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Tom Strong: Deluxe Editions #2
Tom Strong, Deluxe Edition: Book Two
Tom finds himself battling in different times, worlds, and realms and faces off against an eclectic group of enemies such as the ruthless Paul Saveen, the mechanized Az-techs, the prehuman monster Pangean and the Nazi super-woman Ingrid Weiss.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published June 25, 2010
2 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Alan Moore
1,580 books21.9k followersAlan 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 art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 1, 2018
Interesting mix here. Moore indulges the series' tendency to parody a bit too often for my tastes--I prefer his straight, serious stories--and to my mind a number of those issues don't come off making anything else look as goofy as the comic itself.
The Tom Stone arc through the middle of the book though was absolutely fantastic. Wonderful characterization serious questions, and a hard, necessary ending. Great storytelling.
The story that ended the volume which focused on a cryogenically preserved Greta Gabriel popping up alive also seems to have great promise in this serious vein.
Those stories were easy fives, but the rest? Well, if I was looking for snide pop satire the issue about comics collectors and their obsessions was fantastic, but, despite the easiness of the target when using this series to play in that sandbox I just don't like it. Not what I read comics for. At least, not what I read Moore for. So those stories were threes at best with two here or there that I nearly skipped mixed in. Hoping the next volume on balance takes itself more seriously.
The Tom Stone arc through the middle of the book though was absolutely fantastic. Wonderful characterization serious questions, and a hard, necessary ending. Great storytelling.
The story that ended the volume which focused on a cryogenically preserved Greta Gabriel popping up alive also seems to have great promise in this serious vein.
Those stories were easy fives, but the rest? Well, if I was looking for snide pop satire the issue about comics collectors and their obsessions was fantastic, but, despite the easiness of the target when using this series to play in that sandbox I just don't like it. Not what I read comics for. At least, not what I read Moore for. So those stories were threes at best with two here or there that I nearly skipped mixed in. Hoping the next volume on balance takes itself more seriously.
December 14, 2022
4.5 stars - Alan Moore’s creation seems to be incredibly entertaining. Set in an alternate reality, the world is a mix of about 200 years in the future and maybe 70 years in the past. Tom goes on various adventures with Tuhlua, Tesla, Solomon, Pneuman and others. Also, some good time warp stories, especially the tale involving his mother and the alternate world.
June 30, 2024
Didn’t realize I accidentally grabbed book two, so I was a little lost at the beginning. Could have maybe used a little more introduction to the characters, but that’s on me. As it went along I liked it more and more. Especially the multi-part alternate universe arc. Not Moore’s best work, but worth reading nonetheless.
March 20, 2020
Tom Strong will definitely go down as the most hopeful Alan Moore book. There’s no real deconstruction, no violence in bad taste, no rape etc. Its good, pulpy, sci-fi goodness with an edge of intelligence on it.
8/10
8/10
July 20, 2017
Just as good as the first deluxe edition. I need more!!!
November 19, 2017
Finally got around to reading the deluxe volume two and it was simply delightful.
June 16, 2019
When I first read this volume about nine years ago, I was completely enamored by it. In the years since, I've frequently brought up in conversation the masterful way in which Moore utilizes almost every short story from the early issues of Tom Strong to tell a giant, sweeping crossover tale that feels like it's been brewing, completely hidden under the surface, for a full year of issues. Reading it today, with a lot more years under my belt, I still feel like the first story in this collection is truly exceptional and thrilling.
But, once that relatively short ride is over, the rest of the book kind of drags. It feels a little bit like Moore used up all of his Tom Strong energy on that arc, had one half-decent story left in him, the highly expositional, labored, 3-issue "How Tom Stone Got Started." The story introduces a very unique riff on Strong and his family, but it does so with so much explanation that it never feels like a story as much as it feels like a Wikipedia article. Then, once this story ended, Moore left the book, handing the reins over to Peter Hogan (in this volume), and then a myriad of other writers in the final 12 issues of the series.
Now, that's not to say Hogan doesn't do a solid job. The two issues he writes in this collection are full of a very similar energy that Moore harnessed early in the series, clearly building his own rogue's gallery and setting up for more payoff down the road.
However, these issues, interesting as they are, feel a little too much like setup, especially when compared to Moore's earlier work. In volume one, Moore tells a bunch of one-off Tom Strong stories that function completely on their own as great sci-fi/superhero fare, then suddenly smashes them all together in the opening arc to this volume. Hogan's issues introduce some cool ideas, but don't pay them off within the issues themselves. Rather, they seem to indicate these ideas will become cool, which isn't quite the same thing as currently being cool.
Even so, Tom Strong is such a fun character with such a great supporting cast, it's hard to really be bored by any of this. And Sprouse's pencils (and Ordway's in the "Tom Stone" arc) are a massive help in bringing this world to life.
Back when I first read this, I never got past this volume, assuming DC would collect the remaining 12 issues of Tom Strong in a third and final deluxe hardcover. They didn't, because who knows why, but after nine years I'm finally going to dive in and see how all this ends, which is an exciting prospect on its own. It's hard not to like Tom Strong, no matter how sidetracked the storytelling may get.
But, once that relatively short ride is over, the rest of the book kind of drags. It feels a little bit like Moore used up all of his Tom Strong energy on that arc, had one half-decent story left in him, the highly expositional, labored, 3-issue "How Tom Stone Got Started." The story introduces a very unique riff on Strong and his family, but it does so with so much explanation that it never feels like a story as much as it feels like a Wikipedia article. Then, once this story ended, Moore left the book, handing the reins over to Peter Hogan (in this volume), and then a myriad of other writers in the final 12 issues of the series.
Now, that's not to say Hogan doesn't do a solid job. The two issues he writes in this collection are full of a very similar energy that Moore harnessed early in the series, clearly building his own rogue's gallery and setting up for more payoff down the road.
However, these issues, interesting as they are, feel a little too much like setup, especially when compared to Moore's earlier work. In volume one, Moore tells a bunch of one-off Tom Strong stories that function completely on their own as great sci-fi/superhero fare, then suddenly smashes them all together in the opening arc to this volume. Hogan's issues introduce some cool ideas, but don't pay them off within the issues themselves. Rather, they seem to indicate these ideas will become cool, which isn't quite the same thing as currently being cool.
Even so, Tom Strong is such a fun character with such a great supporting cast, it's hard to really be bored by any of this. And Sprouse's pencils (and Ordway's in the "Tom Stone" arc) are a massive help in bringing this world to life.
Back when I first read this, I never got past this volume, assuming DC would collect the remaining 12 issues of Tom Strong in a third and final deluxe hardcover. They didn't, because who knows why, but after nine years I'm finally going to dive in and see how all this ends, which is an exciting prospect on its own. It's hard not to like Tom Strong, no matter how sidetracked the storytelling may get.
December 21, 2015
A fitting end to Alan Moore's run on this eries (with the last two issues being written by someone else). The art by Chris Sprouse is once again perfect for the tone and beautiful in its own right. We also get a few helper artists which do a great job. In fact the most interesting story is the three parter "What if" story where we get Tom Stone drawn by Jerry Ordway, it is What if Tom's mom ended up with the black captain of the ship (whom we see she if affectionate towards in issue one) instead of his father.
Tom Strong's stories in general feel like Alan Moore's love letter to simpler "fun" super hero stories. No darkness, just some creative fun stories that hearken back to a simpler time. But Alan actually writes these stories a lot better than his silver age and golden age counterparts. They aren't anything ground breaking but they are creative and entertaining and well written and superbly drawn. The first collection WAS better but this still holds its own.
February 13, 2014
Alan Moore's last truly mainstream comic book work is a love-letter to golden age pulp-fiction. Titular character Tom Strong is an old-fashioned square-jawed hero who combines elements of Doc Savage, Flash Gordon and the earliest versions of Superman. Great supporting cast includes Tom's wife Dhalua, daughter Tesla, robot butler Pnueman, and King Solomon, a talking gorilla with a very proper English accent. A smart, fun look back at the earliest days of comic books and American genre fiction.
A nice compliment to Moore's more challenging and esoteric "Promethea" produced at the same time under the same imprint.
A nice compliment to Moore's more challenging and esoteric "Promethea" produced at the same time under the same imprint.
March 9, 2010
En su momento leí los capítulos que componen este tomo entre revistas sueltas españolas y estadounidenses. No sé si habrá alguna edición deluxe en castellano (tampoco sé hasta cuándo podrán conseguirse los tomos de Norma, ni si después de ellos los reeditará ECC), pero si alguna vez aparece seguro switchee a esa por los motivos de siempre. Los capítulos de este tomo no me gustaron tanto como los del primero, pero tampoco aflojan tanto como para bajarle el puntaje.
March 31, 2016
Yay!
They DID bring together a lot of characters to fight a big bad guy! I'm only sad the adventure lasted two issues. I kinda wanted a 6 issue go with this, ha.
Oh man, the Tom Stone storyline was wonderful. Very interesting to see an almost perfect alternate world torn apart by one small action. Also, I'm a sucker for time travel, so there's that.
Very well written. Moore LOVES old-type stories and does a very good job modernizing them for readers.
They DID bring together a lot of characters to fight a big bad guy! I'm only sad the adventure lasted two issues. I kinda wanted a 6 issue go with this, ha.
Oh man, the Tom Stone storyline was wonderful. Very interesting to see an almost perfect alternate world torn apart by one small action. Also, I'm a sucker for time travel, so there's that.
Very well written. Moore LOVES old-type stories and does a very good job modernizing them for readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2015
A very entertaining mix of scientific super heroes, pulp stories, golden and silver age comics written brilliantly. Lots of experimentation with flashbacks, histories inside histories, non-linear story telling. Incredible setting. I have read it twice and I always go back to it when I want to feel good. At the end of the day, probably the happiest work of Alan Moore, yet probably one of his best Volume 1 is considerably light toned than volume 2, yet overall spectacular.
January 2, 2020
Tons of fun, like the first volume, but having gotten used to the leaps of imagination and charming/goofy science in Tom Strong's world, it didn't bring too much more to the table. If you liked the first, it's still good here, and if you like science fiction and imaginative adventure stories, have at it. But I wouldn't expect anything life-changing.
September 4, 2020
I am finally getting around to Alan Moore's America's Best Comics series (I already have Top Ten and Promethea under my belt from years back). This is a very different comics than your normal Alan Moore affair.
The thing that I enjoyed most about it is that it's clear, like Oscar Wilde before him and like Stephen Fry, Alan Moore loves language and he loves what can be done with it.
The thing that I enjoyed most about it is that it's clear, like Oscar Wilde before him and like Stephen Fry, Alan Moore loves language and he loves what can be done with it.
February 12, 2011
Brilliant, beautiful edition of a sort-of classic.
July 9, 2011
As always, mr. Moore produces excellent comics. Tom Strong is as much a comment on the super-hero comic as it is a super-hero comic itself. Full of wonderful ideas, a fun read!
September 15, 2011
I love these deluxe Tom Strong collections, I really do. Pulp and comic stereotypes lovingly stirred into a new and fresh stew. This may be America's Best Comics.
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August 9, 2013GREAT!!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews