Undertaking a list of the Best Grant Morrison comics is a difficult exercise. Few writers in the modern era have been as prolific and influential within comics as Morrison, which means they have a varied and extensive body of work, spanning decades, publishers, and entire fictional multiverses. It’s a lot.
Morrison has also been the subject of so many comics essays, so many social media threads, so many online debates — narrowing their work down to a list of 10 favorites is inherently tricky. Surely, there will be disagreements, likely vehement ones. But I’ve done my best, cheating just a bit by including several “also reads” that put more Morrison books in play. Ultimately, if you’re new to Morrison, I hope you’ll find a roadmap to start exploring; if you’re a long-time fan, I hope you’ll nod at least a few times, before heading off to re-read some old favs.
Anyway, without further adieu — my picks for Best Grant Morrison comics can be found alphabetically below…
The Best Grant Morrison Comics
All-Star Superman
Penciled By: Frank Quitely
Inked and Colored By: Jamie Grant
Lettered By: Phil Balsman and Travis Lanham
Publisher: DC Comics
Why It’s Cool: I think of this book as the definitive Superman story for the long-time Superman reader, touching as it does so much of the character’s core concept, wonderful cast of characters, and long publication history. On a story level, it’s also incredibly moving and well-told. I’ve seen it lauded as a great Superman comic to hand to non comics readers, and I’m not sure I’d say that (Superman: Secret Identity says hello). But nonetheless, it’s a masterful work from two titans of superhero storytelling, a must-read for anyone interested in Morrison or their view of comics and the world.
Like This? Also Read: While some of the “also read” suggestions on this list will get a bit more complicated, this one is easy because Morrison has twice also written Superman-centric runs of comics, including the New 52 launch of Action Comics and the more recent miniseries, Superman and the Authority.
Buy-It Here: Paperback
Animal Man
Pencilers: Chas Truog with Tom Grummett
Inker: Doug Hazlewood
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Letterer: John Costanza
Publisher: DC Comics
Why It’s Cool: This is the run where you can perhaps best watch as Grant Morrison finds their voice. It starts as a familiar enough superhero story, but in Animal Man #5 the run starts to become something different, sort of transcending the familiar trappings of a straight-forward comic to become something new. It’s maybe an oversimplification to say that that something else is meta-fiction, but that’s the description most closely associated with these comics. I also think this is a must-read run before starting my personal favorite Morrison (more on that below…).
Buy-It Here: Deluxe Edition Book 1 / Deluxe Edition Book 2 / Omnibus
Batman
Artists: Andy Kubert, John Van Fleet, Tony S. Daniel, Ryan Benjamin, J.H. Williams, David Finch, Phillip Tan, Yanick Paquette, Ryan Sook, Frank Quitely, Frazer Irving, Declan Shalvey, Chris Burnham, Scott Clark, Cameron Stewart, Jorge Lucas, and more
Publisher: DC Comics
Why It’s Cool: Morrison’s work on Batman is their longest and arguably most elaborate work with a single character. It certainly spans the most comics and series, adding up for a total of three ominbi (busses? who knows…). While there are certainly individual highlights — Batman & Robin; Batman, Inc., come to mind — I think these comics are best taken as a whole. Admittedly, I’m a completionist with my reading, but I just think the stunning nature of the overall vision for this run is one fans of Morrison should experience.
Like This? Also Read: Well, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Gothic are certainly other comics written by Morrison that also have Batman in it, but that book is from an entirely different era of their work. If you’re looking for well-realized Morrison visions of singular DC characters, you would do better to read their Green Lantern run with Liam Sharp, or their trilogy of Wonder Woman: Earth One graphic novels with Yanick Paquette.
Buy It Here: Omnibus Book 1 / Omnibus Book 2 / Omnibus Book 3
Doom Patrol
Artist: Richard Case with Doug Braithwaite, Kelley Jones, Steve Yeowell, Vince Giarrano, Sean Phillips, Mike Dringenberg, and more
Inkers: Scott Hanna, with Carlos Garzon, John Nyberg, Mark McKenna, Kim DeMulder, Doug Hazlewood, Stan Woch, Malcom Jones III, and more
Colorist: Danny Vozzo
Letterer: John Workman
Publisher: DC Comics
Why It’s Cool: This is my personal favorite comic on this entire Best Grant Morrison comics list. It’s just such a complete ride start to finish, and it ends on the absolute best note of any run in superhero comics, with a poetic finish that speaks to the nature of why these stories endure. This is also an additive run that brought the Doom Patrol several characters that have gone on to become central to the concept. I think it might be best read right after finishing Animal Man, and while I think it’s too singular to have direct also-reads, I think Flex Mentallo makes a nice comedown after this run.
