I’ve never read anything quite like Morning Glories. It’s like a 10,000 piece puzzle being put together in front of my eyes, and I can’t really be sure what I’m looking at until it’s finished. Even though each issue has been very entertaining, writer Nick Spencer has been building a mystery he’s not yet started unravelling, perhaps until now.
Here’s a preview of issue 7, released on 23 February, 2011…
First thing, this issue is nuts. All the way through the series, Nick Spencer has lulled me into a false sense of security by having everyday school situations interrupted by murder or torture. This issue follows the exploits of this girl trying out for the cheerleading squad. If you think that means girly talk and pom poms, you’d be wrong, this means crazy-ass murder. The issue not only reveals massive details about the characters, it also reveals a massive plot point. It’s awesome, and a good pay off for being 7 issues in.
Joe Eisma’s art follows the same formula as the writing. The mundane of the classroom, cafeteria or gym is exploited so that when the shit hits the fan it really jumps out of the page. It can get really brutal, they really don’t pull any punches. This is a school where the teachers might randomly strangle you to death, or torture and kill your parents.
One of the problems with Morning Glories is that it’s the kind of comic you have to commit to. They’ve said this issue should be a good jumping on point, but the meat of this comic is in the slow exposition. Even though they haven’t given much away so far, the reveals in this issue will be lost to you if you haven’t read previous issues. If you want in, the first trade paperback was just released so catching up won’t be too much of a struggle.
Joe Innes
