Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman

Rating:
Summary: A fair tribute, worth it for some...
Review: ...but not for others. I do feel that the book was a little too long--a few too many single page tributes that just seemed the same ("I first read Alan Moore when I...;" "Alan Moore changed the way I...;" etc., etc.). I feel like this book would have been a better service if the articles had been kept down to people with some legitimate statement on Moore's work or their personal involvement. An excellent example of this is Steve Bissette's essay in which he outlines his dealings with Moore from the Swamp Thing run, on through Taboo, into their falling out over a hornets' nest of problems in the early nineties. The article is not entirely "in tribute," but it does good service to the fans by being informative on a subject frought with rumor and speculation. I'm sure Moore was probably surprised, if not chagrined, to read it.

The Dave Sim article is excellent (I'm working on reading that right now as a matter of fact). It's daunting but highly rewarding: Sim is easily the most undervalued comics interviewer, for a multiplicity of reasons that aren't worth going into here. The more scholastic articles by Jose Alaniz, in my book you can take them or leave them. There doesn't seem to be much appreciable about what he's written about that a cursory reading of the same texts (especially the "Best of all Tailors" chapter of From Hell) couldn't provide. I'm sure they're of some value to someone, but that doesn't really include me.

Also, the book is co-produced by Italian, English and American people/companies, hence the inclusion of a lot of nameless Italian artists (and a couple of writers). I'm sure that's of massive significance to the Italian comics community, but it's pretty far removed from everywhere else. Still, it doesn't muddle up the book too much...and the pictures are nice...

Altogether, I would neither characterize the book as entirely without merit, save the interviews, nor would I characterize it as a 100% tour de force production. It's a good book for hardcore Moore fans (or wanna-be hardcore fans, with a decent but incomplete bibliography in the back). My advice, if you don't have a copy of Watchmen (which you SHOULD), From Hell, V for Vendetta, and a good Swamp Thing or two, buy those first and then enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Happy birthday Mr. Moore
Review: Ladies and gentlemen, this is the funniest and most beautiful tribute ever made to an author! I have never seen anything like this in centuries! I think that the basic idea of the whole project is strongly related with being an Alan Moore fan, which is a thing that a lot of the autohrs involved in the book share. But there's more to it: that means that even though every contribution is not perfect, neat and amazing, love, respect and passion are always granted in every inch of this work. Every artist/writer that has participated has done its best, even in a simple way, to say: Happy birthday Mr. Moore.

If you're expecting me to cite my favourite contributions you are wrong: too many and too beautiful, and right now I can only remeber one of those that Moore will appreciate more: Will Eisner's one!

In a few words: a must-read for all Moore's fan over the globe, buy it and you won't be disappointed.

P.S.: I was almost forgetting to say that in the end of the volume there is a complete bibliography, which can be considered a stand-alone motivation to buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Inconsequential tribute to a great writer
Review: This is a strange book. On the one hand, it's packed with art from a long list of talented illustrators. On the other, I don't know who these illustrators are; they all seem to be European. So, although I like their artwork, the fact that they are doing two-page tributes to Alan Moore means nothing to me.

And then there's the text. If the text isn't an interview with Alan Moore, it's not worth reading. 99% of it is just forgettable. There are three essays by one person (who shall remain nameless) that are memorable because they are so horrible. These essays are 'post modern' --- which means that they are full of silly jargon and obscure references to Derrida and that sort of thing. If you don't know what post-modern writing is, consider yourself blessed.

The one really worthwile part of the book is at the end, in an exchange of letters between the cranky Canadian cartoonist, Dave Sim, and Alan Moore. Moore takes the time to describe why he's interested in occultism and how his research in the last ten years has enriched his life. It's a unique story from a brilliant man. He seems to be spelunking his own psyche and then writing about his discoveries.

I can't recommend this book. It looks nice and the end is good, but it's not really worth the time.