In the UK, most people’s first experience of comics is with an anthology title. Whether it’s The Beano or 2000AD, this type of comic is a stalwart of the British industry. With Tomorrow Stories, Alan Moore has tried to recreate a feel for the classic anthology with a modern twist.
The book collects the first six issues of the monthly title, consisting of a total of 24 short stories based around five different characters. Each tale is entirely self contained, though there is some character development running through stories that feature the same characters.
The biggest problem is that all the characters are an homage to or parody of a character from a classic comic of the past. This makes the title of the series somewhat ironic and leaves you with the vague feeling that you haven’t read anything new, whether you’re familiar with its influences or not. Those who don’t recognise the references will probably be suspicious that the series was more fun for Moore and his collaborators to research and create than it is to read.
Because of the relative shortness of the pieces, which are finished almost as soon as they’re begun, they’re ultimately disappointing, leaving little more than a book that feels like a half-hearted exercise in tinkering with other peoples’ ideas.