Back in1981, Moore imagined a post-apocalyptic 1998 in which Great Britain has become a racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, and Christian fascist state, all run by "the leader" who sits at a bank of video monitors run by a central computer. (For some reason, many readers have the mistaken impression that the setting is one in which the Nazi's won WWII, even though it's clear from flashbacks that that's not what happened). While it's a clear reaction to the Thatcher regime, the setting draws directly from Orwell's 1984, and other dystopian literature.

However, standing against this bleak world is the anarchist vigilante "V". Modeled roughly on Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up Parliament back in 1605, V is empowered by superhuman physical and mental attributes acquired while the subject of Mengle-like medial experiments in a now derelict state concentration camp. He's now using his abilities to methodically kill all the government personnel associated with his torture. And when he's not killing people, he's sneaking around blowing landmarks and generally bringing the state to its knees. An important theme Moore hammers home here is that the state is not solely to blame, but the people who place their popular power in the hands of the state are equally to blame. (Those who are interested in this particular streak of political philosophy would be well advised to check out C. Douglas Lummis' book, Radical Democracy.) Instead of a superhero saving the populace, we are given an ambiguous vengeful killer instructing the populace to save itself.

There's a whole subplot involving a teenager V rescues from the streets. However, she's largely used as a subject for him to talk at, and for the reader to get the backstory of the setting. There are a number of other subplots as well, involving the shady state functionaries, and Moore does a lot of cinematic intercutting between the various storylines. The story gets somewhat too theatrical at points, and drags at other times, and V's constant quoting (Rolling Stones and Velvet Underground lyrics to Shakespeare) gets old fast. The art is generally pretty nice, although the color isn't really to my taste, it might have looked better in simple black and white. However, it's a pretty decent quick meditation on what it means to be free and how each individual must look within themselves for the answer rather than assigning that freedom to someone else to safeguard.

British writer Alan Moore earned his place in the comic book writers' pantheon with his seminal turn on Swamp Thing in the 80s, part of the triumvirate of Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, and Moore who transformed lowly comic books into a respectable artistic medium.

And, like Miller and Gaiman before him, Moore found that the only way to carry on once you've thoroughly changed your industry is to do do it again and again in new and novel fashion.

Thus, I give you "V for Vendetta," the absolute furthest thing from "Swamp Thing" and "Watchmen" imaginable.

Moore almost singlehandedly restored the creepy cool of EC horror comics with his run on "Swamp Thing." He redefined the superhero genre with "Watchmen." With "V", Moore abandoned the conventions of both genres and embraced gritty Orwellian scifi.

"V" is set in a Britain which has embraced Fascism following a nuclear conflict which left the nation intact but badly bruised. Mirroring Hitler's ascent over the ashes of the Weimar Republic, the Norsefire party seizes power in Britain and restores order at a horrible price.

That is, until a stylish terrorist in a Guy Fawkes mask codenamed "V" appears on the scene to tear the new order down.

"V for Vendetta" marks a major departure from comic book style. David Lloyd's cinematic style plays like a storyboard for a film; gone are the motion lines and Batman-esque sound effects so familiar to comic readers. Lloyd also dispenses with one of the comic writer's main crutches for exposition---the thought balloon. The story is thus relayed entirely by motion and dialogue, deepening the inherent mystery of the plot as we try to comprehend the master plan of the inscrutable antihero "V".

As with "Watchmen", Moore has layered his tale with enormous depth, making subsequent readings a must to truly comprehend all that's going on within the plot.

If you're interested in seeing what the comic art form is capable of when geared toward an adult audience, rush out and grab a copy of "V for Vendetta" today.

What more can I say? Alan Moore, the greatest living comic book writer, and David Lloyd, one of the greatest living comic book artists combined to make the most beautiful piece of fiction ever created by anyone, living or dead, in any medium. Alan Moore's other work such as WATCHMEN, FROM HELL, and THE KILLING JOKE are also magnificent, but V takes the cake. A familiar story: a dystopian future society with one leader who monitors everything and everybody through a supercomputer and rules with a facist regime. But the whole society is thrown into upheaval because of one man's machinations: he does not have a name, you can call him V.
In many ways, it's a superhero story mixed with elements of Shakespeare's HAMLET and Orwell's 1984, but is a multi-layered, multi-charactered story and anyone with a passion for great literature and especially those with a passion for great graphic novels.
AVE ATQUE VALE.