Buy It Here: Book One / Book Two / Book Three
The Filth
Penciller: Chris Weston
Inker: Gary Erksine
Colorists: Matt Hollingsworth and Hi-Fi
Letterer: Clem Robins
Publisher: DC Comics – Vertigo
Why It’s Cool: If I had to wager, I’d guess this might be the most controversial choice for this list of the 10 Best Grant Morrison comics. But I have a case for it: 1. I think Weston and Erksine’s work in this book is (ironically) some of the cleanest in any Morrison comic and a masterclass in clear storytelling for nonconventional ideas; 2. It’s really the ultimate conclusion to ideas that showed up first in Zenith and then later and more directly in The Invisibles. Which brings me to…
Like This? Also Read: This might also prove a bit controversial but I think this book is a sort of conclusion that ideas that first showed up all the way back in Morrison’s early 2000AD work, Zenith (which was maybe the most painful cut I made to get this list to 10). Those ideas are explored more in The Invisibles, too, a book that has a very devoted following but is not as close to my heart as the others on our list proper.
Buy It Here: Deluxe Edition
Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery
Artist: Frank Quitely
Colorist: Peter Doherty
Letterer: Ellie De Ville
Publisher: DC Comics – Vertigo
Why It’s Cool: This four-issue miniseries could, perhaps, be read as a distant extension of the Doom Patrol run, but in my opinion (and that’s really what all these choices are), it’s so good it should have a spot on this list of its own. From the first page on, this is a comic that is gorgeous and interesting. All of the Morrison-Quitely collaborations are strong, but this is perhaps the most free of them, not beholden to typical superhero comics structures as books like All-Star Superman and New X-Men were. And, narratively, it goes to more interesting places to that, ultimately serving as a very personal comic about Morrison’s own relationship to comics as a medium.
Buy It Here: Paperback
JLA
Pencillers: Howard Porter, Oscar Jimenez, Arnie Jorgensen, Mark Pajarillo
Inkers: John Dell, Ken Branch, Chip Wallace, David Meikis, Mark Pennington, and Walden Wong
Colorists: Pat Garrahy
Letterers: Ken Lopez, Ruben Diaz
Why It’s Cool: I think this run is really JLA run of the modern era, and quite possibly the best Justice League run of all time. It’s just such a definitive take, ranking also as some of the best mainstream comics Grant Morrison has ever made. Morrison’s career definitely oscillates between periods of accessibility, and this is them and their work at its most accessible.
Like This? Also Read: I would tack some auxiliary reading onto your JLA experience, and that would include Aztek: The Ultimate Man, JLA: Paradise Lost, and — as a capstone to your Morrison Justice League experience — JLA: Earth Two.
Buy It Here: Omnibus
Marvel Boy
Artist: J.G. Jones
Inkers: J.G. Jones, with Sean Parsons
Colorists: Avalon Studios and Matt Milla
Letterers: J.G. Jones and Avalon Studios
Publisher: Marvel Comics – Marvel Knights
Why It’s Cool: I probably won’t win many popularity points for saying it, but when it comes to Morrison’s work at Marvel Comics, Marvel Boy is my favorite of the bunch, over even New X-Men, which is certainly far more well-known. But Marvel Boy is an essentially perfect six-issue miniseries, one that feels free and interesting and unpredictable throughout. The only qualm I have with these comics is that the discussed sequel never came to fruition. Nonetheless, this is is a satisfying read, and my favorite Morrison vision of the Marvel Universe.
Like This? Also Read: That is all not to say, however, that I dislike New X-Men, certainly not. There are some absolutely incredible highs in that run, among the best X-Men comics ever, and there was a time in my young life when my primary preoccuaption was counting days between the release of New X-Men issues. So, I’d certainly recommend it, and I’d also recommend Morrison’s other major foray into the Marvel Universe, Fantastic Four 1 2 3 4.
Buy It Here: Marvel Boy
Seven Soldiers of Victory
Artists: J.H. Williams III, Simone Bianchi, Cameron Stewart, Ryan Sook, Mick Gray, Frazer Irving, Pasqual Ferry, Yannick Paquette, Michael Bair, Doug Mahnke, Billy Dallas Patton, Freddie Williams II, and Serge LaPointe
Colorists: Dave Stewart, Nathan Eyring, Moose Baumann, Dave McCaig, and Alex Sinclair
Letterers: Todd Klein, Rob Leigh, Pat Brosseau, Jared K. Fletcher, Phil Balsman, John Kalisz, and Nick J. Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics
Why It’s Cool: I write about this often on this site, but my favorite DC Comics stories are often those that use the publisher’s less heralded ideas and characters. This book is certainly that, with a healthy topping of new ideas, too. It’s an intricate and sprawling vision for what oddball superhero storytelling can be, and I absolutely love it. I also think it’s an especially great read if you’re doing all of Morrison’s DC work in order, but you can also just pick this one up with only a cursory knowledge of the involved characters and just go.
