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gregbrown's review against another edition
3.0
Re-read July 31, 2016:
This time I enjoyed the shorter stories more than the longer ones, which is a weird inversion from the earlier review further down! For the greatness of "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?", it leans a lot on being able to do Big Serious Things and has a really dark, almost cruel attitude towards the characters. These days I really prefer the warmth of something like All-Star Superman (or the animated series), at least when working with Superman and his enemies. And a lot of the short stories are just fun, like Superman's run-in with Swamp Thing or what it's like to have a Green Lantern who's never even seen light. There are still some ones that are just ~there~, but at least they're over quickly enough.
Also it is super-uncanny that I happened to re-read this exactly two years after the first time.
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Original read July 31, 2014:
Moore's work is always formally brilliant, often juggling parallel stories and juxtaposing words in one scene against images from another. Yet as far as emotional content goes, most of these standalone stories fall flat.
Granted, there are a few gems here—"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" is outstanding, and possibly the best Superman story outside of All-Star Superman. "The Killing Joke" was a tremendously influential take on the Joker, though for my money The Dark Knight did it one better. Too many of the other stories feel perfunctory, though, especially the Vigilante story. (The execution and structure are superb, but the subject matter kinda boring and drawn out as a result. You'll see what I mean.)
If you enjoyed another of Moore's works like Watchmen or V for Vendetta, this collection is at least interesting to see him use the more conventional DC characters. But if you're really looking to branch out with him, is really recommend From Hell or his run on Swamp Thing instead; he's at his best when he has room to work.
This time I enjoyed the shorter stories more than the longer ones, which is a weird inversion from the earlier review further down! For the greatness of "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?", it leans a lot on being able to do Big Serious Things and has a really dark, almost cruel attitude towards the characters. These days I really prefer the warmth of something like All-Star Superman (or the animated series), at least when working with Superman and his enemies. And a lot of the short stories are just fun, like Superman's run-in with Swamp Thing or what it's like to have a Green Lantern who's never even seen light. There are still some ones that are just ~there~, but at least they're over quickly enough.
Also it is super-uncanny that I happened to re-read this exactly two years after the first time.
--------------
Original read July 31, 2014:
Moore's work is always formally brilliant, often juggling parallel stories and juxtaposing words in one scene against images from another. Yet as far as emotional content goes, most of these standalone stories fall flat.
Granted, there are a few gems here—"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" is outstanding, and possibly the best Superman story outside of All-Star Superman. "The Killing Joke" was a tremendously influential take on the Joker, though for my money The Dark Knight did it one better. Too many of the other stories feel perfunctory, though, especially the Vigilante story. (The execution and structure are superb, but the subject matter kinda boring and drawn out as a result. You'll see what I mean.)
If you enjoyed another of Moore's works like Watchmen or V for Vendetta, this collection is at least interesting to see him use the more conventional DC characters. But if you're really looking to branch out with him, is really recommend From Hell or his run on Swamp Thing instead; he's at his best when he has room to work.
duncanvb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Real Galaxy Brain stuff (or Planet Guy?). I love how Moore will happily entirely rewrite a character's DNA but will still include like, Super Dog; he understands you can be sacrilegious and still take something absolutely seriously. And all major, end-of-the-lineage stories should end with someone closing the door on you so they can fuck their wife.
karsyn's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Though I enjoyed the End of Superman-type comic and one other, I don’t think Alan Moore’s short-format writing works for me. And Marvel is def > DC
wmhenrymorris's review against another edition
I think that this is a case where if I understood the comics world better, I'd appreciate this work more. But I don't. And I found it to be only mildly interesting.
A big part of that, I think, was the style of the art didn't really do it for me.
A big part of that, I think, was the style of the art didn't really do it for me.
silvani's review against another edition
4.0
Overall a worthwhile read. Some of these stories I really enjoyed, and some were not my cup of tea. Anyway, I'm more of a Marvel person than a DC person, so liking any of these stories is a testament to the author.
ladydewinter's review against another edition
4.0
Not all stories are equally good, but the Superman and Batman ones are excellent. "The Killing Joke" remains one of the best Batman stories I've read, and it's still shocking and impressive and, well, good even after having read it a bunch of times. "Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow" was good, but in that case my expectations were a little too high, I think; the Superman story I liked best in this collection was "For The Man Who Has Everything".
planetevelyn's review against another edition
2.0
some stories brilliant - like the killing joke, some just a little on the dull side
dr_matthew_lloyd's review against another edition
4.0
I read this collection because I wanted to re-read The Killing Joke as part of my exploration of the history of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, and this was the format in which it was available in the local library. Some of these stories I have read elsewhere and my reviews can be read here:
Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
The Killing Joke
The basis of this collection is the works of Alan Moore while he was at DC, which seems to be a somewhat weak connecting theme. But it actually works fairly well. Moore doesn't seem to have done very much work for DC, once you exclude works with Vertigo like [b:V for Vendetta|5805|V for Vendetta|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343668985s/5805.jpg|392838] and [b:Watchmen|472331|Watchmen|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327866860s/472331.jpg|4358649]. The Superman stories had already been collected, [b:Batman: The Killing Joke|96358|Batman The Killing Joke|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346331835s/96358.jpg|551787] remains in print, and "The Night Olympics" was part of the pre-wedding collection [b:Green Arrow/Black Canary: For Better or for Worse|1001161|Green Arrow/Black Canary For Better or for Worse|Dennis O'Neil|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388198659s/1001161.jpg|4564407], but the others are short, generally humorous stories which don't really belong in any other collection - unless there's a similar "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps" collection. Indeed, what's most interesting about this collection is the humour which comes across in Moore's Green Lantern and Vega stories. It contrasts strongly with the dark tone of his other works, and thus The Killing Joke becomes an apt conclusion to the volume, combining both.
