The Invisibles - Counting to None

DC Vertigo

Written by Grant Morrison
Pencils by Phil Jimenez
Colours and Pencils - John Stokes

The Invisibles are a band of psychic fighters at war with the Archons, being interested in creating anarchy for Earth. The team includes King Mob, Lord Fanny,Boy, Ragged Robin and Jack Frost. Just from the names you know this isn't an ordinary comic book. It's published by Vertigo, has a 'Not for kids' label and is packed with sex and violence. 

The story is based around an artifact called 'The Hand of Glory'. The Invisibles have it and it seems a lot of other people really want to get it. It's not clear what it does although the theory that it bends space time abounds. 

The team itself is a fractured bunch, with only King Mob seeming to have any narrative drive. The other members seem to react or act as props for him. King Mob himself spends a chunk of the story astral projecting back to the 1920's in order to help a woman and another sect of Invisibles track down and set up the Hand for use. 

The story likes inserting random scenes from peripheral characters suddenly through the narrative. Some loop back and give you more information others just seem to be there. 

After activating the Hand of Glory in the 1920's King Mob comes back to the present (which is late 1990's) to find Boy has stolen the hand and has taken it to agents of the Archons. The end of the book turns into a bit of a cop out as Boy was being mind wiped and de-programmed because she had been wiped and programmed by a sect of another 'church'. In the end the Invisibles ride off into the sunset looking all cool.

The book is very existential, very melodramatic with some excellent visuals. The story borders on a depth that ultimately missed me. I like a comic book where the art matches the story. This works here. My only let down is that I felt I had been led in a long circle but for no reason. Qualified recommendation if you like deep stories that are set on many levels.