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Another Suburban Romance
An all-new graphic novel from the writer who defined modern comics, Alan Moore. For the first time ever, Alan Moore's performance works making up the play Another Suburban Romance are put in print and lavishly illustrated as full sequential stories. Comprised of three major pieces, adapted from Moore's original presentations by frequent collaborator Antony Johnston (The Courtyard), this original graphic novel is completely illustrated by the Spanish sensation Juan Jose Ryp. Running from the 1920's Chicago style killings in Old Gangsters Never Die, to the ruminations of modern life in the namesake piece Another Suburban Romance, this powerful work is one that no Alan Moore fan will want to miss!
64 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 1999
About the author
Alan Moore
1,638 books22.2k 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 - 30 of 43 reviews
December 23, 2010
Con este libro me pasó algo raro, ya que tardé en entender de qué iba la cosa, y en el proceso no lo pude disfrutar del todo. Esto no tiene que ver con el libro en sí, que posee un dibujo riquísimo y detallado y unos textos -no diálogos- elaborados y polisemánticos; tampoco con mi falta de inteligencia, quiero creer, sino con haberlo leído en crudo y con una idea errada de con qué me iba a encontrar. Parte de la culpa de mi falta de receptividad tiene que ver con la descripción del producto que da la propia editorial en su web, y que copipasteé en la description de esta edición. Ahí decía que este volumen era una adaptación a novela gráfica (término pacato para decir "comic para grandes") de tres obras de teatro que escribió Moore. Entonces esperaba una narrativa clara, una historia en la que un tipo dibujaba en una hoja a personajes haciendo lo que harían los actores en un escenario. Pero resulta que no son obras de teatro las que están adaptadas, sino performances abiertas en las que Moore da rienda suelta a sus delirios místico-urbanos y comienza un relato que tiene más que ver con un poema libre que con algún tipo de historia interpretable, en el sentido actoral del término. Supongo que ante la imposibilidad de narrar con imágenes lo que cuenta el texto, el español Juan José Ryp decidió ir para otro lado, con imágenes que complementan los textos desde otra perspectica, como contextualizándolos y dándoles una posible interpretación visual, que a su vez suma muchos detalles propios, llevando un cable a tierra a cómo podría haber sido una historia que se acomodara al palabrerío mooreano narrada secuencialmente.
Es por todo esto que el relato no llega a la cuarta estrellita, pese a que la obra es de dos talentosísimos autores (no sé si decir lo mismo del adaptador del texto, ya que no entiendo cuál fue su función, ni sé qué tan bien la hizo). Procuraré conseguir las "obras de teatro" de Moore correspondientes, buscar alguna entrevista a Ryp donde hable de este trabajo, y/o documentarme lo suficiente como para acceder a la obra con conocimientos previos y volver a releerla con otros ojos; con ojos que espero sean más conocedores y tengan más herramientas con las cuales analizar este particular experimento.
Es por todo esto que el relato no llega a la cuarta estrellita, pese a que la obra es de dos talentosísimos autores (no sé si decir lo mismo del adaptador del texto, ya que no entiendo cuál fue su función, ni sé qué tan bien la hizo). Procuraré conseguir las "obras de teatro" de Moore correspondientes, buscar alguna entrevista a Ryp donde hable de este trabajo, y/o documentarme lo suficiente como para acceder a la obra con conocimientos previos y volver a releerla con otros ojos; con ojos que espero sean más conocedores y tengan más herramientas con las cuales analizar este particular experimento.
March 28, 2019
It's one of those comics that a creator has to put out there, no matter how surreal or without meaning they are. When you add to that fact that it's Moore on the script, well, yeah, don't expect to understand much. It's by far his most peculiar work along with "A small killing", I'm sure it has a lot of hidden stuff in it's (phenomenal to be honest) art from Juan Jose Ryp but it's for die hard Moore fans only. If Moore wants to unleash himself, I'm afraid there are a few who can follow and I'm not one of them. Or, this one is just pointless and too complex without reason :P
If you read the basic stuff (Watchmen, V, LoEG) and you found them thrilling, take a shot with "Another Suburban Romance". If not, stay away, this will only buffle you and tire you more.Let's say that by reading this, at least I gained a first impression on this wonderful spanish artist who I'll surely search to read again.
