By various (America’s Best Comics)
ISBN 1-84023-228-5
Alan Moore continues his loving re-examination of the comic experience in this second collected volume of the adventures of the perfect hero. Reprinted from the pages of issues #8-14 of the Tom Strong monthly comic-book, this selection kicks off with ‘Riders of Lost Mesa’ as Strong and his talking Gorilla assistant Solomon encounter a town of cowboys that have returned to Earth after an absence of 150 years. Western aficionado Alan Weiss provides the art for this striking and portentous vignette, whilst co-creator Chris Sprouse draws ‘The Old Skool’, an exploit of the hero’s eccentric fan-club, The Strongmen of America. He also handles ‘Sparks’, a solo outing for Tom’s daughter Tesla, who meets new friends in an active volcano.
I suspect these short adventures were intended as a way of introducing characters and concepts for later use in extended storylines, but that doesn’t make them any less delightful, and I welcome the return of the much neglected graphic short story – which has almost become a lost art in these days of braided multi-part epics. Paul Chadwick illustrates the ‘Terror Temple of Tayasal!’, Chris Sprouse draws and Al Gordon inks both ‘Volcano Dreams’ – a surreal solo story starring Dahlua, Tom Strong’s wife – and daughter Tesla’s individual adventure, ‘Flip Attitude!’.
Gary Gianni illustrates the eerie ‘Tom Strong and his Phantom Autogyro’, and Sprouse and Gordon continue the mindbending as the hero crosses into the dimension of cartoon counterparts in ‘Funnyland!’ Tesla Strong almost reclaims the dignity of the book before herself succumbing to multi-dimensional madcappery in ‘Too Many Teslas?’ but order is eventually restored in time for the next issue.
‘Strange Reunion’ is the first of a two-part epic that calls Tom Strong to the far end of the Universe and allies he had made at the end of the 1960s. Along with the second chapter ‘Terror on Terra Obscura!’, it forms a loving and dramatic homage to the JLA/JSA team-ups that so inspired the budding fan-boy generation. With his analogue Tom Strange they rescue the inhabitants and captive superheroes from an intergalactic invader. Old timers might recognise the heroes of Terra Obscura as the publishing stable of the 1940’s and 1950’s outfit Nedor/Better/Standard Publications (and whose flagship title was America’s Best Comics).
The next tale was an all-out tribute and pastiche of Fawcett’s Captain Marvel Family as Tom, Tesla, Tom’s young self and even the cartoon rabbit counterpart from ‘Funnyland!’ unite to save time and space in ‘The Tower at Time’s End!’ with Sprouse and Gordon joined by Kyle Baker, Russ Heath and Pete Poplaski on individual art chapters.
The final homage of the book is to those legendary EC Science-Fiction anthology comics. With all stories of the nigh immortal family set in the 1950s, ‘Space Family Strong’ delves into their space-faring past, and is illustrated by Hilary Barta, whilst Sprouse and Gordon illustrate both ‘The Land of Hearts Desire!’ and a team-up with that era’s Johnny Future in ‘Baubles of the Brain Bazaar!’
Whilst I’m unsure just how these tales would sit with that portion of Alan Moore’s audience that his other work has brought to comics, and who therefore have little or none of the background to fully appreciate the gags, in-jokes and references, let alone the artistic variations these pastiches utilise, I do know that they are written in a clear and straightforward manner and are enchantingly realised by the many talented artists involved.
So if a kid of five could pick up enough to become hooked all those decades ago, surely inquisitive adults can be just as open to the wonderment today. I certainly hope so…
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