We all love the work of Alan Moore so here we are let's do a showdown with what I believe his best work from within and without. Quite simple this is showdown between one out the prog and one out of the States, it is Halo Jones vs Watchmen. So, make your choice which is his best series:
- Halo Jones
- Watchmen
Tough heart verses head one this. I think Watchmen is the deeper, richer piece, but I prefer Halo for is more human story. I also think Watchmen for all its incredible ambition forgets it needs to be a story first and foremost and as such
Halo Jones
for me.
Halo Jones
For me his best work is neither of those, its DR & Quinch. And his future shocks, like The Last Stand of the Platinum Horde or the English Phlondrutian Phrasebook.
But of these, yeah it's Halo Jones.
I admire Watchmen but Halo Jones is more affecting.
Yes, it's weirdly easy to choose Halo Jones because it feels so much more human. Watchmen, of course, is a towering works of comics genius that one can pore over on many rereads - but it isn't about actual people, it's about weirdo superheroes.
I especially dislike the scenes between Rorschach and the psychologist, who seems to be one of the worst examples of a movie version of that profession. Of course, I can't deny that I get sewpt up in the plot and character and fiendish cleverness of it all. But Halo Jones is a comic to fall in love with.
Halo Jones is the better written in terms of character and avoids Moore's failing of using sexual violence as a plot device, but suffers badly from not being complete.
Watchmen, by contrast, is complete in itself but the bastards at DC just wouldn't leave it alone.
It's a tough choice, but Watchmen just pips it for me.
halo jones
(but the real answer is from hell)
Watchmen gets my vote too. Halo, whilst great, is incomplete and Watchmen, for all it's flaws redefined comics (for the better or the worse - that's another debate there)
Watchmen.
No further comment.
Hoping that there's always the - admittedly very - remote chance of Alan Moore reading this thread, and being so swept up the wave of nostalgic emotion at the final result, that he immediately sets to work upon the other six volumes, I'm giving my vote to Halo Jones.
Fuckitty fucksticks! You're asking me to choose between Blade Runner and Aliens. Clearly, Blade Runner wins the artistic endeavor prize, but Aliens has that bit where the Sarge says "Look into my eye!" It wins the chutzpah battle hands down.
Blade Runner has the questionable sexual politics scene, Aliens has that bit where Hudson says "Stop yore grinnin' and drop your linen!" Aliens is winning the nobody gives a fuck prize by transcending politics altogether. After all - you don't see them fucking each other over for a percentage.
So, what I'm saying is that clearly the academic answer should be Watchmen, but actually my choice has to be Halo Jones.
Actually it should be Blade Runner vs Alien(s stands for Scott)
I think that would be Watchmen vs. Neonomicon.
Quotesuffers badly from not being complete.
You wouldn't even know that if Tharg hadn't told you. Just going by reading the stories, there's nothing to indicate that book 3 wasn't the last. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it just ends.
Quote from: Richard on 19 April, 2022, 07:45:20 PM
Quotesuffers badly from not being complete.
You wouldn't even know that if Tharg hadn't told you. Just going by reading the stories, there's nothing to indicate that book 3 wasn't the last. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it just ends.
I agree with you ... mostly. The final panel of Book III says "End of Book Three", rather than "The End" - so there's a suggestion of more to come. It would be easy to be persuaded that the prologue to Book II suggests a much wider saga stretching beyond the events of Book III - although you could argue that's just added depth within a finite story.
I did/does slightly bother me that the whole point of Halo Jones is that she's 'ordinary' - and yet there's this idea that someone she will go on ot become so extraordinary that her life becomes a subject of study. I guess the point is that that anyone's life can be / is worthy of people's attention, but I worry that each subsequent exploit of Ms Jones would be less engaging. Apparently it made Neil Gaiman cry, though, so what do I know.
Quote from: AlexF on 20 April, 2022, 09:14:34 AM
I did/does slightly bother me that the whole point of Halo Jones is that she's 'ordinary' - and yet there's this idea that someone she will go on to become so extraordinary that her life becomes a subject of study. I guess the point is that that anyone's life can be / is worthy of people's attention, but I worry that each subsequent exploit of Ms Jones would be less engaging.
Maybe the most important line in the Ballad is when the professor quotes Halo - 'Anyone could have done it.' Yes, she did amazing things and became a figure of legend, but the point is that she did it without any special skills, abilities, or superpowers. An antidote to the 'child of prophecy/destiny foretold in the stars/only you have the power...' tropes.
I'll go with Halo too... largely because while Watchmen is u doubted a work of "towering comics genius" as someone said, I've always found it a bit dull. My favourite Moore works outside of the prog are From Hell, Captain Britain, Swamp Thing and the Neonomicon/ Providence series.
SBT
Quote from: AlexF on 20 April, 2022, 09:14:34 AM
Apparently it made Neil Gaiman cry, though, so what do I know.
He's married to Amanda Palmer. He probably cries a lot.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 20 April, 2022, 03:11:37 PM
Quote from: AlexF on 20 April, 2022, 09:14:34 AM
Apparently it made Neil Gaiman cry, though, so what do I know.
He's married to Amanda Palmer. He probably cries a lot.
Arf!
To answer the question. Good as Halo is, Watchmen literally changed the world of comics and it hasn't found another voice since, so that.
Quote from: Magnetica on 18 April, 2022, 09:16:26 AM
For me his best work is neither of those, its DR & Quinch. And his future shocks, like The Last Stand of the Platinum Horde or the English Phlondrutian Phrasebook.
I'm with you on the Future Shocks, Magnetica. The Reversible Man, Going Native, Wages of Sin, The Hyper-Historic Headbang : all time classics.
But in this pairing :
Watchmen.
Talk to the beard people the beard is wise and the beard know them all but the full beard will only be revealed on a Monday
It's very, very tough because they're two very different stories, which is amazing given that they're by the same writer around the same era. Breaks my heart to say it but Watchmen squeaks through for me; I've read it over and over again and it truly deserves its reputation. Comics that came after Watchmen are different from the ones that came before.
Which is not to say Halo Jones isn't also one of the best Sci fi stories in any medium ever, of course.
In the beginning everyone votes for the prog but then a few was cast in the favor of a murder investigation but the prog was just too strong
Voting closed the winner:
Halo Jones
Halo Jones is a thing of wonder and probably the most clearly original thing Moore has done (i.e., isn't referencing other characters or building on established characters).
Having said that, I'm a sucker for his Captain Britain stuff ...
... and I can't believe no one has mentioned Miracleman! God I love that!
... or Swamp Thing - I'm just rereading those at the moment and they're fantastic