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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The art ha suffered but the ideas keep on coming., 17 Jul 2001
The Invisibles is very much of its time. By this I don't mean that it has dated particularly, but that it almost defined its time. Those of us who followed every issue as it came out were aware that we were as much part of the story as the characters in it - everything was topical, and so close to the cutting edge of the zeitgeist that you felt cool just for knowing it existed.The first volume of the series was pretty good and had some astonishing episodes in it, but it was in its second volume that things really took off. Now collected as three books, they really represent some of the best writing in comics ever produced. It's a spell, a game, a participatory miracle. And while you really had to have been there to really get it, there's something here for everyone. "Kissing Mr Quimper" is the third book of volume two. The two previous volumes were mostly pencilled by Phil Jiminez, who did a tremendous job of making the coolest subcultural revolutionary cell in the world actually LOOK like the coolest subcultural revolutionary cell. This volume has art by Chris Weston, and while it is far from bad, it's not got that same glamour and punch. Thankfully, Grant's plotting more than compensates. The first book was incredibly tightly written, the second has many spiralling storylines explode and "Kissing Mr Quimper" drags it all back together in one of the best conclusions - and an excellent preamble to the collections of Volume Three we are to expect shortly. The plot is difficult to describe - there are a group of 'Invisibles' - King Mob, Lord Fanny, Ragged Robin, Jack Frost and Boy - who have been fighting the forces of oppression as represented by the 'outer church' - they've met a number of other people engaged in the same activity, and have seen some of the depths that the 'enemy' will sink to. One of their number may have been infected with a viral entity called Quimper - but having found the Hand of Glory, deprogrammed one of their own number and mounted an assault to try to find the Magic Matter creature that the enemy has captured, they don't as yet know if they will be successful or double-crossed... And what is the master-plan that lies behind the scenes. All in all a great read - although it'll make MUCH more sense if you get the other two books of this volume first (volume one isn't necessary to understand what's going on). Just a pity that the art isn't quite as great as it has been...
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