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Tom Strong Compendium #1
Tom Strong Compendium
Comics legend Alan Moore, the writer of Watchmen and V for Vendetta, introduces readers to the foremost science hero Tom Strong in this compendium edition of the popular series illustrated by Chris Sprouse.
Tom Strong's remarkable exploits over a nearly century-long career feature an amazing supporting cast of characters that include his wife Dhalua (the daughter of a mighty chieftain), his daughter Tesla, the enhanced ape King Solomon and his robotic valet known as Pneuman.
From his arrival in Millennium City, this handsome hero championed the ordinary people of the city, but he has not neglected the wider world, from the tower at time's end, to the hot lava core of the Earth, to the far cold reaches of outer space, Tom Strong's hand is felt.
Joining in his explorations are family and friends...sometimes even villains who could be friends if only circumstances were different. There's no such thing as a dull day with the Strong family!
Tom Strong's remarkable exploits over a nearly century-long career feature an amazing supporting cast of characters that include his wife Dhalua (the daughter of a mighty chieftain), his daughter Tesla, the enhanced ape King Solomon and his robotic valet known as Pneuman.
From his arrival in Millennium City, this handsome hero championed the ordinary people of the city, but he has not neglected the wider world, from the tower at time's end, to the hot lava core of the Earth, to the far cold reaches of outer space, Tom Strong's hand is felt.
Joining in his explorations are family and friends...sometimes even villains who could be friends if only circumstances were different. There's no such thing as a dull day with the Strong family!
952 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2006
About the author
Alan Moore
1,637 books22.4k 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 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 25, 2023
This collects Tom Strong 1-36. Issues 1-23 and 36 are written by Alan Moore. There are guest writers like Michael Moorcock, Joe Casey, Peter Hogan, Mark Schultz, and Geoff Johns in the other issues. Chris Sprouse is the lead artist but there are a lot of fill-ins like Jerry Ordway, Shawn McManus, Paul Gulacy and others.
Anyway, Tom Strong is a 100 year old science hero, Doc Savage with some Golden Age Superman and Reed Richards thrown in. Tom goes on adventures that are a love letter to comics and pulps. It reminds me of Astro City and Planetary in some ways but it's more fun than either book. I'm giving this a five based on the strength of the Moore-penned issues. I love the art, though. Despite rotating artists, the series has a visual consistency for the most part. Lots of fun, smartly written but easy to follow. Tom Strong Compendium is great comics.
Anyway, Tom Strong is a 100 year old science hero, Doc Savage with some Golden Age Superman and Reed Richards thrown in. Tom goes on adventures that are a love letter to comics and pulps. It reminds me of Astro City and Planetary in some ways but it's more fun than either book. I'm giving this a five based on the strength of the Moore-penned issues. I love the art, though. Despite rotating artists, the series has a visual consistency for the most part. Lots of fun, smartly written but easy to follow. Tom Strong Compendium is great comics.
May 17, 2023
This probably my new favorite Moore book. His stories in this are masterfully put together, and are really fun. I don’t love every story by the grab bag of creators who took the book on after his departure, but they all keep the tone the same while bringing their unique voices to the world. The most interesting to me is Geoff Johns’ story which I think can be read as his own expectations in meeting Moore and working on his creation, but I might be reading into it too much, Brubaker’s 2 parter is a standout from the non-Moore stories, it’s a lot of fun, reads like something Moore would do, but with a Brubaker edge to it.
August 7, 2023
This is Alan Moore having stupid fun with comics, without a trace of his later cynicism in regard to superheroes. Within just a couple of issues Moore and Chris Sprouse create a fully fledged comics universe with stories inspired by silver age adventure comics, with the Tom Strong and his extended family at the center of it. There are echoes of Captain America, Adam Strange, the Fantastic Four, and Doom Patrol, but it's got a unique tone of its own.
For those who like to read between the lines, there is a lot to uncover. Alan Moore, the psychonaut, uses Tom Strong's trippy adventures into the unknown as a vehicle to describe and explore altered states of consciousness. Several stories contain familiar themes and motifs from psychedelic experiences (the Aztec empire ruled by a fractal snake god in issue 3, the cartoon world in issue 10), but he also takes inspiration from mythology and metaphysics. After the excellent alternate reality story "How Tom Strong got Started" (a classic What If story but done so well) guest writers take over: all A-listers including Brubaker, Moorcock, Johns, and Vaughn. It's good stuff.
The final issue "At the end of the world", another psychedelic one written by Moore, is a crossover with Promethea. It's an end of time story in which one of Tom Strong's arch nemeses reveals to him the cosmic mysteries ("no instance of spacetime is ever lost") in a story about family and human connections across time and space that is both beautiful and profound.
For those who like to read between the lines, there is a lot to uncover. Alan Moore, the psychonaut, uses Tom Strong's trippy adventures into the unknown as a vehicle to describe and explore altered states of consciousness. Several stories contain familiar themes and motifs from psychedelic experiences (the Aztec empire ruled by a fractal snake god in issue 3, the cartoon world in issue 10), but he also takes inspiration from mythology and metaphysics. After the excellent alternate reality story "How Tom Strong got Started" (a classic What If story but done so well) guest writers take over: all A-listers including Brubaker, Moorcock, Johns, and Vaughn. It's good stuff.
The final issue "At the end of the world", another psychedelic one written by Moore, is a crossover with Promethea. It's an end of time story in which one of Tom Strong's arch nemeses reveals to him the cosmic mysteries ("no instance of spacetime is ever lost") in a story about family and human connections across time and space that is both beautiful and profound.
June 28, 2024
Good stuff. I didn't read Top 10 or America's Best Comics and was able to follow everything clearly until the last issue, where they mention Promethea.
This isn't Alan Moore's best work. He brings in many guest writers at the end of the series.
I like the DC Compendium format.
This isn't Alan Moore's best work. He brings in many guest writers at the end of the series.
I like the DC Compendium format.
July 8, 2023
Probably the fourth time I’ve re-read this series and I somehow enjoy it more each time! I hope they do a similar collection of its sister series Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales, maybe packaged together with Tomorrow Stories. The ABC line overall I feel is my favorite batch of comics, especially coupled with the other books Wildstorm was publishing at the time.
November 8, 2025
A loving homage to Golden and Silver Age comics, pulp sci-fi and adventure stories.
July 4, 2023
One of the most enjoyable comics I've ever read. Based on the old pulp stories, Tom Strong is created so you could read any issue and enjoy the action straight away.
I wanted so many more adventures! All the science villains Tom battled were great, Alan Moore will always come up with the best names. The contract killer, Vanilla Tuesday, and the shape changing man, Charade. Excellent.
Beautiful illustrations and various artists and changing styles means I never got bored and was always excited to see what was coming next. Loved seeing my girl Promethea at the end too.
I wanted so many more adventures! All the science villains Tom battled were great, Alan Moore will always come up with the best names. The contract killer, Vanilla Tuesday, and the shape changing man, Charade. Excellent.
Beautiful illustrations and various artists and changing styles means I never got bored and was always excited to see what was coming next. Loved seeing my girl Promethea at the end too.
May 6, 2025
Several years back, I read the first four (of six) trade paperbacks for this series, which covered Alan Moore's run minus his return for issue 36. I remember thinking it was good pulpy fun but could barely recall any of the stories. Well, this handy compendium seemed like a good excuse to revisit Tom Strong and read the issues I skipped last time. And overall, those first 22 Moore issues are the best of the bunch. They're fun, sometimes very inventive tributes/spoofs of early pulp heroes. Tom Strong is like a mix of Doc Savage and Golden Age Superman, with extra science thrown in. His family is not unlike the Fantastic Four. Admittedly, I never got emotionally invested in the characters other than in the three-part alternate history story "How Tom Stone Got Started." Even if this series is far from Moore's best it does showcase his fun side, which we don't always see. The 13 issues by fill-in writers (including Brian K. Vaughan, Geoff Johns, Ed Brubaker, and Michael Moorcock) are forgettable. Moore's finale in issue 36 incorporates other America's Best Comics characters, namely Promethea. It touches on Moore's fascination with eternalism. Pretty cool, but if you want the best of Tom Strong, I would just read the first 22 issues and be done with it.
August 11, 2024
Ofcourse books like Watchmen, V For Vendetta and Swamp Thing show the brilliance of Alan Moore, but smaller lesser known work like this also really do ! Tom Strong was a brick of a book and a fantastic one ! Moore goes all out with a classic adventure time travel tale. He still keeps amazing me with original ideas and cool scripts. In almost every issue there is a complete new take on Tom Strong. You see him in a Western, in a cartoon world, a lovecraftian one or on a weird ass planet. This was again a brilliant read ! Chris Sprouse nails it on artwork. I was getting kinda pissed when i found out that Moore left the title early like he does many times. But with class acts like Ed Brubaker and Brian K Vaughan filling in its hard to complain. Moore is back for the finale so it does get a proper ending, this one is highly recomended !
January 22, 2024
I read in an interview that Alan Moore considered this effort 'lazy writing', but really it's some of his most endearing work. Absent are the cynicism and pretentious progressive sermonizing that characterize too many of his more well-known works. What's left over is a really fun, enjoyable science fiction and superhero experience. Chris Sprouse's artwork is absolutely stunning throughout, too.
March 24, 2023
La quintaescencia del Hombre del Siglo XX.
Read
June 21, 2023fun!
