Albion Review

Albion
DC Comics - Wildstorm
Softcover Trade Paperback
174 pages
$19.99
ISBN 9781401209940

Contributors: Alan Moore, Leah Moore, John Mark Reppion, Shane Oakley, George Freeman, Todd Klein, covers by Dave Gibbons, and introduction by Neil Gaiman

Reprints: Albion #1-6 (of 6)

Synopsis: A disenfranchised British young man named Danny makes a startling discovery - the silver age comic book heroes he loves to read about really existed.  The proof lands in his lap when he meets Penny, the daughter of a famous hero.  In reality the heroes and villains were imprisoned by a fearful government for over twenty years and their existences were erased. 

Penny and Danny begin piecing together the mystery of the missing heroes/villains.  They uncover an actual villain and plan a daring rescue to find Penny's father.  Meanwhile at the prison, a criminal AI has predicted a cataclysmic event - coincidence or will the golden age of wonder live again because of the dreams of the young?

Pros: Decent premise by Alan Moore, great covers by Gibbons, revives old '60s & '70s British comic book characters, a lot of characters with distinct personalities

Cons: Art is highly stylized (like Phil Hester), premise might not actually work, Alan Moore plotted this story - he did not actually write or script it

Mike Tells It Straight: Moore plots and his daughter/son-in-law layout/script this attempt to revive actual silver age British heroes (owned by IPC Media).  It works as an alternative to traditional hero universes - what if all the heroes and villains were hidden and locked away from the public?  Had some spinoff series including Albion Origins, Thunderbolt Jaxon, and Battler Briton.  Not a bad series, but the covers by Gibbons are misleading as the interior art is not realistic (which would have been a big positive considering the alternative superhero nature of the story).  If you hadn't noticed, the revival didn't really work (mostly because of the pathetic state of pamphlet comics these days).  A decent series, not must-read material, and Moore's proteges didn't completely @#$% it up. 

TO BUY and Recommendations: