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DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore

by Alan Moore, Klaus Janson (Illustrator), George Pérez (Illustrator), Kevin O'Neill (Illustrator), Curt Swan (Illustrator), Joe Orlando (Illustrator), Rick Veitch (Illustrator), Al Williamson (Illustrator) , more...

3.96 · rating details · 1,007 ratings · 70 reviews

Don't miss this extensive collection featuring the World's Greatest Super-Heroes as interpreted by one of the most acclaimed authors in comics.

The work of Alan Moore ('Watchmen', 'V for Vendetta', 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen') in the DC Universe during the 1980s is considered a benchmark for great stories with fresh approaches to iconic characters. ...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published January 4th 2006 by DC Comics (first published 2003)

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Jul 28, 2011

Vanessa rated it

Shelves: read-in-2011

Alan Moore is well known even to people outside of the comics world and there's a simple reason for that: he's an auteur who could just as easily work in literary fiction, mystery, science fiction. He chooses to write comics. And we love him for it.

This is a collection of some of his early work for DC. And what a collection it is. Just look at the cover art. I knew Alan wrote and revitalized Swamp Thing of course and everyone who reads the Batman-verse comics, particularly Birds of ...moreAlan Moore is well known even to people outside of the comics world and there's a simple reason for that: he's an auteur who could just as easily work in literary fiction, mystery, science fiction. He chooses to write comics. And we love him for it.

This is a collection of some of his early work for DC. And what a collection it is. Just look at the cover art. I knew Alan wrote and revitalized Swamp Thing of course and everyone who reads the Batman-verse comics, particularly Birds of Prey, knows about "The Killing Joke" but he also wrote for Green Arrow, Green Lantern and Superman. There isn't a clunker in this collection (having said that, the Green Arrow is probably the weakest entry.)

The standout stories include the following:

"For the Man Who Has Everything"-art by Dave Gibbons (who would also collaborate with Moore on Watchmen.) Superman is given the chance to imagine a world in which Krypton didn't blow up and he has a family. But things aren't as rosy as they appear. Great one-off issue.

"Father's Day"-art by Jim Baikie. Hey gang! Remember Vigilante? Me neither. He's apparently a Batman-esque type of hero that works by day as a district attorney. His costume is silly but the story is a really affecting and surprisingly (for the time) gory page turner about a battered woman trying to protect her daughter from the violent, fresh-from-prison father who molested her years before. The art by Jim Baikie is a little reminiscent of Mary Worth but it compliments the story well and a few panels really hit you in the gut and stick with you.

"The Jungle Line"-art by Rick Veitch. This story is good but probably not great. Moore has certainly written better Swamp Thing pieces; however, adding Superman to the story just made it irresistible. When Superman loses his mind from an extraterrestrial fungal infection, who you gonna call? Swampy.

"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow"-art by Curt Swan and George Perez. Curt Swan was a famous long-time Superman illustrator so it's fascinating he paired up with Moore for this brilliantly off-kilter epic that posits a future where Superman has died. This along with "The Killing Joke" is the best story in the bunch. Moore melds Superman-esque sensibilities (lines like "Superman! Thank heavens you're back!") with a deeply touching and occasionally odd and disturbing tale of Superman's last days which include a siege on the Fortress of Solitude, Jimmy Olson and Lana getting super powers and a Brainiac-controlled reanimated Lex Luthor. I defy you not to get out your Kleenex by the end. Not to mention Curt Swan seems to think that in the distant future of 1997, men will be wearing lace cravats.

"In Blackest Night"-art by Bill Willingham. I liked all the Green Lantern stories (including the one that introduces Mogo. Sniff, RIP) but this one starring Katma Tui is my favorite. Bonus: hear perhaps the only instance of a Guardian telling a joke.

"Mortal Clay"-art by George Freeman. In this Batman story, Moore is at his disturbing and funny best.