If you read the basic stuff (Watchmen, V, LoEG) and you found them thrilling, take a shot with "Another Suburban Romance". If not, stay away, this will only buffle you and tire you more.Let's say that by reading this, at least I gained a first impression on this wonderful spanish artist who I'll surely search to read again.
November 21, 2018
5 stars for the art work, 2 stars for the rather meaningless nostalgic plotlines. But the art... so detailed, so very impressive. Alan Moore is a genius, though his short stories generally leave something lacking. Give Moore a whole issue or even better a 12 issue series and you're guaranteed magic, but the likes of Another Suburban Romance just doesn't do it for me. Worth taking a look at alone for the quality of drawing if nothing else.
August 30, 2012
The text was not very engaging, more a collection of song lyrics or poetic stanzas than any sort of forward-moving storytelling. I enjoyed getting lost in the ridiculously over-detailed, Geof Darrow-style drawings of Juan Jose Ryp, it was quite the festival of line art. But it doesn't particularly make visual sense to me that the settings of the art were hyper-urban, even though the scenes were supposed to be taking place in the "Suburbs" (even taking into account that they might be more European suburbs on the urban outskirts than the strip mall sprawl of the States). It almost seems like a bit of conceptual laziness on the part of the artist, wanting to draw New York environments he likes drawing more than try to conceive of suburban hellscapes.
Glad I only paid $4.00 for it, would have been even happier at $3.00 or $2.50.
Glad I only paid $4.00 for it, would have been even happier at $3.00 or $2.50.
March 4, 2021
Can't go wrong with Alan Moore's writing.
Essentially a violent poem set to images. An interesting one-sitting read.
Essentially a violent poem set to images. An interesting one-sitting read.
January 12, 2025
This one’s all about Ryp’s crazy art, while El Maestro weaves some words in to poetry and others into suburban destruction. He knows what’s up.
February 28, 2021
(Zero spoiler review)
This book has the lowest score of any book I've ever reviewed on this site, simply confirming my utter disdain for humanity, and their inability to appreciate something truly extraordinary. Yes, I get that this story is an acquired taste, that likely wont appeal to many, but for those it does, it remains something very very special indeed. I picked this on a whim, knowing very little about it. Half an hour later and my jaw was on the floor, having seen what was no doubt, the most amazing artwork of any comic I've read so far. No, I'm not joking, this stuff is amazing. Every single panels bursts with the type of detail that most cover artists would fail to create. There is so much despicable beauty going on here that I didn't really know where to look. Think Darick Robertson's Transmetropolitan art, although cranked up to 11, no 12! It really is that good. Yes, Moore's cryptic prose that sparsely litters the pages will turn many away, no doubt wishing for a more fleshed out narrative, myself included. Although what we got was a sublime, misunderstood work of dark, brooding genius, which is kind of Moore's specialty. I am so very glad I stumbled across this, late one Sunday evening before falling sleep for a very early start to work. I loved it so much, I got straight up and reviewed it afterwards, rather than wait till the following afternoon when I finished the daily grind. I can't wait to explore this dark little Corner of Moore's mind again, not to mention scour the internet for more of this artists work. Something very niche, though no less special for being so. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
This book has the lowest score of any book I've ever reviewed on this site, simply confirming my utter disdain for humanity, and their inability to appreciate something truly extraordinary. Yes, I get that this story is an acquired taste, that likely wont appeal to many, but for those it does, it remains something very very special indeed. I picked this on a whim, knowing very little about it. Half an hour later and my jaw was on the floor, having seen what was no doubt, the most amazing artwork of any comic I've read so far. No, I'm not joking, this stuff is amazing. Every single panels bursts with the type of detail that most cover artists would fail to create. There is so much despicable beauty going on here that I didn't really know where to look. Think Darick Robertson's Transmetropolitan art, although cranked up to 11, no 12! It really is that good. Yes, Moore's cryptic prose that sparsely litters the pages will turn many away, no doubt wishing for a more fleshed out narrative, myself included. Although what we got was a sublime, misunderstood work of dark, brooding genius, which is kind of Moore's specialty. I am so very glad I stumbled across this, late one Sunday evening before falling sleep for a very early start to work. I loved it so much, I got straight up and reviewed it afterwards, rather than wait till the following afternoon when I finished the daily grind. I can't wait to explore this dark little Corner of Moore's mind again, not to mention scour the internet for more of this artists work. Something very niche, though no less special for being so. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
November 1, 2008
Okay, this was just weird. I think it is poetry by Alan Moore adapted to a "comic" by some really detail oriented comic artist. The poetry was odd and the art was good. Still not sure what I think of this one. Yes, it is Alan Moore, but man... it's far from Top 10, Watchmen, and Tom Strong. I'll read it again someday when I feel like picking poetry apart.
