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| Albion | 
 enlarge | Authors: Alan Moore, Leah Moore, John Reppion, Shane Oakley
Publisher: Titan Books Ltd
Category: Book
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Format: Import
Media: Paperback
Pages: 144
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 10 x 6.5 x 0.5
ISBN: 1845763513
EAN: 9781845763510
ASIN: 1845763513
Publication Date: January 26, 2007
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| Customer Reviews:
 AMAZING ALBION January 16, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
WOW what a book, the main story is excellent and incorporates characters from some old english comics.This edition has some excerpts from the original comics this book was based on, a trip down memory lane. well worth buying
 Why did DC even bother? December 3, 2007
I was thrilled when I heard back in 2004 that DC would be taking on the IPC characters from British comics. While I had never read any of their original adventures, I was familiar with their thinly-disguised versions in Paul Grist's excellent JACK STAFF series. As a result, I had a soft spot for the Spider, the Steel Claw, Robot Archie, and others, and I was very happy hearing that they would be in the extremely capable hands of comics superstar Alan Moore. Alas, that's not quite what DC gave us. While Moore did help to develop the plot, his daughter Leah and her husband John Reppion are the actual writers, and I feel that they aren't up to his level of craft.
The story involves a mystery behind various British comics heroes and villains: that their "fictional" adventures are true, being based on people whose existence has been erased from the public consciousness. It has the feel of a Silver Age DC Earth-one adventure, in that actual British writers and artists are incorporated into the story, acknowledging that these characters are real. I'm a sucker for storytelling that blurs the line between fantasy and reality, so this worked very well for me; however, there are too many problems that kept me from enjoying it overall. A big issue I have with this story is the lack of references as to who these characters are. As DC is an American comic publisher, it would seem logical that a large amount of effort would need to be put into character development in order for the story to appeal and/or make sense to American readers. Well, you won't find it here, nor is much provided in the selection of classic reprints that make up the final section of the book. L. Moore and Reppion take too much for granted, so readers are left on their own to figure out who these characters are and what the references mean. Honestly, I had done quite a bit of research on them prior to reading this book, and even I had a difficult time with it. But even worse is that the events in the story are just too convenient - how could such a massive conspiracy be solved so easily? Shane Oakley's art is too cartoonish, and it's difficult to tell who is who, at times. In fact, comparing it to the beautiful artwork in the classic reprints, it's really a shame that a more capable artist wasn't used.
In closing, this book was a letdown. It amazes me that DC would take the time to work out a deal with IPC and then handle these characters so poorly. If you want to see them handled properly, check out the aforementioned JACK STAFF series - the whole thing is quite good! In addition, Titan Books currently has some of their original adventures in print: KING OF CROOKS/THE SPIDER, THE STEEL CLAW, and ALBION ORIGINS (includes Kelly's Eye, Dolmann, Janus Stark, and Cursitor Doom). These oversize hardcovers are available through Amazon UK.
Amazing April 13, 2008
Albion is a bit confusing to a Yank like me. The comics discussed are British in origin, but are no less fascinating. The writing is gripping and the art is fantastic. It has made me want to learn more about these characters, and can be considered another feather in Moore's cap.
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