"The Killing Joke"-art by Brian Bolland. You can have your Dark Knight Returns. I love this infamous Batman story from the same era which features outstanding artwork from Brian Bolland. The story is deeply disturbing and emotionally powerful. This is the story that put Barbara Gordon (the original Batgirl) in a wheelchair after being shot by the Joker, a chain of events that turned her into Oracle. Some of the scenes from this are unforgettable: the look on Barbara's face right before she gets shot, Batman's face at the hospital, the final showdown between Batman and the Joker. This is the original version with colors done by John Higgins and Bolland, while gracious, was never quite happy with them. If you can, check out the Deluxe Edition of this story which Bolland colored himself. It's quite a difference to compare them side-by-side.

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Jul 22, 2008

Ryan rated it

When I was around 10, my uncle gave me three phonebooks each featuring the adventures of Batman, Superman, and Captain Marvel from the 30s to the 70s. I loved reading and re-reading the volumes, but the stories were meant for children and four years later, they seemed juvenile to me.

Alan Moore is one of the few writers whose work, when I read it today, makes me feel as if I am a kid picking up a superhero comic for the first time. Moore's stories are filled with the usual explosive...moreWhen I was around 10, my uncle gave me three phonebooks each featuring the adventures of Batman, Superman, and Captain Marvel from the 30s to the 70s. I loved reading and re-reading the volumes, but the stories were meant for children and four years later, they seemed juvenile to me.

Alan Moore is one of the few writers whose work, when I read it today, makes me feel as if I am a kid picking up a superhero comic for the first time. Moore's stories are filled with the usual explosive antics, but there are always consequences that feel very real and serious and that, however unpleasant, his heroes are forced to confront. Reading Moore's superheroes is like looking at something familiar in a very strange light.

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is a case in point. It has all the familiar, goofy aspects of an old-school Superman story. It has dialogue like "Great Scott!" There's a supervillain team-up between Lex Luthor and Brainiac. Lana Lang takes a radioactive bath and gains super powers (love it when that happens).

But the Luthor-Brainiac team-up is parasitic and disturbing, happening when Brainiac latches onto Luthor's head and drills into his brain. And after super-strong Lana Lang snaps Luthor-Brainiac's neck (Yes. She does that), Brainiac discovers he's unable to puppet the corpse once rigor mortis sets in.

What makes reading this story particularly odd is that it's illustrated by Curt Swan, who pencilled most of the Superman comics from the 60s to the 80s. His style is associated with more clean-cut, simplistic representations of the character.

Anyway. This collection includes all of the one-shots and individual issues that Alan Moore wrote for DC. There was a previous compilation, but it left out both Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? as well as Moore's seminal one-shot The Killing Joke. This volume is complete.

There are also two or three short introductions to selected chapters that offer a little bit of historical context, just in case you were wondering why in the hell Alan Moore wrote a Green Arrow story.

Some stories are slighter than others, but that diversity is one of the strengths of this anthology. After all, comparing these stories to the epics and prolonged narratives that made Moore famous is pointless. With the exception of the Killing Joke, Moore was mostly a guest-writer and he probably treated the majority of these stories as one-offs. So it's sort of surprising how good most of them are. This collection is highly recommended both for people who enjoy superhero comics today and for people who only read them when they were children.

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Nov 27, 2011

Jana rated it

Shelves: graphic-comic

Now what's to be done? Each of these stories makes me desire to read more by Alan Moore. So many graphic novels, so little time! I need to find more Batman because the last two stories: Mortal Clay and The Killing Joke, were excellent. I've never read Batman, but it hearkens me back to my childhood. Happy memories from the telly show (which was probably very lame, but I was just a kid). The Vigilante story was creepy and good. The Green Lantern stories were both excellent. If I HAD to pic...more

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Apr 05, 2008

Evil_Dead_Junkie rated it

Shelves: comics

I love Alan Moore. Snake worshipping madman though he may be, but I'd never read any of his superhero work before.

