More Moore

Back in the 1980s when DC Comics began canvassing writing talent from England one of their prizes catches was Alan Moore.

Moore had garnered a name for himself on a number of British comic book anthologies.  Comic book readers took notice, both in England and in the United States.

When Moore first came to DC Comics he started on Swampthing and over the course of less than two years he branched out to write a few fill-in issues, some short runs and then there was his masterpieces: Watchmen and The Killing Joke.

In the mid-1980s DC Comics decided that its universe of superheroes had to be revamped because of its overly complicated continuity problems.

DC writers had managed to create a vast multiverse of universes and things had gotten totally out of hand.

Condensing of the universes was accomplished in the Crisis On Infinite Earths maxi-series.

Massive changes were made to the DC stable of superheroes-one of which was Superman.

But, how could the events of Crisis explain the changes completely?  It couldn’t.

So the editors at DC decided to end the old continuity of Superman both in Action Comics and Superman titles by tying up loose ends.

Alan Moore was given the writing chores and he delivered in spades!

Alan was able to take all the themes, characters and mythos of the old Superman legend and remake so it was prime for the introduction of the new Superman titles courtesy of John Byrne.

Superman #423 and Action Comics #583, under Moore’s masterful writing, successfully saw an end to the old Superman and set up the future exploits of the new Man of Steel.

It’s a brilliant set of issues.

Equally outstanding is Moore’s script for Superman Annual #11 with art by Dave Gibbons (his collaborator on Watchmen)

In the story Superman’s enemy Mongul tricks Superman into opening a birthday present containing a very special plant that attaches itself to Superman’s chest.

The plant taps into Superman’s subconscious thus allowing him to believe he is living his life on Krypton where he is married, has a child and that Krypton did not explode.

Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman attempt to save him and defeat Mongul.

The story is masterstroke of genius and is considered, along with Moore’s Superman and Action issues, as one of the best Superman stories ever written.

All three Superman issues showcase Superman at his mightiest and most vulnerable and are true classics.