Hey, let's read Grant Morrison's Marvel Comics
By Zack Quaintance — One of the defining features on this site (and the related Twitter feed) is our reading projects, which date back to the Sandman 75 in the summer of 2018. Essentially, what we do is we read one comic per day (Monday through Friday), and Tweet favorite panels, accompanying thoughts, and other general impressions about the work. For about a year (and change), we’ve been going chronologically through the work of one Grant Morrison, arguably the defining comics writer of this era.
We’ve done Doom Patrol, we’ve done The Invisibles, and we’ve done JLA. This brings us to the era in which Grant Morrison wrote for Marvel Comics, which while brief was nonetheless formative for the characters they touched, especially Marvel Boy and the X-Men. It’s exciting stuff!
As always, anyone anywhere is invited to join along in this reading project, which begins this coming Monday, July 12. Here’s how we’re doing it:
Read one issue per day, Monday - Friday, starting July 12, 2021
Tweet about said issue in the evening (usually within an hour give or take of 8:30 p.m. ET)
Use the reading order below
Tag Tweets with the hashtag, #MorrisonatMarvel
That’s it! It’s going to be a great time, and I’m particuliarly excited to revisit The New X-Men era of comics, which I haven’t read since I was a wee lad…anyway! Without further pre-amble, check out the reading order we’ll be using below…
Grant Morrison’s Marvel Comics Reading Order
Skrull Kill Krew (1995) #1 - #5 (read it digitally / read it physically)
Marvel Boy (2000) #1 - #6 (read it digitally / read it physically)
New X-Men, Vol. 1: E is for Extinction (2001) #114 - #117 plus New X-Men Annual #1 (read it digitally / read it physically)
New X-Men, Vol. 2: Imperial (2001) #118 - #126 (read it digitally / read it physically)
Fantastic Four: 1 2 3 4 (2001) #1 - #4 (read it digitally / read it physically)
Marvel Knights: Double Shot #2 (included in Fantastic Four: 1 2 3 4 both physically and digitally)
New X-Men, Vol. 3: New Worlds (2001) #127 - #133 (read it digitally / read it physically)
New X-Men, Vol. 4: Riot at Xavier’s (2001) #134 - #138 (read it digitally / read it physically)
New X-Men, Vol. 5: Assault on Weapon Plus (2001) #139 - #145 (read it digitally / read it physically)
New X-Men, Vol. 6: Planet X (2001) #146 - #150 (read it digitally / read it physically)
New X-Men, Vol. 7: Here Comes Tomorrow (2001) #151 - #154 (read it digitally / read it physically)
I should note too that the vast majority of these comics can be accessed digitally with a comiXology unlimited subscription, which I believe is something like $6 a month. Definitely the most cost efficient way to do this.
Grant Morrison’s Marvel Comics
Finally, each week I’ll compile some of the Tweets that use our #MorrisonatMarvel hashtag below…
Week One: Skrull Kill Krew #1 - #5
Week Two: Marvel Boy #1 - #5
Week Three: Marvel Boy #6, New X-Men #114 - #116, and New X-Men Annual 2001
Week Four: New X-Men #117 - #121
Week Five: New X-Men #122 - #126
Week Six: Fantastic Four 1 2 3 4 #1 - #4, and Marvel Knights Double Shot #2
Week Seven: New X-Men #127 - #131
Week Eight: New X-Men #132 - #136
Week Nine: New X-Men #137 - #140
Week Nine: New X-Men #137 - #140
Week Ten: New X-Men #141 - #145
Week Eleven: New X-Men #146 - #150
Week Twelve: New X-Men #151 - #154
Check out our recent Morrison’s JLA read, too!
Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.