Grant Morrison: Seven Soldiers, Issue by Issue
Jan 16, 2019 11:33:25 GMT -5
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Post by rberman on Jan 16, 2019 11:33:25 GMT -5
Background, Structure and Story Arc. Spoilers!!
Note: This thread is written from the vantage point of knowledge of the whole series, so if you want to discover the story as it evolves, beware!
Morrison’s final issue of New X-Men were published by Marvel in May 2004, but the scripts were done long before that, and Morrison was chomping at the bit to work for DC again. Seaguy’s three issues came in Summer 2004. Then the “Short Circuit Meets The Incredible Journey” series We3 arrived in the fall. Then JLA Classified in early 2005, followed by Seven Soldiers of Victory #0 in April 2005.
Seven Soldiers was initially touted as a series of stand-alone miniseries, relaunching various neglected characters, but also containing an overarching narrative which rewarded the reading of the whole. The first half of that turned out not to be entirely true. From a publishing perspective, there are indeed seven four issue series, bookended by a pair of issues named after the overall story. Each of the mini-series deals with a single character, none of them a white male, which in itself seems like an implicit shot across the bow of American mainstream comics. Each series allegedly stands alone, but not really. Events and characters intersect across the series, making the overall reading experience far richer (and probably only intelligible) in the context of the whole. As with many of his works, Morrison intends you to see something in chapter 12 that makes you run back to chapter 3 for a moment. Only one of the series (Mister Miracle) can really stand alone, and its value is dubious.
It wouldn’t be a Grant Morrison superhero comic book without meta-textual meditations on the relationship between the writer, the text, and the reader. Here’s a little symbolic cheat sheet to keep in mind when reading this series and this thread:
The Seven Unknown Men are Grant Morrison in particular, and comic book writers in general. They are cosmic tailors who control the story and sew the costumes that define different characters. As spinners of thread, they are the Norns of Norse mythology or the Fates of Greek mythology. At least a couple of times, characters will comment on the invisible threads of destiny holding the story together.
The Sheeda are denizens of Earth's distant future. They get their name from Celtic faerie tales but represent the tendency of comic book companies to plunder their own past. They have two factions led by the estranged king and queen of the faerie: The faction led by King Melmoth regards comic book continuity as a garden that can be exploited (rather than nurtured with love) to yield an ongoing crop through slave labor. The faction led by Queen Gloriana believes that civilizations (stories, characters, settings) reach a period of optimum ripeness, beyond which wasteful decadence sets in. That being the case, they feel it’s better to conduct a severe reaping (a “Harrowing”) and let something new grow from the ashes. But maybe that’s just a rationalization for taking what they want when they want it.
Neh-Buh-Loh is our own sentient universe, the universe of readers, changed by encounters with supervillains and superheroes who have come from the world of comic books. Neh-Buh-Loh has learned a measure of compassion and beauty and is reluctant to play the executioner's role chosen by his mistress, Gloriana.
Each of the seven series examines various senses in which the creation can outlive the creator. This is one of Grant Morrison’s oldest themes. Remember this exchange between John Highwater and Sunshine Superman in Animal Man?
As you might expect, each series depicts the hero setting out and ends with the hero overcoming some obstacle and reaching a new personal plateau. Beyond that, several common story beats run through each series as well:
Seven Soldiers #0: Entry into a new world. A mysterious stranger sets a character on a new path (twice). Reckoning against a powerful foe. Six soldiers meet disaster.
Shining Knight #1: Six soldiers meet disaster. Entry into a strange world.
Shining Knight #2: A mysterious stranger sets the protagonist on a new path.
Shining Knight #3: Ancillary characters deliver lengthy exposition barely involving the protagonist.
Shining Knight #4: Reckoning against a powerful foe
The Guardian #1: A mysterious stranger sets the protagonist on a new path.
The Guardian #2: Reckoning against a powerful foe
The Guardian #3: Entry into a strange world.
The Guardian #4: Ancillary character delivers lengthy exposition barely involving the protagonist. Six soldiers meet disaster.
Zatanna #1: Six soldiers meet disaster.
Zatanna #2: Reckoning against a powerful foe
Zatanna #3: A mysterious stranger sets the protagonist on a new path. Ancillary character delivers lengthy exposition barely involving the protagonist, in which six soldiers meet disaster.
Zatanna #4: Reckoning against a powerful foe. Entry into a strange world.
Klarion the Witch-Boy #1: The hero embarks.
Klarion the Witch-Boy #2: A mysterious stranger sets the protagonist on a new path (twice)
Klarion the Witch-Boy #3: Entry into a strange world. Six soldiers meet disaster.
Klarion the Witch-Boy #4: Reckoning against a powerful foe
Mister Miracle #1: A mysterious stranger sets the protagonist on a new path.
Mister Miracle #2: Six soldiers have met disaster.
Mister Miracle #3: Reckoning against a powerful foe
Mister Miracle #4: Entry into a strange world
Bulleteer #1: The hero embarks.
Bulleteer #2: Ancillary character delivers exposition barely involving the protagonist.
Bulleteer #3: Entry into a strange world
Bulleteer #4: Reckoning against a powerful foe
Frankenstein #1: The hero embarks.
Frankenstein #2: Ancillary character delivers exposition barely involving the protagonist. Reckoning against a powerful foe
Frankenstein #3: An old acquaintance sets the protagonist on a new path.
Frankenstein #4: Reckoning against a powerful foe. Six fortresses meet disaster.
