Broken Frontier

Grant Morrison is synonymous with big ideas and character work spiraling sometimes out of control but never were his ideas and emotions so focused and precise as in Seaguy and the Wasps of Atlantis. The character of Seaguy rose out of some friendly chatter with his wife, coming up with silly names for superheroes but Morrison connected with Seaguy, coined by his wife. According to him, he saw the potential for a character that was a bit Don Quixote, Candide and Celtic folklore.

Seaguy collects the 3-issue Vertigo miniseries that follows the strange adventure of would-be hero Seaguy and his faithful companion Chubby Da Choona as they try and decipher the mystery of Xoo - a ubiquitous new food that seems to have evolved into a brand-new conscious life form!

Seaguy doesn't let itself be pigeonholed quite easily. It is part sci-fi, part parable, part adventure. Seaguy is an absurdist hero in a world which doesn't care for heroes because the world itself is simply perfect. But how can you make yourself distinct in a perfect world? It is that old axiom of Utopian tales: a perfect world with perfect beings ultimately makes the individual nothing more than a cog in the system without any opportunities for individual self-exploration and standing out amongst the herd. While this type of tale is nothing new in fiction - that's how Norrin Radd became the Silver Surfer you know? - Morrison is able to shed new light on it by making the setting so over the top and even the emotions are played a bit too over-dramatically. But everything works perfect to a pitch.

As an aside, Seaguy was written by Grant Morrison just after he finished his long run on Marvel's X-Men title, having dealt with editorial interferences and all the other negative aspects that come with playing around with Marvel's mutant franchise. It's very obvious how Seaguy can be seen as a way for Morrison of exorcising that particular experience, from the hero's rise to self-awareness to the downbeat ending, the ultimate turning back of the clock to the ever present status quo. It was fun while it lasted.

And thus, Seaguy sets off for adventure to fill the empty hole inside of him: that ever lurking need of Man for self-expression. But his big adventure leads to sinister discoveries about his 'perfect' world and his quest has grave repercussions on his self and his flying fish buddy Chubby Da Choona. Morrison and artist Cameron Stewart have created a perfect adult cartoon world that embodies the anxieties of contemporary man. Self-expression, self-realisation, being honest with one's self in the world. Stewart's bold and clean brush work complement Morrison's focused vision, clear language and surrealist landscapes with beautifully laid out pages and clean character design. It's almost like Johnny Quest on acid. In the back though, there's always a feeling that things aren't right, more Brave New World than 1984. Who is behind all-seeing media conglomerate Mickey Eye? What's the real state of the world? What is the fate of Xoo? etc. The tale also has a truly downbeat ending that drives the message home in a beautiful but ultimate very sad way.

With the ending in mind, it feels strange to say that Seaguy and the Wasps of Atlantis is a trilogy but this is Book One out of three. Morrison wants Seaguy to tell the story of an entire human life, beginning in Book One with the symbolic birth of conscious Man, the kid becoming aware of his place in the world, his emotions and questions face front, innocent and naive. The next stage in Seaguy's evolution launches in April with his new mini-series Seaguy: the Slaves of Mickey Eye.

Seaguy Book One: the Wasps of Atlantis is a roller coaster ride of absurd-ism using the quest as a template for an exploration of modern man in the 21st century. Travelling from Atlantis to the moon, Morrison and Stewart up one up on Gulliver's Travels. Seaguy evolves from an innocent child to the weary teenager before he is lulled back to sleep by cultural hedonism. Seaguy is a must read for anyone who is on a personal quest for self-exploration. Read and learn from Seaguy, he knows what is best, or at least let Mickey Eye tell you what is good for you.

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Seaguy Book One: the Wasps of Atlantis, published by Vertigo / DC Comics, is a full color 104 pages counting TPB, retailing for $9.95. It is available from finer bookstores and comic shops internationally.