Alan Moore: Storyteller by Gary Spencer Millidge Book Review

V for very good

It would seem that the real marker of universally acknowledged greatness is not money, awards, or column inches, but rather large-format coffee table books. The Beatles have one, Monty Python have one, and now, as is only right considering his position as arguably the finest comic creator ever to plot a panel, Alan Moore has one.

It’s a shrewd move by Ilex Press: Moore is a larger-than-life character, and the size of the pages and the quality of the printing here are the perfect showcase for his talents. It’s a good job, because there are an awful lot of them. His life and career is pored over, including his work as an author, musician, magician and multi-media artist.

His best known offerings – Watchmen , V For Vendetta , From Hell and the like – are given ample space. Fold-out pages include scripts and timelines, while glimpses into Moore’s notebooks give a valuable insight into his creative processes and relentless work ethic. Millidge’s diligent research, easy-to-digest prose and the co-operation of the man himself ensure this handsome package is stuffed to the gills with detail, the pages bursting with colour and imagination. As a result, Storyteller is easily the most comprehensive, accurate and engaging account of the life of Northampton’s finest ever committed to print.

Rob Power