By d. emerson eddy — Steve Moore may be a name you're unfamiliar with. Although I'm sure I'd read some of his previous work, it was his collaborations with Alan Moore (no relation) on the America's Best Comics line, particularly his stories in Tom Strong's Terrific Tales, that really brought him to my attention. He's credited as the originator of the Future Shocks feature for 2000 AD, co-creator of Axel Pressbutton (with Alan Moore), Abslom Daak (with Steve Dillon) for Doctor Who Weekly, and as a prolific writer of shorts across British comics, equally adept at pulp adventures, sci-fi, and fantasy. He sadly passed away in 2014, which prompted a tribute book from 2000 AD, collecting his various Tales of Telguuth stories.

Telguuth is a world of magic and war, with kings, queens, princes, magicians, and sorcerers fighting over dominion for the planet's resources and cities. The world was introduced first in 2000 AD Prog 1191 in “A Little Knowledge” by Moore, Greg Staples, and Steve Potter. The story is told through an ambitious magician making a deal with a demon to learn knowledge of heaven and hell. In addition to a tour of Telguuth, touching on its setting within the universe and the forces fighting over it, the tale sets up the kind of template, in terms of characters and narrative flow, that many of the subsequent stories will take. Basically spotlighting an ambitious, often morally ambiguous or outright evil, protagonist, other sorts of evils, and an O. Henry-like ending.

Many of the stories follow this format, but it never feels boring or repetitive, even when you read a good chunk of them in one go. If anything, it actually often gives a kind of anticipation to see what kind of comeuppance or end the protagonists often receive, with the stories delivering some very unique and inventive consequences. Standouts include “The Bride of Ballakruz-Krim” (with Dean Ormston and Potter), “The Transfiguration of Tesro Karnik” (with Siku and Annie Parkhouse), and “The Oscillations of Taramasellion” (with Siku and Ellie De Ville”). To me, there's a feel to the stories that's reminiscent of Heavy Metal, Conan, and the works of Michael Moorcock, with a darkly humorous bent.

Greg Staples sets a very high bar with the artwork for the first story, delivering some captivating layouts in addition to the beautifully painted art. It sets a precedent for high fantasy, muscle-bound characters and lush landscapes. That high bar is maintained, however, by a rogues gallery of some of 2000 AD's best in Carl Critchlow, Siku, Paul Johnson, Siku, and others. Most of the stories are fully painted, but some of the latter tales with art from Jon Haward and John Stokes changes the format a bit with colors from Angus McKie. These latter stories give me even more of the feel of Conan and what I often think when I envisage of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd & The Gray Mouser stories.

Overall, Tales of Telguuth from Moore and a host of phenomenal artists, colorists, and letterers is a wild exploration of a dark fantasy world, where the weird and the wonderful collide in brutal power plays. It's a fitting tribute to Steve Moore's legacy and an entertaining entry point if you're new to his works. You also get a who's who of artists to track down other works for too.

Classic Comic of the Week: Tales of Telguuth

Tales of Telguuth
Writer: Steve Moore
Artists: Greg Staples, Paul Johnson, Siku, Simon Davis, Dean Ormston, Carl Critchlow, Stefano Cardoselli, Jon Haward, Jon Stokes, Clint Langley, & David Kendall
Colorists: Rita Gorgoni & Angus McKie\
Letterers: Steve Potter, Annie Parkhouse, Ellie De Ville, Tom Frame
Publisher: Rebellion
In March 2014, British comics lost one of its most creative and distinct voices in the form of Steve Moore. Inventor of the Future Shock, Steve created many other memorable comic book characters, including Axel Pressbutton and the psychotic Dalek killer, Abslom Daak and worked on such landmark publications as Sounds, Warrior and the Fortean Times. 
This collection features the highly-regarded fantasy series Tales of Telguuth which Moore developed and wrote for 2000 AD.
Release Date: March 11, 2015
Price: $9.99
More Info: Tales of Telguuth

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.