Seconds is a relatively simple story, compellingly told. Grant Morrison's The Multiversity is possibly the most complex, metaphysical and convoluted story the writer's ever told. Which is saying a lot for a guy who took the Justice League Of America into limbo, hung out with his own characters and discussed the ethics of putting him through dramatic storylines in Animal Man, and prefigured everything The Matrix did (but better) in his masterwork The Invisibles. All of those pale in comparison to his current DC series, however, which is something like a decade in the making. The crux of The Multiversity is that a corrupting force known as the Gentry is travelling across the various parallel Earths of the DC Universe, destroying everything in their path. Except it's not that simple, since each issue takes place in a different Earth, with news of the Gentry being passed on through comic books that they read. Confused yet? Also the Gentry probably represent editorial interference, changing trends or the expectations of fans for grim 'n' gritty superhero comics. So far the series has seen him team with Chris Sprouse for a pulp-inspired universe where Doctor Manhattan from Watchmen is a teen with a blue balaclava, and a particularly brilliant one-shot riff on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' classic series with artist Frank Quitely which told a backwards story that commented on how Watchmen affected the comics industry whilst also working like a magic. Absolutely spellbinding and superlative superhero comics.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
