Review: Flex Mentallo by Grant Morrison

Flex Mentallo is Grant Morrison's exploration of what it means to be a comic book character. If you've read Morrison's autobiography, you will know that he believes the stories we tell have their own life, possibly in another universe, or even another dimension.

The premise of Flex Mentallo is that the eponymous superhero has become real through the pscyhic powers of a young boy named Wally Sage who can manifest superheroes from his comics.

Meanwhile, the adult Wallace Sage has decided to end it all, and is phoning in his story to the 911 operator. He's now a a pop musician, but he seems to be suffering from depression. In despair he takes a lot of drugs, who knows what, and then starts rambling.

For some reason, Flex Mentallo is like a Coen Bros movie to me: I can't seem to remember the plot. Perhaps that's because there isn't one. The story simply exists as an exploration of a set of ideas and characters.

Morrison explores inside jokes pertaining to both the comic industry, and to his own personal history and philosophy.

Wallace Sage,
"Do you believe in superheroes? Imagine it real."
"Imaging the technology... their culture impacting with ours...Dreamatrons and Boom Shoes, paraspacesuits and Omniscopes...imagine the music we could make...ultrasonics...infra-sound."

Meanwhile, Flex talks with the chief of police
"The Whole of goddamn reality's coming unglued and I'm here on the night shift."

Quitely's art is mesmerizing.  It looks like a collage of super hero stories.
I want to explore each and every thread shown on the page.
Unfortunately, the story itself is a bit talky and static.