Dataday, day-today. This is Swifty Frisco giving you welcome.
At this moment in time I am surrounded by screaming children. At this point in time, only the thought of Halo Jones books One, Two and Three are enough to keep me sane. The Ballad of Halo Jones (to give it it's full title) was not the first comic I ever read. It wasn't even the first in 2000AD, where it was first published, as it appeared after Judge Dredd, Slaine and Ace Trucking Company in the magazine that I first saw it in. In this particular episode (of Book Three), following the death of her best friend, Halo quits the army, is unable to get a job, buys a gun to strip and put back together and starts sizing up children through her sights. The episode ends with Halo rejoining the army with the realisation that she has nowhere else to go. This is the first comic that ever really made me think, and this particular episode has stuck with me for almost twenty years. For me, this was the moment when comics grew up.

Of course I could wax lyrical about little known writer Alan Moore, co-creator of Halo, about whom very little has been written. However, I think that the real star of the piece is Ian Gibson, who is probably one of the most underrated comic artists of all time. The art continues to improve, finally reaching the wonderful black and white, heavily inked line art of book three. Moore's abilities as a writer also widen and mature through the three books. The three books are filled with wonderful images and ideas (the future-speak and the idea of a matriachal society are just two great ones). The way that Moore's writing and Gibson's art grows over the three books and entwines together results in this book being one of the best writer/artist combinations, I, at least, have ever seen. This is definately the best thing to ever appear in the pages of 2000AD. And thats saying a lot. Now all we need is to try and persuade Moore to write the further six remaining books.
This is Swifty Frisco signing off.

Extremely likeable comics novel from the 1980s that could easily pass for one of the Robert Heinlein "young adult" science fiction novels from the 1950s (like the two mentioned above, or TIME FOR THE STARS, or HAVE SPACESUIT - WILL TRAVEL, etc.). In each of the Heinlein stories, an adolescent hero leaves home to struggle through a series of traumatic and otherwise character-building experiences that ultimately transforms him or her into an adult.

Such things happen in this story to young Halo, who trades in the futilities and disappointments of her childhood Welfare State environment for adventure in outer space -- which of course proves to have futilities and disappointments of its own.

The last third of the novel deals with Halo's experiences in the military --like Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS or SPACE CADET -- although Alan Moore's take on space combat is decidedly less gung-ho than Heinlein's. Closer to Joe Haldeman's THE FOREVER WAR.

THE BALLAD OF HALO JONES is a wonderful story about an ordinary woman who rises from hazardous poverty in a slum on Earth to genuine - but quiet - heroism in and after an interstellar war. Like Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN series, it's a collection of short stories with an overarching plot, where seemingly minor incidents and characters turn out to be incredibly important later. The moral of the ballad seems to be that there *are* no minor or unimportant people (or even unimportant rats). And if you don't like comics, close your eyes and have someone read "I'll Never Forget Whatsisname" to you. Highly recommended.

'The death of Superman' probably brings to a Superman reader's mind the more famous one, in which Superman sacrifices himself to defeat Doomsday. But this is something else entirely. It concerns the end of the *original* Superman--the one who first appeared in 1938 and endured for nearly fifty years, survived the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and finally was declared imaginary in 1986 when DC Comics redesigned the Superman character and mythos. In many ways, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow is superior to The Death of Superman (but, granted, The Death of Superman is great on its own). It's just as sad--probably more so, because with the latter, DC had every intention of bringing Superman back, but Whatever Happened is really the end--but the tone is also bittersweet, something The Death of Superman lacks. Whatever Happened is also deeper. The plot is a bit more complicated and mysterious; almost from the beginning, the Superman of this book has a terrible feeling he's going to die; and he makes a horrible mistake that would seem unlikely to come from the even more 'boy-scout' Superman that followed. The shortcoming is that, unlike its satisfyingly long counterpart, it only covers two issues. But that may not even bother you. Read it.

