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The Mystery Play
Written by Grant Morrison; Art by Jon J. Muth The fully painted psychological thriller THE MYSTERY PLAY illustrates the devastating power of fear and accusations as a small-town community is ripped apart from within. When the actor portraying Satan is accused of brutally murdering the actor playing God in a Renaissance festival, a rural English village teeters on the edge of self-destruction. Looking to save the town from itself, a mysterious detective arrives and begins to piece together the clues of the slaying. But even if the enigmatic stranger can solve the disturbing mystery, the revelation of his true identity and past may still lead to the fiery end of the village.
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
1 person is currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,791 books4,570 followersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
June 21, 2009
"God is dead, and the devil killed him."
This intriguing prospect is the gimmick designed to get you to buy "The Mystery Play", a Graphic Novel by Grant Morrison. However, the story is more complicated than this would suggest, although Nietzsche is not even a character, let alone a suspect.
The mayor of a small town with a troubled past tries to lift the townspeoples' spirits by sponsoring some performances of the traditional Medieval Mystery play cycles, just like the ones (in fact it is one of the ones) I studied as an undergrad. Tragedy strikes on opening night, as the actor playing God is killed backstage, and the actor playing the devil is one of the suspects. But Detective Sergeant Carpenter has other suspects, including the mayor, the priest, and an escaped mental patient who could be anywhere out there in the foggy night.
This story has all the elements of a psychological thriller, and this theme is emphasized by the dark and disturbing watercolours by Jon J Muth, which are reminiscent of classic film noir. They alternate between very realistic renderings and some wildly distorted representational images which lead us to question the sanity of several key characters. This technique of showing "subjective view" narrative framing sequences was highly effective in both setting the mood and maintaining the suspense while at the same time fueling the plot.
The story moves along nicely, with good pacing and some complex machinations which are very promising, until about two-thirds of the way in when the author seems to suddenly run out of room and things start happening in a rush, as if he's running out of pages or time or both. Given the nature of comics publishing, that might have literally been the case, which is a shame. Whatever the situation, the result is a rushed ending which doesn't allow us to savour the weirdness and chilling environment that the first part of the book created.
That is not to say that the book fails as a result. The story is still a good psychological mystery and the exquisite watercolours and glossy page stock make it beautiful to look at. One of the things I like about the book is how the characters have that overblown quality of film noir, which makes them iconically evil, or good, or twisted--which perfectly mirrors the morality plays that are happening on the stage. It is a complex work which falls just short of the author's intentions, but is still worth reading.
This intriguing prospect is the gimmick designed to get you to buy "The Mystery Play", a Graphic Novel by Grant Morrison. However, the story is more complicated than this would suggest, although Nietzsche is not even a character, let alone a suspect.
The mayor of a small town with a troubled past tries to lift the townspeoples' spirits by sponsoring some performances of the traditional Medieval Mystery play cycles, just like the ones (in fact it is one of the ones) I studied as an undergrad. Tragedy strikes on opening night, as the actor playing God is killed backstage, and the actor playing the devil is one of the suspects. But Detective Sergeant Carpenter has other suspects, including the mayor, the priest, and an escaped mental patient who could be anywhere out there in the foggy night.
This story has all the elements of a psychological thriller, and this theme is emphasized by the dark and disturbing watercolours by Jon J Muth, which are reminiscent of classic film noir. They alternate between very realistic renderings and some wildly distorted representational images which lead us to question the sanity of several key characters. This technique of showing "subjective view" narrative framing sequences was highly effective in both setting the mood and maintaining the suspense while at the same time fueling the plot.
The story moves along nicely, with good pacing and some complex machinations which are very promising, until about two-thirds of the way in when the author seems to suddenly run out of room and things start happening in a rush, as if he's running out of pages or time or both. Given the nature of comics publishing, that might have literally been the case, which is a shame. Whatever the situation, the result is a rushed ending which doesn't allow us to savour the weirdness and chilling environment that the first part of the book created.
That is not to say that the book fails as a result. The story is still a good psychological mystery and the exquisite watercolours and glossy page stock make it beautiful to look at. One of the things I like about the book is how the characters have that overblown quality of film noir, which makes them iconically evil, or good, or twisted--which perfectly mirrors the morality plays that are happening on the stage. It is a complex work which falls just short of the author's intentions, but is still worth reading.
February 8, 2018
De las obras menos conocidas de Morrison, un policial negro. En un pueblo chico para reanimar a la gente se presenta una obra religiosa, con representación de dios y el diablo. En medio de una función dios aparece muerto y con ello se desata la locura. Personajes oscuros, situaciones extrañas que poco aportan a la trama mas que para oscurecer el clima y un final algo confuso para cerrar una historia que logrado un buen climax se desaprovecha en las ultimas paginas.
March 19, 2018
Man, I really loved this. This is fairly early Morrison, before The Invisibles or The Filth or any of his truly mind-bending stuff, and yet there's something more haunting and metaphysical about this than any of those. I think the fact that he focuses so much on character in this book, focusing directly on motivations of realistic people rather than just the chaotic workings of the universe or meta-commentaries on fiction or any of that, really makes the moments of surreality in this work better.
Essentially, as the title suggests, this is a mystery. During production of a small-town play about Heaven and Hell, the actor playing God is murdered. A detective from out of town arrives to investigate, and we gradually learn darker and darker secrets about the town, its inhabitants, and the detective himself. But it doesn't just stop there. Morrison also begins weaving in details that comment on the larger themes of what constitutes justice, humanity's need for closure, the impartiality of journalism. It's only 80 pages long and manages to make you consider all of these things pretty heavily. That in and of itself earns it high marks.
The art compliments the story extremely well. Jon J. Muth paints ethereal scenes using dark blacks and grays, allowing the action to exist in a kind of fog that fits perfectly with the hazy nature of the mystery and world. The characters are often photorealistic, which I don't always love, but he manages to make them seem present and reactive, rather than just disconnected faces with word bubbles popping out. There's also some truly terrifying imagery at times that only an artist like this could accomplish.
So, while I think a longer a story may've allowed more room for some of these themes to breathe, and a less opaque ending would've been nice, I still highly recommend this as a great example of Morrison's work.