Like This? Also Read: I think there are several lines in Morrison’s work, comics that lead directly into other comics, in terms of their foundational ideas and bedrock themes. Those connections are certainly up to interpretation, but a clear line for me goes right from Seven Soldiers to Final Crisis and ultimately to Multiversity, both of which are very much worth your time if you enjoyed Seven Soldiers.
Buy It Here: Book One / Book Two
WE3
Artist: Frank Quitely
Inker and Colorist: Jamie Grant
Letterer: Todd Klein
Publisher: DC Comics – Vertigo
Why It’s Cool: We3 — while totally and utterly emotionally devastating, especially for animal lovers — might be Morrison’s best and most accessible standalone work. There’s no contemplation about chaos magic or villains lying beneath the surface of reality in this one. It’s in many ways a straight-up action/espionage thriller with a deep and heartfelt emotional core. It’s also the sort of self-contained story one can pick up and easily read any afternoon. I can’t recommend it enough.
Like This? Also Read: Finally, I don’t really have any even tentative connections here, but there are two more favorite Morrison comics of mine that I did want to mention before concluding this list of the Best Grant Morrison comics — the Dan Mora badass Santa comic from BOOM! Studios, Klaus, and the perpetually underrated Phillip Bond team-up, Kill Your Boyfriend.
Buy It Here: Deluxe Edition
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Lot of great choices! I distinctly recall reading Morrison’s “JLA” as it was published and it made me proud to be a comicbook fan. Until that point in my life I had kept that hobby hidden from most folks. This book, to me, was like what the Marvel films became – mainstream cool and accessible to fans and non-fans. People who generally knew who Superman, Batman and the Super Friends were from movies/cartoons could get into Morrison’s “JLA” as could the die hard fans. But it was also just so smart and creative and imaginative, too, as well as such a breath of fresh air following the grim-n-gritty ’90s. And what was great at the time was that I was also hunting down back issues of Morrison’s “Doom Patrol,” which I had previously tried but been unable to really get into. And my love of his “JLA” and “Doom Patrol” lead me to “Animal Man.” So those are fond memories for me.
I would have added “Final Crisis” to your list. I think that event series too often gets dismissed because it was too dense, too smart. Morrison fans would expect no less. But readers who were looking for another big popcorn mini-series were in for a rude awakening.
Frankly, that’s one of the reasons why I couldn’t understand the praise reviewers, including this site, lavished on “Dark Crisis” a few months back. That was just such a by-the-numbers event. “Final Crisis” elevated that form of “smashing all the toys together/nothing will ever be the same/end-of-reality” story-telling and it still, for me, casts a long shadow.
All good choices, but I would have liked to have seen Grant’s X-MEN on the list. He took that series back to its roots and, in doing so, re-established its core vision, which is vital for any series.
Nice choices all around! There are a few good stories I would include that you didn’t put in your “also reads:”
Seaguy: this is a whimsical but existentially terrifying book that I think holds up pretty well against anything Morrison ever did. Alas, Cameron Stewart has (allegedly) done some really creepy stuff so it’s hard to recommend this without reservation, but it’s quite good if you can separate the art from the artist. (Also – I have heard that scripts exist for a concluding volume, but we will probably never get that, due to Stewart’s misconduct…)
Annihilator: when this came out, it read like Grant Morrison doing a greatest hits tour. All relatively familiar stuff, but executed well. However, I think if you read this as an introduction to Morrison, it will feel incredibly fresh. Underrated creator-owned book.
JLA: Classified: Essential reading pre-Seven Soldiers. It is a perfectly fun standalone story even if you’ve never read Morrison’s earlier JLA run and never intend to read Seven Soldiers, but taken as the link between those projects, it’s even more intriguing.
Dude, you guys included marvel boy but no invisibles. It’s literally their magnum opus and probably better than every book on this list.
I also find The Invisibles absence quite odd. I personally don’t care for it but I recognize it’s place in history. My favorite Morrison books are Animal-Man, Joe the Barbara and Nameless
Or Joe the Barbarian, whatever you prefer
So, no love for Zenith ?
How Zenith and The Invisibles are not on this list is beyond me – the two comics that, I feel, most define who Morrison is, and what it is they do… Their first major work, and their magnum opus HAVE to be on a Top 10 list, I reckon.
Happy to see both All Star and WE3 on here. I also have a lot of love for Arkham Asylum and The Mystery Play though both those may be more because of the achievements of the artists.
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