Tom Strong 9 (September 2000)

The issue’s a family affair, with Tom, Dhalua and Tesla each getting their own story. Paul Chadwick handles the art on Tom’s story. His style mimics Sprouse quite a bit. If I hadn’t seen Chadwick’s name, I’d have no idea.

It’s a nice little story, with Moore mixing jungle adventure with positivist sci-fi. It ends a little fast though.

Dhalua has a good flashback story. Mostly Moore is just filling in her backstory, rounding the character. He does an exceptional job with the character, making her more distinct than Tom. Sprouse and Gordon do well with the constrained setting.

They also do the art on Telsa’s story, which Moore models on DC backups, like a Supergirl one. It’s a lot of fun, with more great art from Sprouse and Gordon. It’s got the most humor. Moore succeeds at making his observation on comics traditions while writing a great character.

Tom Strong 8 (July 2000)

There’s no feature this issue, just three short stories. The first, with art by Alan Weiss, is a throwback to “The Twilight Zone” as Tom and Solomon find themselves in the Old West. All the residents have three eyes, eat weird things and no longer identify colors with the same words.

It’s a fast little story, with a nice resolution, but Moore really doesn’t explore all the implications. I guess that lack is the drawback–Moore’s ideas, even little ones, are just too strong.

The second story is an adventure for some of the Strongmen of America, with Chris Sprouse and Al Gordon on art. It’s a fun little amusement with a psycho principal out to make kids work harder in school.

The final story, again with Sprouse and Gordon, is nearly sublime. It’s a Tesla adventure and Moore ends it on a joke. It’s still almost sublime.

Great stuff.

Tom Strong (1999) #7

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Moore finishes the story with an unexpected conclusion, one he hadn’t hinted at earlier and should have. Tom Strong’s birthday was coming up. It ends at his birthday party (and the Millennium City Y2K party). It’s a great scene, but it’s sort of tacked on.

This issue is significant for one major reason. Moore talks a lot about race. Sure, it’s in the extremes of Tom Strong having a bastard son with a Nazi superwoman, but Moore doesn’t flinch when putting those two up against Tom’s black wife and his mixed daughter. Most mainstream comic books completely avoid the discussion (or just don’t have any black characters).

This issue has a flash forward, not flashback, but Frank and Smith. It’s not the best Frank art, but it’s good. Moore’s writing isn’t as strong on that portion though.

It’s a decent issue, some good surprises… but there’s no kick to it.

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It’s appropriate Gibbons draws the flashback story here, given the villain–Saveen–reminds a great deal of the villains in Watchmen. Moore doesn’t suggest a lot of superheroes in Tom Strong, it’s all a lot more science-based. The issue is, for a large part, a walk through Tom Strong’s past. Saveen’s set up a little museum to him and narrates the historical importance of the items.

As a storytelling device, it definitely works as it focuses the attention on Tom’s reactions, which a one or two panel flashback wouldn’t. But it pales compared to the flashback story–Moore unintentionally sabotages it.

The flashback story is done late thirties style with phenomenally appropriate expository dialogue. Gibbons’s art is great, restrained just enough Sprouse can still impress in the present day portions.

Finally in this issue, Moore seems to have established how Tom Strong‘s going to work. Solidly, if somewhat unspectacularly.

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The backup this issue is from Jerry Ordway, so the art’s good. It’s not really a backup, it’s more an aside to give the reader some more information. But Moore and Ordway present it as a fifties or sixties sci-fi comic, albeit with better dialogue.

Tom Strong gives Moore a nice opportunity to do revisionist Golden Age and Silver Age stories (presumably the point) while still keeping modern. It’s impressive how, in this single issue, he’s able to introduce a villain, go through the history with the villain, and then give him a sendoff.

Moore didn’t do a lot of superhero books, but Tom Strong shows he definitely would be able to do them if he wanted.

The issue’s set in Pangea (or is it on Pangea?), giving Sprouse a prehistoric wasteland to illustrate. He’s got some beautiful visuals.

Again, not a deep, thoughtful issue; but a good one.

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It’s the first two-parter (or multi-part, I have no idea) story. I sort of figured Moore would do Tom Strong as done-in-ones, just because it fits. Though he does get to a good hard cliffhanger–I’m going to start using the terms hard and soft cliffhanger, sort of like hard sci-fi–I just wish I hadn’t been expecting a wrap-up.

I shouldn’t have been. There’s a flashback story in here–unfortunately with art from Art Adams–and so there wouldn’t be enough space.

Moore also changes up what he did last issue in terms of narration. There’s no first-person Tom Strong narration here. It’s mostly just a good action issue, with the flashback providing the drama–Moore’s dialogue’s strong and the Sprouse art is great. But it’s not thoughtful.

Though Moore does get around to talking about the race thing.

Still, it’s fine.

Tom Strong (1999) #3

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Tom Strong is the main character this issue, the third in the series, Tom Strong, and the first issue where he is that main character. Moore even does a bunch of first person narration, which gives the reader the first insight into him.

The story is fairly straightforward (especially for a Tom Strong). Aztecs from another dimension are about to take over the planet and it’s up to Tom Strong to save the world. And he does, of course. Moore presents him as a very thoughtful protagonist—this issue is an example of some of the best first person comic book narration. Moore’s not using it as exposition (he opens with some funny expository dialogue though). He’s just plain writing.

This issue reveals the series to be mildly didactic. Well, at least the last two issues. Moore’s Tom Strong is intensely, thoughtfully optimistic and it strives to share that outlook.

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It’s the second issue and Moore’s confident enough he has the reader’s attention he doesn’t even bring Tom Strong in until the last five or six pages. And then it’s as something of a deus ex machina. It’s interesting how in the present action, Tom Strong is more thoughtful, when ten years before (in 1987), he’s more gung ho to do the action hero route. Knowing Moore there’s probably something to the difference.

Anyway, it’s another fine issue. Moore does a lot of jokes this issue (not even counting the bickering between Solomon and Pneuman). He’s got two goofball teenage boys who are hilarious. It’s not at all the kind of jokes I’d expect from Moore. Except they’re all well-written and succeed, so I guess they are Moore jokes.

Some very nice art, once again from Sprouse and Gordon. There’s a particularly nice one page action scene.

Again, excellent.

Tom Strong (1999) #1

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I read Tom Strong when it came out (some of it, anyway); I didn’t remember much about this first issue until I got to the end. I sort of remembered the big smile at the end of the issue, which—at the time I first read it—I thought was a little strange.

Here’s Alan Moore—the Watchmen guy, the Swamp Thing guy—basically doing this resoundingly nice superhero moment. I guess I hadn’t read his Superman stories yet.

This issue’s the origin (and Moore’s calm about the age-slowing plant, introducing it at the end instead of the beginning) and it’s absolutely beautiful. It would be nice to spend more time in the various eras Moore’s writing about… first because Sprouse’s art is beautiful, but also Moore has a great feel.

Moore’s writing is assured and funny. It’s maybe the most comedic work of his I’ve read.

It’s lovely.