Product Description

Comics scriptwriting supremo Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Batman: Killing Joke) is once again forging the future of graphic novels with an all-new line up of incredible comic creations under his own imprint, America's Best Comics. Born on a remote South Seas island, orphaned by his scientist parents and raised by a steam-powered robot butler, Tom Strong is both superhero and pioneer, pushing back the boundaries of adventure and exploration as he journies to other dimensions, intent on vanquishing the fearsome foes that threaten the retro-futuristic Millennium City.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #911163 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 3 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
As his 1980's masterwork Watchmen proved so magnificently, Alan Moore's greatest talent is taking a classic format and re-imagining it with a fresh perspective. After years of heated animosity with the comics industry while chucking out the odd masterpiece (From Hell), Moore returned to the mainstream with a vengeance with "America's Best Comics", writing no less than five titles a month at the turn of the Millennium. Headlining ABC is Tom Strong, Moore's supremely enjoyable take on the "Thrilling Tales" pulp comics of the 1930s and 40s. A square-jawed hero of the classic mould, Tom Strong is the peak of mental and physical perfection, raised on the mysterious island of Attabar Teru after his parents became shipwrecked there in 1899. A century later, he's the saviour of Millennium City, still fighting fit thanks to the age-defying powers of the "Goloka Root" and aided by his wife, daughter, his steam-powered butler Pneuman and an intelligent (English) ape called King Solomon. In these first seven issues Moore provides a wonderfully rendered homage, with Tom constantly leaping into danger with a sense of selfless heroism that would make Superman envious. Whether it be alien threats, ancient curses, the fiendish plans of Tom's nemesis Paul Saveen or struggles facing the lethal landscape of Prehistoric Earth, Moore weaves short, sharp and undeniably thrilling stories that are free of the tired grim'n'gritty cynicism so common in comics. With such high-calibre storytelling, and Chris Spruce's engaging art, you cannot fail to enjoy such an honest, engaging re-telling of throwaway adventures as seen through Moore's ever-incisive and beautifully observant gaze. --Danny Graydon

Customer Reviews

Quite a good modern superhero
One of Alan Moore's more conventional superheros brought to life, with a format of 50/50 flashback episodes showing "old school" encounters with enemies which he's currently against in the second half of the issue. Seemed to work quite well, gripping while reading, but not too memorable once completed.

Certainly worth a read compared to other comic writers, Moore definitely brings life to the characters and shows his fondness for the 60's style of comic.

Fun, upbeat pulp adventure in a modern setting.
In 1899 a scientist and his wife retreat to a remote island in the West Indies, with a steam-powered butler, to raise a child free from the corruptions of society. In a high-gravity chamber. As you do. Unfortunately young Tom's parents are killed in an earthquake. He grows up among the natives, who have a marvellous life-extending root, and marries the chief's daughter. In time their family grows, through the birth of a daughter and innovative brain experiments on an ape. He moves to America's Millennium City (with its graceful Statue of Harmony in the harbour, fights science villains, and starts the Strongmen of America club to spread his values to young people.

Comics giant Alan Moore writes a classic pulp hero in a modern-day setting, and it's a great rollicking ride. Forget it if you want dark and gritty, large-scale violence, or impenetrable plots. This is just adventure, with a hero who's just that bit stronger, smarter and braver than almost anyone else. Moore still throws in plenty of ideas, though - opponents include a man whose consciousness is spread across a swarm of self-replicating machines, a technological Aztec empire across parallel worlds, and a Nazi-created supervixen whose strength and longevity may exceed even Tom's.

This volume collects the first 7 issues. The first is presented as the introductory comic received by new members of the Strongmen of America. The next two are standalones, and the last four develop a single storyline. Most of the stories have a section set in the past of the hero's long life, in a different art style, making connections with villains who return in the present. A nice little touch is the lettering in Tom's speech bubbles being slightly bigger than everyone else's - even his voice is larger than life! The art is good, though little of it is truly striking. But part of the book's aim, I think, is not to look like real events on a screen but to always feel like you're reading a comic. If you want something fun and upbeat, this is well worth a look.

Who'da Thunk It!?!
The guy who wrote Watchmen and From Hell wrote this book! A guy who made his name with gory horror and psychological deconstruction has decided to write what is essentially a children's book about a muscleman inventor who gets in adventures with his family and friends, invariably foiling the nefarious plots of a colourful cast of kooky super-villains! And it's fantastic! Almost above criticism!

The real pity about this book is that its main audience will be (like me) adults who followed Moore to this book from his very, very different earlier work. Kids should read this book! Lots and lots of kids. It's magical. Really really full of naive hope and optimism, and stuffed to the gills with childish wonder. No sado-sexual superheroes, no grubby psychopaths, just good clean fun.

Basically, this is Moore doing his regular wonderful job, but this time in a very different arena. This book's great.