Zenith Book One: Tygers

Zenith #1

by Grant Morrison, Steve Yeowell (Illustrator)

Nothing can harm Zenith. Or so he thinks. He's about to get a huge wake-up call, courtesy of a WWII legacy that won't stay buried and a multi-dimensional race of soul-eating gods that want to re-shape Earth and its inhabitants in their own image.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction

88 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1988

About the author

Grant 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.

Reviews

[Mark Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favourite graphic novels / series.

I read these in the 80s and some of the biting commentary on styles, attitudes, and politics will have been blunted by the years. Still, they're a triumph of both imagination and artwork. It's quite possible that the superhero trope had been deconstructed and undermined before this, and I just wasn't aware of it - just as young viewers of The Boys might think it's more original than it is. But, the deconstruction is very well done, and great fun. Zenith is close to superman in terms of indestructibility, strength, etc. He's young, vain, cocky and has never had to worry about anything. That's all about to change.

Really good work - I've purchased the collected editions in the past few years and enjoyed them all over again.

Give them a go.



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[Benjamin Uke · Rating 2 out of 5]

1980s comic, Robert McDowell, codename “Zenith” — the offspring of two missing members of a 1960s British super-team called Cloud 9. He's turned pop star and is known as "Superbrat" to the press.

Recruited by the previous generation of superhuman to fight against a lovecraftian horror called Lloigor. The premise being that Zenith is a cocky little gobshite and is reduced to being a supporting character in his own comic what with the fame-hunger.

2/5 Its tone somewhere between satire, pop-cultural critique and cosmic superhero epic without achieving any of the above... It's schlocky (not a bad thing where superheroes are involved), generic nazi superscience and lovecraftian villains. All the tropes have been done by others, better. It's good if you want an image of zeitgeist, grafting pop-star culture, 1980s aesthetics, media-celebrity arrogance onto the trope of super-powers.

For those making a deep-dive into Morrison, it's an early experiments of the styles that would becomeWatchmen.

[Emilio Arias H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estrellas de música pop, superhéroes en decadencia, nazis superpoderosos, entidades lovecraftianas e intereses políticos... Todo metido en la coctelera. Y sí, es Grant Morrison.
El cóctel, digo... cómic tiene un gran ritmo narrativo, tanto en los momentos de acción como en los que se hace avanzar la historia a través de diálogos.

[Jim Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zenith is one of the "Holy Grail" books for me. It has only appeared in collected form in England. Some imported copies have appeared but I always seem to miss them at conventions. I finally managed to track them down and they were definitely worth the search.

"Zenith Book 1" is another great Morrison read. The story begins with the showdown between the British superhero "Maximan" and the Nazi superhero "Masterman" at the end of World War II. Maximan is overly confident and Masterman easily beats him. At this time, the Americans drop the atomic bomb on the duo bringing an end to the conflict.

Back in England, their scientists use the procedure to create a super team called Cloud 9. Cloud 9 become the darlings of the 60s. Two of them end up together and become parents to the first of the next generation of heros-Zenith. Unfortunately for them, Zenith is only interested in partying and his music career. He does enough heroic acts to help further his career.

Unknown to the winners of WWII, a secret cult survived the war. They are followers of "The Many Angled Ones" who were the real power behind Masterman. As their plot unfolds, Zenith is forced into teaming up with the remaining members of Cloud 9 to take on the new Masterman and his masters.

This is a well thought out, tightly plotted, mystery filled story that is another example of why Morrison is one of my favorite comic book writers.

Highly recommended.

[Owen Townend · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has convinced me that early Grant Morrison writing is the best for me. Zenith Book One: Tygers plays with the sociology of superheroes in a light-hearted and easy-going way.

Oh sure, The Many Angled Ones plot is definitely metaphysical and multidimensional in a very Lovecraftian sort of way, but that's the extent of the mind-blowing of this comic book. Which isn't to belittle the rest of the concepts in play; I find the bone-idle, egotistical second-generation superhero Zenith refreshing fun. Tying his powers to a biorhythm cycle is a stroke of genius that I'm surprised no other comic writer has applied to a big name hero.

Also I was intrigued by the history of WW2 supersoldier Maximan and Cloud 9, a 60's team of enhanced individuals who have since moved off in wildly different directions. Within the space of 88 pages (6 pages per original 2000AD strip), Morrison successfully evokes a world where superhumans are so much a part of British culture that society takes them for granted.

Going into this book, I was expecting the high-faluting, cosmically conscious fiction which Morrison has become synonymous with, but Zenith is just my speed. This plot is playful within the medium of the time, adding just the right amount of familiar politics and Eldritch horror to the super-powered shenanigans. It stands as a critique of 80's society but a lot of its concerns still apply to today. Also Yeowell's illustration proves perfectly flexible with Morrison's frequent shifts between ground-level interactions and space-warping standoffs.