Essentially, as the title suggests, this is a mystery. During production of a small-town play about Heaven and Hell, the actor playing God is murdered. A detective from out of town arrives to investigate, and we gradually learn darker and darker secrets about the town, its inhabitants, and the detective himself. But it doesn't just stop there. Morrison also begins weaving in details that comment on the larger themes of what constitutes justice, humanity's need for closure, the impartiality of journalism. It's only 80 pages long and manages to make you consider all of these things pretty heavily. That in and of itself earns it high marks.
The art compliments the story extremely well. Jon J. Muth paints ethereal scenes using dark blacks and grays, allowing the action to exist in a kind of fog that fits perfectly with the hazy nature of the mystery and world. The characters are often photorealistic, which I don't always love, but he manages to make them seem present and reactive, rather than just disconnected faces with word bubbles popping out. There's also some truly terrifying imagery at times that only an artist like this could accomplish.
So, while I think a longer a story may've allowed more room for some of these themes to breathe, and a less opaque ending would've been nice, I still highly recommend this as a great example of Morrison's work.
November 10, 2020
V tejto knihe nájdete:
1. kresbu ktorá pripomína skôr fotky, dodatočne upravené a niekedy fakt špatne
2. nahú mŕtvolu a jeho bimbasa
3. sex s umelou pannou
4. prasce čo žerú Boha
5. Morrisonov ďalší počin ktorý vás dovedie k myšlienke, že ste vlastne mohli celé tie roky čítať ťažké ruské romány a slovenský romantizmus a anglickú poéziu a Umberta Eca a aj tak zostanete v piči po prečítaní takéhoto krátkeho komiksu lebo wtf to vlastne bolo. Ale ok, ak sa človek trochu zamyslí, tak niečo pochopiť šlo. 2,5/5
1. kresbu ktorá pripomína skôr fotky, dodatočne upravené a niekedy fakt špatne
2. nahú mŕtvolu a jeho bimbasa
3. sex s umelou pannou
4. prasce čo žerú Boha
5. Morrisonov ďalší počin ktorý vás dovedie k myšlienke, že ste vlastne mohli celé tie roky čítať ťažké ruské romány a slovenský romantizmus a anglickú poéziu a Umberta Eca a aj tak zostanete v piči po prečítaní takéhoto krátkeho komiksu lebo wtf to vlastne bolo. Ale ok, ak sa človek trochu zamyslí, tak niečo pochopiť šlo. 2,5/5
November 1, 2010
Aunque lo leí de la edición de Planeta que del Vertigo Voices, marco esta porque es la única que hay en castellano con la obra en solitario, creo. Yendo al comic en sí, no es redondo pero sí muy disfrutable e interesante, por las razones que trataré de exponer a continuación.
Me gusta volver a etapas de uno de mis autores favoritos que me salteé (o cuya existencia ignoré) en su momento, así que en este libro me reencontré con un Morrison que no conocía. La idea nietzcheana de la muerte de Dios, acá sirve a un doble propósito narrativo: el metafórico/filosófico y el detectivesco/psicológico. Me explico: quien muere no es Dios propiamente dicho sino un actor que lo iba a interpretar en una obra teatral en el pueblo donde transcurre la acción, si se puede hablar de "acción" en un lugar así de aburrido. Con esa premisa, los personajes filosofan, con dispares resultados, ora sobre qué será de un mundo sin Dios y qué les deparará ahora que están emancipados a la fuerza, ora sobre que hay un loco suelto y es mejor tener cuidado. Es acá también donde entra el personaje más interesante y ambiguo de la serie, el Detective Carpenter, cuyo origen y destino final me dejaron con una gran incógnita (dos, para ser exacto). No se sabe si la revelación que grita la periodista sobre el final de la obra (el cómic, no la obra de teatro que se representa dentro del mismo) es cierta o no, pero creo que tampoco importa. Una vez que la verdad está ahí nomás, nos pegan una patada en el tiempo y el espacio, quizás para demostrar que esta no es una historia policial, que habla de asuntos que van más allá del "whodunit", o quizás porque Morrison estaba pasado de frula y no tenía intención de cerrar la historia con un final "coherente" o de regalar respuestas cuando lo que él quería era sembrar preguntas.
Como cómplice de esta historia, lo tiene al genial J.J. Muth en el aspecto gráfico, un maestro a la hora de retratar climas deprimentes, opresivos e invernales, y que oscilan entre el mundo onírico y el despiértico con armonía y desenfado. El recurso de volver semi-transparentes a los personajes chiquitos que se funden con el horizonte le quedó muy bien. No sé qué tan metafórico estará siendo al utilizarlo, pero como lector-marmota pero observador que soy, me resultó curioso e interesante.
Ahora mi duda es si me compro la edición de Planeta (que no está mal, pese a las típicas metidas de pata de los inexistentes correctores) o si sigo moviendo piedras para ver si aparece la extinta edición de Zinco algún día.
Me gusta volver a etapas de uno de mis autores favoritos que me salteé (o cuya existencia ignoré) en su momento, así que en este libro me reencontré con un Morrison que no conocía. La idea nietzcheana de la muerte de Dios, acá sirve a un doble propósito narrativo: el metafórico/filosófico y el detectivesco/psicológico. Me explico: quien muere no es Dios propiamente dicho sino un actor que lo iba a interpretar en una obra teatral en el pueblo donde transcurre la acción, si se puede hablar de "acción" en un lugar así de aburrido. Con esa premisa, los personajes filosofan, con dispares resultados, ora sobre qué será de un mundo sin Dios y qué les deparará ahora que están emancipados a la fuerza, ora sobre que hay un loco suelto y es mejor tener cuidado. Es acá también donde entra el personaje más interesante y ambiguo de la serie, el Detective Carpenter, cuyo origen y destino final me dejaron con una gran incógnita (dos, para ser exacto). No se sabe si la revelación que grita la periodista sobre el final de la obra (el cómic, no la obra de teatro que se representa dentro del mismo) es cierta o no, pero creo que tampoco importa. Una vez que la verdad está ahí nomás, nos pegan una patada en el tiempo y el espacio, quizás para demostrar que esta no es una historia policial, que habla de asuntos que van más allá del "whodunit", o quizás porque Morrison estaba pasado de frula y no tenía intención de cerrar la historia con un final "coherente" o de regalar respuestas cuando lo que él quería era sembrar preguntas.