The book is an interesting view of an artist developing. And it's chock full of the metaphysical archetype busting (the still classic The Killing Joke and For The Man Who Has Everything) goodness that one comes to expect of Moore.

However, the book is padded by some more pedestrian superhero work, which means that for every story about Aliens living in a dif...more

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Apr 09, 2008

Bill rated it

Shelves: comics, superheroes, sci-fi

Alan Moore is one of the greatest writers to ever work in comics, but that doesn't mean everything is all that great, as this mixed-bag of a collection shows. Two of the Superman stories here, "For the Man Who Has Everything" and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" are two of the best in the character's history, and the short Green Lantern and Vega stories are top notch, too, but the rest range from not-very-special to outright kind-of-bad. And while I know people l...more

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Sep 15, 2010

Angel rated it

Recommends it for: Alan Moore fans

Shelves: graphic_novels_and_comics

This was a bit of a mixed bag. If you are expecting the Alan Moore of works like Watchmen, then this is not it. However, if you are looking for some pretty good comics, then this will do the trick. Moore did a run with DC Comics during the 1980s, and this volume collects those works. The edition does include What Happened to the Man of Tomorrow and The Killing Joke. I read and reviewed The Killing Joke previously.

The comics vary from nice and poignant to light humor to good quality ...more

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Jan 15, 2012

Sunil rated it

Shelves: own

This book collects over a dozen of Moore's contributions to the DCU, but there are a few stand-outs like the classic Superman stories "For the Man Who Has Everything," in which Superman comes thiiiiiiis close to being defeated—and on his birthday!—and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" which tells of the final days of Pre-Crisis Superman and what came after. The collection also includes The Killing Joke, which is fantastic every time I read it. And it's pretty cool n...more

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Jun 09, 2009

Tony rated it

Shelves: awesome-books, comics-can-be-cool, the-best-of-the-best

Wow. I'll preface this by saying that if you're a fan of comics on any level and haven't been exposed yet to the writing of Alan Moore, there is no better place to start than this collection. It has the classic Superman stories "For The Man Who Has Everything" and "Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow" and his twisted Batman one-shot, THE KILLING JOKE, but it also has much more. Three of the best comics in this come from the Green Lantern, all three of which are both f...more

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Jan 04, 2009

Greg rated it

Honestly, I haven't read this specific edition, but I am sure I have read all the individual stories in it. And they are great. Alan Moore hit the scene with a stone-fanboy's knowledge of the underlying mythology and a brain that could pick said mythology to pieces, and then put it all back together again in ways that we mortals can't fathom. The Superman story For The Man Who Has Everything is as good a take on Superman, Batman and Robin, and Wonder Woman as can be found... and the Green Lan...more

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Aug 14, 2008

Dave rated it

Shelves: comics

Alan Moore is a genius at what he does. Throughout all of the stories you get a strong sense that he really understands each character. This where all of his writing prowess stems from, his empathy for character makes each one seem just a little bit more real. My only negative criticism is that this does not always translate into fun stories.

Another thing to note is that Alan Moore seems a little preoccupied with the idea of what comes next. This is not necessarily a bad thing but i...more

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Oct 20, 2007

Dave rated it

Shelves: graphic-novels

While this is a great collection of comics, it certainly isn't Alan Moore's best work. His best work was done outside of DC Comics. Further, his best work for DC Comics is represented by Watchmen and Swamp Thing, both of which provided him with quite a bit of creative freedom. This trade paperback collects all of the filler stories he wrote for DC in the later part of the 1980's. The stories are quite good given what they are (guest writing, filler stories, staple characters with strict editoria...moreWhile this is a great collection of comics, it certainly isn't Alan Moore's best work. His best work was done outside of DC Comics. Further, his best work for DC Comics is represented by Watchmen and Swamp Thing, both of which provided him with quite a bit of creative freedom. This trade paperback collects all of the filler stories he wrote for DC in the later part of the 1980's. The stories are quite good given what they are (guest writing, filler stories, staple characters with strict editorial guidelines) - but they fail to compare to much of Moore's other work.

