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Tom Strong

 #2: Return of the Modular Man

 

Writer: Alan Moore
Pencils: Chris Sprouse
Inks: Al Gordon
Colors: Tad Ehrlich
Lettering: Todd Klein

Cover date: July 1999

Plot Summary:
Fortnum und Mason Funt, two teenage nerd twin brothers find a construction plan for a mysterious module on the internet. They manage to build this module, but soon it starts replicating itself. It's growing and growing and soon their whole building is covered with metallic components. Tom Strong is called for help, but his daughter Tesla has to jump in because Tom is on planet Venus at this moment.

Tesla remembers her family having fought the so-called Modular Man back in 1987. This villain is a virtual super-brain consisting of thousands of single modules. Starting at the Funt's house, more and more buildings get covered with modules and one skyscraper transforms into a giant face - the Modular Man!

Finally Tom returns to the Earth and manages to enter the Modular Man's central unit and talk to him. This is the point where an "ordinary" superhero comic would show us some action-packed fight scenes. But Tom takes a different approach: he gets rid of MM using arguments and offering a deal to him.

 

Comments:
This issue is heavily featuring Tom's supporting cast, his wife and daughter as well as the funny sidekicks Pneuman and King Solomon, who add a lot of humor to the series through their constant quarreling. The actual story ain't bad, but for Alan Moore it's below average. Anyway, the art is great, the lettering (giving almost every character its own font or balloon style) is remarkable, and we have a very nice cover imitating a science magazine.