Thought-provoking, deep and slow-moving are only three ways to describe comic giant Grant Morrison’s second installment to his “The Invisibles” saga, “Apocalipstick.”

The Invisibles’ latest recruit, a young street hoodlum from Liverpool named Dane McGowan, ran away as of the end of the last trade paperback and now the anarchist revolutionary group has to get him back at all costs – before the other side does.

Collecting issues nine through 16, this trade primarily focuses on the introduction of Jim Crow, a Haitian member of an Invisibles sister group; the origin of Lord Fanny and McGowan’s ever-growing evolution as Jack Frost.

Few would call Morrison’s writing shallow, as it’s nothing if not profound. Simultaneously dealing with politics, the occult, racism, sexism, homophobia, homosexual culture and a variety of other potent issues, this opus is certainly a testament to Morrison’s education and pursuit of justice.

It does get a bit self-indulgent at points, though this was a problem with the last trade, as well. It’s informative, philosophical and ponderous, but hardly ever at all fun, although the various pop-culture references suggest that it aims to be.

In spite of this, the stories flow smoothly, as an intricate connection weaves fine lines between seemingly incongruent worlds.

The most fascinating of the tales has to be Lord Fanny’s origin. Born a young man into a family of sorceresses, he is left with little choice but to attain femininity, lest he displease the ancestral gods and the rest of his kin. And so, the young boy must become “boygirl” and embrace any aspect of womanhood he’d been denied. To fully implement his transformation, his mother and grandmother take him to their native Mexico to invoke the gods while undergoing a potentially deadly ritual. If he’s worthy, he’ll survive.

He is; and soon after, the Invisibles come knocking on his door – but not before he goes though several trials – and they are quite the disturbing read. Fanny’s teenage years are nearly impossible to digest without psychological pepto bismol and will have even the coldest frosty cringing in sympathy.

What is particularly interesting about Fanny’s origin is the non-linear chronology. We see childhood, adolescence and adulthood all interweaving to tell one story as the youth speaks to various gods. Time ceases to exist for the “boygirl,” and we begin to somewhat understand The Invisibles’ universe works.

The art continues to be provocatively pretty, though the title is shared by five individuals this time: Jill Thompson, Chris Weston, John Ridgway, Steve Parkhouse and Paul Johnson. Each takes great care to provide distinct expressions for the characters within.

“The Invisibles” surely has its problems, but should nevertheless be a staple in the graphic novel industry. Its breadth of research and innovative ideas alone rate higher than most tales in the sphere of science fiction.

Time stops and the residents of our world are transferred to the real one, as an evil force deems to use the unsuspecting human population for its own nefarious means. Sound familiar?

Remember: “The Matrix” wasn’t a barrel of laughs either, but “The Invisibles” did it first.

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