Flex Mentallo #1-4
Published by: DC/Vertigo – 1996
Written by: Grant Morrison
Illustrated by: Frank Quitely
The four-issue DC/Vertigo miniseries Flex Mentallo—written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Frank Quitely—takes a clever approach to storytelling by blurring the lines between what is fact and fiction, leaving the reader wondering what is real and whether “real” is even a meaningful distinction within the world Morrison constructs. The juxtaposition and contrasting of the real—a much darker parallel narrative full of emotion—with the idealized—the light adventures of the eponymous satirical superhero Flex Mentallo—is also major theme.
The story alternates between a narrative of a dying man overdosing on drugs in a suicide attempt as he talks on a telephone to a crisis hotline—wanting to talk about uplifting and positive memories of comic books and superheroes before he dies—and the other revolves around the eponymous Flex Mentallo—a fictional creation of the dying man originally appearing in crude homemade comic books he illustrated as a child whom is brought to life—chasing down a conspiracy in order to stop the end the world, which may be only a figment of the dying man’s imagination, or a parallel reality, or both.
A subplot features other superheroes’ efforts to survive the annihilation of their universe, whom do so by transferring themselves into another reality where they exist as fictions, answering the question oft asked of writers “where do your ideas come from?” This is not unlike a certain recurring theme in Morrison’s work that began with Animal Man in the 1980s wherein the characters become aware that their existence is nothing more than a comic book to creatures in a higher reality. This theme is revisited again in a more recent Morrison comic—also drawn by Quitely—Pax Americana, a part of DC Comics’ Multiversity series. Sadly, Pax Americana was never intended to extend beyond a single issue and, as such, it never expands upon its intriguing and enticing initial premise—which owed much of its inspiration to the characters and premise of Alan Moore’s Watchmen.
Flex Mentallo, the “Man of Muscle Mystery,” is a creative and satirical approach to the superhero archetype. Mentallo is patterned after Charles Atlas ads that were once found in comics enticing the ninety-pound weaklings of the world into sending money in order to build muscle and become the “king of the beach” and no longer have sand kicked in their faces and their girlfriends stolen. Visually, Flex Mentallo is a spoof of over-muscled superheroes and bodybuilders, sporting only a pair of leopard print briefs and boots—and an occasional trench-coat. Mentallo’s claim to superhero fame is his ability to alter reality by striking a pose and flexing the appropriate muscles to elicit certain effects—such as disarming a bomb, stopping a fleeing man, or flooring a super-villain without so much as touching him—while his “halo” shines above him, which reads “King of the Beach.”
Quitely’s artwork is a highlight of all the projects he’s involved with. It is clean and detailed, gritty without becoming dark, realistic without abandoning cartooning and caricature. It impresses without wowing. I would take the more naturalistic, more organic Quitely over the more angular, sterile, and formulaic Jim Lee or Mark Silvestri or the myriad artists following in their footsteps any day of the week—though Lee and Silvestri rarely disappoint.—but, to be fair, I’d take Jae Lee’s recent work over both if not for one detail: his choice of collaborators. Quite the opposite, if Quitely is involved, the writing will usually be of a standard sufficient to match or elevate his art. His most notable collaborations are with writers Mark Millar (most notably on The Authority) and Grant Morrison.
If you like Quitely’s artwork, his other books—especially The Authority, All-Star Superman, and Jupiter’s Legacy—will not disappoint. Though it is more exaggerated and cartoonish—as if an amalgamation of Quitely and Jeff Smith of Bone and RASL fame—you might also enjoy the artwork of Raphael Grampa in Mesmo Delivery published by Dark Horse. Mesmo Delivery is beautifully designed, ultra-violent, and wholly unique.
Flex Mentallo is suitable only for “mature audiences” due mainly to some sexual content, drug content, and the theme of suicide, in addition to a brief, more bizarre and disturbing, scene of abuse.
Recommendations:
Readers interested in more by Morrison should be warned that some of his work can be disturbing and perverse. Comics like The Filth and The Invisibles, while fascinating, have moments that cause such offense some might opt to abandon reading them prior to their conclusion (speaking from personal experience) and should be reserved solely for a “mature” audience.
However, Morrison does have a large bibliography of much more accessible work. Doom Patrol, Animal Man, and All-Star Superman are standouts that are creative, inventive, and fairly inoffensive. His work on New X-Men and Final Crisis are even less likely to offend; they feature mainstream superheroes and have all the trappings of mainstream comics and none of Morrison’s envelope-pushing. Though New X-Men and Final Crisis are more accessible, they also lack the unfettered creativity and innovation that make Doom Patrol, Animal Man, All-Star Superman, and Flex Mentallo stand out from his oeuvre.
Fans of Morrison might also appreciate the work of the other members of the “British Invasion” such as Warren Ellis (Planetary and Transmetropolitan), Mark Millar (The Authority, The Ultimates, Superior, and Nemesis), Neil Gaiman (Sandman), and Alan Moore (Watchmen).
Planetary and Transmetropolitan specifically might appeal to anyone whom enjoys Flex Mentallo. Planetary is an intelligent and inventive deconstruction of superheroes, adventurers, and science fiction, combined with a degree of existentialism, which centers around three adventurers—“Archaeologists of the Impossible”—in search of buried secrets about the past and the future, aliens, metahumans, and high technology. It lacks Flex Mentallo’s irreverence—it is not parody—but parody is likewise a deconstruction. Planetary rivals Flex Mentallo’s enthusiasm for new ideas and new perspectives on old ideas.
Transmetropolitan, on the other hand—which follows the adventures of a Gonzo journalist a thousand years in the future—is firmly in the realm of satire—an irreverent deconstruction—but likewise has a sort of wide-eyed innocence in the way it explores its main character’s self-righteous cynicism. It is a cynicism about the way things are—born from a principled ideology—and idealistic optimism about the way things should be and could potentially still be.
Brian Bigelow
October 30, 2016