Como cómplice de esta historia, lo tiene al genial J.J. Muth en el aspecto gráfico, un maestro a la hora de retratar climas deprimentes, opresivos e invernales, y que oscilan entre el mundo onírico y el despiértico con armonía y desenfado. El recurso de volver semi-transparentes a los personajes chiquitos que se funden con el horizonte le quedó muy bien. No sé qué tan metafórico estará siendo al utilizarlo, pero como lector-marmota pero observador que soy, me resultó curioso e interesante.
Ahora mi duda es si me compro la edición de Planeta (que no está mal, pese a las típicas metidas de pata de los inexistentes correctores) o si sigo moviendo piedras para ver si aparece la extinta edición de Zinco algún día.
October 12, 2025
Reread 10/2025.
I know my reaction to the metaphysical musings here is probably unfair. (The shit is hitting the fan, and you're worrying about whether g*d is dead?) But.
(Maybe minus a half star, if not more.)
I know my reaction to the metaphysical musings here is probably unfair. (The shit is hitting the fan, and you're worrying about whether g*d is dead?) But.
(Maybe minus a half star, if not more.)
December 17, 2018
A very eerie read this is. Quire elegiac and metaphysical. The artwork is amazing and Grant's words are a subtle meditation on guilt, morality, retribution and cosmic balance. The story is a twisted hallucinatory whodunit with obscure layers of convention and weirdness. Quite harrowing in fact. This one line by the story's unreliable detective, Sergeant Frank Carpenter, threw me. This line "Sometimes I look at the world, you know, and wonder if God put us here to be the instruments of his death. Like were his death wish. He can't stand the horror of what he is and what he's done. He can't feel pain or remorse. He... He's just waiting and praying for us to grow strong enough to kill h and make him feel what we feel..." Shit, if that doesn't throw you, I dot know what will.
August 30, 2015
There's a brilliantly hallucinatory quality to Grant Morrison's The Mystery Play, a constant wobbling between reality and metaphor that unnerves a reader just as much as Jon Muth's disturbingly beautiful watercolors. There's a William Blake quality to some of the art, particularly one scene set in an interrogation room, that's both terrifying and sublime. The whole thing is weird and wonderful and semi-impenetrable, and I wish it had come with at least twelve appendices covering the history and content of medieval mystery plays and Morrison's thoughts and intentions as he worked on this little meta mindfuck.
I quite frankly didn't understand The Mystery Play well enough to love it, but I admired the hell out of it and wished the story had been given a little more room to breathe - the last third seems like someone poked the writer and artist with a stick and shouted "SKIP TO THE END!" at them. Still, I'm a sucker for a metanarrative, particularly one with such Nietzschean overtones. That's probably a good thing, since I suspect this one will stick with me for a while.
I quite frankly didn't understand The Mystery Play well enough to love it, but I admired the hell out of it and wished the story had been given a little more room to breathe - the last third seems like someone poked the writer and artist with a stick and shouted "SKIP TO THE END!" at them. Still, I'm a sucker for a metanarrative, particularly one with such Nietzschean overtones. That's probably a good thing, since I suspect this one will stick with me for a while.
February 1, 2017
This is a wonderful little murder mystery. I'm really impressed with how much Morrison crammed into these 80 pages and how complex it was. It really made me think and when I was finished I was still like "wait, what???". after reading other reviews I realized I am not alone. Ended up having to google "who killed god in the Mystery Play?" because I simply had to know! lol. Found one explanation that I think is pretty spot on. I never really thought about it before but I guess I read a lot of books/comics that give all the answers fairly clearly at the end and it was fun and a lil frustrating I'll admit haha to read something so different. And of course I loved the way religion was portrayed : "we're dumb, frightened animals, petitioning the empty sky, and if I can help ease the fear of my fellow creatures by lying to them about heaven, then I shall. But why should I feel the need to kill god when he is so clearly already dead". Hell fucking yeah. That's one great line there!
February 2, 2024
The Mystery Play is a one-off graphic novel written by Grant Morrison and features gorgeous painted artwork from Jon J. Muth. Set in a small fictional town in Northern England, a theater group puts together a series of allegorical medieval-era plays, or "mystery plays", which recreate stories from the Bible. During one such production, God casts Satan down into Hell, creates Adam and Eve, and continues on towards Jesus' crucifixion. However, during a scene where Adam and Eve sample the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, they call out to God only to find that the actor is dead. The story from there unravels as a rather cryptic murder mystery whereby the central conceit is that "God is dead".
Morrison leans heavy into the tropes of psychological thrillers to convey the tension behind the case, with heavy emphasis on the "psychological" aspect of it all. The story is fairly nonlinear, though not in a way that felt like it added texture, but rather seeming to obscure what the actual plot was. I enjoyed the atmospheric vibe to the story, particularly with respect to how the town of Townley was presented as this foreboding place right out of a Lovecraft story or Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man. Muth's moody and evocative painted artwork really accentuates this, and perhaps adds a fair bit more tension than the actual story does.
The ending is perhaps the part that entices me the most given how open-ended it is and rather makes this something I'd want to try reading through again a couple more times. The ending presents the story as much more layered than I felt it was on a single pass, but as a first time read-through I did feel like much of story felt like general lip service to more heightened thrillers.
Morrison leans heavy into the tropes of psychological thrillers to convey the tension behind the case, with heavy emphasis on the "psychological" aspect of it all. The story is fairly nonlinear, though not in a way that felt like it added texture, but rather seeming to obscure what the actual plot was. I enjoyed the atmospheric vibe to the story, particularly with respect to how the town of Townley was presented as this foreboding place right out of a Lovecraft story or Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man. Muth's moody and evocative painted artwork really accentuates this, and perhaps adds a fair bit more tension than the actual story does.
The ending is perhaps the part that entices me the most given how open-ended it is and rather makes this something I'd want to try reading through again a couple more times. The ending presents the story as much more layered than I felt it was on a single pass, but as a first time read-through I did feel like much of story felt like general lip service to more heightened thrillers.