This is another book review by Wolfie and Kansas, the boonie dogs from Toto, Guam. When DC Comics decided to erase about 50 years of continuity with the Crisis on Infinite Earths, it was decided to at least have some closure to the original Superman legend. "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" reveals the final fate of the original, pre-Crisis Superman. . . . Of course, the highlight of this graphic novel is the return of Krypto the Superdog. Just as we like to leave our yard every now and then to roam around Toto and chase cars, Krypto had left Earth to roam around the galaxy and chase flying saucers. Krypto returns to aid Superman in the latter's greatest crisis. In one particulary poignant moment in mid-story, when Superman needs to be alone with his best and most trusted friend to mourn the deaths of Pete Ross and others and contemplate the coming showdown with the remaining supervillians, the Man of Steel is shown in a full-page panel alone with Krypto, not Lois Lane or Jimmy Olsen. During the final assault on Superman's Fortress of Solitude, the Kryptonite Man breaches the Fortress defenses and is searching for Superman to finish him off. The day is saved by Krypto, who basically turns the Kryptonite Man into a large lump of green, glowing Alpo. Alas, as a result, Krypto dies of kryptonite food poisoning. We think this would have been a happier book if the roles had been reversed, and the noncanine superbeing of primate derivation had been the one to make the ultimate sacrifice, in order to save the dog. Nonetheless, the Krypto-Kryptonite Man showdown is inspiring. . . . This book does not reach the literary heights of Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns". This is because the writer, Alan Moore, who did reach such heights in "Watchmen", is in this case working within Silver Age conventions, rather than trying to stretch or shatter them. This is a superb graphic novel given its purpose and self-imposed limits. "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" is a must-have item for any serious comic collector, and for anyone who grew up reading Superman comics in the 1940's, '50's, '60's or '70's

One of the troubles I find in reading highly regarded works such as this one is that all the praise sets up incredibly high expectations that are often impossible to live up to and often leave the reader (or viewer) disappointed. However in the case of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow had no such preconceived notions. For while I had heard of Alan Moore's sterling reputation, influential work (and his impressively long beard,) I had never read any of it or heard about this little gem until I started reading it in local comic shop. I was riveted from the first few pages. Though I thought (and still think) 6 bucks is a rather hefty sum for a reprint of just two comic books, this comic is one of the most brilliantly done superman stories ever.

Upon my first reading I knew very little about pre-crisis Superman history, but more manages to make even an unfamiliar read learn it quite quickly and even come to appreciate it. Moreover the book manages to evoke all the huge "It's all coming to an end" feelings one gets during high school or college graduation.

In this tale we learn the final fates of Bizzaro, Luthor, Jimmy Olson, and all the other key players of the Superman mythos and the identity of the Man of Steel's greatest foe. I won't give, but I will tell one thing: it ain't Luthor! This story is considered an "Imaginary Tale", yet because all Pre-Crisis Superman was wiped out anyway one could easily "count" it and thus accept the final story in the huge cannon of superman stories. Although many of the Pre-Crisis superman stories that I have read were rather childish and the whole Superboy bit seems rather silly to me, this story makes appreciate many aspects of the old mythos and makes one wonder if there wasn't some better alternative to just erasing decades worth of stories.

A note on where in continuity this story fits even though it's not considered as such: After the Crisis the old continuities still remained intact. The John Byrne revamp did not occur until several months after "Crisis". This is why Superman is able to refer to Supergirl's death in the story, because it takes place after "Crisis" but before Byrne's revamp.

This is a truly magnificent work and I recommend every one to go out and buy it as soon as possible!

I knew they would never be a sequel to Alan Moore's classic comic series "The Watchmen" (and I wish Frank Miller had let well enough alone with "The Dark Knight Returns"), but certainly "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is a kindred spirit in key regards. If the Watchmen were supposed to be superheroes that we recognized, even though we had never seen them before, then the League offers up recognizable fictional characters that we have never seen together before. Going back a century for inspiration, Moore creates a Pax Britannia circa 1898 where the "superheroes" are fictional characters who had been created by that particular point in time, to wit: Mina Murray (Harker) from Bram Stoker's "Dracula," Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea," Alan Quartermain from H. Rider Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines," and the titular characters of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and H. G. Wells' "The Invisible Man." There is also reason to believe that "M," the shadowy figure who orders the League about, might in fact be Mycroft Holmes (and if you do not know what literary series he is from then just totally forget about enjoying this series).

If that, in and of itself, is not enough of a hook to get your interested in checking out this collection of the first comic book adventure of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen let me remind you that Alan Moore is doing the writing. The artwork by Kevin O'Neill is certainly evocative of the turn of the last century, or, more to the point, does not look like a contemporary superhero comic book. Moore and O'Neill also maintain a wonderful conceit throughout the series of presenting the comics as being published at the time of the story, filled with wonderful "ads" that are often as interesting as the story (one of which actually required the initial print run of one of the issues to be destroyed, a story you will have to find related elsewhere, patient reader).

