dillenger, they sound more like tech-wank whereas real underground black metal sounds like a buzzsaw recorded on a kid's boombox in one take.

Props for the Protest The Hero reference (saw them about two months back, amazing show) but their music is much more accessible and generally palatable to the public than either Dillinger or underground black metal.

Anywhoo, yeah. Morrison.

I could argue about this a bit more but it's starting to get off topic and I'm a bit out of the metal genre nowadays (except PTH and Letlive. I almost fell asleep on a Dillinger show a few years ago despite that they are still awesome...).
If you listen to various interviews with Morrison I think it's clear that he lives in another dimension. He always talks about his books like the most accessible and obvious ideas ever, but when you actually read them, you have to really pay attention to catch everything. I don't think the level of complexity and confusion is intentional, he is just wired this way.

[The_Dark_Knight]

What I love about Morrison is that, in nearly all his works, it requires at lot more "participation" on the reader's part than with another author. I'd be lying if I said that his plots and themes can be opaque at first, but, like, a magic eye picture from the 80s, the meaning reveals itself to you.

I found that his works like Animal man, the Invisibles, Flex Mentallo, and All-Star Superman genuinely changed the way I thought about the world, the universe, religion, philosophy, and other areas. No other writer (with the possible exception of Alan Moore funnily enough) has written things that have made me do that. Whereas most writers use simply the words and art as their canvas upon which to communicate and idea, Morrison uses meta-narrative, historical context, book layout, and other non-tradition tools to paint a picture with several dimensions of depth.

[VERY MINOR SPOILERS FOR ALL-STAR SUPERMAN AND ANIMAL MAN IN NEXT PARAGRAPH]

Furthermore, each of his books informs a unique understanding of his other books. It's like his bibliography itself is a narrative he's been slowly unraveling throughout his career. Here's an example: In Final Crisis, we're told that gods are nothing but self-aware ideas. An idea is self-aware when it can perpetuate itself, almost independent of the thinker. In All-Star Superman, we're told that Superman is an idea we came up with as something to strive toward. He's the perfect being, perfect, loving, humble, and infallible. He's an idea that has lasted several generations and maintained his core elements. He's an idea that has drastically affected culture in profound, incalculable ways. How then, is Superman not God (or a god depending on your beliefs)? [MINOR SPOILERS IN NEXT SENTENCE FOR ALL-STAR SUPERMAN]. Indeed, in what is arguably All-Star Superman's greatest issue, we see him create our world, then we see Shuster and Seagle create him in an infinite loop of creation [END SPOILERS]. Then, think of the concept of "fiction suits" as explored in The Invisibles. [MINOR SPOILERS IN NEXT SENTENCE FOR ANIMAL MAN] Just as supra-temporal, supra-dimensional beings could lower themselves to our lesser plane, so Morrison lowers himself into his own fiction to have a discourse with his creation. Creator dialoging with creation. [END SPOILERS].

As is probably obvious now, I could write about different aspects of Morrison genius all day, but suffice it to say that his material is much, much more than intentionally incomprehensible gobbledygook. It's profound.

Also, read his autobiography / history of comics through a unique perspective called Supergods.