The Invisibles Vol. 3: It’s the Final Countdown
Now that song is stuck in your head
We did it, folks. We made it to the end of our journey with Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles. Much like last week’s post, I’m much less interested in an issue-by-issue breakdown than I am with examining larger themes. Specifically I’d like to explore what Morrison’s overall thesis is for The Invisibles and then offer my critique. Before we do that, let’s take a quick look at the content.
The third and final volume of The Invisibles is paradoxically the most straightforward and most convoluted. It is a mere twelve total issues, making it about half as long as the previous two volumes. The issues were released in reverse order (from twelve to one) which is intended to mirror the story as it counts down to the apocalypse in the far off year of *checks notes* 2012. You know you’re old when the far off future in fiction is now a decade in the past in reality.
Anyway, the basic plot of the volume is that the Invisibles are attempting to stop the disciples of the Outer Church from bringing Rex Mundi (the demiurge) into our reality. They plan to do so by having Rex Mundi inhabit the body of the Moonchild, a two century old monster that is the product of combining Archon genetic material with descendants of the British monarchy. It should be noted that Queen Elizabeth II is totally on board with this plan too. I mean she is in the comic. I don’t know if she’s on record about whether or not she endorses this plan in real life. Someone should ask her.
The two forces continue to fight their war with Jack Frost ultimately being the key to victory for both sides. Jack is essentially revealed to be the next Buddha during this volume which could be considered a spoiler if not for characters positing it throughout the first two volumes as well. The final issue flashes forward to 2012 as the apocalypse is on the horizon with Jack Frost imparting some knowledge on the reader before the end comes. But is it actually the end? Or are we destined to be reborn and experience life in bold new ways? All I can say at this point is that you should read it for yourself and come to your own conclusion.
Thus concludes The Invisibles. Did Morrison stick the landing? In my opinion, they did. The final volume cuts out the majority of the side stories to focus on the primary conflict between the Invisibles and the Outer Church. Jack is finally thrust back into the leading role in a way he hasn’t been since the earliest issues of the first volume, and it feels earned. My biggest complaint with the final volume is the amount of different artists used on the final few issues. As many as six different illustrators are used per issue towards the end of the series. My assumption is this is done to try to get issues completed as quickly as possible to hit deadlines, but it definitely hurts the cohesiveness. The good news is Frank Quitely is the lone illustrator for the final issue, so those cohesiveness problems aren’t there for the conclusion.
Those minor quibbles with the artwork aside, the final volume is a fitting end to Morrison’s magnum opus. All three volumes fit nicely together to tell a story that explores numerous philosophical and sociological issues told in a cyberpunk and psychedelic style that provides for a truly unique and rewarding reading experience. But what is the ultimate thesis for The Invisibles? What message does Morrison ultimately wish to convey?
From the earliest issues of the first volume, Morrison seems to be stating that being rebellious without a strong sense of conviction is not just a losing cause but is actually viewed by those in power as an easy way to control opposition by keeping it disorganized and ineffective. I tend to agree. Simply causing mayhem isn’t a terribly effective way to affect change. Where I tend to disagree with Morrison is what they seem to think is the alternative course of action. For Morrison, the path to liberation is to reject materialism and fully embrace the metaphysical and spiritual. Their focus on a gnostic worldview where the material world is an illusion that must be transcended provides a path to liberation that cannot really be attained by most people (at least while alive).
Where this can be most clearly illustrated as problematic is the path that King Mob takes throughout the story. As mentioned previously, King Mob is meant to be a sigil for Morrison themselves. They are on record as believing the things that happened to King Mob in the comic would then happen to themselves in real life. Minor spoilers ahead, but King Mob ultimately pursues a path of nonviolence while also becoming rich as the founder of a company called Technoccult that has developed an inhaler-based video game based on the adventures of the Invisibles. It’s presented as a way to fight conformity and capitalism by embracing the capitalist system and fighting from within. While an inhaler-based game is certainly a fun futuristic concept, the idea that one can fully embrace corporate culture and further widen the inequality gap while retaining an anti-capitalist ideology is easily the least believable thing to happen during the course of the series. In the interest of full disclosure, my own personal guiding philosophy is that of dialectical materialism which is obviously at odds with any philosophy that eschews a materialist worldview. That being said, I don’t think any anti-capitalist philosophy can exist without rejecting capitalist tenets let alone allowing for someone to participate in furthering inequality.
Despite my criticisms, I do believe that The Invisibles is one of the greatest comic book series that has ever been published. Morrison never shies away from tackling difficult issues and subject matter, and the artists they work with do a tremendous job of translating it into a visual medium. Despite concluding almost a quarter century ago, it still reads as though it was written yesterday. If you feel like going on a journey from the comfort of your own home, reading and rereading Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles is definitely a trip worth taking.