Wow, The Authority written by Grant Morrison? A dream come true! Well that was the plan. Unfortunately Morrison lasted two issues then handed his notes to Giffen and was never seen again. Or something.
It’s a mess you can live without. Without the bigger picture that The Authority was founded on then they are just another annoying superteam. You can see the Morrison genius just sprouting before it is snatched away. Giffen has done a reasonable job with the Midnighter standalone title but here he is telling the kind of story he hates. So even he disappears for a while and Brian Stelfreeze takes the strain.
There are also five artists in these six issues as this troubled book was passed from pillar to post. We start off with Gene Ha whose digital manipulation takes a moment to get used to but he produces some incredible effects. His photo-manipulation brings makes it feel really intimate, just as if you are there.
Three other artists, including the esteemed Darick Robertson, do a serviceable job but a new name to me is Jonathan Wayshak. He really stands out, but for the wrong reason. His caricatured style and warped expressions definitely don’t suit this title, which could be why he only did a single issue.
Grant Morrison’s ideas and Gene Ha’s art definitely deserve a Thumbs Up but the rest doesn’t. A real shame.