Review by Booklist Review
After setting the superhero genre on its ear by overhauling Swamp Thing0 and before (temporarily) departing mainstream comics for such projects as From Hell0 (2000), Moore frolicked in DC's playground by penning occasional stories about the company's biggest stars and a few, neglected second-stringers. His artistic collaborators on those pieces were no slouches, either, particularly fellow Brits Dave Gibbons (Moore's collaborator on the acclaimed Watchmen0 ) and Brian Bolland. Most of these tales have been collected before (see Across the Universe, 0 2003), but this book includes two stories that had previously been published in discrete volumes: "The Killing Joke," a genuinely chilling portrayal of Batman's greatest foe, the Joker, as a dangerous madman rather than a nettlesome clown, and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow," a heartfelt last look at some three decades' worth of Superman0 villains, supporting characters, and outmoded detritus (e.g., Krypto the Superdog) before the character received a sweeping, mideighties revamping. Combining these landmark tales with Moore's 13 other DC Universe stories makes this book a no-brainer addition to graphic-novel collections. --Gordon Flagg Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
While Moore was evolving the superhero story with his work on Swamp Thing and Watchmen in the '80s he was also taking smaller freelance assignments for DC Comics. The works in DC's newly assembled collection of these stories (all previously available in various collections and put together for the first time here) don't possess the same momentousness as those titles but still provide an interesting side of Moore's oeuvre. Many of the stories are superheroes tales told with such wit and imagination that they reach all the promise the genre offers. The best is "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?," a heartfelt sendoff to the Silver Age-era of Superman comics rendered by the greatest Superman artist, Curt Swan. Many of the shorter pieces feature Moore's knack for coming up with science fiction twist endings that always amuse. The Green Lantern back-up "Mogo Doesn't Socialize" is as inventive as it is brief. Other stories feel like a dated part of the grim 1980s."The Killing Joke," featuring Batman and stunning art by Brian Bolland, and a Vigilante story are both dark and serious tales but they lack both Moore's virtuoso storytelling tricks and the complexity and humanity of his best work. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