Moore's intention was to deal with a superhero group before all the clichés were established (again, similar to how "The Watchmen" was in a different reality unencumbered by the DC and Marvel universes). Seeing an obvious parallel between the Hulk and Jekyll/Hyde, Moore let his imagination roam in his alternate, technically more advanced version of Victorian London. The more you know about literary history from this period (e.g., Emile Zola's Nana is killed in the Rue Morgue by Hyde), the more you will enjoy all this work. But this first adventure for the League still works if late 19th-century fiction is not your forte. British Intelligence has discovered that cavorite, a material that makes flying machines possible, has been stolen by a mysterious Chinese figure (Oh, come on, take a wild guess who it has to be). Campion Bond of MI5 has been ordered to assemble a team of adventurers to retrieve the cavorite, which is crucial to the race to get to the Moon.

"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is really much more fun than we usually associate with Moore's work. Certainly his tongue has never been further in his cheeks than with this series. The first three issues of Volume 2 have seen the light of day so far this year and if you read through this original endeavor you can quickly get up to speed with the current adventure. Just remember it is 1898 and Britannia waives the rules...

Some weeks ago, I saw the trailer for the upcoming film, not knowing that it is based on a best-selling graphic novel by esteemed author Alan Moore. This is the second time that my curiosity was peaked by a film that got its beginnings from a "comic book" (the first being last year's "The Road to Perdition").

I had to read it and am I glad that I did. As one that was grew up intrigued by the writings of Verne, Wells, and Stevenson and also watched the various film incarnations of Stoker's "Dracula", this book was a must-read.

A thoroughly digestible feast for the literature fan, as well as a treat for the avid or even casual comic book reader, "League" just goes to prove that the modern superhero owes a major debt to the exploits put forth in the pages of works by the aforementioned authors.

The author and illustrator do seem to be influenced a bit by a certain Marvel Comics character, making Dr. Jekyll's transformation into Mr. Hyde a little too similar to the Bruce Banner/Hulk change. That withstanding, the story, with its many other literary references is a welcome addition to anyone's library.

Superman, Batman, Spiderman, AND the X-Men ain't got a thing on Allan Quatermain!

I'm placing my advance order for Volume II.

Those who insist that Moore has lost it since the early 90s must read this (and From Hell). Its such a great idea and I can't believe that noone thought of it before. Of course, you need a really literate author to tell this story, one who is familiar with the classics, and Moore appears to fit the bill perfectly.
There is Nemo, Jekyll and Hyde, the Invisible man, Sherlock Holmes and more! Even a cameo by a grown up Dodger from Oliver Twist! Don't worry thought, you don't have to have read all those books to understand the story and most of the characters are famous enough so you'll know who they are anyway. Basically its the Justice League set in the past and using these classic chaeracters. It drenched in science fiction so if you are a purist then this is not for you. It reminds me a little of Wild Wild West, which also features impossibly futuristic (if mechanical) technology set in the past. All the characters, except perhaps Hyde, are excellent, but my favourite character is the female lead Mina from Dracula.

From Hell is not a book just anyone can pick up and get into. There i've said it. Not that it is an overly cerebral story, however it is such an oppresively dark comic that it really isn't just about Jack the Ripper, but it's also about the dark side of Britain as a whole (of course a dark side of over a hundred years ago, but...). The true meat of FROM HELL has very little to do with the murders...other than chapter ten, of course...By that I mean the act of the murders. The murders are, of course, at the center of the comic; however the comic seems to be telling the story of how an overly uncaring, and oft-times hellish, society seemed to simply LET the killer go.
If you've seen the movie, and expect to read the story of Inspector Abberline and Marie Kelley as they discover their romance for each other as they are led into the seedy and darkly crafted(heh... inside joke, Mason's and buildings play a role in this too...it's a pun...never mind...) society of 1880's england by Abberline's psychic visions... then be careful pickling this book up. That's a different FROM HELL.The book is the most starkly and frightening depiction of reality filtered through a researched fiction that I can think of.
And if you have a problem with Eddie Campbell's uniquely simplistic dark and sparse artwork, than you have to open your eyes. Look at how the art relates to the depiction of the times as a whole, Victoria's London wasn't exactly the gloriously beautiful empire that history books would have you believe, now was it?
Last note, after reading the book through once, go back, and read it while reading the appendices together. Still a highly entertaining read.
Fun and disturbingly and brutally upfront.(in an educational way. Hey, I convinced my !2th grade lit. teacher to let me use it for a book report AFTER she flipped through it. Read it you'll see why that's an accomplishment.)

