When I read in Previews that Atomeka Press was bringing back some of the early work by star British creators, I was pleased. There's so much work by the likes of Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and more that we haven't seen on this side of the pond. This introductory anthology, which serves as a kickoff project for the publisher, demosntrates that we North Americans have been missing out on a lot.
I've never found Alan Moore to be all that funny a writer. His work in Tomorrow Stories fell flat for me for the most part, but in "The Bojeffries Saga," Alan Moore's comedic talent shines through. His tale of a rent collector isn't so much about a regular guy encountering a family so bizarre so as to freak out the Adaams Family, but about how we are all the heroes in our own stories. The rent collector lives a dull life, but he does so via an exciting narrative that gives him purpose. Steve (The Milkman Murders) Parkhouse's art captures the oddball quality of the characters perfectly. I'm reminded of Terry Gilliam's animation here, as well as Alan Davis's surreal character designs from his early Captain Britain work.
The second story makes it clear that this anthology isn't limited to a single genre or comedic tone. Dillon's tale of one man trying to get over a breakup is thoroughly grounded and real. It's easy to connect with his sense of being stuck, of being stranded in an empty life, jealous of an ex-lover who's gone on to live an adventure.
The Shark-Man adventure is a delightfully playful and exciting romp through a mix of super-hero and science-fiction storytelling. The protogonist's design is wonderfully angry, and it makes for a sharp contrast with the stoic and removed personality behind the mask. The story is an ambitious one, and though it's ultimately conventional in tone, it's solidly entertaining. The revival of Bob Burden's Flaming Carrot is fun as well. It's in keeping with the oddball action of such properties as The Tick and Astounding Space Thrills, and the creators of those books likely owe Burden a bit for breaking ground with the Flaming Carrot. We're really only given a snippet of a story here, though, so it's difficult to get fully involved with it.
The anthology closes on a strong note, exploring the Superman archetype from a first-person perspective and examining how much of an outsider he really is. "Survivor" isn't a hero. He's a god-like being who plays the role of a hero simply to alleviate his boredom. He thinks he wants to belong, but what he really wants is to feel. He wants a connection with himself, not with other people. Gibbons's script is riveting, and McKeever does a great job with the first-person perspective. His work here reminds me of Keith Giffen's style.