March 28, 2015
Incomprensible delirio de Alan Moore, a años luz de sus grandes obras.
January 15, 2024
Best poem is basically and I'll write it down here
Judy switched off the tv but the picture just stayed there
Threw up her hands and went into the bathroom to die
Outside the traffic stopped breathing, all the books had blank pages
Wrote her a note and went out without saying goodbye
By then the flamethrower girls had just reached the suburbs
So I hopped the first plague-cart to town
I called in at the Ritz to see the new disaster movie
I'd just found my seat when the cinema burned down
Now outside the thermometers were half-way insane
There were dogs dropping dead in the heat
And then the nerve gas sirens started up and the riot police arrived
And the whole boulevard was full of screaming meat
And up above the phantom jets were skywriting hebrew so I left before the fan hit the shit
I must have touched down on the street doing one hundred and eighty
And I swear my shoes left scorch marks where they hit
Now I find a bar that's open
And I sit in contemplation as to why bugs keep dissolving in my beer
And I've almost got the answer when the bomb beneath the seat explodes
And I'm somehow less three toes and half an ear
Now my skull is still buzzing so I duck down an alley, try to figure out which way to head
'Cause the subways are crawling with cannibal children
And the tower blocks are lousy with feds
But I've still got my rod so I commandeer a taxi and arrive home later that night
And Judy zips her throat and comes out the bathroom backwards
And the TV goes out
Like a light
I like the whole absurd and surreal vibe of this, especially the detailed and consistently disturbing but also fascinatingly grim panels accompanying the lines.
Besides this, there were two more, one about old gangsters which was alright but went nowhere, and the titular pitch, which was even more lost, as Alan Moore himself wanders a cityscape wasteland.
Judy switched off the tv but the picture just stayed there
Threw up her hands and went into the bathroom to die
Outside the traffic stopped breathing, all the books had blank pages
Wrote her a note and went out without saying goodbye
By then the flamethrower girls had just reached the suburbs
So I hopped the first plague-cart to town
I called in at the Ritz to see the new disaster movie
I'd just found my seat when the cinema burned down
Now outside the thermometers were half-way insane
There were dogs dropping dead in the heat
And then the nerve gas sirens started up and the riot police arrived
And the whole boulevard was full of screaming meat
And up above the phantom jets were skywriting hebrew so I left before the fan hit the shit
I must have touched down on the street doing one hundred and eighty
And I swear my shoes left scorch marks where they hit
Now I find a bar that's open
And I sit in contemplation as to why bugs keep dissolving in my beer
And I've almost got the answer when the bomb beneath the seat explodes
And I'm somehow less three toes and half an ear
Now my skull is still buzzing so I duck down an alley, try to figure out which way to head
'Cause the subways are crawling with cannibal children
And the tower blocks are lousy with feds
But I've still got my rod so I commandeer a taxi and arrive home later that night
And Judy zips her throat and comes out the bathroom backwards
And the TV goes out
Like a light
I like the whole absurd and surreal vibe of this, especially the detailed and consistently disturbing but also fascinatingly grim panels accompanying the lines.
Besides this, there were two more, one about old gangsters which was alright but went nowhere, and the titular pitch, which was even more lost, as Alan Moore himself wanders a cityscape wasteland.
March 15, 2022
Another Suburban Romance - 1/5
Not really having much luck with comics recently am I? Both Saga and Flex Mentallo have been pretty disappointing and this Moore comic wasn't very good either.
Originally a play written by Alan Moore then adapted by Anthony Johnston (a number of Avatar Press books under Moore's name are more comic adaptations of his other work) it mostly consists of disconnected imagery that vaguely comes together as 'gangster noir films were a thing, isn't that strange, anyway, go live your life'. There was also a panel at the end where a crowd of people literally which I found very, very funny.
The art by Juan Jose Ryp is not my cup of tea. It's too detailed and grimey for me, although it fits the 'story' well enough and is impressive even as someone who is not the biggest fan of the style.
Overall, not really worth a read, even for the most hardcore Moore fans.
Not really having much luck with comics recently am I? Both Saga and Flex Mentallo have been pretty disappointing and this Moore comic wasn't very good either.
Originally a play written by Alan Moore then adapted by Anthony Johnston (a number of Avatar Press books under Moore's name are more comic adaptations of his other work) it mostly consists of disconnected imagery that vaguely comes together as 'gangster noir films were a thing, isn't that strange, anyway, go live your life'. There was also a panel at the end where a crowd of people literally which I found very, very funny.
The art by Juan Jose Ryp is not my cup of tea. It's too detailed and grimey for me, although it fits the 'story' well enough and is impressive even as someone who is not the biggest fan of the style.
Overall, not really worth a read, even for the most hardcore Moore fans.
April 19, 2021
Down here the murders don't have motives,
down here the passions don't have names,
and all of those fire-trap tenements,
they stand around like catholic martyrs:
they're just waiting for the flames.
Found alongside Alan Moore's The Courtyard during a charity shop crawl last Friday, this is another collectors piece for any Alan Moore fan.
Here, Juan José Ryp takes three of Moore's spoken word pieces, which together form a view on the American Gangster from the 1920s era, and creates a visual masterpiece that will have you returning to the pages again and again as there are so many hidden secrets to find.
A real joy to read; 4 stars.
down here the passions don't have names,
and all of those fire-trap tenements,
they stand around like catholic martyrs:
they're just waiting for the flames.
Found alongside Alan Moore's The Courtyard during a charity shop crawl last Friday, this is another collectors piece for any Alan Moore fan.
Here, Juan José Ryp takes three of Moore's spoken word pieces, which together form a view on the American Gangster from the 1920s era, and creates a visual masterpiece that will have you returning to the pages again and again as there are so many hidden secrets to find.
A real joy to read; 4 stars.
March 18, 2020
84/365
“Si muero, y Dios sabe que lo merezco, no me dejéis morir en blanco y negro. No quiero compartir pantalla con el fantasma de cualquier niñata amedrentado en el bar sorbiendo su vino y tosiéndose el puño, para mirar de reojo la hora”.
Son adaptaciones a formato cómic de varios poemas/performances de Moore y eso ya tiene mucha más calidad que la mayoría de literatura actual. Por llevar la contraria a los agoreros o a los “mí no entender, cómic ser malo...” le pongo cinco estrellas. Un consejo: si solo te gusta el Moore de los 80, no te acerques a sus obras de verdad. Si en cambio amas From Hell, El lagarto hipotético y cía, disfruta.
Además, el estilo de Ryp me ha gustado y tiene detalles como los guiños de los libros de las estanterías que me han encantado con ese Moore rompiendo barreras. Oh, salve Glycon.
“Si muero, y Dios sabe que lo merezco, no me dejéis morir en blanco y negro. No quiero compartir pantalla con el fantasma de cualquier niñata amedrentado en el bar sorbiendo su vino y tosiéndose el puño, para mirar de reojo la hora”.
Son adaptaciones a formato cómic de varios poemas/performances de Moore y eso ya tiene mucha más calidad que la mayoría de literatura actual. Por llevar la contraria a los agoreros o a los “mí no entender, cómic ser malo...” le pongo cinco estrellas. Un consejo: si solo te gusta el Moore de los 80, no te acerques a sus obras de verdad. Si en cambio amas From Hell, El lagarto hipotético y cía, disfruta.
Además, el estilo de Ryp me ha gustado y tiene detalles como los guiños de los libros de las estanterías que me han encantado con ese Moore rompiendo barreras. Oh, salve Glycon.
April 1, 2021
Extraña obra de narración gráfica y no lineal. Es un libro con la adaptación a cómic de tres obras de teatro experimental (performances) escritas por Alan Moore:
Judy apagó la TV.
Los viejos gángsters nunca mueren.
Otro romance suburbano.
Las obras no se entienden sin el arte gráfico a cargo del español Juan José Ryp: ríspido, duro, barroco, abundante, surrealista..., creo que la mejor forma de describir su estilo es compararlo a la obras de Heavy Metal o Metal Hurlant
Tiene mucha razón la descripción del libro: sólo para fanáticos que disfrutan de las extrañas narraciones gráficas del chamán monero.
Judy apagó la TV.
Los viejos gángsters nunca mueren.
Otro romance suburbano.
Las obras no se entienden sin el arte gráfico a cargo del español Juan José Ryp: ríspido, duro, barroco, abundante, surrealista..., creo que la mejor forma de describir su estilo es compararlo a la obras de Heavy Metal o Metal Hurlant
Tiene mucha razón la descripción del libro: sólo para fanáticos que disfrutan de las extrañas narraciones gráficas del chamán monero.
August 5, 2018
Wow this was disappointing. Not only are these comics adaptations of Moore poems & songs adding nothing to the original works, I've even seen "Old Gangsters Never Die" adapted to comics much better before (pick of the Mammoth Book of Crime Comics for that one). Ryp can draw but his work is so busy with lines it doesn't work that well in black and white, he needs a good colourist to bring it to life.
April 11, 2022
Una serie de versos a modo de letra de canción ilustrados como jugando por un barroco dibujante español que no conocía aunque probablemente si me había cruzado con él pues su estilo me resulta conocido. Una impresionante paja mental de Alan Moore que ya no sabe si mata o espanta y parece decidido a alcanzar la mediocridad a base de subproductos como éste que compensen las otras obras maestras que ha ido dejando en su camino.
June 6, 2017
It was interesting... but I didn't really enjoy it. A rarity for something that Moore writes. It just felt like an odd assemblage. I did like the poem in the Gangster story quite a bit, but the confusing, un-shaded, (well done) bizarre line art didn't square as nicely with the writing as I thought it could. It just didn't feel cohesive in the way I think it could have.
May 28, 2020
A weird Frankenstein Hommunculus. Alan Moore's poetry and songs are repurposed into comics by Juan Jose Ryp (this is actually some of hia best work).
It sadly isn't greater than the sum of its parts, though.
It sadly isn't greater than the sum of its parts, though.
January 18, 2021
I absolutely love Alan Moore, but this was probably the least interesting comic he has put out there. Not very coherent, not really engaging: it's just a bunch of song lyrics, some poetry and bad renditions of 1930s Gangster mafioso.
September 12, 2024
excellent quick read!
These stories, given their incredibly short length, pack serious punches and the hyper-realistic art does more than overcompensate for such a short story. Check it out!
These stories, given their incredibly short length, pack serious punches and the hyper-realistic art does more than overcompensate for such a short story. Check it out!
December 18, 2025
This book features 3 stories, if one can call them that, that would in Times past have appeared in Heavy Metal or A1 or similar anthology books. The art is captivating and full of detail, the words are lyrical and evocative, but more like song lyrics or prose poems rather than a story.
August 6, 2026
Esmerada labor gráfica de Juan José Ryp en tres historias donde - permisividad editorial del sello Avatar mediante - las premisas firmadas por Alan Moore se desarrollan con una elegante sencillez, contrastando la caótica perversidad del entorno.
July 10, 2017
Es un cómic extraño. Es como si algunos poemas apocalípticos de Alan Moore hubieran sido hecho cómics. De todos modos fue algo muy interesante de leer.
October 2, 2018
Artwork is amazing. Kinda confused about the whole thing though. The first story had me like what the hell?!!
October 7, 2019
Impressed... I was expecting this not to catch me in anyway but it’s graphic poetry... absolute marvel right here!
September 13, 2021
No todo poema queda bien adaptado
May 30, 2023
Por mucho Alan Moore que sea, esto sólo se salva por el excelente dibujo de RyP
September 23, 2024
Short, sharp poetic triptych showcase of decayed society from Moore, across multiple genres and influences, alongside beautifully gritty illustration. Great stuff!
April 20, 2025
Too surreal and disjointed to make sense of, but intriguing nonetheless
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews