I've just finished reading the 40 issue ongoing series of Grendel from Comico back in the day and was going to simply sing its praises over at the 'What I've been reading' thread. Thinking on though having finished it I couldn't help dwelling on how Matt Wagner has a lot of fans on the board (I think) and how he deserves a go at getting a thread dedicated to his work.
Grendel was quite, quite brilliant. When Wagner started the series he hit upon a wonderful way to sustain it beyond the original incarnation of the character. Its one that's been done a lot since but I'm not sure how much before hand? Grendel became an entity that possessed different people, the devil incarnate. Thus this ongoing was in fact a series of ongoing mini-series. It starts with a quite stunning examination of hate, anger and desperation with Christine Sparr hunting her missing son and springs to boundless other ideas examining similar themes from there.
The format enabled the inspired Matt Wagner to really take the shackles off and run rampant with experimentation. As with 2000ad not all of it worked, the vast majority does, but even when it doesn't you're glad you've read it and had the chance to judge. Its really is a fantastic examination in what a comic can do with a core concept, some flexible, open themes and the ambition of a young creative mind not willing to settle for the norm.
Oh and its a bloody engaging exciting read to.
So yeah that's just Grendel. Alongside his work on Mage a glorious autobiography of sorts and some of the best mainstream superhero work out there when he's delved that way I have now decided that Matt Wagner has joined that other Wagner in my top five comic writers of all time. He truly deserves to sit alongside the greats (in no order) John Wagner, Grant Morrison, John Smith and Jack Kirby as the best creators I have ever read and when you think about some of the astonishing talent not in that list (I might start a favourite writers thread since I had some thoughts on this after finishing Grendel - and we love lists don't we!) that is no mean claim.
So yeah if anyone fancies lets all sit down, flex our fingers and type in praise of one of comics greats. Arguably the most under-rated of them all Matt Wagner.
Grendel was quite, quite brilliant. When Wagner started the series he hit upon a wonderful way to sustain it beyond the original incarnation of the character. Its one that's been done a lot since but I'm not sure how much before hand? Grendel became an entity that possessed different people, the devil incarnate. Thus this ongoing was in fact a series of ongoing mini-series. It starts with a quite stunning examination of hate, anger and desperation with Christine Sparr hunting her missing son and springs to boundless other ideas examining similar themes from there.
The format enabled the inspired Matt Wagner to really take the shackles off and run rampant with experimentation. As with 2000ad not all of it worked, the vast majority does, but even when it doesn't you're glad you've read it and had the chance to judge. Its really is a fantastic examination in what a comic can do with a core concept, some flexible, open themes and the ambition of a young creative mind not willing to settle for the norm.
Oh and its a bloody engaging exciting read to.
So yeah that's just Grendel. Alongside his work on Mage a glorious autobiography of sorts and some of the best mainstream superhero work out there when he's delved that way I have now decided that Matt Wagner has joined that other Wagner in my top five comic writers of all time. He truly deserves to sit alongside the greats (in no order) John Wagner, Grant Morrison, John Smith and Jack Kirby as the best creators I have ever read and when you think about some of the astonishing talent not in that list (I might start a favourite writers thread since I had some thoughts on this after finishing Grendel - and we love lists don't we!) that is no mean claim.
So yeah if anyone fancies lets all sit down, flex our fingers and type in praise of one of comics greats. Arguably the most under-rated of them all Matt Wagner.