The highlights of this collection are definitely the Superman stories - notably "For The Man Who Has Everything" and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow". I really like the later, as it is drawn by Curt Swan who gives it a very classic look, and inked by George Perez who gives it a modern finish. Both are great and rank among my favorite Superman stories (which is admittedly a short list).

There is another Superman story from DC Comics Presents featuring Swamp Thing, but it falls flat for me. Moore's Superman doesn't act as Superman should. Another entry in the 'average' ranking is a two issue Vigilante story which reads well enough, but in the end lacks anything particularly special.

There are a few Green Lantern stories; most of which are quite short. And yet, while being short, they are quite enjoyable and are some of the Green Lantern stories I remember the best.

The Green Arrow/Black Canary story is short but good. A short origin story for Phantom Stranger is included, which I might have liked if I could get myself to care about The Phantom Stranger in the least bit - but I can't. And there is a short Omega Men story which I rather liked.

Finally, this collection includes "The Killing Joke". I really liked this when it came out, but I've come to think that it is a bit overrated. While I'm sure it deserves some credit for giving some new life to The Joker, in the end it is just a good, solid Batman story. Other writers have done better, and didn't need to destroy a character to do so. (Although, without Batgirl's crippling, Ostrander would not have been able to create Oracle. So it did work out well in the end.) (less)

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Aug 04, 2011

Ruth rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: comics

A collection of stories with no particular rhyme or uniting factor other than their author. All worth reading, though some are better than others. My favorites were "Mortal Clay" and "Brief Lives." "Father's Day" was definitely the most messed up, although "A Man's World" was an excellent disturbing short story.

I should add that my copy appears to be a different edition from some listed here. Most noticeably, it does not have "The Killing ...more

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Jan 22, 2010

Andro rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: comic-books

My first foray into the comic book universe of DC, Alan Moore's stories entranced me to end. I was hypnotized by the various stories found in this comic book collection. From the beginning Superman/Batman & Robin/Wonder-Woman crossover story to the very end of this I was amazed at the universe that Alan Moore is able to create. I may be a Marvel fan at heart, but DC is an enticing world with superheroes and super-villains you don't want to skip out on.

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Apr 24, 2011

Riju Ganguly rated it

Solid stories that boast of narratives better than most, sardonic (British?) sense of humour, tight plotting , and a far greater degree of pathos than the normal level associated with such characters. The best are of course the two big novellas: "Batman:The Killing Joke", and "Whatever Happened to The Man of Tommorrow", but overall, the stories are entertaining reads in a thoughtful manner uniquly associated with Alan Moore. Recommended.

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Mar 30, 2009

Sophie rated it

Shelves: owned, comics, dc

Not all stories are equally good, but the Superman and Batman ones are excellent. "The Killing Joke" remains one of the best Batman stories I've read, and it's still shocking and impressive and, well, good even after having read it a bunch of times. "Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow" was good, but in that case my expectations were a little too high, I think; the Superman story I liked best in this collection was "For The Man Who Has Everything".

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Apr 22, 2009

Jack rated it

Shelves: comics

Despite containing a few decidedly average stories, this collection is a must for the fact that it contains both Batman: The Killing Joke and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" in which Alan Moore writes the last Superman story ever. Both of these stories are essential for comics fans.

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Mar 15, 2009

Jeremy rated it

Shelves: comics

I wanted to read something by Moore that wasn't Watchmen or V, So I found this collection of stuff he did for DC comics in the 80's. You can really see how Moore came to be one of the dominant voices in the medium. He injects all of these works with a supremely inquisitive mind and an appreciation for all that is wonderful and monstrous in the world. A fun, interesting sampling of his works.

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Mar 22, 2008

q rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: comics

A mixed bag. The science-fictiony stuff I could have done without, including the Green Lantern Corps stories.

