Snakes & Ladders

(Top Shelf, 2001)
™ and © Top Shelf

Joining the past to the present, the real to the imaginary, the creators to their creations, Alan Moore tells yet another brilliant and mesmerizing tale that is typical Moore, yet is unlike anything he has ever done.

Joined by fellow From Hell co-creator Eddie Campbell, this graphic novel is actually an adaptation of sorts of a live spoken dramatization given by Moore in the UK a few years ago. He begins the tale humbly yet interestingly enough by presenting the back-story of the very venue where he gave his oratory. He ties this monologue to the situations of several real-life authors and artists from centuries past whose situations eventually take them on the kind of beyond-the-plane journeys that Moore has beautifully chronicled in Swamp Thing and Promethea.

This is, of course, only the beginning. There are expeditions into the land of dreams and beyond. The are brilliant symbols, imagery, and storytelling that chronicle as far back as the origins of mankind, forward to its ultimate destination, and how man’s relationship with sex and magic shape that destiny. All in 48 pages, no less.

At one point, Moore not only writes himself into the story briefly but also includes an encounter with a familiar comics character that he created back in the ’80s. And this encounter is not self-serving or illogical by any means; it fits into and even enhances the storyline. At every turn, this story continues to surprise and enlighten.

Which is not to say it’s for everyone. There is no better artist than Campbell for capturing the mood of the story, but his often scratchy and smudgy style is an acquired taste for many. And Moore’s narration, while brilliant, requires careful attention. The scope of the story makes it something that isn’t meant to be read quickly. Fans of his work, though, especially From Hell, will find this absolutely breathtaking.

— Jim Johnson

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Notes

Writer

Artist

#1

February, 2008
Cover Price: $5.95
3 copies available from $7.50

Alan Moore

Eddie Campbell