The Mystery Play
Encyclopedia
The Mystery Play is the title of a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...

la written by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...

 and illustrated by Jon J. Muth
Jon J. Muth
Jon J. Muth is an American comic book artist and children's book illustrator, known for his painted artwork....

, it was released as a hardcover by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

 Vertigo imprint in 1994
1994 in comics
-Year overall:* Huge changes in the marketplace force many retailers and small publishers out of business...

.

Plot synopsis

The Mystery Play is set round a mystery play
Mystery play
Mystery plays and miracle plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the representation of Bible stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying antiphonal song...

 and the investigation of the murder of the actor who plays God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

 in the play. The story is set in the fictional English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 town of Townely and the story itself is an allegorical
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...

 one where police inspector Frank Carpenter attempts to solve the mystery of the murder.

During the story we see Carpenter interview various suspects, including the actor playing Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...

 who is the main suspect, as well as various residents of the town. Morrison also delves into Carpenter's own past and ties all the elements together in a story about the nature of God.

Publication

It has been published by Vertigo in the US and Warner Books in the UK:
  • The Mystery Play (graphic novel
    Graphic novel
    A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...

    , 76 pages, Vertigo, hardcover, 1994, ISBN 1-56389-108-5; softcover, Warner Books
    Hachette Book Group USA
    Hachette Book Group is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the second largest publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Group. HBG was formed when Hachette Livre purchased the Time Warner Book Group from...

    , 1995, ISBN 1-56389-189-1)

The Mystery Play is the title of a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...

la written by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...

 and illustrated by Jon J. Muth
Jon J. Muth
Jon J. Muth is an American comic book artist and children's book illustrator, known for his painted artwork....

, it was released as a hardcover by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

 Vertigo imprint in 1994
1994 in comics
-Year overall:* Huge changes in the marketplace force many retailers and small publishers out of business...

.

Plot synopsis

The Mystery Play is set round a mystery play
Mystery play
Mystery plays and miracle plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the representation of Bible stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying antiphonal song...

 and the investigation of the murder of the actor who plays God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

 in the play. The story is set in the fictional English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 town of Townely and the story itself is an allegorical
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...

 one where police inspector Frank Carpenter attempts to solve the mystery of the murder.

During the story we see Carpenter interview various suspects, including the actor playing Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...

 who is the main suspect, as well as various residents of the town. Morrison also delves into Carpenter's own past and ties all the elements together in a story about the nature of God.

Publication

It has been published by Vertigo in the US and Warner Books in the UK:
  • The Mystery Play (graphic novel
    Graphic novel
    A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...

    , 76 pages, Vertigo, hardcover, 1994, ISBN 1-56389-108-5; softcover, Warner Books
    Hachette Book Group USA
    Hachette Book Group is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the second largest publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Group. HBG was formed when Hachette Livre purchased the Time Warner Book Group from...

    , 1995, ISBN 1-56389-189-1)

The Mystery Play is the title of a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...

la written by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...

 and illustrated by Jon J. Muth
Jon J. Muth
Jon J. Muth is an American comic book artist and children's book illustrator, known for his painted artwork....

, it was released as a hardcover by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

 Vertigo imprint in 1994
1994 in comics
-Year overall:* Huge changes in the marketplace force many retailers and small publishers out of business...

.

Plot synopsis

The Mystery Play is set round a mystery play
Mystery play
Mystery plays and miracle plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the representation of Bible stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying antiphonal song...

 and the investigation of the murder of the actor who plays God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

 in the play. The story is set in the fictional English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 town of Townely and the story itself is an allegorical
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...

 one where police inspector Frank Carpenter attempts to solve the mystery of the murder.

During the story we see Carpenter interview various suspects, including the actor playing Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...

 who is the main suspect, as well as various residents of the town. Morrison also delves into Carpenter's own past and ties all the elements together in a story about the nature of God.

Publication

It has been published by Vertigo in the US and Warner Books in the UK:
  • The Mystery Play (graphic novel
    Graphic novel
    A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...

    , 76 pages, Vertigo, hardcover, 1994, ISBN 1-56389-108-5; softcover, Warner Books
    Hachette Book Group USA
    Hachette Book Group is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the second largest publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Group. HBG was formed when Hachette Livre purchased the Time Warner Book Group from...

    , 1995, ISBN 1-56389-189-1)

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