When it comes to serial killers, Jack the Ripper has always been the name brand. He was a pioneer in many ways --- on the twin forefronts of mutilation and mocking letters sent to the police (even discounting the numerous crackpot letters) he seems to have established a highwater mark for gruesome violence. Ultimately he has come to inhabit the popular consciousness from comic books to STAR TREK. (I wouldn't be surprised to see a Ripper plush toy offered somewhere for sale; in a world that contains an Ed Gein fan club, ANYTHING is possible.) Now Alan Moore has crafted an endlessly fascinating,often infuriating and extremely rewarding story about madness and the abuse of high position. This complex tale takes its time unfolding, but everything ultimately is relevant, although the reader may not think so for a couple of chapters. My only (minor) complaint is that Campbell's art is somewhat lacking in characterization, making individuals occasionaly difficult to

tell apart, but ultimately this is an essential read for those who find the shadowy figure of Springheels Jack an ever-potent icon of dread.

The most recent offering from Alan Moore, the author who, alongside Neil Gaiman, was responsible for bringing comic books to their fullest potential as art on par with novels, From Hell is a brilliant, moody, and well-researched re-telling of the Jack the Ripper story. Moore takes an interesting twist on the story - and one he himself admits that he believes is false - but the point of the book isn't so much a whodunit as a treatise on the combining of fact and fiction into myth, and the nature of sensationalism and crime in the 20th century.

From Hell features an amazing cast of characters and the story is told in sixteen chapters - two of which are a prologue and an epilogue. Moore weaves historical facts together to form a cohesive story, and draws on dozens of sources, both Ripper-related and otherwise. From Hell suggests that the Ripper was, in fact, William Gull, Physician Ordinary to the Royal Family and a member of the Freemasons (this fact is revealed very early on in the book, unlike the movie which IS a whodunit). Where high-level criminologists like FBI profiler John Douglas (inspiration for the Crawford character in Silence of the Lambs) seem to think that the crimes were motivated by a fear of women, Moore focuses on the calm, ritualistic nature of the murders, and the important connection between the victims - that they all knew each other.

Although in this book the crime itself was a Masonic ritual, I think it should be noted that Moore isn't trying to smear the Masons, and that should be obvious to anyone reading From Hell. His contention, one that more or less fits the 100-plus years worth of facts, is that William Gull was gradually going insane and had visions about Masonic deities - shreds of old ritual from Freemasonry's past that he blows out of proportion and begins to manifest, at least in his mind. There was nothing anti-Freemason in this book, but I realize people have to find something to get bent out of shape about.

The crowning achievement of this volume isn't the way Moore creates a perfect fit for Gull as the Ripper, but the appendix at the end in which he details the painstaking amount of research that went into this work. He has a reference for nearly every factual detail, and readily admits when he makes things up or dramatizes certain events for the story. It's an excellent resource for Ripperologists and scholars interested in Moore's book, and its inclusion is what makes From Hell such a fascinating read.

I absolutely recommend From Hell, especially if you enjoyed the film - the book is far more detailed, and doesn't sacrifice any historical accuracies to make a better story, as the movie did. If the film is a starting point, this graphic novel is the logical conclusion. Get it today; you will not be sorry you did.

Alan Moore's forte, when one examines his work, is clearly not in the standard superhero fare category. He can work quite well within the superhero mold, however, as is evidenced by the perfect Watchmen miniseries. In Captain Britain, Moore manages to lighten to balance between his own artful world and common superheroes. In Watchmen, one can easily forget that the superheroes involved are the same type you'd find in JLA. In Captain Britain, its relatively standard Marvel superhero fare. The story, however, is riveting and far-reaching. Having little experience with Captain Britain, I found the beginning somewhat confusing, but that arc is ended quickly and within five pages another plot is developed. This book is recommended to any fans of Alan Moore, or Captain Britain, but it most likely holds little appeal for more recent comic readers.

This one is a little rough around the edges, primarily because it's some of the earliest work available in paperback by Alan Moore or (to the best of my knowledge) Alan Davis. Also, the beginning of the story is a bit jarring, since we appear to be dropped into the middle of a tale begun by the previous creative team. But the story gets better as it goes along. The main character, Captain Britain, seems very dull to me, but some of the supporting characters, including the primary antagonist, are original enough to be interesting.

While Alan Davis's pencil work here isn't quite as smooth and proportional as it becomes later in his career, it's still pretty appealing.

Despite all the little criticisms above, I thought it was a very engaging comics story (once you get past the first three or four chapters) with a lot of energy and a quirky, "Dr. Who meets the Terminator" type feel to it. But before buying the book, take into account that this isn't really prime Alan Moore or prime Alan Davis.

As Author Alan Moore states in his introduction, the stories in this book are from VERY early on in the careers of himself and Artist Alan Davis, but they hold up remarkably well. The basic story will be familiar to longtime comic fans: Hero is thrown into an alternate reality, must face a megomaniacal madman, etc.; What's so cool about Captain Britain is that this story was published over TWENTY YEARS AGO, so all of the similar stories we're more familiar with (Crisis on Infinite Earths, X-Men's Days of Future Past, even Moore's & Davis'own Miracleman)had their genesis here.

The book gets off to a head-scratching start; We're thrown into the closing chapters of a long-running story-arc that Moore & Davis had the misfortune of inheriting, but they do an amazing job of not only making the complex story and characters accessible, but actually making them interesting. Moore starts by killing Captain Britain, and rebuilding him from the ground up, as he would later do with DC's Swamp Thing. By the third or fourth chapter, Moore & Davis have hit their stride, and are beginning to impart their own voices on the book. Part of the fun is seeing how fast Moore and Davis grow as creators; Moore learns that sometimes silence can be just as powerful as words, and Davis becomes a confident, masterful storyteller in his own right. By the time I finished the book, I felt like I had just discovered a long-hidden masterpiece. I don't know if this is the ENTIRE Moore/Davis Captain Britain run, but if it isn't, I hope Marvel gets the rest into print again FAST. Fans of Marvel's Excalibur series will also be interested to know that this book contains the first appearance of Meggan, The Captain's future love interest. There's also a cameo appearance by the aforementioned Miracleman.

While not Moore's best work, it's still head-and-shoulders above 90% of the material out there. Give it a try!

I was a little skeptical about this book when I first picked it up. Alan Moore is someone who is easily judged by his own standard, and with the absolute classics he's put out before (Watchmen, Swamp Thing, Batman Killing Joke, From Hell, etc.), I was afraid Top 10 would pale by comparison. Plus, Alan Moore was writing about 4 other comics at roughly the same time as he was doing Top 10, so he was probably getting a little burned out. Right?

Wrong. The only reason this book doesn't get 5 stars from me is that it doesn't quite measure up to the Alan Moore classics listed above. But Top 10 is not far behind. In the hands of virtually any other writer, this concept would have fallen flat on its face: the premise of having a whole city full of super heroes is easy to mishandle. But Moore treats everything so realistically, that you just can't help but find these stories believable. And the stories are filled not only with plot development, character development, and believable dialogue, but with humor as well. There are subtle parodies of Marvel and DC comics throughout, as well as some outright funny scenes that stand alone. After reading Top 10, I could understand why it won the Eisner award for Best New Series -- I can't wait for Top 10, Book 2 to come out!

Where some comics have taken the summer blockbuster movie aproach to comics, i.e. The Authority, Alan Moore decided to do Top Ten a different way. As a TV cop drama. And that's always a good thing. There are subplots and mysteries that go through the whole "season" with all the drama to go with it. Believe me, if you're into the super hero type genre, then definitely try out Top Ten. I mean, the name, Alan Moore is more than enough to check it out. But if you need more proof, how about the amazing art talent to go with it? Sure there are two artists for the book, but one's a layout artist, while the other is finishing. And for me, that's usually a bad thing, but for Top Ten, you can't even notice a difference. The art is amazing, and the character designs are outrageous. I mean, did you see the guy with a dog head? And the concept for the book itself is not something you'll see in a regular comic. A world full of super powered people, with only a super powered police to serve and protect. Yep, it's NYPD Blue with super powers. Buy it.

People have experimented with prime-time police soap operas like HILL STREET BLUES before. There was that Steven Bocho cop-drama-musical show that didn't last very long (I forget its name). Now we have TOP TEN.

