Ah, comic book writers, they are not really writers are they? I mean, they only contribute a few words to a page at best right? Wrong. A world of wrong. As a bookseller, I am constantly aware of an underlying derivative attitude to comics and the collective big sibling medium -- the graphic novel. But there simply aren’t enough words! Step forward Mr Grant Morrison. Grant Morrison is very well known in this medium. Prolific, respected – even when not admired – and generally liked, his fans and those ambivalent to his work will lap this up, but then I don’t think it's the genres disciples that will gain the most from Supergods. Supergods is clever. Contained within is comprehensively concise history of comics from the first appearance of Superman all the way up to Morrison’s own retelling of the Man of Steel. Morrison reveals a complex world, burdened at times with censorship, constantly trying to prove itself as a viable art form and waging a ferocious battle with heartless consumerism. Morrison presents this in a delightfully objective way; he is neither gushing nor derivative of his predecessors and contemporaries and this was one of the many things that so impressed me with this book. Entwined with the history and background of comic books and related media are snippets of Morrison’s own biography, making the presentation personal, heartfelt and above all; very, very clever. Supergods is really a book for anyone. It is a commentary on popular culture, which only ever mirrors collective human worries and joys. It is also a stunning example of solid writing and shows that those who write comics can be as reflective and informative as any biographer or historian. More people need to read this.