The general feel of many of the stories is that 1980s space opera vibe recently channelled by Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy; it made me think of Warhammer 40,000 and 2000 AD, but having read [b:The Ballad of Halo Jones|59710|The Ballad of Halo Jones|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388293260s/59710.jpg|1884159] might also have influenced that feeling. The Green Lantern stories are by far the most fun; the first of the Vega stories was a delight while the second was uncomfortable, the punchline effectively beingthe same kind of sexualized violence against women which plagued comics in the late 1980s . Many of the stories are very dark, particularly the Vigilante stories. There is definitely a seedy tone which was fairly common in the comics I've read from this era.
The art is varied: obviously, those works with [a:Dave Gibbons|13285|Dave Gibbons|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1308663000p2/13285.jpg] are great; [a:Brian Bolland|55409|Brian Bolland|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-3fbaf32fc1fc48e6ffaf3f63a026f0ff.png] does sterling work on The Killing Joke (and if it really took him two years, then it should be good, shouldn't it?); [a:Curt Swan|93458|Curt Swan|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-3fbaf32fc1fc48e6ffaf3f63a026f0ff.png] and [a:Rick Veitch|63220|Rick Veitch|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-3fbaf32fc1fc48e6ffaf3f63a026f0ff.png] do great work on Superman. The remaining artists are generally variable, although they are generally undermined by the shadowy inking and limited, dull colour pallets of 1980s comics. The best stories have some of the best art; whether these judgements are related is debatable.
It's a worthwhile collection if you are interested in reading a selection of comics from the late 1980s. Very few of them are game changing, with the exception of those which have been collected elsewhere. But to look at the work of one person in this way does shed a certain light on him and his contribution to the comics of the era.
Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
The Killing Joke
The basis of this collection is the works of Alan Moore while he was at DC, which seems to be a somewhat weak connecting theme. But it actually works fairly well. Moore doesn't seem to have done very much work for DC, once you exclude works with Vertigo like [b:V for Vendetta|5805|V for Vendetta|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343668985s/5805.jpg|392838] and [b:Watchmen|472331|Watchmen|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327866860s/472331.jpg|4358649]. The Superman stories had already been collected, [b:Batman: The Killing Joke|96358|Batman The Killing Joke|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346331835s/96358.jpg|551787] remains in print, and "The Night Olympics" was part of the pre-wedding collection [b:Green Arrow/Black Canary: For Better or for Worse|1001161|Green Arrow/Black Canary For Better or for Worse|Dennis O'Neil|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388198659s/1001161.jpg|4564407], but the others are short, generally humorous stories which don't really belong in any other collection - unless there's a similar "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps" collection. Indeed, what's most interesting about this collection is the humour which comes across in Moore's Green Lantern and Vega stories. It contrasts strongly with the dark tone of his other works, and thus The Killing Joke becomes an apt conclusion to the volume, combining both.
The general feel of many of the stories is that 1980s space opera vibe recently channelled by Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy; it made me think of Warhammer 40,000 and 2000 AD, but having read [b:The Ballad of Halo Jones|59710|The Ballad of Halo Jones|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388293260s/59710.jpg|1884159] might also have influenced that feeling. The Green Lantern stories are by far the most fun; the first of the Vega stories was a delight while the second was uncomfortable, the punchline effectively being
The art is varied: obviously, those works with [a:Dave Gibbons|13285|Dave Gibbons|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1308663000p2/13285.jpg] are great; [a:Brian Bolland|55409|Brian Bolland|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-3fbaf32fc1fc48e6ffaf3f63a026f0ff.png] does sterling work on The Killing Joke (and if it really took him two years, then it should be good, shouldn't it?); [a:Curt Swan|93458|Curt Swan|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-3fbaf32fc1fc48e6ffaf3f63a026f0ff.png] and [a:Rick Veitch|63220|Rick Veitch|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-3fbaf32fc1fc48e6ffaf3f63a026f0ff.png] do great work on Superman. The remaining artists are generally variable, although they are generally undermined by the shadowy inking and limited, dull colour pallets of 1980s comics. The best stories have some of the best art; whether these judgements are related is debatable.
It's a worthwhile collection if you are interested in reading a selection of comics from the late 1980s. Very few of them are game changing, with the exception of those which have been collected elsewhere. But to look at the work of one person in this way does shed a certain light on him and his contribution to the comics of the era.
plaidbrarian's review
3.0
Alan Moore is one of the greatest writers to ever work in comics, but that doesn't mean everything is all that great, as this mixed-bag of a collection shows. Two of the Superman stories here, "For the Man Who Has Everything" and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" are two of the best in the character's history, and the short Green Lantern and Vega stories are top notch, too, but the rest range from not-very-special to outright kind-of-bad. And while I know people love it, I will never, ever warm up to The Killing Joke (the Joker crosses a very uncomfortable line here, no matter what the "official" word from DC states).
strikingthirteen's review
4.0
Lots of styles, lots of stories. Some characters I weren't as familiar with but it was still a good read overall. My favourites were the Batman stories (especially the sickening "The Killing Joke") and Alan Moore even got me to have a better appreciation for Superman in what stories were there.