This series gives Alan Moore the opportunity to make fun of both cop dramas and superhero comics. However, it is definitely good-spirited fun, not savage parody: people who like cop dramas or superheroes (or both) can still enjoy these stories, I think. Somewhere I read Moore say that one of the pleasures of comic books is that you can create stories about worlds where readers take for granted that entities as unrelated as Superman and the Swamp Thing coexist and may occasionally meet each other. We have a lot of that here, where gritty, ugly street crimes and tragedies exist alongside an entire population of costumed, super-powered citizens.

I should also point out that the Gene Ha pencil work is very nice on the eyeballs. His fine, meticulous drawing style is essential in portraying the dozens of bizarre characters as well as the realistic, detailed backgrounds.

Of the three ABC collections I've read (the others being PROMETHEA and TOM STRONG, both also by Moore), this is by far the best.

FIRST, A WORD ON HEALTH CARE PUBLICATIONS-

When looking for a book on almost any subject, it's always a good bet that DK books will have one on the subject. And whereas the overwhlming majority of them will be accurate in their presentation, it is good to remember that ALL information about health is subject to regular change and update.

Unfortunately, Doctors and nurses simply don't have the time needed to constantly pour over new journal articles and go to seminars. This is why WE must keep OURSELVES informed by doing just that. Medical libraries are FREE for use by anyone in this country that pays their taxes and their staff knows this and are more than happy to help you learn how to use them. They know that by doing this we are not only increasing our own knowledge of current practices and procedures, but we are actually creating an invaluable resource for our healthcare providers.

If your Doctor tells you that you have a condition that they are not familiar with, go to the medical library and look up any journal articles that have come out in the past year on the subject and make two (2) copies. Take one to your Doctor and keep one for yourself. The positive response you get may surprise you, and it will certainly prove to your health care provider that you are interested in being proactive in your recovery.

THE REVIEW!!

As a Clinical Massage Therapist and Father, I can tell you from experience that this book is not only well written and contains some really cute pictures, but the information contained within is mostly accurate and very easily digested. I have heard of both of the contributing authors and can say that both have good reputations in their fields.

Why not 5 stars? For the simple reason that the authors STILL not only illustrate the Indian "milking" technique, but recommend it. Being the only obvious and unmistakeable flaw in the book, it is excusable, but only just.

Indian milking is not only counter productive to the massage itself, but it does physically irreversible damage to the valves in the veins in the arms and in the legs. You should never, never, NEVER work from hip to foot or shoulder to arm; ALWAYS work with the flow of the vein, or in this case, towards the heart. To not do so is to force blood to move AGAINST natural veinous flow and can cause the leaflet valves in the veins returning blood to the heart to become damaged and useless.

Later on in life, this damage will cause painful vericose and spider veins. If you have anyquestion of this or of the medical research that proves it, just look on the legs of almost any East Indian man or woman and almost invariable you will see evidence of vericosities. There are even pamphlets being produced in India that are telling Mothers to work towards the heart to prevent this from happening.

Aside from this one problem, this is an EXCELLENT book. I say that not only because any book that promotes this kind of bonding with parent and child is on my "A" list, but also because the vast majority of the information is accurate and correct!

This book does a wonderful job of combining the physical nature of touching your baby with a calming goal. As a first father there appears to be a lot less available to help soothe a crying baby. This book shows how a simple circular motion on a chest, back or arms can help a baby feel more relaxed. This is extremely positive when we are biding time before Mommy and her food arrives.

This has been one of the best purchases I have made since the birth of my son nine months ago. It has taught me how to massage him in a way that has helped me gain his trust. Not only does it relax him before bed, but it gives us some precious bonding time that can't be matched! I sing his favorite song while I do it, and someday, when he can talk, I'm sure he will sing along. I have suggested this book to all of my 'Mom' friends, and I urge all Mom's (and Dad's) to buy this one!!

Alan Moore produces his first superteam story since his run on WildCATS, this time choosing to portray a police station's officers in a city of people with superpowers.

He is obviously having fun, with a variety of criminals and other threats that we might not otherwise expect to see. The characters are many and varied, some of whom have powers, some have super-science weaponry, some are simply people in costumes. With a whole city of super-beings, we have normal jobs being carried out by people in costumes. For example, the book begins with fears about the return of the Libra Killer, who in previous years has killed and decapitated prostitutes. In Neopolis, the prostitutes have super powers, and these are used to play to their clients peccadilloes.