September 10, 2015
This was the most thrilling detective story I've read since "The Silence of the Lambs" and that was a long time ago. But calling "The Mystery Play" a "detective story" is a bit misleading. In this book it's not the identity of the perpetrator of the crime that truly matters, but the consequences of the crime itself. This is a dark tale about a man discovering the worst of Humanity and losing all hope in the process.
The story is quite simple, actually: a small town organises a play in celebration of the Christian Story from Creation to Doomsday. When the actor playing God is found dead it's up for Detective Sergeant Frank Carpenter to solve the crime. Meanwhile Annie Woolf, a reporter for a local newspaper, is also trying to find out the truth.
I was amazed at how Morrison is able to make such a powerful, dark, disturbing, emotional and surprisingly beautiful story out of such a simple premise. It's not the actual murder that matters here, but rather the symbolic nature of it. Does God exist? If he does, why is there so much misery in the world? Is God dead? Did we kill him? Does the Devil rule the world? Is there even a Devil? Are we just tiny cogs in a big machine and therefore part of a whole in which there's an intricate order that we cannot understand? Or is there no machine and we are alone wandering directionless? These are the questions writer Grant Morrison is interested in approaching in this story and are the ones that actually matter. Carpenter is trying to solve the actual crime and find out who was the person who killed not God but the person playing His role in the play. But in his attempt to discover the answers he seeks he'll be confronted with a truth he doens't want to know.
Morrison succeeds in making Carpenter an extremely likeable character. He strongly believes that there is an order to the universe and that everything is meant to be. That belief is severely challenged (and maybe even destroyed) over the course of this story and it has a very strong impact in his already vulnerable psyche. I say "already vulnerable" because it's clear from the start he has his personal demons, and even though his past is only revealed near the end, Morrison makes it evident that Carpenter is looking for redempion by solving the case. For me it was like "The Silence of the Lambs" in the way that Clarice Starling (the protagonist of that book) is also a very sympathetic and strong character, and one the reader is always invested in even without knowing her past tragedies. And just like Clarice, Frank Carpenter is confronted with both his own demons and the demons who inhabit the world around him. That's not to say Carpenter's character isn't original. Everyone familiar with Grant Morrison's work should know that Morrison is a writer who's always able to bring something new to the table. He revitalised the Doom Patrol, Animal Man, X-Men, Superman, Batman and brought a whole new dimension to the comics industry in general. So you should believe me when I tell you that Carpenter is actually a very unique character, and his descent into hopelessness almost had me crying. His journey is incredibly emotional, touching, disturbing and depressing at the same time. The reader always hopes things will work out for the best and Carpenter will find his peace, and that makes the ending even more destructive to the reader.
But it's not only Carpenter's character that shines in this book. Almost everyone else has a chance to show their true nature whether through dialogue or through their actions. The Mayor and the Priest are both interesting characters in their own right. The Mayor in particular has a pretty disturbing scene midway through the book. But the most important side character is Annie Woolf, the reporter. She is also sympathetic and interesting and her actions, in spite of having disastrous consequences, are comprehensible and make complete sense. I think I would probably do what she does in the end if I was in her place.
Morrison's great character work along with the haunting symbology create one of the most intense stories I've had the pleasure to experience. We never know what is real or what is not. The line between real and dream is almost non-existent. The surreal nature of the story highlights Carpenter's psychological state and his increasing insanity.
But much of this story's success is due to Jon J. Muth's impeccable art. His beautifully moody artwork adds a great amount of atmosphere and his surreal style elevates the script's haunting imagery. The dialogue between Carpenter and the (possible) Devil is a particularly strong scene made all the more powerful by Muth's angles, page layouts, style and symbology. Muth reveals himself to be a master storyteller, and there is nothing to complain about in his art in this book. Morrison is known for his cultural (and often counter-cultural) references in his stories, and Muth matches and conveys Morrison's imagination perfectly and brilliantly depicts the biblical elements of the tale. To put it simply, Muth's art is a perfect match for the script.
It is clear that this book, much like all of Morrison's other works, is not for the faint of heart and will not please everyone. This is a truly dark tale about the human being's loneliness, helplessness and depravity. Also, many will pick up the book thinking of it as a murder mystery in which the criminal will eventually get caught in the end. That doesn't happen here. In fact, the crime itself is unresolved. But, as I said, that will only disappoint readers expecting a regular murder mystery. Those inevitably will consider the ending to be anti-climactic. But those who see the story for what it is - the journey of a man into hopelessness and madness - will experience one hell of a ride (no pun intended).
Simply put, this is a hugely ambitious book that features some great character work, a brilliant (and disturbing) plot and a deep examination of the human condition, all this accompanied by rich, moody and beautiful artwork. A must-read by a masterful creative team.
The story is quite simple, actually: a small town organises a play in celebration of the Christian Story from Creation to Doomsday. When the actor playing God is found dead it's up for Detective Sergeant Frank Carpenter to solve the crime. Meanwhile Annie Woolf, a reporter for a local newspaper, is also trying to find out the truth.
I was amazed at how Morrison is able to make such a powerful, dark, disturbing, emotional and surprisingly beautiful story out of such a simple premise. It's not the actual murder that matters here, but rather the symbolic nature of it. Does God exist? If he does, why is there so much misery in the world? Is God dead? Did we kill him? Does the Devil rule the world? Is there even a Devil? Are we just tiny cogs in a big machine and therefore part of a whole in which there's an intricate order that we cannot understand? Or is there no machine and we are alone wandering directionless? These are the questions writer Grant Morrison is interested in approaching in this story and are the ones that actually matter. Carpenter is trying to solve the actual crime and find out who was the person who killed not God but the person playing His role in the play. But in his attempt to discover the answers he seeks he'll be confronted with a truth he doens't want to know.
