cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/8838989
Alan Moore is generally considered the greatest writer in the comic medium. This year, Moore releases one last comic — The Moon And Serpent Bumper Book — a mixture of prose and traditional comic format from indie publishers Top Shelf Productions and Knockabout Limited. Moore has crafted indie comics since the '90s, after his split from DC Comics…
Alan Moore also wrote some brilliant stories in the indie comic genre (some of which, the Big Two published at a later date). Writing indie comics, Moore had the freedom to take his projects in any direction he wanted, resulting in masterpieces that readers could hardly put down. Alan Moore is a legend, and his indie work often surpasses the Big Two comics that he’s known for.
The list is:
- From Hell
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume Two
- Providence
- Marvelman/Miracleman
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier
- Promethea
- The Ballad of Halo Jones
- WildC.A.T.s
- 1963
- Big Numbers
edit: making an ordered list
I feel lucky to have been introduced to Halo Jones by a friend. Maybe I should check on some Moore of these.
Definitely.
Halo Jones is from his fun time at 2000AD that also gave us DR and Quinch. If you are looking at his earlier work (which tends to be less metafictional) then try his series at Warrior like V for Vendetta (presumably didn’t make the list as it was later published at DC), Marvelman and The Bojeffries Saga (Axel Pressbutton has yet to be collected).
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is probably your next stop as that is his big recentish work.
From Hell is a mighty tome and some may find it heavy going but it is excellent. Same could be said for Big Numbers but it isn’t as… big.
WildC.A.T.s is tricky to recommend as it is part of a larger series in a big fictional universe but solid enough.
Providence is part of his exploration of Lovecraft’s work and does require a familiarity with it. I am familiar but Providence left me cold, where The Courtyard was good. It felt like diminishing returns.
Promethea is his exploration of magic and might be one to save for later.
1963 has yet to be collected but I’ll post more on that shortly.