The Superman stories I enjoyed as much as I ever enjoy Superman, which is moderately. Moore confronts him with his own death (twice), makes him insane (twice), and gives him a reason to kill (once or twice, depending on how you read them). These are the things that have to be done to him to generate a decent story, IMO. There are nice Moore touches in all of them; several...more

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Oct 09, 2009

Amber rated it

Shelves: comics-and-tpbs

A collection of some of Alan Moore`s best DC work - supposedly - this is a fairly thick trade. A few of the stories are great - some Green Lantern Corps anecdotes and one Batman story really stand out. But they`re surrounded by some of dull Superman tales, and a disturbing Vigilante story that is worrisome and depressing. This collection is good about 50% of the time, and forgettable the rest.

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Jul 13, 2008

Stephen rated it

Any book that contains Whatever Happened to the Man of Steel? has to get five stars, straight off the bat. It's one of the greatest comics ever written, and the finest send-off a character could have (it relates the final story of the original Superman, prior to the John Byrne reboot). Since this also includes For the Man Who Has Everything and The Killing Joke, this is one of those times when five stars aren't nearly enough.

The rest of the contents may not reach those high standards...more

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Dec 26, 2007

Ako rated it

I read this mostly because I think I've read Alan Moore's 'essential' books: Watchmen, From Hell, V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, Promethea (surely there are many others but I just haven't found it).

This compilation book of short stories turned out to be as essential as his 'essential' ones. Stories like "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?", "The Killing Jokes", "Mogo Doesn't Socialize", "Vigilante" are just proves that Moore was and is sti...more

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Jul 28, 2011

Matt Piechocinski rated it

Grant Morisson needs to take lessons from Moore on how to be batshit crazy, yet still write amazingly good stuff. This anthology of Moore's DC Universe stories was awesome ... especially his GL stuff, which gave birth to all the current Geoff Johns mess. Great stuff.

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Jan 14, 2011

Jeremy Muse rated it

I found this collection of comics by Alan Moore interesting. I haven't read comic books in years, so I don't know the storylines that he was following. Fun read. Fun to see some characters interacting with others, especially Superman and Batman. Interesting.

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Aug 08, 2011

Terry rated it

This compilation of some of Alan Moore's works with DC Comics is a mixed bag. I found Moore to be at his best and most twisted when he had no boundaries like the Vega short comics, or had a larger boundary to work in like with Green Lantern stories. While Superman ones were great character pieces, they were no where the twisted direction Moore is capable of.

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Sep 01, 2011

Matt rated it

Some of the stories were great, some were lackluster. Obviously "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" was fantastically incredible, as was (IMHO) "The Killing Joke." And I really appreciated the occasional clever piece here and there but some of the stories were just downright boring, most notably the Green Lantern ones. To be fair, some of the worse pieces were just the fault of the lame characters, but... I'd really pick and choose if I were reading this one again. Th...more

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Jun 29, 2011

Matthew Thomas rated it

Shelves: read-for-enjoyment

I've read Batman and other comics for a while but never really looked at the names of those responsible. This is an excellent collection from an excellent writer: stories that are subtle, entertaining, and thought provoking.

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Jul 11, 2009

Hollis rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-fiction

I'm not a huge fan of this kind of 80s artwork that composes this book, but there's no doubt that Moore is one of the best writers in the comics industry and this collection has plenty of examples to prove that.

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Jul 26, 2011

Adrian rated it

Shelves: graphic-novel, fantasy, comedy, drama, horror, science-fiction, superhero

"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" and "The Killing Joke" are worth the admission price, but there are enough oddities in here to keep you coming back to this great collection.

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May 18, 2010

James rated it

Shelves: comics

I think only Alan Moore could write a story in which, in the span of a few pages, you find yourself condemning the Joker to the darkest hell and actually feeling sorry for the guy.

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Nov 24, 2008

Danie rated it

Shelves: dc_comics

Read it mostly for 'Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?' But I also enjoyed some of the other stories, such as the one about Mogo the Green Lantern, and 'The Killing Joke'

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About Alan Moore

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Alan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance ...more

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