Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
indispensable guide to the end of the world as we know it, 4 Mar 2003
"The Invisibles"was the greatest,most mind-expanding comic of the 90's...and it still is!! A grandiose claim? Maybe,but the only other comics to even approach the diversity and range of ideas explored in "the Invisibles" were Alan Moore's works (notably Promethea and From Hell).and Doom Patrol, Flex Mentallo and Animal Man..all not coincidentally written by the creator of the Invisibles..the legendary Scots shaman,Grant Morrison. What mythology is to Neil Gaiman,conspiracy theory,psychedelic mind-expansion and surrealism are to Grant..the series is a giddy whirl of speculative fantasy,mysticism and pseudo-science..with references to...oh,let's see..The Marquis de Sade,the theories of Terrence Mckenna,the Illuminati,voodoo,time travel,meme theory,quantum physics,tarot...dear god you need a guide to get all this stuff straight in your head.. And guess what? It's here! This book is a comprehensive companion to the series,with synopses of each chapter,reading lists,annotations to explain possible interpretations,interviews with key personnel,and the personal opinions of the authors. Importantly,it is not sycophantic,but explores the series through the eyes of critical but supportive fans,and though there is a little fanboy nitpicking,there is gold here for those who wish to explore the concepts from the series further.The reading list alone is worth the price of admission,as is the exclusive interview with Grant. Caveat: this book is designed for reading after the series itself,so if you haven't read the series,get all 7 trade paperbacks..(available right here on Amazon) FIRST!! Then rush back here,read this book and start re-reading the series with fresh eyes.It's different every time!!
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad, 8 Oct 2003
By A Customer
This book shows the best and worst of companions. First, the best: the interview with Grant is enlightening, and the panel breakdowns are useful, so you can spot the odd things that you missed, and make sense of the appalling art in the penultimate episode of the final book.Now, the bad: a fair chunk of the book's commentary is extremely knowing. Comments such as "intelligent readers will have of course worked out who so-and-on is" are peppered throughout, and soon become irritating. Also, the non-Grant interviews are sometimes interesting, but are often fluff.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential reading for fans of the series., 21 April 2003
Absolutely amazing. Most so called "Guides" and "Companions" to TV shows or Comics are dull and spartan in their offerings. Not here, however, as this book is absolutely packed with information. With page by page annotation to every issue, translations of confusing terms, analysis of themes, symbology, characters and many many interviews with the people who made the Invisibles (including an epic Morrison piece spanning nearly 30 pages)this books rounds of the series nicely. It also (thankfully) includes several theories about what exactly is going on in the somewhat confusing narrative and reality warping storyline (damned useful, enough to make you go back to the old issues and have another look and think "Oh yeah! Why didn't I pick up on that before?"). While I do not suggest even cracking this open without reading the whole series first (it contains massive spoilers), I would most definitely recomend for everyone who has read and loved the invisibles. It may even fuel Invisible's theories of your own.
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