So they released it again—the two-part Superman story penned by Alan Moore to end an era of Krypto, dead parents, cheesy robots and time travel—Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?The original comics were bought during a time when anything that looked different or made by Alan Moore caught my attention. As a high school student my resources were meager, especially during the summer months, so I had to buy really good stuff to get a bang for my peso.
I must have read this story more than ten times, and my worn out copies were lent to a friend who never returned it. He owns an original art page (the one where Brainiac merges with Luthor) though, and I fear that I would someday shed blood and tears just to get it.
Comic fans were looking forward to a similar undertaking by Neil Gaiman on Batman (Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?), but it didn't live up to the hype, and that, in my opinion, solidifies Neil's status as an overrated comics writer. No, that label doesn't include his fiction books like Neverwhere.
So Happy Birthday to me, I might buy this as a gift to myself. $24.99 - that will hurt, but it's worth it. Alan Moore is my comics god (Swamp Thing, LXG, Marvelman, V for Vendetta, Green Lantern, Killing Joke, Constantine...Watchmen), one of my most favorite authors , and he wrote some of the best treatments of DC characters, ever. If only DC treated him better. If only he played better, whatever.
Here's to me and eras that never end.
4 comments:
I agree with Neil being an overrated comics writer, though I actually loved Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader. The first part was awesome, and the second part, while initially disappointing, actually grows on you and gets better as time goes by. The problem with Neil is that he recycles the same themes and tropes, which isn't so bad -- Miller's much, much worse.
That having been said, the Moore story is much better, and has more heart, I think - and that edition would be worth getting just because of the Brian Bolland cover.
I just hope they actually reprint the first page as it was presented originally in the comics rather than the way it was reprinted in subsequent collections.
oh. what was edited on the first page? i'm guessing it was the introduction text.
happy beerday! belated :p
thanks, liz! patas na tayo, ha? nalimutan mo rin birthday ko. ;-)
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