Morrison succeeds in making Carpenter an extremely likeable character. He strongly believes that there is an order to the universe and that everything is meant to be. That belief is severely challenged (and maybe even destroyed) over the course of this story and it has a very strong impact in his already vulnerable psyche. I say "already vulnerable" because it's clear from the start he has his personal demons, and even though his past is only revealed near the end, Morrison makes it evident that Carpenter is looking for redempion by solving the case. For me it was like "The Silence of the Lambs" in the way that Clarice Starling (the protagonist of that book) is also a very sympathetic and strong character, and one the reader is always invested in even without knowing her past tragedies. And just like Clarice, Frank Carpenter is confronted with both his own demons and the demons who inhabit the world around him. That's not to say Carpenter's character isn't original. Everyone familiar with Grant Morrison's work should know that Morrison is a writer who's always able to bring something new to the table. He revitalised the Doom Patrol, Animal Man, X-Men, Superman, Batman and brought a whole new dimension to the comics industry in general. So you should believe me when I tell you that Carpenter is actually a very unique character, and his descent into hopelessness almost had me crying. His journey is incredibly emotional, touching, disturbing and depressing at the same time. The reader always hopes things will work out for the best and Carpenter will find his peace, and that makes the ending even more destructive to the reader.
But it's not only Carpenter's character that shines in this book. Almost everyone else has a chance to show their true nature whether through dialogue or through their actions. The Mayor and the Priest are both interesting characters in their own right. The Mayor in particular has a pretty disturbing scene midway through the book. But the most important side character is Annie Woolf, the reporter. She is also sympathetic and interesting and her actions, in spite of having disastrous consequences, are comprehensible and make complete sense. I think I would probably do what she does in the end if I was in her place.
Morrison's great character work along with the haunting symbology create one of the most intense stories I've had the pleasure to experience. We never know what is real or what is not. The line between real and dream is almost non-existent. The surreal nature of the story highlights Carpenter's psychological state and his increasing insanity.
But much of this story's success is due to Jon J. Muth's impeccable art. His beautifully moody artwork adds a great amount of atmosphere and his surreal style elevates the script's haunting imagery. The dialogue between Carpenter and the (possible) Devil is a particularly strong scene made all the more powerful by Muth's angles, page layouts, style and symbology. Muth reveals himself to be a master storyteller, and there is nothing to complain about in his art in this book. Morrison is known for his cultural (and often counter-cultural) references in his stories, and Muth matches and conveys Morrison's imagination perfectly and brilliantly depicts the biblical elements of the tale. To put it simply, Muth's art is a perfect match for the script.
It is clear that this book, much like all of Morrison's other works, is not for the faint of heart and will not please everyone. This is a truly dark tale about the human being's loneliness, helplessness and depravity. Also, many will pick up the book thinking of it as a murder mystery in which the criminal will eventually get caught in the end. That doesn't happen here. In fact, the crime itself is unresolved. But, as I said, that will only disappoint readers expecting a regular murder mystery. Those inevitably will consider the ending to be anti-climactic. But those who see the story for what it is - the journey of a man into hopelessness and madness - will experience one hell of a ride (no pun intended).
Simply put, this is a hugely ambitious book that features some great character work, a brilliant (and disturbing) plot and a deep examination of the human condition, all this accompanied by rich, moody and beautiful artwork. A must-read by a masterful creative team.
May 10, 2024
wydumanie psychologiczny i taki że aż wtf na końcu ale był pięknie zrobiony, jakby namalowany akwarelami, bardzo nietypowy
October 30, 2025
Pretencioso
March 30, 2023
Loved the art, almost seemed real. The story a bit messy and without an end?to each’s thoughts
September 4, 2023
Please god what the fuck does the ending mean I need someone smarter than me to explain it
May 30, 2020
The real star of this book is some awesome water colors by Jon J Muth, the artist that became famous for Moon Shadow, One of the first Painted comics ever. The art unfortunately I enjoyed better than the story which was ok. This was a good read.
May 17, 2018
relei esta novela grafica, despues de muchos años, aun sabiendo todo lo que sucedia, por que me habia quedado gravada en la memoria, me volvi a dejar llevar por el tono de la obra, en este caso Morrison acompañad por las perfectas y angustiosas ilustraciones de Muth, crean un juego de misterio en torno a un asesinato, alguien mato a dios... dos personas un Detective de manchester y una periodista local hacen una coneccion en torno a este caso, pero lo importante detras no es el asesinato si no la historia de redencion que oculta y la carga se simbolismos.
basicamente un clasico de su epoca.
basicamente un clasico de su epoca.
February 6, 2017
Un pequeño misterio de pueblo pequeño mezclado con símbolos bíblicos, obra de teatro, detective y periodista incluidos. El dibujo fotorrealista es efectivo, la historia fluye bien y el misterio está bien resuelto sin demasiadas explicaciones innecesarias.
December 25, 2015
Starts off creepy and atmospheric, but dissolves halfway through. I kept looking to see if I'd missed pages or something but no, it's just jumpy and unresolved.
January 6, 2024
В кожному жанрі мистецтва існують такі творіння, котрі стоять осторонь від інших.
Яскравий приклад – фільми Лінча, Лінклейтера, Трієра в кінематографі, чи твори таких авторів як Семюель Беккет і Хуліо Кортасар в літературі.
Основна характерна риса цих творів, це те що вони не є конкретними і прямолінійними, тому й не розуміються багатьма.
Сучасні глядачі і читачі виросли , сприймаючи і переглядаючи прямолінійні і зрозумілі всім картини.
Наприклад – Жив-був собі такий-то чоловік і закохався він в таку-то жінку, але потім сталось якесь горе, котре він переміг, чи не переміг і маємо фінал – позитивний, або негативний.
Цю просту схему, чи шаблон можна застосувати до всього – кінотеатри просто кишать готовими історіями і все, що треба від глядача це просто сісти і сприйняти вже пережовану і гарно присмачену спецефектами кашку.
Говорити про задіяння людського, мислення, аналізу і критики не приходиться взагалі, бо перед нами конкретні речі, які сприймаються однозначно всіма.
Але є творіння з іншої царини – вони не дають відповідей, вони не годують нас дешевим сюжетом, їх ціль якраз протилежна- змусити нас задавати собі питання і вирішувати їх самостійно, спираючись на досвід прочитаного, переглянутого, прожитого.
Ці твори апелюють до підсвідомого, до якихось прихованих почуттів і емоцій.
Саме таким твором і є ”Містерія” Ґранта Моррісона і Джона Джея Мата.
Багатозначність і цікавість твору відкривається нам з самого початку – ми стаємо глядачами дивного дійства- містерії , свого роду п’єси в якій зображуюється релігійний сюжет.
Ось що говорить нам про це поняття Вікіпедія:
Місте́рія (грец. musterion — таїнство, таємний релігійний обряд на честь якогось божества) — західноєвропейська середньовічна релігійна драма, що виникла на основі літургійного дійства.
В основу містерії різдвяної та великодньої покладено біблійні сюжети. Виникнувши у 13 ст., вона поширилась у 14-15 ст. в Італії, Англії, Німеччині, Нідерландах, Франції у вигляді масових видовищ.
В цій Містерії є кілька героїв : Бог, Сатана, Люцифер, Адам і Єва.
Вона починається з розмови Диявола і Бога. Під час якої Бог проганяє Сатану в Пекло.
Цікаво те, що ведеться вона староанглійською з її характерними і милозвучними особливостями і всі звертання римуються.
Такий поетичний початок твору переводить погляд зі сцени на глядачів, нам розповідають, що події відбуваються в Англійському містечку , де за сприяння мера і духовенства вирішили відродити старовинну традицію містерій і зараз відбувається перша з них.
Раптом наш погляд переводять на сцену на ній ми бачимо біле непорушне тіло.
Це Творець, Бог і він вбитий ! Тіло актора, старого лікаря з сивою головою лежить мертве з раною у грудях.
На сцені з’являється новий герой – детектив Карпентер, саме він має розкрити вбивство Бога, та ще й розібратися в самому собі, адже не пам’ятає багато подій зі свого власного життя.
Проводячи розслідування він говорить з різними жителями міста – журналісткою місцевої газети, мером, преподобним настоятелем церкви, актором, котрий грав Сатану.
Про майстерність художника говорити не приходиться. Просто погляньте на його колосальну роботу. Кожна панель це без перебільшень самостійне творіння зі своєю історією, настроєм і загадкою.
Так з загадкою, а їх на 86 сторінках вас чекає дуже багато і не всі вдасться розгадати.
Кольорова гама, деталізація і перспективи в багато чому нагадують роботи одного з кращих художників-реалістів Ендрю Ваєта, тіні і демонічні образи це безперечно вплив Франциско Ґойї .
Для шанувальників коміксів цей стиль буде чимось середнім між Россом і Сінкевичем .
І спираючись на свій досвід в прочитанні графічних романів, а також досвід мистецтвознавця, я можу твердо сказати, що саме цей твір може привернути увагу багатьох серйозних, бородатих і критичних дядьків до жанру графічного роману.
Трохи дивно, але саме перед прочитанням цього роману, я переглянув стрічку Терренса Маліка ”Дерево Життя” – котра також апелює до підсвідомих переживань, аналізу і самоаналізу.
Лакрімоза з цього фільму чудово підійде для звукового оформлення рецензії про ”Містерію”.
Отже, що таке цей дивний і глибокий твір?
Для когось це філософський твір про релігію і атеїзм, про тлінність плоті і минущість всього, хтось знайде безперечну паралель з фільмом ”Острів проклятих”, хтось похвалить візуальну частину і переглядатиме панелі годинами, а хтось … хтось просто вийде з залу, як це зробили сотні глядачів на показі ”Дерева Життя”.
Просто знайте, що тут не буде пережованого ментального фастфуду, не буде спрощеної конкретики і однозначності, але якщо ви готові сприйняти щось нове, тоді запрошую вас на Містерію!
Яскравий приклад – фільми Лінча, Лінклейтера, Трієра в кінематографі, чи твори таких авторів як Семюель Беккет і Хуліо Кортасар в літературі.
Основна характерна риса цих творів, це те що вони не є конкретними і прямолінійними, тому й не розуміються багатьма.
Сучасні глядачі і читачі виросли , сприймаючи і переглядаючи прямолінійні і зрозумілі всім картини.
Наприклад – Жив-був собі такий-то чоловік і закохався він в таку-то жінку, але потім сталось якесь горе, котре він переміг, чи не переміг і маємо фінал – позитивний, або негативний.
Цю просту схему, чи шаблон можна застосувати до всього – кінотеатри просто кишать готовими історіями і все, що треба від глядача це просто сісти і сприйняти вже пережовану і гарно присмачену спецефектами кашку.
Говорити про задіяння людського, мислення, аналізу і критики не приходиться взагалі, бо перед нами конкретні речі, які сприймаються однозначно всіма.
Але є творіння з іншої царини – вони не дають відповідей, вони не годують нас дешевим сюжетом, їх ціль якраз протилежна- змусити нас задавати собі питання і вирішувати їх самостійно, спираючись на досвід прочитаного, переглянутого, прожитого.
Ці твори апелюють до підсвідомого, до якихось прихованих почуттів і емоцій.
Саме таким твором і є ”Містерія” Ґранта Моррісона і Джона Джея Мата.
Багатозначність і цікавість твору відкривається нам з самого початку – ми стаємо глядачами дивного дійства- містерії , свого роду п’єси в якій зображуюється релігійний сюжет.
Ось що говорить нам про це поняття Вікіпедія:
Місте́рія (грец. musterion — таїнство, таємний релігійний обряд на честь якогось божества) — західноєвропейська середньовічна релігійна драма, що виникла на основі літургійного дійства.
В основу містерії різдвяної та великодньої покладено біблійні сюжети. Виникнувши у 13 ст., вона поширилась у 14-15 ст. в Італії, Англії, Німеччині, Нідерландах, Франції у вигляді масових видовищ.
В цій Містерії є кілька героїв : Бог, Сатана, Люцифер, Адам і Єва.
Вона починається з розмови Диявола і Бога. Під час якої Бог проганяє Сатану в Пекло.
Цікаво те, що ведеться вона староанглійською з її характерними і милозвучними особливостями і всі звертання римуються.
Такий поетичний початок твору переводить погляд зі сцени на глядачів, нам розповідають, що події відбуваються в Англійському містечку , де за сприяння мера і духовенства вирішили відродити старовинну традицію містерій і зараз відбувається перша з них.
