I've been thinking about this thread quite a bit, so I guess I'll try to give my opinion in as coherent a manner as possible.
First off, is it as good as "The Invisibles"? IMO, no, but I still think its a great read.
(the characters)
"The Filth"'s biggest flaw is its lack of an interesting supporting cast. Greg Feely/Ned Slade is a great character I can really relate too, but none of the supporting cast around him is fleshed out enough to be interesting (though for some odd reason I can't place I kind of like Cameron Spector). Miami is dull, Mercury Moog is bland, Dmitri 9 is funny at first but gets one note fast (though he was pretty good last issue) etc. There are a lot of good characters who only appear briefly, like Anders. And I thought that Spartacus Hughes started off interesting (esp. in issue 7) but now that he's on the Hand's side and Max Thunderstone I find him less interesting. Maybe next issue will change my mind.
In short, what made The Invisibles such a great read was that the supporting characters were just as interesting (if not more so) then the main ones: Mr. 6, Sir Miles, and the like. Which brings me to another point: There isn't really an interesting villian for the good guys to fight (whereas the Invisibles had Sir Miles, who was a fucking great character, I thought).
Still, really like Greg Feely.
(The Story)
A lot of people here seem to knock the way the story progresses (or call it jerky) but I don't really have a problem with it. I like the idea that some of the stuff that happens seems out of sequence (for example, issue 10 seems like it should have happened before issues 9 and 11). Gives it all a hallucinatory aspect. Maybe Morrison is using cut-ups or something (am I the only one here who is reminded of Burrough's cut-up trilogy from the 60's? The Hand reminds me of Burroughs Nova Police, whose job is to capture and arrest the Nova Criminals, who are trying to cause chaos in the world by aggravating certain groups or what not)> Speaking of Burroughs, for some odd reason issue 1 of "The Filth" is 23 pages. H'mmmm....
Each month I look foward to the next issue (I don't know how you people who buy comics monthly have the patience). I'm really interested in knowing where the Crack actually is and how it came about (not to mention who Mother Dirt really is).
As for the issues themselves, I really liked the porn storyline (preferred it over the Libertania one). There have been some weak issues (issue 10 and 1 leap to mind: I still feel that issues 1 and 2 should have just been one 48 page issue: On its own issue one seems kind of lacking... I dunno). As it is, my favorite issues so far have been 3, 9 and 11.
As noted before, the series is a great Qlihoptic version of "The Invisibles". Maybe Morrison's other works too. Remember those dolphins in one of those issues of "Animal Man"? I think the dolphins in "THe Filth" are meant to be Qliphoptic versions of those, ie. diseased, violent, human hating, foul mouthed, possibly fascist even. Or maybe I'm wrong.
There's a lot of great lines too, like when that Quinn guy tells Hughes that he just spoiled a perfect world and Hughes causely replies "The world had it coming. Smug bastard." That always makes me laugh for some reason.
(Art)
One thing I like about "The Filth" over "The Invisibles" is that the art is more consistent (obviously). I think "The Invisibles" problem was that it didn't have a consistent look and that too much cooks spoiled the pot (in retrospect Volume one of the "Invisibles" artwork seems kind of lackluster, though it got better as it went along). Weston was one of my favorite artists for "The Invisibles" and he really shines here (same for the colorist guy, great neon colors and all that).
I prefer "The Filth" covers over the Invisibles covers for some reason. I've never seen comic covers that look quite like these: very sterile and clinical. Awesome.
(overall)
When I read "The Invisibles" I felt very healthy and good. As I've been reading "The Filth" I've been getting sicker and sicker these last few months, which must mean that SOMETHING'S working. In fact, my health usually seems to get worse right before each new issue gets released and, after having read that issue, the sickness/soreness/depression goes away. Which is why I hope the bloody series finishes soon! |
