Alan Moore

Every once in a while the comic world is blessed with a book that is so good it becomes larger than the comic book community and achieves widespread popularity with the masses.  Alan Moore is one of a handful of writers that has done this more than once.  In fact you will be hard pressed to find somebody, even if they have no interest in comics at all, who isn’t familiar with at least one of his works, whether they know it or not. 

Five of Moore’s comics have been turned into Hollywood films.  Whether or not any of the movies did the original work justice is beside the point.  Keanu Reeves has probably forgotten he played the lead role in Constantine, just like everybody else, even though it opened at the number 2 spot in the box office.  Nobody owns a copy of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen however, for a week it too was the number 2 movie in the country when it opened.  Every other adaptation on the big screen of Moore’s work (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell) has opened at the top spot in the box office.  Let that sink in.

Every comic enthusiast is familiar with Alan Moore and most can give you a list of their favorite titles by him.  Almost always that list has a striking resemblance to their favorite titles list period.  There is almost no argument that the best comic ever produced was done so by Moore, however, which title that is exactly can be and that is saying something.  V for Vendetta is far and away my favorite installation of the comic canon.  I respect the argument that Watchmen revolutionized the way people looked at comics, presenting previously unthinkable subjects. That being said, when it comes down to symbolism, themes, and story, V for Vendetta is the gold standard.  The iconic Guy Fawkes mask is recognizable world wide even though only a segment of the population knows where it comes from.  Like Orwell’s 1984, the world created is something out of a nightmare that seems to bare more and more resemblance to ours as time goes on.

As I take a step back after immersing myself in comics for a year I can begin to construct my Comic Writers Mount Rushmore.  Alan Moore is front and center, surrounded by Brian K. Vaughan, Scott Snyder and Jonathan Hickman.  As time goes I’m sure faces will be demoed to make room for new ones but Alan Moore will stand the test of time, just as his comics have.

NXS