Раптом наш погляд переводять на сцену на ній ми бачимо біле непорушне тіло.
Це Творець, Бог і він вбитий ! Тіло актора, старого лікаря з сивою головою лежить мертве з раною у грудях.
На сцені з’являється новий герой – детектив Карпентер, саме він має розкрити вбивство Бога, та ще й розібратися в самому собі, адже не пам’ятає багато подій зі свого власного життя.
Проводячи розслідування він говорить з різними жителями міста – журналісткою місцевої газети, мером, преподобним настоятелем церкви, актором, котрий грав Сатану.
Про майстерність художника говорити не приходиться. Просто погляньте на його колосальну роботу. Кожна панель це без перебільшень самостійне творіння зі своєю історією, настроєм і загадкою.
Так з загадкою, а їх на 86 сторінках вас чекає дуже багато і не всі вдасться розгадати.
Кольорова гама, деталізація і перспективи в багато чому нагадують роботи одного з кращих художників-реалістів Ендрю Ваєта, тіні і демонічні образи це безперечно вплив Франциско Ґойї .
Для шанувальників коміксів цей стиль буде чимось середнім між Россом і Сінкевичем .
І спираючись на свій досвід в прочитанні графічних романів, а також досвід мистецтвознавця, я можу твердо сказати, що саме цей твір може привернути увагу багатьох серйозних, бородатих і критичних дядьків до жанру графічного роману.
Трохи дивно, але саме перед прочитанням цього роману, я переглянув стрічку Терренса Маліка ”Дерево Життя” – котра також апелює до підсвідомих переживань, аналізу і самоаналізу.
Лакрімоза з цього фільму чудово підійде для звукового оформлення рецензії про ”Містерію”.
Отже, що таке цей дивний і глибокий твір?
Для когось це філософський твір про релігію і атеїзм, про тлінність плоті і минущість всього, хтось знайде безперечну паралель з фільмом ”Острів проклятих”, хтось похвалить візуальну частину і переглядатиме панелі годинами, а хтось … хтось просто вийде з залу, як це зробили сотні глядачів на показі ”Дерева Життя”.
Просто знайте, що тут не буде пережованого ментального фастфуду, не буде спрощеної конкретики і однозначності, але якщо ви готові сприйняти щось нове, тоді запрошую вас на Містерію!
May 2, 2022
En mi listado de libros leídos existe un número muy bajo de lecturas en formato cómic o novela gráfica. Aprovechando que se acercaba “El día del libro”, pasó por mi cabeza indagar en una nueva lectura, y pensé: ¿por qué no busco algo diferente que mezcle mi género habitual (novela negra, policiaca, misterio…) con un cómic/novela gráfica? Después de mirar un rato por catálogos encontré: El misterio religioso de Grant Morrison y el dibujante Jon J. Muth. Desconocía a los autores, me leí algunas reseñas y busqué quién era. Ya publicado en los 90, regresaba a principios de este año con una edición nueva.
Como dice ECC Comics: “El misterio religioso es un tenso thriller psicológico, un descenso hacia un alucinógeno mundo de culpa y sacrificio, de juicio y castigo”.
La forma del dibujo tan realista me fue cautivando en cada una de las hojas. Pasabas una, y veías la historia en cada trazo, leías, y veías lo sucedido en los ojos del personaje, en el paisaje, en la circunstancia… me encantó el detalle de las viñetas, fuera del habitual cuadrado perfecto, aquí te encontrabas como si fueran trozos de papel troceados… Como base de la historia, el regreso de una celebración antigua para que el pueblo volviese a la vida. Un asesinato, un subinspector con sus propios demonios, un pueblo podrido, y cada personaje con necesidades ocultas.
La línea entre lo real, el fanatismo, las mentiras, los secretos y los dedos acusadores serán el pan y el vino de esta pequeña, pero intensa historia que lleva al lector a pensar en diferentes perspectivas para unir las piezas y crear la imagen de un puzle que nos mostrará el mensaje final de todo el principio, de un “misterio religioso”. Me gusta realizar las reseñas sin dar ningún dato posible porque el lector tiene una gran imaginación y eso conlleva a destrozar una de infinitas sorpresas que podrían llevarse al leer esta historia. Más allá de lo que ya puedes leer en su sinopsis; Un pueblo que ya ha perdido el norte, sospechas, acusaciones a dedo infladas por la cólera de Dios, un investigador que busca su propia verdad, y un cruce de personajes que te harán pensar que esta “historia ficticia, en un pueblo ficticio”, no es muy diferente al mundo que nos rodea cuando cerramos la tapa.
Nunca es tarde para descubrir a un escritor con una carrera enorme y ver que ya habías visto su trabajo bajo la publicación de otros títulos… asombrarte por la capacidad de crear un arte tan real y fantástico como lo que ha hecho el dibujante en esta novela gráfica. Lectura tan corta visualmente a lo lejos, pero tan agónica con necesidad de pausar cada número de páginas, y saborear lo leído.
Me quedo con un comentario que realiza el subinspector Frank Carpenter:
“A veces… a veces miro el mundo y me pregunto si Dios nos puso aquí para ser los instrumentos de su muerte. Como si deseara morir. Él no puede soportar el horror de lo que es y de lo que ha hecho. No puede sentir dolor ni remordimiento. Él… él solo espera y reza porque crezcamos y le hagamos sentir lo que sentimos…”
Como dice ECC Comics: “El misterio religioso es un tenso thriller psicológico, un descenso hacia un alucinógeno mundo de culpa y sacrificio, de juicio y castigo”.
La forma del dibujo tan realista me fue cautivando en cada una de las hojas. Pasabas una, y veías la historia en cada trazo, leías, y veías lo sucedido en los ojos del personaje, en el paisaje, en la circunstancia… me encantó el detalle de las viñetas, fuera del habitual cuadrado perfecto, aquí te encontrabas como si fueran trozos de papel troceados… Como base de la historia, el regreso de una celebración antigua para que el pueblo volviese a la vida. Un asesinato, un subinspector con sus propios demonios, un pueblo podrido, y cada personaje con necesidades ocultas.
