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1. • CommentAuthorLamont Cranston
   • CommentTimeJan 10th 2011

    
   SUPERMAN: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW? The Deluxe Edition (DC Comics) words by Alan “The Daddy Man” Moore with art from Curt Swan, Dave Gibbons, Rick Veitch, George Perez, Kurt Schaffenberger and Al Williamson
   
   (I’d love to tell you how much this costs but I can’t. I got it as a Secret Santa from someone in t’office. They were only supposed to spend a fiver but I think it would actually be a bit more than that. Anyway it’s worth whatever they charge. As long as they charge under £20.00. I mean there’s no need to be silly about it is there?)
   
   This volume contains all the Superman stories penned by Alan “Simply The Best” Moore and runs from 1985/6. What we have herein is:
   
   “Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow?” (reprints SUPERMAN #423 and ACTION COMICS#583)
   
   “He looked as if he’d been CRYING.”
   
   This being the last will and testament of the Silver Age Superman before John “Bongoes” Byrne & co. rebooted it from scratch and gave it a fresh coat of ‘80s paint. The first choice for penning this unprecedented tale was Jerry Siegel. Now all due respect to one of the founding fathers of super-hero comics but…by 1985 Alan Moore was probably a better choice. Because facts are facts and here’s some: in 1985 Alan Moore was pretty much ON! and he also quite clearly still possessed a love for the DCU which was deep and true. And it’s this respectful adoration for the subject matter in tandem with his excellent (but still developing) wordsmithery that give this fare thee well to innocence its powerful depth.
   
   I guess in 2011 it could be argued that it’s hard to tell who all these people are and what they are there for if you didn’t read the Silver Age Superman but equally Alan “Man Dancer” Moore gives you enough information to appreciate the role they play. You lose a little of the emotional heft but you still get a satisfying story. Alan “Fight Club” Moore pretty much ties up an entire continuity in a neat package that doesn’t sacrifice character or plot at any point. Cleverly the Silver Age stylee art by Swan and Perez camouflages some quite nasty aspects of the script. It’s clear Alan “I Drink Your Milkshake” Moore could obviously see where the road ahead was leading comics, but then after all, he was the one building it.
2. • CommentAuthorLamont Cranston
   • CommentTimeJan 10th 2011

    
   “The Jungle Line” (from DC COMICS PRESENTS #85)
   
   “Survived when there was no one there to HELP him.”
   
   For Alan “Redbelt” Moore this is pretty much a frippery but for 99.9% of mainstream writery types this would be some kind of high water mark. Superman (kind of) teams up with Swamp Thing in a kind of non-story that still manages to be creepy, perceptive, moving and intelligent.
   
   The most interesting aspect (pour moi) is Alan “Raging Bull” Moore’s use of narration. Narration is usually absent these modern days (thinks: “along with thought balloons”) as genre comics as a medium has outgrown such primitive devices. You will of course recognise the hot stench of bullshit here. Narration and thought balloons are merely tools to be used or not used as the situation requires. The fact that they are rarely used is, I’m sure, nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that they are a bit more work and require a bit of thought. And anyway, if you just have pictures with dialogue slapped on top it’s, why fancy that, it’s just like a movie! (It isn’t. Ever.)
   
   Anyway without the narrative text this comic would lose a lot. To pick just two examples there’s the beautifully stark hook of the line “The Man of Tomorrow is heading south to die.” and the wonderful black comedy of the “…But decided against it and took the subway instead” pair of panels. Said effect needs both the words and the images to work as well as it does. Comic book writing? Not really the same as TV scripting, I think you’ll find. Art wise it’s worth noting that Veitch & Williamson do a really fine Wrightson tribute every time Swampy shows up. It’s a nice touch.
3. • CommentAuthorLamont Cranston
   • CommentTimeJan 10th 2011

    
   “For The Man Who Has Everything…” (reprints SUPERMAN ANNUAL #11.)
   
   “Surrender is not a possibility.”
   
   Best. Single. Superman. Story. Ever.
   
   You need more? Okay, imagine something that gives you everything you’ve ever wanted and to force your attention away and return to reality would feel like tearing your own arm off. Is it The Black Mercy from the Tangled Zones? Or, perhaps, a comic like this one? You clever bugger Alan Moore. You sly, old dog you.
   
   I won’t spoil this for anyone yet to enjoy it but I will say that on this re-reading I enjoyed the purposefully retro S-F names (paragondola!, ro-butlers!), the hint of maturity (“I don’t know, Kal. Remind me.”) and (and I had totally forgotten this bit since my mind tends to retain the more fizzy points, y’know, “Burn.” etc.) most of all the gut punch of the “VAN!!” panel. H*e*a*r*t*b*r*e*a*k*i*n*g. This comic is just a compendium of awesome moments and examples of how to get words and pictures to work in a fantastically effective and unique way. I suppose it has stiffened a little with age but it can still do one-armed press ups. Oh, I want to rhapsodise for aeons about this, but I won’t. let’s just say that when I read it I was content. Hehhh.
   
   
   So then, three Superman stories, each of which is in its way the story of Superman’s ending and a suggestion of how he could survive such an ending. It’s almost as though Alan “Homeboy” Moore was trying to gently prepare Superman and his environs for the seismic changes in genre comics. He probably thought it was the least he could do for his old friend. Head up, old son you did him proud.
   
   Oh yeah, whatever happened to the man of tomorrow? He retired to Northampton where he publishes Dodgem Logic and gives hampers to the needy every Christmas. Bless his sad eyed face.
4. • CommentAuthorLee
   • CommentTimeJan 11th 2011

    
   My favourite bit is when he asks Robin "Who did this to me?" and then gets all bad ass for a few panels.
5. • CommentAuthorLamont Cranston
   • CommentTimeJan 11th 2011

    
   Good that innit. I think that might have been the first time I ever saw Superman angry. Heck, he's not just angry he's gone Red Mist! Brrrrrrr!