The Worm: The Longest Comic Strip in the World

Rating:
Summary: a decidedly different tale with constantly shifting artwork
Review: I ordered this comic book under the impression that it was penned by Alan Moore and Garth Ennis, two of my favorite comic book authors. In actuality, it's not written by these two men, nor is it even actually a comic book, but "The World's Longest Comic Strip" set to book form.

How this unique story came to be written is, in 1991, the London Cartoon Centre, a school for comics and cartooning, found itself in need of funding and publicity. And so 125 cartoonists were gathered at the Guinness World of Records in London's Trocadero shopping mall to draw the 250 paneled comic strip The Worm - the longest strip ever to be completed in one setting. The basic script was penned by Alan Moore and the illustrators were a venerable who's who of British cartoonists, including a single panel drawn by Garth Ennis. The story itself chronicles a cartoonist's trek to meet a deadline, and in doing so, chronicles the significance that cartoonists have made in time throughout history, eventually ending at a time when comic book authors are reverenced and revered.

This tome reads like no other comic book, as every other panel is drawn by a different illustrator, often with radically different styles. This can sometimes make for a difficult to follow story line, and indeed, is best read in conjunction with the reprinted script by Alan Moore presented in the back. But the story, an odd mix of humor, speculation, and cynicism, is definitely worth reading, not only for the tale it has to tell, but for the constantly shifting artwork that it tells it with.

Rating:
Summary: a decidedly different tale with constantly shifting artwork
Review: I ordered this comic book under the impression that it was penned by Alan Moore and Garth Ennis, two of my favorite comic book authors. In actuality, it's not written by these two men, nor is it even actually a comic book, but "The World's Longest Comic Strip" set to book form.

How this unique story came to be written is, in 1991, the London Cartoon Centre, a school for comics and cartooning, found itself in need of funding and publicity. And so 125 cartoonists were gathered at the Guinness World of Records in London's Trocadero shopping mall to draw the 250 paneled comic strip The Worm - the longest strip ever to be completed in one setting. The basic script was penned by Alan Moore and the illustrators were a venerable who's who of British cartoonists, including a single panel drawn by Garth Ennis. The story itself chronicles a cartoonist's trek to meet a deadline, and in doing so, chronicles the significance that cartoonists have made in time throughout history, eventually ending at a time when comic book authors are reverenced and revered.

This tome reads like no other comic book, as every other panel is drawn by a different illustrator, often with radically different styles. This can sometimes make for a difficult to follow story line, and indeed, is best read in conjunction with the reprinted script by Alan Moore presented in the back. But the story, an odd mix of humor, speculation, and cynicism, is definitely worth reading, not only for the tale it has to tell, but for the constantly shifting artwork that it tells it with.

Rating:
Summary: I really liked it
Review: If the names of the authors don't mean anything to you i would be surprised you found it to begin with. This is not perhaps the best comic book i have ever read, but it keeps a nice pace and its intriguing on its approach. Buy it and see for yourself why this guys are two fo the best on the comic world.

Rating:
Summary: How could you miss
Review: WOW! I mean, the Gods of the fanboy world shined down on this book. Moore, Ennis! The two best modern comic writers out there in one volume. It is like Larry Bris and Mihael Jordan on the same team. The best from 2 generations creating great are together. The creators of Watchmen and Preacher together is a dream come true. Sick, adult fun for the whole family. If you like ABC books or Preacher, get this.