I look forward to reading the rest of the Zenith Books and seeing what becomes of Zenith, Ruby Fox and Peter St John, and uncovering the mystery of what happened to Zenith's parents. I recommend Zenith Book One: Tygers to comic readers looking for an offbeat alternative to Alan Moore's Watchmen.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qué irreverente genialidad esta deconstrucción casi adolescente de Morrison.

[Variaciones Enrojo]

Edición española de Zenith: Libro Uno, Fase 1: Tigres.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

2000AD's first superhero, Zenith is the last superbeing on the planet after the previous generation lost their powers and disappeared. However, Masterman, a Nazi villain from WWII empowered by ancient malevolent gods, is about to return and Zenith is in no way ready for him.

I didn't know what to expect going into this book, having been a little bit disappointed by some of the early work of other now-legendary comic creators from 2000AD.
However, Zenith is brilliant (and definitely better than some of Morrison's more recent stuff). It feels like a careful blend of the great 1980s superhero deconstruction (epitomised by Alan Moore's 'Watchmen') and the cosmic horror elements which made Morrison's later work on 'Doom Patrol' so iconic.

Zenith is truly a superhero for the 80s; vain, money-driven and working on his music career, all of which is held up in juxtaposition to both the 'greatest generation' superhero Maximan from WWII and the rebellious 1960s era superheroes who, amongst other things, engaged in transcendental meditation with The Beatles.
One of my favourite elements of this book was its scathing look at Thatcherism (something which is, depressingly, rearing its ugly head in Britain again at the moment) and the way that the most hippy of 60s superheroes, Mandala, has now become a suit-wearing Tory MP. It's very much a commentary on the way that Thatcher and her cronies sold the soul of the UK. (If you're not from the UK or were born after the 1990s, then this won't mean as much to you, but trust me its great).

As I understand it, this book can be a bit hard to get hold of these days, but you should definitely give it a go if you have chance.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Camilo Guerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hay un superhumano Nazi dando vueltas por Londres con ganas de destruir el mundo para que el resto de su grupo monstruoso de seres de otra dimensión Lovecraftiana vengan a comerse todas nuestras almas, pero ahí esta Zenith que nos protegeráaunque no quiera, pero quien lo puede culpar, ¿dejar la vida de popstar para irse a pelear contra un tipo que te puede incinerar?.

LO BUENO: Para una obra de mas de 30 años, no le pesa para nada el paso del tiempo, es más, es mas fresca y reivindicativa que muchas cosas que se han hecho en los ultimos 20 años, y con el espacio que tiene, te cuentan muchas cosas, y eso se agradece, sientes los golpes, la muerte, la apatía, el terror cósmico, y con un arte de Steve Yeowell que al verlo me asuste, ya que nunca me gusto en THE INVISIBLES, pero aca el tipo se sale, y da un arte hermoso, detallado cuando tiene que serlo ,dinámico, y atrapante.

LO MALO: Al ser una serie que parecía en semanal, se necesitaba empezar y contar capítulos completos, y esto no dejaba avanzar mucho la serie y que no se pueda profundizar mas en los personajes.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The son of two famous 60's super heroes grows up to be a celeberty with super powers, more interested in selling action figures and being famous than fighting crime. His life changes when the survivors of his folks old team are targeted by an evil, demonically possessed super nazi.

Yeah, you read that last part right.
While not a great comic, this early Grant Morrison work hits a nice balance between 'super heroes in the real world' and the kind of big, mad ideas that a good comic book needs.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first ever superhero comic I read. And sort of set the pattern for what I now like in Superhero comics.

It's smart, bold, dynamic, adult.

The pacing is absolutely breakneck.

I mean, it's maybe not brilliant by the standards of today. But back then, when it was published, in what, 86, 87? I think it was probably a tremendously important and influential piece.


It's also interesting how a lot of the core themes are ideas that Grant has continued to use throughout the years.

[Oliver Hodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting start, if a little unsatisfying because it didn't introduce much. I liked the short chapters, which probably goes against complaining that there wasn't enough plot developed... Absolutley loved the art, completely jumped off the page.

[Timo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timo

[Grahm Eberhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd forgotten how blatantly Lovecraftian this story is. Wonderful stuff.

[Craig Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple of decades on and this is still the Lovecraftian styled deconstruction of the superhero genre wrapped in an 80s and 90s pop culture review.

You have to read this. So well written it is often called Grant Morrison’s Zenith, but don’t underestimate Steve Yeowell’s art. Morrison’s writing is multifaceted and Yeowell’s art depicts every twist and turn of his pen.