Then there is the murder investigation of the death of the Norse god of beauty, Baldur. Boy, his relatives are an odd bunch - his father Woden, mother Frey, brothers Thunor and Hod, and uncle Lokk may help redefine your view of the Norse gods, especially if you read that other comic with Norse gods...

More fun is had by artists Gene Ha and Zander Cannon. Look closely - you'll find possibly recognisable characters in all sorts of odd circumstances. My favourite, possibly, is someone who looks like Charlie Brown in a Doctor Doom costume! How much of this is from Alan Moore's scripts is another question...

If I have a problem it is that there is so much happening, so many throw away pieces, so many characters... It's a little too much. But then, you can read it over and over again for more detail.

Assuming you're somewhat familiar with what's good and bad, hot and not, in the comics world, you're already familiar with Alan Moore, his towering reputation (as author of groundbreaking works like "The Watchmen" and "From Hell" [soon to be coming to a movie theatre near you]) and--currently, anyway--prodigious output. Of all the Moore titles currently in production, Top Ten just barely makes the top of the heap.

What we've got here is a set of sly in-jokes blended into a fusion of Hill Street Blues and the JLA. In an imaginary city populated with all manners of superpowered individuals (right down to the cats and mice), who keeps the peace and enforces rule of law? The good officers of Precinct 10, of course.

Top Ten is a lot of fun and usually good for a few laughs--every issue is a winner, and this collection should appeal to anyone who enjoys police dramas, superhero ensembles, or farcical humor. Moore is at his best when he's playing with the structure of the superhero concept, and in Top 10 he's found an excellent vehicle for a few of his more offbeat ideas. Dedicated comic book fans will find lots to enjoy in his subtle jabs at superhero conceits of the past three decades.

(But don't just buy it because there's a nekkid superhero involved--there's really not much to see!)

Think Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue combined, except in a world where superpowers are the norm. The writing is as good as any found on those Emmy winning shows.

The fact that everyone possesses superpowered abilities may be misleading to someone who has not read Top Ten. The characters are as blase about this fact as they can be, because it's the normal order of things. No slugfests here. The series is downright funny--One female officer spends all of her time nude, because she "clothes" herself by using her ability to pigment her skin any color and in any place she wants. This makes her nudity unrecognizable to anybody except her lieutenant, a canine with human intelligence who only sees in black and white as canines are wont to do. Her reaction when she realizes this is hilarious as shes been working with him for years. He gets out of it by telling her he is only attracted to other canines (wink!).

The art is so detailed you could spend large amounts of time on every page to absorb all of the hidden surprises.

This is commonly seen as one of if not the best book in the comic field. Really, if you are not a comic reader you will enjoy this nonetheless.

I ordered this comic book under the impression that it was penned by Alan Moore and Garth Ennis, two of my favorite comic book authors. In actuality, it's not written by these two men, nor is it even actually a comic book, but "The World's Longest Comic Strip" set to book form.

How this unique story came to be written is, in 1991, the London Cartoon Centre, a school for comics and cartooning, found itself in need of funding and publicity. And so 125 cartoonists were gathered at the Guinness World of Records in London's Trocadero shopping mall to draw the 250 paneled comic strip The Worm - the longest strip ever to be completed in one setting. The basic script was penned by Alan Moore and the illustrators were a venerable who's who of British cartoonists, including a single panel drawn by Garth Ennis. The story itself chronicles a cartoonist's trek to meet a deadline, and in doing so, chronicles the significance that cartoonists have made in time throughout history, eventually ending at a time when comic book authors are reverenced and revered.

This tome reads like no other comic book, as every other panel is drawn by a different illustrator, often with radically different styles. This can sometimes make for a difficult to follow story line, and indeed, is best read in conjunction with the reprinted script by Alan Moore presented in the back. But the story, an odd mix of humor, speculation, and cynicism, is definitely worth reading, not only for the tale it has to tell, but for the constantly shifting artwork that it tells it with.

If the names of the authors don't mean anything to you i would be surprised you found it to begin with. This is not perhaps the best comic book i have ever read, but it keeps a nice pace and its intriguing on its approach. Buy it and see for yourself why this guys are two fo the best on the comic world.

WOW! I mean, the Gods of the fanboy world shined down on this book. Moore, Ennis! The two best modern comic writers out there in one volume. It is like Larry Bris and Mihael Jordan on the same team. The best from 2 generations creating great are together. The creators of Watchmen and Preacher together is a dream come true. Sick, adult fun for the whole family. If you like ABC books or Preacher, get this.