Peter Hogan delivers a tribute to the comics of yesteryear while poking fun at them all at once, for a longtime comics reader like myself, this was an irreverent trip down memory lane. The point of the story is to simply have fun, to foster a sense of wonder. Characterization really isn't a goal here, and those looking for something more intellectually stimulating ought to search elsewhere. Another part of the book's playful quality is the chance to see a variety of artists tackle just as wide a variety of genres.
Tesla Strong and her dad's simian pal, King Solomon, are mucking about the Stronghold, and the intelligent ape makes the not-so intelligent move of activating Tom Strong's Searchboard. He's lost somewhere in an infinite parade of realities, and it's up to Tesla, in her father's absence, to use the Searchboard to find Solomon. As she makes her way through dimensions, she soon discovers that Solomon's counterparts have also gone missing, and unbeknownst to Tesla, it's all part of a parallel-dimension plot to put an end to the heroic Strong tradition.
It's no coincidence that the artists gathered to participate in this one-shot represent some of the top and most sought-after talent in comics. It's a safe bet that working on an Alan Moore book -- even one he didn't write -- is considered a feather in one's professional cap in this industry. I was particularly impressed to see Garcia Lopez's name among the credits. He was one of a few seminal Superman artists in the 1970s and '80s, and having him illustrate an homage/satire of those Kryptonian heydays was quite fitting.
The Campbell pages also served as a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek look at the sexual campiness of costumed heroes, while poking fun at the over-the-top sexualization of characters in Campbell's own work (and that of Campbell followers such as Al Rio and Ed Benes). Frank Cho's contribution is titallating as well, but it also served to demonstrate that he's capable of much more in the way of sequential storytelling than the linear and limiting comic-strip form of Liberty Meadows.
There's really only one problem with this book, and that's redundancy. Hogan tries to explore many pop-culture genres here, and he succeeds. But in the process, he sacrifices novelty. The same premise repeats itself over and over again, and it gets a bit tiring later on as the reader makes his or her way through the book.
Though a bit on the pricy side, this book represents a celebration of the art form. From the Kirby tech to the visits to Silver Age storytelling, Hogan and company salute the creators who came before them. And through the significant artistic talent brought together to bring the story to life, this special also celebrates the talents of today.
