By TAG
Everyone should read Moore comics. See what I did there?
The more interviews with Alan Moore I come across, the more I realize he’s just a crotchety old man who hates comics more than I enjoy them. He is a fine example that peeking behind the creative curtain can only end badly. One could even describe Alan Moore as the anti-Stan Lee! Though, much like with my hatred of Kevin Smith, I’ve made it my practice to separate Alan Moore’s art from the artist, a tactic that hasn’t failed me so far.
That being said, I’ve been looking forward to his new book, Neonomicon, for quite awhile now. Neonomicon No. 1 debuts this week from Avatar, and, if you are lucky enough to be attending Comic-Con this weekend, be sure to stop by the Avatar booth to look for the limited edition variant along with some other Moore-related goodies.
Neonomicon is the follow-up to Moore’s The Courtyard, adapted from a short story and released by Avatar in 2003. Neonomicon catches up with The Courtyard characters, FBI agents Brears and Lamper, once again found investigating a series of strange yet oddly familiar murders.
This H.P. Lovecraft-inspired tale promises to amp up the gore, unleashing 303 artist Jacen Burrows to do what he does best. If anyone can translate the twisted mind of Moore, as shone through a bloody, Lovecraftian lens, it’s Burrows.
Honorable Mention: Sticking with the Moore motif, everyone should check out Marvelman Classic Primer No. 1 from Marvel this week. The irony here is that I am positive that there is absolutely no material in this book written by Alan Moore. The curmudgeonly old wizard that he is, I doubt Moore would ever give Marvel the rights to anything Marvelman/Miracleman-related that he’s ever done (though he gave his rights to Neil Gaiman long ago, so it’s moot).
Let’s all give it a shot anyway, not because any of us want to read any 50-year-old stories about a Shazam rip-off, but because if we all support it then maybe, just maybe, Marvel can, by some act of God (Thor in this instance), secure the rights to the good stuff. I know I’m going to buy it for that reason, as well as to read what Neil Gaiman has to say about the whole affair. It’s a bit pricey at $3.99, but it’s got some new pinups, including one by Jae Lee (Kid Marvelman, anyone?)
