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  • Writer's pictureJames Quinn

Alan Moore's comments and my Response

Updated: Jul 31, 2021




Warning: This is going to be a bit of a long rant.

So before I go into my significant criticisms, I want to compliment the brilliance of Alan Moore. If not the best comic book writer in the field, Alan Moore is probably one of the best. Although I can’t say I’ve read much of his work, his bibliography from comics and fiction seems too fascinating to pass up, and in the future, I do intend to read more of his career. The Alan Moore books I have read have certainly impressed me; the first arc of his Swamp Thing comics run is a fascinating body horror story. He’s written probably one of the most emotional superman stories titled “For the man who has everything,” The Killing Joke, and Watchmen are some of the best written works in DC publication.

While the "Killing Joke" has its problematic moments, as a gripping psychological dive into Batman and the Joker's relationship it's one of the best written joker stories ever told. Watchmen is one of my favorite pieces of superhero fiction and literature of all time. Alan Moore is the GOAT of comic book writers next to Grant Morrison, and no one can take away his impact on the comic book industry and the superhero genre.

Alan Moore recently interviewed “Deadline” with writer Tom Gratar to discuss his upcoming independent crime and supernatural series “The Show” and why he’s disillusioned about comic books and the superhero genre after almost 40 years of working in the field. Here is where some of my significant criticisms will come into play. Once again, I’ll start with something positive or at the very least something I agree with:

“The way the industry has changed, it’s graphic novels now, it’s entirely priced for an audience of middle-class people. I have nothing against middle-class people, but it wasn’t meant to be a medium for middle-aged hobbyists. It was meant to be a medium for people who haven’t got much money.”

I can legit say that Alan Moore has a valid point I agree with. The pricing for trades and single comic issues are getting way too expensive and only seem to cater to a middle-class niche of men who can afford to spend $40 or $80 a month on comic books and comic subscriptions. The reason for comics being so expensive is not only due to their growing popularity in the film industry but also because many kids are not reading comics anymore; I’ll get back to later. The comic book industry recognizes that their younger audience isn’t as broad as it used to be, so they’ve jacked up comics prices for adults. However, as much as I understand the reasoning, I find it reasonably greedy of the comics industry to its long-time readers. I believe they are meant to be read by the masses like the pulp fiction books before them, but to make them so expensive makes the comic fandom feel like an elite group that only the fortunate can attend.

For the part everyone’s been ready for, and this where the rant is going to start. Probably the most controversial aspect of the interview:


“Several years ago, I said I thought it was a really worrying sign, that hundreds of thousands of adults were quenching up to see characters that were created 50 years ago to entertain 12-year-old boys. That seemed to speak to some kind of longing escape from the complexities of the world and go back to a nostalgic, remembered childhood that seemed dangerous as it was infantilizing the population.

“This may be entirely a coincidence, but in 2016 when the American people elected a national socialist satsuma, and the UK voted to leave the European Union, six of the highest-grossing films were superhero films, not to say that one causes the other, but I think they’re both symptoms of the same thing; a denial of reality and an urge for simplistic and sensational solutions.”


Alan Moore seems to be criticizing the culture of nostalgia and how adults are so ready to retreat to the things that brought them joy in the past. We’re all guilty of nostalgia, and I see no harm in it now and then. However, I can also agree that adults use it as a crotch when the world around them seems too bad, and instead of finding modern solutions for current issues, they retreat into the realm of escapism to ignore those problems. Alan Moore seems to imply that superhero movies and superhero comics are too escapist.

Now personally, superhero comics don’t make me shy away from the real world; in fact, they make me want to engage in it further. While I certainly read comics for fun ( I wouldn’t be doing any of this if I didn’t think it was fun), a lot of why I still read and appreciate comics today is because of the underlying socio-political messages that I just so happen to spot with my more matured brain. My favorite superhero movie ever made is Black Panther (an in-depth review is on the golden horizon). That’s because it addresses the socio-economic and political landscape that plague black people in America today. Killmonger’s whole plot revolves around taking advanced technology to start a militant black revolution. My point is that comic books, as fun and as escapist as they can be, can be effective tools for political and moral commentary.

Alan Moore seems to imply that a genre that essentially preaches a “might makes right” message; if you punch hard enough, all your problems will go away. Moore once connected this kind of mentality to the rise of fascist policies in America. While I can certainly see where the superhero genre can have some fascist tendencies (especially Frank Miller’s work on Batman), over the years, I’ve viewed it as quite the opposite. Superhero fiction is all about the dynamics of power and responsibility. Take Spider-Man’s origin story, for example: when Peter got his spider-powers, he immediately used it for his gain, making himself money, getting back at bullies, and had the intentions of winning girls over with his superior-strength. However, it’s because of Peter’s selfish choices with his power that he ignored the mugger that would go on to kill his uncle. The story ends with Spider-Man stopping the mugger and learning the famous lesson that I’m sure everyone knows.

For me, the best superhero fiction doesn’t teach that “might makes right” and doesn’t have to be stuck in a 1940s bubble-like Alan Moore seems to want. I agree that Superhero fiction in comics should be a bit more accessible for kids as it has been, but like any genre, it can expand to audiences of all ages. The best superhero fiction teaches that if you have privilege, power, or some sort of advantage over anyone, it’s your moral task to use that privilege to help others that aren’t as fortunate. Bullies, politicians, and fascists use their power to get what they want and enforce their authority and beliefs. Heroes help people at all costs, and in this age of Trump supporters and growing white supremacy, I believe we could use some fiction that teaches people how to use their privilege correctly.

Again I want to reiterate that I respect Alan Moore’s work in comics immensely. As someone who has worked in the comic book fields for years, Alan Moore has the right to be disillusioned with all of the negative changes over the years. Alan Moore tried to push comics to explore other genres by showing how silly and ridiculous superhero fiction can be with Watchmen, but he failed. Instead of branching out in different genres, comic book creators began making superhero comics more mature for teen and adult audiences. Alan Moore has every right to be disillusioned with the comic industry and the superhero genre. Marvel and DC comics should expand their horizons to other genres. Thankfully, we have Image, and Indie comics to explore different genres such as Saga, Black Science, American Vampire, Lock & Key, and Casa Nova, and Alan Moore seems to ignore the comics that have taken in his lessons. While Alan Moore has lost his faith in comics, I haven’t, and I believe comics' future can be bright if we demand it from our artists and let diverse voices into the larger comic book industries.


If you're in the Louisville metro area and you want to read comics, I would highly recommend utilizing the catalogue of graphic novels and trades at the Louisville public library. They have a fairly decent selection of DC, Marvel, Image, and other various indie and established comic books to choose from. The link is here below if you want to see:



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