La línea entre lo real, el fanatismo, las mentiras, los secretos y los dedos acusadores serán el pan y el vino de esta pequeña, pero intensa historia que lleva al lector a pensar en diferentes perspectivas para unir las piezas y crear la imagen de un puzle que nos mostrará el mensaje final de todo el principio, de un “misterio religioso”. Me gusta realizar las reseñas sin dar ningún dato posible porque el lector tiene una gran imaginación y eso conlleva a destrozar una de infinitas sorpresas que podrían llevarse al leer esta historia. Más allá de lo que ya puedes leer en su sinopsis; Un pueblo que ya ha perdido el norte, sospechas, acusaciones a dedo infladas por la cólera de Dios, un investigador que busca su propia verdad, y un cruce de personajes que te harán pensar que esta “historia ficticia, en un pueblo ficticio”, no es muy diferente al mundo que nos rodea cuando cerramos la tapa.
Nunca es tarde para descubrir a un escritor con una carrera enorme y ver que ya habías visto su trabajo bajo la publicación de otros títulos… asombrarte por la capacidad de crear un arte tan real y fantástico como lo que ha hecho el dibujante en esta novela gráfica. Lectura tan corta visualmente a lo lejos, pero tan agónica con necesidad de pausar cada número de páginas, y saborear lo leído.
Me quedo con un comentario que realiza el subinspector Frank Carpenter:
“A veces… a veces miro el mundo y me pregunto si Dios nos puso aquí para ser los instrumentos de su muerte. Como si deseara morir. Él no puede soportar el horror de lo que es y de lo que ha hecho. No puede sentir dolor ni remordimiento. Él… él solo espera y reza porque crezcamos y le hagamos sentir lo que sentimos…”
June 10, 2021
Morrison's The Mystery Play starts out like a quaint BBC mystery series: a small English town puts on a mystery play concerning the crucifixion of Jesus in order to attract tourists, but the man playing God is murdered during the play and an out-of-town detective must solve the murder, but about 3/4ths into the story, all that goes right out the door and things get crazy real fast. I could see where the revelations towards the end of the story might throw some off (especially what happens as a result of those revelations), but I think Morrison was going more for allegory than a straight forward detective story. Regardless, it's a heck of a story and art work is wonderful and reminiscent of the work Dave Mckean did for Morrison's Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. If you happened to enjoy Arkham Asylum, you'll love The Mystery Play. Morrison seemed to be in a very similar mindset for this story.
April 15, 2023
Solid mystery thriller from Grant Morrison. It is both a whodunit and whydunit mystery and while both in the climax remain unresolved (sorta)- its writing is pretty engrossing, tight, and moody. A detective is called to a small, fictitious village in Northern England to solve a murder, only to discover a bigger mystery to catch and that of solving his own life. In a way, the story feels a bit like The Wicker Man. An out-of-town detective on the case in a small place where nothing is as it seems, culminating in a shocking climax. Speaking of, this is not the zaniest writing that Morrison could muster; it is pretty straightforward as well but make no mistake, the plot deals with some heavy themes like religion, and by the time you reach the final panel, it'll leave you dazzled and in requirement of multiple readings.
DeMuth's art is gorgeous, the characters are doodled like real people, and his dreamy style compliments Morrison's moody writing nicely.
DeMuth's art is gorgeous, the characters are doodled like real people, and his dreamy style compliments Morrison's moody writing nicely.
May 17, 2024
My favorite mysteries are the type that will likely never be solved. Sure, the moment when all the pieces come together is supremely satisfying, but there's something far more elegant and haunting in knowing that resolution may never come.
That's what The Mystery Play gives us. It's something 17-18-year-old me didn't quite appreciate 30 years ago. I loved (and still love) Jon. J. Muth's artwork, but I found myself frustrated with the story's lack of concrete answers.
Now, the hints, the suggestions, the pieces that don't quite fit together...that's what I live for in a story like this.
That's what The Mystery Play gives us. It's something 17-18-year-old me didn't quite appreciate 30 years ago. I loved (and still love) Jon. J. Muth's artwork, but I found myself frustrated with the story's lack of concrete answers.
Now, the hints, the suggestions, the pieces that don't quite fit together...that's what I live for in a story like this.
December 21, 2019
A murder in a small town, an outsider detective, and local sins are exposed. It's a formula we've seen before, of course. But the formula being used by Grant Morrison and colliding with overtly Christian imagery is what sets this book apart.
Jon J. Muth's artwork moves between photo-realism and the abstract, being beautiful when it needs to be, grotesque when it needs to be, and dreamlike always.
Jon J. Muth's artwork moves between photo-realism and the abstract, being beautiful when it needs to be, grotesque when it needs to be, and dreamlike always.
July 7, 2023
I can understand why the reception is sort of mixed here (3.42 stars at the moment). Most of this I'm here for. The first 2/3 of the book works for me. The last third is where things go off the rails. Honestly if the 2 pages weren't there I'd honestly say 2.5 stars but I think with the last pages it ties things together in a vaguely unique way. This is something I may need to reread to understand better
October 26, 2020
Un cómic con un dibujo impecable, y una historia de policial negro que logra generar interés en el lector, que propone matices, pero que se queda en un final acelerado que tira por tierra todo lo planteado sin dejar claro exactamente lo que busca. Solo recomendado a los incondicionales (como yo) de Grant Morrison.
May 9, 2023
Pros:
Beautiful art
Writing that make you think
Interesting dialogue
Surreal
Cons:
All caps makes it harder to read.
British lingo / hard to understand
Jumps around… The story definitely doesn’t make sense. You could come up with something but you’d just be guessing / it’s not worth the time if the mystery comes from so much omission.
Beautiful art
Writing that make you think
Interesting dialogue
Surreal
Cons:
All caps makes it harder to read.
British lingo / hard to understand
Jumps around… The story definitely doesn’t make sense. You could come up with something but you’d just be guessing / it’s not worth the time if the mystery comes from so much omission.
August 25, 2021
Exploring religious overtones through a detective murder mystery in a small town, the story is atmospheric and engaging, but it could've benefitted from allowing the reader to spend more time with the characters and a stronger conclusion.
January 19, 2018
god is dead , long live this book !!!
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