Comic Book Guy: Grant Morrison double

Glaswegian comic book writer Grant Morrison is a born storyteller and it’s thanks to his creative vision that the mould of stagnant formula within comic book narratives has been broken, and the medium turned on its head. Whether it was pulling the rug from underneath the comic book community with his twist and turns in the DC title Batman & Robin, or his stripped-down retelling off the last son of Krypton in All Start Superman, each story has been a unique tale, infused with Morrison’s trademark counter-culture leanings that leaves a distinct branding on all of his work.

This 11 May sees the Scot’s best-selling run on Batman & Robin continue with the collected release of issues #13-16 and Batman: The Return #1 as the TPB Batman and Robin Vol. 3: Batman Must Die. Released as a deluxe hard cover edition with cover art by Morrison’s long time cohort Frank Quietly, the story art is provided by Cameron Stewart, Frazer Irving and David Finch. The book opens with the imminent return of Bruce Wayne to Gotham City, as the new Batman and Robin team that have been filling the Dark Knight’s cape in his absence must confront another return – The Joker’s.

Never one to be resting on his laurels, on 19 July Morrison’s Supergods will also hit all good bookstores. This title, however, is a little different. A non-fiction history of the superhero archetype, it is part exploration of the model of the classic heroes through history, art and mythos, but also part memoir about the writer’s own inspirations. If anyone ever wanted to know about the titles that influenced Grant the most, the answer lies within these pages.