DC Universe: The Stories Of Alan Moore
January 23, 2006 | Trades
DC Universe: The Stories Of Alan Moore
DC Comics
$26.99 (Paperback)
**** (out of five)
There is something both familiar and ironic about the new Alan Moore collection from DC Comics.
The familiar comes from the fact this exact same book, minus three key issues, was released two years ago, while the ironic comes from the fact that Moore isn’t exactly loving DC anymore after a falling out with company execs.
The much-lauded writer behind such key titles as Swamp Thing, Watchmen, V For Vendetta (coming soon to a theatre near you), From Hell and The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Moore is one of most imaginative creators in the history of the genre.
His greatest gift — getting under the skin of everyday things and making the warts pop out — makes this collection of all his super-heroic tales all the more engrossing.
The three issues added into this collection are probably the best — the two-part Superman: Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow? and Batman: The Killing Joke.
The first is a bittersweet bookend to the golden age Man Of Steel, written in the mid-1980s when DC was about to reboot all its characters. Packed with guest stars and milestones, this what-if story is a wonderful ending to the era when Superman was the pinnacle of perfection.
The Killing Joke, the definitive origin story for Batman’s nemesis, The Joker, remains one of the most disturbing and affecting tales in the Dark Knight’s history. It revolves around the death spiral the rivals are on and the Clown Prince Of Crime’s desire to break Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon’s spirit by crippling and humiliating his daughter.
When you throw in another dozen moody and incisive tales featuring lesser lights like Green Arrow, members of the Green Lantern Corps. and the now-deceased Vigilante into this collection, you’ve easily got a must-own book.
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