Seven Soldiers #1: Entry into a strange world. Reckoning against a powerful foe. Seven soldiers (eight?) prevail. Ancillary character delivers exposition barely involving the protagonists.
Note: This thread is written from the vantage point of knowledge of the whole series, so if you want to discover the story as it evolves, beware!
Morrison’s final issue of New X-Men were published by Marvel in May 2004, but the scripts were done long before that, and Morrison was chomping at the bit to work for DC again. Seaguy’s three issues came in Summer 2004. Then the “Short Circuit Meets The Incredible Journey” series We3 arrived in the fall. Then JLA Classified in early 2005, followed by Seven Soldiers of Victory #0 in April 2005.
Seven Soldiers was initially touted as a series of stand-alone miniseries, relaunching various neglected characters, but also containing an overarching narrative which rewarded the reading of the whole. The first half of that turned out not to be entirely true. From a publishing perspective, there are indeed seven four issue series, bookended by a pair of issues named after the overall story. Each of the mini-series deals with a single character, none of them a white male, which in itself seems like an implicit shot across the bow of American mainstream comics. Each series allegedly stands alone, but not really. Events and characters intersect across the series, making the overall reading experience far richer (and probably only intelligible) in the context of the whole. As with many of his works, Morrison intends you to see something in chapter 12 that makes you run back to chapter 3 for a moment. Only one of the series (Mister Miracle) can really stand alone, and its value is dubious.
It wouldn’t be a Grant Morrison superhero comic book without meta-textual meditations on the relationship between the writer, the text, and the reader. Here’s a little symbolic cheat sheet to keep in mind when reading this series and this thread:
The Seven Unknown Men are Grant Morrison in particular, and comic book writers in general. They are cosmic tailors who control the story and sew the costumes that define different characters. As spinners of thread, they are the Norns of Norse mythology or the Fates of Greek mythology. At least a couple of times, characters will comment on the invisible threads of destiny holding the story together.
The Sheeda are denizens of Earth's distant future. They get their name from Celtic faerie tales but represent the tendency of comic book companies to plunder their own past. They have two factions led by the estranged king and queen of the faerie: The faction led by King Melmoth regards comic book continuity as a garden that can be exploited (rather than nurtured with love) to yield an ongoing crop through slave labor. The faction led by Queen Gloriana believes that civilizations (stories, characters, settings) reach a period of optimum ripeness, beyond which wasteful decadence sets in. That being the case, they feel it’s better to conduct a severe reaping (a “Harrowing”) and let something new grow from the ashes. But maybe that’s just a rationalization for taking what they want when they want it.
Neh-Buh-Loh is our own sentient universe, the universe of readers, changed by encounters with supervillains and superheroes who have come from the world of comic books. Neh-Buh-Loh has learned a measure of compassion and beauty and is reluctant to play the executioner's role chosen by his mistress, Gloriana.
Each of the seven series examines various senses in which the creation can outlive the creator. This is one of Grant Morrison’s oldest themes. Remember this exchange between John Highwater and Sunshine Superman in Animal Man?
As you might expect, each series depicts the hero setting out and ends with the hero overcoming some obstacle and reaching a new personal plateau. Beyond that, several common story beats run through each series as well:
Seven Soldiers #0: Entry into a new world. A mysterious stranger sets a character on a new path (twice). Reckoning against a powerful foe. Six soldiers meet disaster.
Shining Knight #1: Six soldiers meet disaster. Entry into a strange world.
Shining Knight #2: A mysterious stranger sets the protagonist on a new path.
Shining Knight #3: Ancillary characters deliver lengthy exposition barely involving the protagonist.
Shining Knight #4: Reckoning against a powerful foe
The Guardian #1: A mysterious stranger sets the protagonist on a new path.
The Guardian #2: Reckoning against a powerful foe
The Guardian #3: Entry into a strange world.
The Guardian #4: Ancillary character delivers lengthy exposition barely involving the protagonist. Six soldiers meet disaster.
Zatanna #1: Six soldiers meet disaster.
Zatanna #2: Reckoning against a powerful foe
Zatanna #3: A mysterious stranger sets the protagonist on a new path. Ancillary character delivers lengthy exposition barely involving the protagonist, in which six soldiers meet disaster.
Zatanna #4: Reckoning against a powerful foe. Entry into a strange world.
Klarion the Witch-Boy #1: The hero embarks.
Klarion the Witch-Boy #2: A mysterious stranger sets the protagonist on a new path (twice)
Klarion the Witch-Boy #3: Entry into a strange world. Six soldiers meet disaster.
Klarion the Witch-Boy #4: Reckoning against a powerful foe
Mister Miracle #1: A mysterious stranger sets the protagonist on a new path.
Mister Miracle #2: Six soldiers have met disaster.
Mister Miracle #3: Reckoning against a powerful foe
Mister Miracle #4: Entry into a strange world
Bulleteer #1: The hero embarks.
Bulleteer #2: Ancillary character delivers exposition barely involving the protagonist.
Bulleteer #3: Entry into a strange world
Bulleteer #4: Reckoning against a powerful foe
Frankenstein #1: The hero embarks.
Frankenstein #2: Ancillary character delivers exposition barely involving the protagonist. Reckoning against a powerful foe
Frankenstein #3: An old acquaintance sets the protagonist on a new path.
Frankenstein #4: Reckoning against a powerful foe. Six fortresses meet disaster.
Seven Soldiers #1: Entry into a strange world. Reckoning against a powerful foe. Seven soldiers (eight?) prevail. Ancillary character delivers exposition barely involving the protagonists.
