Grant Morrison upends reality and expectations (naturally) in his new miniseries, “Annihilator,” and artist Frazer Irving has again proved himself adept at masterfully interpreting a Morrison script. Both writer and artist have created an artistic triumph in only the first issue of a miniseries with potential to be one of best and trippiest of the year.
Written by Grant Morrison
Illustrated Artist Frazer IrvingLegendary Comics proudly presents Annihilator, an original graphic novel odyssey from the extraordinary mind of Grant Morrison. This 6-issue series is a subversive sci-fi adventure like no other, brought to life with stunning artwork from Frazer Irving (Judge Dredd, Necronauts).
Washed-up Hollywood screenwriter Ray Spass is caught in a downward spiral of broken relationships, wild parties and self-destruction. Out of luck and out of chances, he’s one failed script away from fading into obscurity. Little does he know he’s about to write the story of his life.
As his imagination runs rampant, Ray must join forces with his own fictional character Max Nomax on a reality-bending race to stop the entire universe from imploding… without blowing his own mind in the process.
“Annihilator” is a book that could only take place in Los Angeles. With eerie skylines and a behind-the-scenes Hollywood setup, Morrison and Irving tell the tale of a hedonistic screenwriter names Ray Spass (appropriately pronounced “space”) who hasn’t inspired a hit film in two years. Spass is in a deep depression and in the process of writing a sci-fi screenplay that an unnamed studio wants to transform into a franchise. That script features a criminal from the future named Max Nomax; banished to the floating outer space prison called Dis, Nomax promises to “find a cure for death!” and escape the pull of a great black hole that, in laymen’s terms, is called the “Great Annihilator”. But back in “reality”, Spass has the stress of a deadline from a Hollywood studio and the stress of impending annihilation of his body and mind weighing heavily upon him.
The first issue just scratches the surface of profoundly deep themes involving characters that are very unsympathetic, yet at the same time demanding of our sympathy. Spass is on the verge of succumbing to maladies both psychological and physical. He escapes, like the screenplays he writes, from reality by consuming alcohol, drugs, and sex. Like his creation Nomax, Spass is a “criminal” trapped in a prison. Yet Spass’ prison is a prison of his own making. Nomax, however, wants to find a cure for the real and metaphorical “death” that traps him and every living person. Morrison is able to gain the reader’s sympathy for these characters because of the desolation that weighs heavily on both the “real” and “fictional” antiheroes of this story. The characters and the settings they inhabit are so visceral that they appeal to the deepest, darkest emotions that we all feel at some point in our lives (even if we may not want to admit it).
The setting of “Annihilator” is perfect because it blurs the lines between reality and fiction. The first page even opens with screenwriting jargon that sets up the first scene: “EXT. SPACE – GALACTIC SPIRAL.” Los Angeles and the land of Hollywood are synonymous with possibility and the art of artifice. What and who is fake are observations made by “industry” and non-“industry” folk alike every hour of every day. In a humorous aside, Spass’ agent even perceives everything by the superficial lens of Hollywood by saying Spass is “whiter than the audience demographic for Seinfeld”. It’s understandable how one can get lost in their minds while living in a city that survives and thrives off of the world of make-believe.
Morrison and Irving’s book is always evolving and the blending of genres makes it that much more jarring and powerful of a story. Like a layered and rich screenplay, Morrison utilizes various genres in this issue without confusing or overwhelming the reader. Morrison, in concert with Irving, is a storyteller who has expertly crafted a perfect introduction to a mindbender of a story. However, because it doesn’t confuse the reader, this issue demonstrates that it is enthralling because of the emotions, and it forces us to question things instead of being a pretentiously perplexing book.
Continued belowIf “Annihilator” #1 didn’t have great art to match Morrison’s unique story, then those topics that Morrison explores would not have as much power. We should be grateful for Frazer Irving; this issue is a showcase for Irving’s unique artistry. From panel layout to use of color, he creates an eerie and otherworldly Los Angeles setting. The yellow of the sunny L.A. skyline highlights a swelteringly overwhelming setting that is appropriate for Spass’ mindset. The light from the sun even floods the room while Spass is writing and engulfs the page.
Irving’s panel layouts are equally impressive and fittingly convey a sense of chaos. A particular scene between Spass and a realtor is just one example of Irving’s brilliant attention to detail when blending art and story within the panels. When the realtor is showing Spass a house with a lurid past, one long panel stretches from one page to the next while the bottom panel does the same. The emptiness of the house and the winding depiction of the floor add a psychedelic and haunted feel to the proceedings. Irving’s art, here and throughout, contribute to the power of Morrison’s tale and characters.
Irving also understands what Morrison is trying to do with his story in another very important way by giving the art in “Annihilator” a cinematic flair. Everything is movie screen “big” in this debut issue: panels, layouts, emotions, and even color. It’s a Cinemascope cavalcade that just begs to be adapted to the big screen. Spass looks out a window in one splash page, with his hair dramatically covering one eye. Irving carves out a hardened individual who has been dealt many hardships on the page just through the one unconcealed eye and the entirety of his face. Nomax, in the world of Spass’ imagination, looms large in his science fiction world and even appears to pop right out of the panels and off of the page. Spass’ bright “real” world is in sharp contrast to the dark blues and purples (and even pink!) of Nomax’s “unreal” world. The art is bold, yet never cartoonish.
Morrison and Irving have combined themes of science fiction, the occult, horror, and the artificiality of life and Hollywood in just the very first issue of a miniseries that promises to enlighten and entertain readers. As Morrison is wont to do in the best of his works, each panel of every page is important to the overall story. Repeat readings are required, but be warned: your sanity may be on the line.
Final Verdict: 10.0 – Perfect books are a rare thing, but “Annihilator” #1 definitely deserves a big 10. Morrison and Irving are in sync with each other in this first issue and I have high expectations that the rest of this series can live up to this quality of artistry. There are bound to be more surprises with the next five issues that are guaranteed to blow our minds. With the launch of “The Multiversity” and now “Annihilator”, the promise of another Morrison renaissance is just beginning to grow into fruition.
