Tom Strong is one of Alan Moore's most recent creations, and it's one I've followed faithfully. Moore managed to create a character that wove elements from classic adventure and pulp fiction and traditional superhero adventure into a new and original storyline.
The hero is a powerhouse with great intelligence as a result of experiments by his father. He grew up in a secret base on a hidden island peopled by a mysterious race. He became a world-famous hero, and lives with his wife and daughter in their skyscraper headquarters, along with their robot butler, Pneuman, and his friend, a talking gorilla named Solomon.
His adventures have been intelligent and entertaining to a fault, thanks to clever scripts by Moore and the outstanding art of Chris Sprouse (inked here by Karl Story). Sprouse creates a powerful, classic style that's perfectly suited to the character and his stories.
With this issue, Moore turns the writing reins over the Peter Hogan, and while it's too soon to pass final judgment on a story that may take many twists and turns in the issues ahead, so far it's just... ok.
We pick up events just before the wedding of Tom's daughter, when everything in the universe changes - except for Tom. The confrontation that follows makes it seem that there's no way to undo those changes, which leaves our hero in a bad spot. (And if that sounds like an old familiar tale - well, yeah.)
I'll be hanging with this comic, if just for the Chris Sprouse art, but the story so far isn't holding up its end of things. Hopefully this will change in the months ahead.
Grade: B-
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