Biography - Comics
Grant Morrison is highly-regarded as one of the most original and inventive writers to work in the comic book industry. He is recognised as being one of the best-selling writers in the medium for the last 20 years. In 2012, he received an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to Film and Literature.
His revisionist Batman book ARKHAM ASYLUM (with artist Dave McKean) has sold over 600,000 copies worldwide and won numerous awards, making it the most successful original graphic novel to be published in America. In 2009, Eidos released the best selling video game BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM inspired by the book.
In his time in comics, Morrison has revived many titles and contributed ground-breaking and top-selling runs of popular stories for the major companies including DC Comics characters; BATMAN, SUPERMAN, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, DOOM PATROL, ANIMAL MAN and for Marvel Comics the best-selling monthly, NEW X-MEN, MARVEL BOY and FANTASTIC FOUR.
In addition he has created a number of revolutionary original series including, We3, THE INVISIBLES, THE FILTH, FLEX MENTALLO, ZENITH, SEBASTIAN O, MARVEL BOY, and the cult classics KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND, THE MYSTERY PLAY, SEAGUY and JOE THE BARBARIAN.
His Graphic Novels and Comic Book collections have been translated into over 20 languages and are sold worldwide.
In the last 5 years, his books have won a number of major industry awards, including 3 times Eisner Award winning best series ALL STAR SUPERMAN and best limited series SEVEN SOLDIERS. Morrison has also won several Harvey Awards including Best Writer in 2009, a Scream Award and attained Lifetime Achievement status at the British Eagle Awards. So far, in 2011, he has received 5 awards from Kapow! Stan Lee's to Eagle's including Best Writer at each and best comic for BATMAN & ROBIN.
In 2008 Grant wrote the two top selling DC Comics titles FINAL CRISIS, and BATMAN. The controversial BATMAN R.I.P. storyline which has revolutionised the character has been caught in a worldwide press storm with reports of Grant ‘killing Batman’ in every major newspaper and on TV.
He is still at the helm of the BATMAN franchise having created the best-selling BATMAN & ROBIN in 2009, brought Bruce Wayne back into comics continuity in the series BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, revolutionised the Batman concept in BATMAN INCORPORATED and is wrapping up the saga in 2012's BATMAN INCORPORATED: LEVIATHAN series.
Since September 2011, as part of the new 52 relaunch at DC Comics, Grant has returned to a successful Superman run in ACTION COMICS with art by Rags Morales.
As part of his remit at DC Comics, Morrison has also acted as a Consultant developing updated approaches on minor characters and recreating them as springboards for other writers. He has also had award winning and critical success using this revival method for his own maxi-series, Seven Soldiers in 2006. His take on Superman for ALL-STAR SUPERMAN cements his ability to breathe life into old franchises and his 6 year story run on Batman has woven a complex and intriguing best-selling tale not seen in decades.
Often courting controversy, many titles, other than BATMAN, have made headlines; ST.SWITHIN'S DAY - a story about a young man from the North attempting to assassinate Margaret Thatcher - had questions raised in the House of Commons, as did THE INVISIBLES, Morrison's highly-influential six-year long series about a group of occult terrorists (which has been said to have partly inspired the film THE MATRIX). Seen as cutting-edge and subversive, THE INVISIBLES and other series, like THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HITLER and BIG DAVE and DOOM PATROL, have been the subject of both academic discussion and popular media interest.
In 1997, Grant was the first comic book writer to be included as one of Entertainment Weekly's top 100 creative people in America.