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General Chat => Books & Comics => Topic started by: Proteus4 on 12 October, 2013, 05:39:19 AM

Title: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Proteus4 on 12 October, 2013, 05:39:19 AM
I'd never read Halo Jones (I know!!) in the prog - it was a bout a girl, for goodness' sake.  However, i just got the trade and am completely confused how Alan Moore made book 1 so completely gripping and entertaining and compelling - all they did was go shopping.  Once.

Really looking forward to reading books 2 and 3 now.  Glad i finally caught up with this.

Dave.
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Bubba Zebill on 12 October, 2013, 06:27:29 AM
I read it when it was first published in 2000AD. Brilliant story and it gets better, enjoy.
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: TordelBack on 12 October, 2013, 08:53:18 AM
Well there are murders and muggings and spaceships and aliens and brain-surgery and punny futuroweapons, but I take the point.  It's a masterclass in well-defined characters, immersive setting and engaging storytelling.
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Proteus4 on 12 October, 2013, 05:22:37 PM
Indeed - that's exactly what it is.
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: pictsy on 13 October, 2013, 10:12:48 AM
I got my trade copy way back when I was 18 and it was an instafave.  Best female comic book character ever and a contender for best comic book character full stop.  Love the story, love the artwork and love all the ideas.

The biggest heartbreak is we never got to see more of her adventures.

Alan Moore could easily be my favourite comic book writer and some of his best work was with 2000AD.
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Mardroid on 13 October, 2013, 09:51:22 PM
I would have liked more as well....

... yet I didn't think the series ended in a bad place.
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: pictsy on 13 October, 2013, 09:53:50 PM
Quote from: Mardroid on 13 October, 2013, 09:51:22 PM
I would have liked more as well....

... yet I didn't think the series ended in a bad place.

Yeah, we can be thankful of that much :)
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: credo on 17 October, 2013, 11:58:11 AM
On first reading Book 3 in an old 2000ad monthly, I was never aware that there were meant to be more. I had always taken it as a suitable ending, since it was really the first time that Halo had been proactive and determined the course of her own life. A nice, literary, ending.

What baffles me is that, outside of 2000ad fandom, it is often given as an example of poor-Moore, especially book 1. Crazy!
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: TordelBack on 17 October, 2013, 12:26:55 PM
Quote from: credo on 17 October, 2013, 11:58:11 AMI had always taken it as a suitable ending, since it was really the first time that Halo had been proactive and determined the course of her own life. A nice, literary, ending.

It helps that almost all the foreshadowing and threads are tied up or at least addressed by the end - ratwar, Lux Roth Chop, Luiz Cannibal, the Steersman's Guild, Tarantula, the Hoop itself.  There are tantalising hints of other things in the 'history' sections, but since much of that is shown to be fiction or misinterpretation it doesn't really matter.  The answer's in the question: where did she go?
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Dodsy on 17 October, 2013, 12:58:00 PM
On of the top 5 (possibly even higher) strip from 2000AD of all time. Found it in my local library when I was just getting into comics and it's stuck with me ever since.
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: pictsy on 17 October, 2013, 01:29:45 PM
Quote from: credo on 17 October, 2013, 11:58:11 AM
..it is often given as an example of poor-Moore, especially book 1. Crazy!

Blasphemy!!!
*foams-at-mouth*
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Skullmo on 17 October, 2013, 06:08:18 PM
Was Moore influenced by Love and Rockets?
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: wedgeski on 18 October, 2013, 01:24:44 PM
Halo is without a doubt my favourite 2000AD series, and a contender for my favourite comic strip of all time. I spend an unhealthy portion of my day imagining what a HBO-like TV series set on the Hoop would be like (it would be awesome, of course).
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Dragonfly on 18 October, 2013, 02:17:01 PM
Quote from: Skullmo on 17 October, 2013, 06:08:18 PM
Was Moore influenced by Love and Rockets?

As Moore was quoted as saying (and I can no longer recall the exact wording) 'The crackle of comics at their best runs through the pages' about Love And Rockets then that is a distinct possibility!
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: shaolin_monkey on 18 October, 2013, 02:39:26 PM
Quote from: wedgeski on 18 October, 2013, 01:24:44 PM
Halo is without a doubt my favourite 2000AD series, and a contender for my favourite comic strip of all time. I spend an unhealthy portion of my day imagining what a HBO-like TV series set on the Hoop would be like (it would be awesome, of course).

I'm pretty sure there was a stage play, though sadly I never saw it.

I read Halo in the progs way back when, and I have to admit to being non-plussed by the first two series.  However, Titan collected them together, and when I read them as a whole in one sitting it just clicked. 

I always wanted by own personal Toby.  The closest I've been able to get to that is the last gen Aibo, but hey, it's an autonomous robot dog that sings, dances, and chats to me, so close enough.  I doubt it would survive a furnace though.
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: SuperSurfer on 18 October, 2013, 03:50:23 PM
Quote from: shaolin_monkey on 18 October, 2013, 02:39:26 PM
I'm pretty sure there was a stage play, though sadly I never saw it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pRhR5uzbR0
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Skullmo on 19 October, 2013, 12:20:30 AM
Toby trained at RADA darling!
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Emp on 19 October, 2013, 12:27:48 AM
My wife view Judge Dredd and most things 2000ad as something that happened...much like Star Wars.

That said she love Halo Jones and has pointed out things in it to me that I missed or passed over/ignored....she's also a huge DR & Quinch fan...so she's generally not all that bad :D
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Emp on 19 October, 2013, 12:35:00 AM
I also seem incapable of adding "s" to words like view and love....
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Skullmo on 19 October, 2013, 12:38:25 AM
That ok, me talk like that too.
Title: Re: Halo Jones - How did Alan Moore do that?
Post by: Mabs on 19 October, 2013, 11:07:31 AM
Quote from: Skullmo on 19 October, 2013, 12:38:25 AM
That ok, me talk like that too.

Ha ha! Yours a real jokers, Skullmos!  :D