One of the most ground-breaking and literate comic series of all-time is finally collected in one mammoth volume, showcasing the very best in modern storytelling and painted artwork. This adult fairy tale is a work that evokes comparison with Lewis Carroll & William Blake. Born in an intergalactic zoo and raised on the romantic works of Byron and Shelley, Moonshadow is suddenly kicked out of his home at the age of fourteen into an uncaring cosmos. He embarks on a journey which takes him not only to different planets, but also to the farthest reaches of the human heart. Contains adult themes and nudity.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I consider myself a well read fellow. With that in mind I say in all honesty that Moonshadow is the most moving and important books I have ever read. Having first read the story as a teen in 1985 I identified strongly with the honest story telling of the transition of boy to man. Now this volume adds to the first by adding a story of Moonshadow's adult years. It is as brilliant and moving as the first and all the more meaningful to me now as I am maturing, as well.
HOWEVER: Be WARNED! The ending of the first story, Moonshadow's jouney to awakening, has been vandalized with a rewrite. The last pages have been stained with changed dialog and excessive narration that dilute the meaning and convert a thoughtful exploration of the transendant into a parade of cliche's. I recommend this book for the additional Moonshadow tale but, to get the full value from this wonderful tale one needs to seek out the original volumes with the original text and meaning.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My first experience with Moonshadow was some years ago, when a comic-adhesive friend of mine (to say he collected them would be an understatement - he seemed rather to magnetically draw them to his person) found the solitary first issue of Moonshadow in a bulk buy of his. We were both instantly fascinated with the caprice of the Gi'Doses, the wild characterization, and the whimsical tone. At the time (long before graphic novels of any kind were commonplace in our experience), we languished that this, like so many other series we had encountered piecemeal, would probably never be assembled into a single storyfor our enjoyment, and we would never learn what became of the story. Imagine my joy when, only recently, I stumbled upon the Compleat Moonshadow in a local bookstore. Gritting my teeth, I shelled out the dough, drove home, and read the entire story in one sitting. Bleary-eyed, I sent a message to my friend (the one above), informing him of the excellence of the series. A few notes of actual detail: the art is spectacular, a watercolor spread consistent in its ability to create forms carrying significant meaning even when 'abstract.' The narrative, as silly as it is serious, presents the reader with names and places so wacky they allow a childhood sentimentality, even while covering such mature topics as sexual innocence, the horror of war, and the evils of greed. Finally, the writing is, shall we say, large but no overwritten. It may tax the vocabulary of some readers on occasion (something I like, but know is not everyone's favorite), but it expresses complex ideas with as few words as possible (indeed - few words are rarely enough to cover such themes!) Overall, a touching and heartfelt story that ranks very high on my experience of comics, graphic novels, and other pictoral mediums.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The first thing is Muth's delicate, expressive watercolors. Even if you look at nothing else, this is a wonderful, sustained effort in visual story-telling. It tracks Moonshadow, the hero, from before his birth into his old age and death. The style perfectly captures sensuality, fear, and the sense of the bizarre.
The second is the story. It's baffling, by design, a product of hippie culture and the whims of whimsical and omnipotent beings. That really captures a lot of a kid's experience - with all-powerful adults acting in incomprehnsible ways. It has more, though: coming of age, destroying any romance there might be around war, and loving (and being loved by) people who aren't very lovable.
This book is thin, but includes over 400 pages of generally good color printing. The original 1980s comics are all here. So, unfortunately, is a 1997 accretion. It's a newer addition to the Moonshadow canon, also, illustrated by Muth. This add-on relies more on text than on illustration, and is painted in a rougher and more garish style. After the nuance and control of the original story, it's a let-down.
Anyone who like comic art should check into this. Anyone who likes good storytelling, where will is pitted against a universe with a sick sense of humor, should like it too. It's a true classic.
//wiredweird
The second is the story. It's baffling, by design, a product of hippie culture and the whims of whimsical and omnipotent beings. That really captures a lot of a kid's experience - with all-powerful adults acting in incomprehnsible ways. It has more, though: coming of age, destroying any romance there might be around war, and loving (and being loved by) people who aren't very lovable.
This book is thin, but includes over 400 pages of generally good color printing. The original 1980s comics are all here. So, unfortunately, is a 1997 accretion. It's a newer addition to the Moonshadow canon, also, illustrated by Muth. This add-on relies more on text than on illustration, and is painted in a rougher and more garish style. After the nuance and control of the original story, it's a let-down.
Anyone who like comic art should check into this. Anyone who likes good storytelling, where will is pitted against a universe with a sick sense of humor, should like it too. It's a true classic.
//wiredweird
Most Recent Customer Reviews
beautiful watercolors
Fantastic artwork, thought provoking writing. The only drawback being the size and legibility of some of the print (origional in larger format? Read more
Published 5 months ago by Raymond G. Schoch
A Piece of Literary and Illustrational Art
This is my favorite comic and graphic novel, besides Hayao Miyzaki's "Nausicaa". It is a moving and eloquently written story about what it means to grow up, and once grown, to live... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Sofia Penabaz
Disappointing
Having read other reviews my hopes for this work were high. But I found the blotchy style of artwork unattractive. Read more
Published 17 months ago by H. Muller
There Is No Reason To Read This Book
This book cannot entertain through plot, since it doesn't really have one--things just happen in succession, typically without the supposed protagonist's doing anything other than... Read more
Published on November 21, 2009 by Feo T.
You Will Never Look at Smiley Faces the Same Way Again
Does the story have a charming and youthful protagonist? - Will it play host to an irascible, yet somehow delightful, supporting cast? Read more
Published on February 15, 2009 by L. Salinas
Startling work, a unique masterpiece.
I'd finally tracked this down, as I'd lost out on collecting the entire series when it first appeared in 1985 (for some reason I never bought them... my loss). Read more
Published on January 14, 2004 by Christopher Wanko
Better reading
A very good read, especially for people who like a lot of Vertigo works (especially Neil Gaiman works). Read more
Published on June 20, 2001 by Ron Tothleben (tothleben@hotmail.com)
A work of art
I am reading the reviews people wrote for this book, and I am seeing some one star reviews, and I am wondering, "What are these people thinking? Read more
Published on February 24, 2000 by john knight
This book was insane
To put it bluntly, I found this book slow moving and boring. I don't have the trade paperback, but the 12 arc series. Read more
Published on December 24, 1999 by Jennifer Wainwright
Life Changing
I remember reading the series of books when I was younger - and it changed my perspective of life. I never had the complete series and have searched for it for years. Read more
Published on November 24, 1999 by "budga"
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