Tom Strong, Book 4

Tom Strong #4

by Alan Moore, Peter Hogan, Geoff Johns

This amazing fourth collection by acclaimed author Alan Moore begins with a 3-part epic that takes the reader on a parallel journey through time Learn new revelations about Tom's past, including the introduction of a newly discovered Strong family member, Tom Strong's best pal, and the final fate of Tom's girlfriend Greta.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Science Fiction, Pulp, Graphic Novels Comics

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

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 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.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has one of the strongest, most interesting time-travel / alternate history timelines I've ever seen in a story. You'll need to have read the others in the series to appreciate it though...

[Jacob A. Mirallegro · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this volume I finish the Alan Moore run and I really adore how unique this series felt from Moore's other work. It really doesn't feel as intensely researched and maniacally complex as a League of Extraordinary Gentleman or From Hell. It feels very casual and easy going which makes it just a totally positive vibe. The trilogy in this volume was super intriguing and built itself off of just the knowledge of the world and characters rather than a build up and dramatic climax.
I also quite liked the Geoff Johns/John Paul Leon issue, Leon's art is always incredible.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent comic blending superhero and pulp style story lines. Very nice are and characters. Very recommended

[Zé Wellington · Rating 4 out of 5]

O arco com Tom Stone, ainda com roteiro do Moore, é bem legal. Depois disso algumas histórias curtas com outros roteiristas com resultados diversos, com o Geoff Johns se saindo melhor que o Peter Hogan.

[Dadira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Halfway through this volume Alan Moore concludes his take on Tom Strong and signs off on this love letter to superhero comics. Once again he proves his writing and world building capabilities in just 3 issues, while both paying tribute and criticizing the genre. Peter Hogan's stories were mediocre, Geoff John's was fair.

[Nate]

Moore’s run finishes here with the three part “How Tom Stone Got Started.” It’s fantastic. I’ve liked the anthology issues of Tom Strong more than longer stories, but this one is incredibly compelling and a terrific cap of the issues before it. Moore writes an alternate history story that harks back to issue one and incorporates many elements of his run. There’s pathos and drama, plus great storytelling all around. Tom Strong never had an abundance of emotion before this, as most of the stories were fun homages to pulp and superhero comics. This gives plenty of emotion and it’s all the better for it.

We also get two stories by Peter Hogan and one by Geoff Johns, all of which are fine. Sprouse returns for Hogan’s issues while John Paul Leon, a favorite of mine, draws Johns’. I’ll read the final two volumes and Terrific Tales at some point, but I’m going to give Tom Strong a break for now, as I mainly wanted to read Moore’s run. I think I read the best this character and his world has to offer, which was pretty good, on the whole.

[Ostrava · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first three issues are the closest this series has gotten to substantially say something about the state of superherores and the way they work.

It reminded me of utopian science-fiction, and in fact, it was a story of "heroic utopian science fiction", or rather, a critique of it. At first I thought Moore wanted to link the universe with Top Ten, which would have been bananas, but luckily that didn't happen.

It's a brilliant way of writing parallel universes in the comic book format that made use of virtually all of the plot-points of the Tom Strong "canon" presented so far. Very satisfying to read.

The rest however is more of the same, and not even written by Moore. Which shows because it's getting kind of dull. I think that, like Moore, I'm starting to get tired of the Strong universe, but it was nice while it lasted. The next volumes don't have much his involvement anymore, so I doubt I'll even bother with them.

It's time to move on...

[Brian Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this volume with Moore and Spouse is amazing. Peter Hogan's stories about Greta, Paul's first lost love, is also solid. And then Geoff Johns continues to rot everything he touches with a banal and predictable story, so par for the course for him.

[rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

the Tom Stone stories are probably the best of this series

[Anubhav · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tom Stone story in this book is just another in a long line of evidence that Alan Moore is comics's foremost poet.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reprints Tom Strong #20-25. Tom Strong finds an altered reality might eliminate his reality and the return of a former love. This collection is strange in that Alan Moore leaves his creation and it is rounded out with stories by Peter Hogan adn Geoff Johns. Both Hogan and Johns stories seemed to try to imitate Alan Moore's Tom Strong stories but don't match them. This is probably my least favorite of the America's Best line and one of the worst collections, but it is still decent.

[David Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say this isn't written by Alan Moore, so buyer beware. That said, Ed Brubacker does a fantastic job with a 2 part story (I think this volume holds 6 parts, not sure) which blew my mind. If anyone can at least borrow a copy of this volume and read it, you'll love it. The story "gets into your mind" and you instantly think, "damn that was a great idea for a fictional character."

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otro tomo con más historias entretenidas y legibles. La gran contra que tiene la edición española es que tienen muchos errores estúpidos productos de la falta de un corrector competente, como el título de "El origen de Tom Stone", que aparece como "Tom Strong" en cada capítulo. Cuando la relea seguro se gane su correspondiente reseña.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still very good. It's hard to believe there's all this room at the front end of the story that's already been told a couple of times, but there is.

It's kind of too bad that these volumes are separated by an arbitrary number of units rather than luped together by story because now I have to wait to see where these threads go.

[Aaron Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Moore created a Universe that I consider sophisticated camp. Silly almost nonsensical science fiction stories done with a seriousness few in the field attempt to reach Geoff Johns who wrote the last issue just went out for full on stupid silly and brought the rest of the series down.

[One Flew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume delivers a bit on some of the promise of the series. The 3 part Tom Stone saga is great, it manages to question Tom Strong's actions. A critique on the superhero culture of fixing every problem with force, rather than reform. Interesting and enjoyable.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Strong volume in this fantastic series! Maybe a slight drop in quality for the non-Moore stories, but the spirit of the book remains throughout and I really can't complain about great fun pulpy sci-fi stories.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best Tom Strong that I've read so far. I love the "time-splitting" story line.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time-traveling juxtaposition of quantum theory in a schodinger's-cat tale of what could have been.

[Juan Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice reading.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and enjoyable, again just classic pulp storytelling style.

[Pedro · Rating 4 out of 5]

De las historias en este tomo, destaca Crisis of Infinite Hearts, y deja abiertas un par de historias más para los próximos números. Entretenido como siempre, 100% recomendado.

[La Revistería Comics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Las aventuras del bueno y peludo de Tom Stone en su bonita continuidad propia, más varias historias del viejo y conocido Tom Strong en la propia y ajena..