September 25, 2024
a culmination of Moore's weird left turn in the 90s and probably the single greatest run of pure pulp fun mixed with a postmodern bend free of all cynicism...comic book crack!!
Read
April 16, 2024i mean. it's weird, right? it's a weird book.
it's fun, obviously. so much fun! especially all the stuff in the first half, delightful little pulp serial throwback comics. the modular man is fun, the promethean is fun, the joke where tom talks about performing innovative brain surgery on a monkey - it's all fun.
and then you keep reading and you start to pick up on this undercurrent of darkness the whole thing swims in. people are saying this has none of moore's anti-superhero cynicism, and i don't agree with that at all, i think the further you get into this book the more it starts to drift from its original premise and the more you see moore poking holes in tom and what he stands for. how tom stone got started, the last thing moore wrote for the series before handing it off, is basically a three-issue takedown of tom (strong)'s approach to justice, calling him emotionless, calling him, basically, a cop. even the strongmen of america have that line in the ant storyline about things feeling more realistic lately, which comes across as a throwaway joke but DOES speak to a real thing the series is doing where it can't help but try to *show you* something about tom, about the world it's presenting you.
it's just that it never quite... DOES it. in that tom stone story, they pull the punch at the last minute. at the end of the series, our final panel is a concluding reification of the strong family. it's constantly teetering on the edge of becoming something really interesting, and instead it just settles on being fun, but not before shaking you up just enough that you start to feel unsettled with exactly what kind of fun the book is.
it's fun though!
it's fun, obviously. so much fun! especially all the stuff in the first half, delightful little pulp serial throwback comics. the modular man is fun, the promethean is fun, the joke where tom talks about performing innovative brain surgery on a monkey - it's all fun.
and then you keep reading and you start to pick up on this undercurrent of darkness the whole thing swims in. people are saying this has none of moore's anti-superhero cynicism, and i don't agree with that at all, i think the further you get into this book the more it starts to drift from its original premise and the more you see moore poking holes in tom and what he stands for. how tom stone got started, the last thing moore wrote for the series before handing it off, is basically a three-issue takedown of tom (strong)'s approach to justice, calling him emotionless, calling him, basically, a cop. even the strongmen of america have that line in the ant storyline about things feeling more realistic lately, which comes across as a throwaway joke but DOES speak to a real thing the series is doing where it can't help but try to *show you* something about tom, about the world it's presenting you.
it's just that it never quite... DOES it. in that tom stone story, they pull the punch at the last minute. at the end of the series, our final panel is a concluding reification of the strong family. it's constantly teetering on the edge of becoming something really interesting, and instead it just settles on being fun, but not before shaking you up just enough that you start to feel unsettled with exactly what kind of fun the book is.
it's fun though!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2024
Tom Strong is simply fun.
It's a great homage to the campy and insane stories from yesteryear. Combining many tropes and wild scenarios to present a fascinating sense of adventure.
Beginning with his origin story, Tom grew up on the remote island of Attabar Teru inside a gravity chamber as part of his father's experiments. After a tragedy that took both his parents, he continued his education with the Goloka tribe, who taught him a method to prolong his life.
Tom Strong is a homage to all things comics, pulp, horror, comedy, action, and even some experimental and funny stages the Comic book industry took, like cartoons.
Most issues are episodic but there is a sense of progression from one to the next. Meeting new characters or exciting explorations into Tom's family members, like his wife, Princess Dhalua, his troublesome daughter, Tesla, and much much more.
A funny thing I noticed. The art style and titles change from time to time to make you believe this has been a long-running series since the golden age. A very nice touch.
I must say, this is now my favorite Alan Moore book.
It's a great homage to the campy and insane stories from yesteryear. Combining many tropes and wild scenarios to present a fascinating sense of adventure.
Beginning with his origin story, Tom grew up on the remote island of Attabar Teru inside a gravity chamber as part of his father's experiments. After a tragedy that took both his parents, he continued his education with the Goloka tribe, who taught him a method to prolong his life.
Tom Strong is a homage to all things comics, pulp, horror, comedy, action, and even some experimental and funny stages the Comic book industry took, like cartoons.
Most issues are episodic but there is a sense of progression from one to the next. Meeting new characters or exciting explorations into Tom's family members, like his wife, Princess Dhalua, his troublesome daughter, Tesla, and much much more.
A funny thing I noticed. The art style and titles change from time to time to make you believe this has been a long-running series since the golden age. A very nice touch.
I must say, this is now my favorite Alan Moore book.
September 5, 2024
Sadly, I've always consider Tom Strong the least of Moore's ABC Comics, and a reread (more or less: I'd never read what was previously V5 before) hasn't changed that.
Certainly, the idea of a pulpish hero in the modern day is great. But Moore does little to deconstruct the idea, he simply presents the stories with just a bit of modern depth of writing.
But the stories are still quite shallow. That may in large part be because Moore mostly refuses to tell longer stories. The couple of stories that go out to 2 or even 3 issues are the best. But the single issue stories have much less heft, and when there are 2 or 3 stories in a single issue, they're almost skippable.
The comic also wasn't helped by Moore abandoning it after 2 years. The last third of the comic is by a kaleidoscope of authors and though some are OK and though I deeply appreciate the Michael Moorcock comic, they do an even worse job of moving the comic forward than Moore's own singleton issues.
There are some memorably characters here, but everything else fades away.
Certainly, the idea of a pulpish hero in the modern day is great. But Moore does little to deconstruct the idea, he simply presents the stories with just a bit of modern depth of writing.
But the stories are still quite shallow. That may in large part be because Moore mostly refuses to tell longer stories. The couple of stories that go out to 2 or even 3 issues are the best. But the single issue stories have much less heft, and when there are 2 or 3 stories in a single issue, they're almost skippable.
The comic also wasn't helped by Moore abandoning it after 2 years. The last third of the comic is by a kaleidoscope of authors and though some are OK and though I deeply appreciate the Michael Moorcock comic, they do an even worse job of moving the comic forward than Moore's own singleton issues.
There are some memorably characters here, but everything else fades away.
April 17, 2024
Tom Strong might be the best of the ABC comics. It is a love letter to the golden age of doc Savage type comics Tom Strong is the ultimate superhero on par with the man of steel but fundamentally different. Every character is created with such love and care. Alan Moore steps away for a bit and other writers try to write him the best being Ed Brubaker and the worst being Geoff John’s. The ending crosses over with Prometheus and is a fitting into some of the best comics I have ever read.
January 8, 2025
While I don't think it has the same depth of Alan Moore's more notable works, I had a lot of fun with this book. This is a good, reliable comfort read and the humour is incredibly charming. I did notice a decline in quality once Moore moved away as writer but still had a lovely time with this collection none the less. The themes of peace and harmony are a delightful respite from the goings on in the world at the moment.
April 4, 2026
DNF! I wanted to like this and I did like parts but I just couldn't finish it as so many chapters/issues were corny and unreadable. If the book just stayed centered on the pulpy hero and his family is would have been fine but there was just too much that went beyond that into goofy territory. Its not a one star book but I couldn't finish it and life is too short to read books you don't care about. I really liked Chris Sprouse's artwork. Overall, not for me.
June 12, 2023
A great pulp-esque romp through the Doc Savage style adventures of the 'science hero' Tom Strong. Interesting setting and characters, hints to a broader world that could do with some expansion (in an RPG maybe, although I do say that a lot), and any minor failings in style and content are glossed over by the rapid pace and exuberance of the whole affair.
July 17, 2023
The Moore/Sprouse parts are pretty great but not amazing, but the last 40% of the book has an assortment of creators take a stab at the property with mixed results. Moore comes back for a very weird ending that tries to connect to his greater comic universe but proves crossovers are hard for even the most skilled writers.
March 5, 2024
DNF. I can see that it's a riff on very old fashioned comic strips, and there were some things I enjoyed but I was mainly bemused, increasingly so over time, and know that I'm not going back to it.
The ape with a posh English accent was particularly unappealing. Who finds that cool or funny? Is it meant to be ironic? Were Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers this crappy? Is that the joke? No idea.
The ape with a posh English accent was particularly unappealing. Who finds that cool or funny? Is it meant to be ironic? Were Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers this crappy? Is that the joke? No idea.
November 2, 2025
This is what I love about superhero comics. Tom Strong is brimming with wild ideas and deep lore. It's kind of the perfect starting point for a new superhero reader who wants an escape from the "where do I start" problem of the big two comics.
It's so fun and all the characters are the best.
It's so fun and all the characters are the best.
October 23, 2023
Alan Moore, Chris Sprouse and Friends doing intentionally retro super heroics, a mix of pulp tropes from the 40s and 60s no stakes DC comics. Fun, if a little repetitive.
April 2, 2024
Top stuff. Until Alan Moore stops writing it and it gets decidely average.
April 27, 2025
I'm upset it took me so long to read this but I also acknowledge that you need a pretty deep working knowledge of Comic history and trends to truly appreciate this masterwork by Moore. That being said, the art is really stellar and as long as Moore is at the helm, the story is great. Once other authors start taking over, things get a bit experimental and seem to go in every direction but he finishes strong and I really love what he does with everything. If you're a well-read comic fan and want to see something amazing, pick up this book!
May 25, 2023
Tom Strong is good old Golden Age fun written with a modern bent and it is absolutely wonderful and always an enjoyable read. If you're into mind-expanding fiction hidden behind an occasionally whacky facade, you'll probably enjoy Tom Strong. This is the epitome of science-hero pulp fiction and I love every minute of it.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews