alan moores novel use of pov

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Alan Moores Novel Use of Point of View

http://foxhugh.com/2013/03/30/alan-moores-novel-use-of-point-of-view/

Alan Moore is one of the top comic book writers of all time. Alan Moore uses many specialized

techniques to entertain the reader includingsuperhero universe rebootsbut another technique he

uses to make his stories especially engrossing is the novel use ofpoint of view(POV) in hisnarrative. Moore uses alien POV, hallucinogenic POV, intelligent ethically ambiguous POV,

stream of consciousness POV, and a story within a story POV in order to make his fiction moreinteresting.

Alien POV

Dr. Manhattanis Superman type character in the seriesWatchmenand exists simultaneously inthe past, present and future as part of his superhuman condition. Dr. Manhattan may have been

human at one point but due to an accident became a being that is growing distant from

humanity. Ozymandias on Dr. Manhattan, If theres one thing in this cosmos that that man isntcapable of doing its having a political bias. Believe me you have to meet him to understand. I

mean, which do you prefer, red ants or black ants? Dr. Manhattan can also make multiple

versions of himself and does this for practical purposes but also because this is a point of viewthat he finds interesting. Dr. Manhattan can perceive subatomic particles that exist for

nanoseconds. Dr. Manhattan has developed a nihilistic view of reality due to his superhumanperceptions that is shared by very few human beings but The Comedian is one of them (see

Figure 1 below).
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Figure 1- Watchmen #4 (of 12) Page 20

Dr. Manhattan is so removed from the human POV that he almost does not intervene to save the

world from WW III (see Figure 2)!below
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Figure 2 Watchmen #9 (of 12) Page 11

And true love does not change his mind but instead he has some sort of eureka experience related

to human individuality relative to probability (see Figure 3 below) and this insight causes him to

try to stop WW III.
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The Swamp Thing discovers inSwamp Thing, v2, #21,the first issue of this character that AlanMoore wrote, that he is actually a plant not a human and this knowledge causes him to change

how he views humanity and temporarily flip out and commit his first murder. Alan Mooredecides to turn a superhero that was a man with plant features into a plant period with a plantPOV! This story is aptly titled The Anatomy Lesson and is a POV driven plot (see Figure 4

below).
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Figure 4 Swamp Thing V2 #21 Page 13

Alan Moore decided a superhero even more removed from humanity would be more interesting.The Swamp Thing can also perceive and move through The Green which is some sort of

dimension that contains the consciousness of all plant life. As a plant and later an elemental, the

Swamp Thing sees the human struggle between good and evil in a larger transhuman context.Humans are one of many species and the welfare of humans at the expense of the environment is

not acceptable.

In a two issue story arc, the story is told from the POV of an alien that happens to be an

Earthling! InMysteries in Space, Swamp Thing, v2, #57andExiles Swamp Thing, v2, #58,
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Adam Strange is the hero of planetRann. The inhabitants are more advanced than Earthlingsand have difficulty doing primitive things like fighting and procreating. Adam Strangehas

slowly become aware that theRannianssee him as an ape-man errand boy and the statute erected

in his honor as the hero of Rann is a faade to flatter him into doing their bidding. There is

plenty of action in the story but Adam Stranges internal dialogue about he is perceived in theRannians is actually more interesting. In the end his relatively, to Earthlings, Rannian girlfriend,

Alanna Strange,is found to be pregnant and this is the first pregnancy in quite some time onRann. The Earthling alien has done the job he was probably recruited and manipulated for

in the first place (see Figure 5 below)!
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Another story of Swamp Thing tells the story totally from the point of view of an alien! In

Loving the Alien, Swamp Thing, v2, #60,an alien that is a planet made of biomechanical
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material is telling the story of her courtship of the Swamp Thing. I guess alien biomechanicalplanets have a hard time finding suitable mates and all prior attempts at failed and often caused

the death of the potential mate. Swamp Thing tried to escape but she used a chronofracture

which reverses time to get a second chance at catching the Swamp Thing and she has her way

with him. She transfers all the information biological and otherwise into her reproductive systemand voila little baby aliens that want to hear the story of their mothers courtship and mom

wonders if dad would love his children if he had gotten to know them (see Figure 6 below)!


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Miracleman is another Superman type character radically rebooted by Alan Moore who reflects

on his superhuman condition has changed how he views the world. Even his father who is a
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genius by human standards cannot understand the perspective of Miracleman in the opinion of

Miracleman (see Figure 7 below).

Figure 7 Miracleman 07 #1440 Page 16

Miraclemans perceptions evolve and he recognizes his superhuman condition probably

distances him from humanity and he sees this as a negative (see Figure 8 below).
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The Miraclemans universe includes two alien empires including the Qys and theWarpsmiths.

The Qys can change bodies the way we change clothes and this radically changes their sense of

self. This ability changes the aesthetic of the Qys so radically that they are ruled by what to ahuman would seem like a giant monster (see Figure 9 below).
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The Warpsmiths have the power of teleportation and with this power also perceive time very

differently than humans. There are hints that this power changes how they perceive the universe

and their role in the universe (See Figure 10 below).
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Figure 10 A1 Ghost Dance Warpsmiths

For Alan Moore, superpowers are not just tools for fighting crime but create sensibilities that

change POV radically. The daughter of Miracleman realizes that Miraclemans perspective is

too human for her growth and development as a superhuman and leaves her father to go live with

the Qys despite being a newborn (see Figure 11 below).
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Skizzis a character that Alan Moore created for2000 AD. Skizz resembles anE.T.the movie

sort of alien and one biker actually refers to Skizz as being like E.T. in the movie. Skizz is aninterpreter and not very formidable physically and we get to see Earth from the point of view of

an alien that finds us barbaric (see Figure 12 below).
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Figure 12 Skizz Page 14

More than any other comic book that I am familiar with, the story of Skizz revolves around the

POV of an alien rather than relying on action for plot delivery.

InSwamp Thing v2, #32, Pog, Alan Moore treats us to an alien that in a manner similar toSkizz provides an alien point of view in which we are seen as barbarian but even more than that

a savage planet. On the planet of Pog, even different species of animals coexist but in our planet

a cartoonish crocodile will be eaten real crocodiles (see Figure 13 below).
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There is ametafictionalaspect to Pog since Moore is comparing two types of comic bookuniverse not just aliens and Earthlings. The comic stripPogouniverse of Walt Kelly is being

compared with the grittierVertigouniverse that Swamp Thing inhabits.

InSwamp Thing v2, #61, All Flesh is Grass,Swamp Thing meets a Green Lantern (Medphyll)on his alien home world in which plant life is sentient. The titleAll Flesh is Grassis from the

Bible and refers to the transitory nature of existence. The story is told from the POV of

Medphyll and the reader is treated to a description of an alien world of sentient plants and the art,religion and plant based architecture of the planet are described in detail. The Green Lantern

oath reflects the plant POV of the ring bearer:

In forest dark or glade beferned,

No blade of grass shall go unturned.Let those that have the daylight spurned,

Tread not where this green lamp has burned.

The Swamp Thing is the horror from the stars in this story and we are reminded that what is a

hero or a monster is a matter of perspective. The Swamp Thing inhabits the form of Medphylls

deceased and beloved teacher Jothra and the Swamp Thing and the reader are given a tour of this

very interesting planet (See figure 14 below).

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Aliens like Dr. Manhattan, the Swamp Thing, Miracleman, Skizz and Pog view the world in aradically different way that in turn change how they think. Super powers do not just let the

character smash mountains but change how the characters perceive mountains and this is actually

often more interesting.

Alan Moore wrote three stories about theGreen Lantern CorpsforDC Comics. In the story In

Blackest Story, Tales of the Green Lantern CorpsAnnual #3 (1987),the Green LanternKatma

Tuihas a very difficult time explaining the whole concept of the bright light of Green Lanternsfighting darkness because the alien,Rot Lop Fan, Katman Tui is talking to cannot see and has

no concept of light (see Figure 15 below).
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InMogo Doesnt Socialize, Green Lantern, v2, #188,the bad guy cannot find the GreenLantern until he realizes the Green LanternMogois not an inhabitant of the planet but the planet

itself (see Figure 16 below)!
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Figure 16 Mogo Doesnt Socialize, Green Lantern #188, v2 Page 6

InTygers, Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #2(1986), a hyper rational GreenLantern,Abin Sur,fails to understand how a demon of theEmpire of Tears,Qull of the Five

Inversions, can use his perceptual abilities that combine clairvoyance, cunning and anunderstanding of mortal psychological weaknesses in order to create a death trap with wordsalone. Abin Sur feels protected by his scientific world view but in fact the supremely evil POV

of the demon allows the demon to murder Abin Sur even though the demon is imprisoned and

should be helpless (see Figure 17 below).
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Figure 17 Tygers, Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #2 Page 12
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In all three Green Lantern Corps stories, there are two aliens that have such radically differentstates of being that their POV makes mutual understanding difficult. The Green Lantern Corps

are aliens. Moore realized the rich potential in exploring the alien side of the Green Lantern

Corps rather than treating them like Earth based super humans that happen to look funny due to a

third eye or some other cosmetic difference between the alien and us. The Green Lantern Corpsstories are even more POV centric than the other superhero stories mentioned previously.

Alan Moore develops the Alien POV idea even further in the Omega Men series. TheOmegaMenare a team of extraterrestrial superheroes in a solar system other than that of Earth called the

Vegan system. Alan Moore did two back stories for the series that take place in the Vegan

system but do not involve the Omega Men directly. InBrief Lives, Omega Men#26,the

Spider Guild,giant intelligent spiders, try to conquer giant aliens in the planet Ogyptu that livefor millennia and move, think and perceive the world at a glacial pace, literally. The entire

invasion by the Spider Guild over a thirty year period is barely perceived by the giants. The

invasion fails because the POV of the giants is so radically different than that of the Spider Guild

that the invasion cannot even be perceived and therefore cannot be successful (see figure 18below).
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Figure 18 Brief Lives, Omega Men #26 Page 27

InA Mans World, Omega Men#27,a female xenobiologist, or possibly an anthropologistsince she mentions the rules of inter-system anthropology, studies a tribe called the Culacaons

that reproduce minus women. The female alien named Leelyo pays the ultimate price for notunderstanding the POV of the males in the tribe. After probably three rereads, the reader figuresout that the males of the Culacaons stab giant snails and plant their babies into the giant snails.

The reader can infer that the Culcaon male stabs

poor Leelyo and probably deposits the children in her body after stabbing withher with his Gamugha stick. Apparently, the male tribesman sees the female alien not as a fellow

humanoid but as more similar to the giant snails and deserving similar treatment. From the POVof the male Culacaon Leelyo is more like the giant snails than like him! This story is widely

dismissed as a very poor story. However, if you reread the story then the horrible truth of the

story becomes apparent and the true meaning of the title, A Mans World becomes

horrifyingly apparent (see Figure 19 below)!
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Figure 19 A Mans World, Omega Men #27 Page 24
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Hallucinogenic POV

Swamp Thing was radically changed during his tenure under Alan Moore. The Alan Moore

Swamp Thing has tubers growing from his body that more or less has the same effects as

peyote. In Rite of Spring,Swamp Thing v2, #34,the Swamp Thing gives his girlfriendAbbyArcanea tuber in order to educate her about his perception of the Earth via The Green (see

Figure 20 below).


In The Return of the Good Gumbo,Swamp Thingv2, #64,the Swamp Thing again gives hissoon to be wife Abby Arcane a tuber to eat since nothing says love like hallucinogenic tubers.

Abby is literally eating a part of her lover and has hallucinations that help her understand how

the Swamp Thing perceives the world and they also have really good sex (see Figure 21 below)!
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In Windfall,Swamp Thingv2, # 43a hippie named Chester found a tuber lying around the

swamp and brought it to Baton Rouge. Pieces of the tuber end up in a woman named Sandy

painfully dying of cancer and she hallucinates a luminous body free of pain and is transported to

a radiant heaven like garden in which she dies in the arms of her husband (see Figure 22 below).
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A sleazy drug pusher named Milo has a really bad trip and hallucinates some of the very uglyand evil villains the Swamp Thing has encountered. The tubers as parts of the Swamp Thing

apparently contain the memories of the Swamp Thing at some level (see Figure 23 below).
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When Chester finds out what happened to Sandy and Milo he theorizes that the tubers bring out

what is in your as a person. Good people have good trips. Bad people have bad trips.Chester ponders whether or not to take what is left of the tuber and decides not to.

InV is for Vendetta,the lead detective, Eric Finch takes LSD at the shut down concentration

camp Larkhill. The psychedelic imagery used is disturbing and unnerves the reader. Finch

hallucinates the naked torsos of a man and a woman perched on barbed wire (see Figure 24

below).
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the empty suit explains to Superman that he is dying and furthermore that he is nothing special.Superman seems to suffer fromSurvivor guiltwhich manifests in his hallucinations (see Figure

25 below).

Figure 25 DC Comics Presents #85 Page 13

Swamp Thing can enter the hallucinatory world of Superman because this world is in part

generated by a plant, strictly speaking a fungus is not a plant, and the Swamp Thing takes

Superman into The Green which breaks contact with the scarlet jungle of the fungus Supermanwas dying in. In this plant dimension the Swamp Thing soothes Superman so he can sleep and

this allows Superman to recover.
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In all the stories examined, the person hallucinating does gain insight that is often helpful. Thehallucinations are not always pleasant but generally reveal truths rather than being random and

meaningless.

Intelligent Ethically Ambiguous POV

Generally in comic books the hero is simplistically good and the villain is simplistically bad.Alan Moore departs from this practice and presentsantiheros. Comic books have any number of

muscular tough guy antiheros like ThePunisherandWolverinebut generally ruthless intelligentcharacters are invariably super villains. Alan Moore uses intelligent antiheroes that present a

compelling argument for ruthless action.

Ozymandiasis a major character in Moore series Watchmen. Ozymandias is considered the

smartest man in the world. This very intelligence forces him to see the world differently than his

fellow superheroes that are not as intelligent. Ozymandias is at the upper limits of human

intelligence but probably does not possess super intelligence. The only Watchmen superhero toreally agree with the actions of Ozymandias to save the world is Dr. Manhattan who probably

possesses out and out super intelligence. Ozymandias manages to save the world from WW III

but kills millions in New York do accomplish this task. The reader is allowed to share thetriumph of Ozymandias directly and the background picture of Alexander the Great cutting the

Gordian Knot is intentional (See Figure 27 below).
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V inV is for Vendettais an antihero and is a powerful fighter but what makes him reallydangerous is his super intelligence. V uses strategy to take apart the fascist party Norsefire that

rules Great Britain. V commits various acts that may be considered unethical. V kills a Bishop,Anthony Lilliman. However, the bishop is also a pedophile so thats probably ok. V kills adoctor, Delia Surredige. Dr. Surredige has clearly repented for her sins in the concentration

camp V was in. Killing a woman is generally not done by heroes. Killing someone who has

reformed is also not generally done by comic book characters. V also kills the hired help ofNorsefire that happens to be in the way. V doesnt do comic book things like use stun guns, non

lethal Karate chops, or shoot their pistols out of the hands of henchmen. Generally V throwsknives into the hearts of the henchmen. Killing the hired help is something the Punisher and

Wolverine also do so this is not new ground for a comic book antihero. V does imprison and

torture Evey, a girl he had saved previously, and even used as a side kick. Evey is clearly aninnocent. V tortures her to set her free by toughening her up! V does provide the reader with a

very eloquent defense of his actions (See Figure 28 below).
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Figure 28 V For Vendetta #5 Page 9

V and Ozymandias are intelligent men that employ ruthless means to accomplish noble ends and

we are privy to their thought processes which generally is the POV of a super villain like Doctor
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Doom not a hero and this use of POV forces the reader to go beyond the simple structures of

good and evil normally associated with comic books even comic books with antiheros.

Stream of Consciousness POV

Comic book writers did not employstream of consciousnessin early comic books. The use of

stream of consciousness is a narrative technique that is employed more and more in comic booksin the present. Alan Moore makes extreme use of an interior monologue in all of his comic

books. Rorschachsinternal monologue is used extensively in Watchmen. However, Alan

Moore pushes the comic book envelope of stream of consciousness in A Small Killing.

Alan Moore has used a stream of consciousness POV exclusively inA Small Killingand thenarrative the use of images from the inner world of the protagonist. There is very little action in

A Small Killing and we follow the protagonist as he is haunted by a ghost like child that is

presumably a hallucination of himself as a child. However, there is a hint that the child might be

an actual ghost rather than a hallucination (see Figure 29 below).
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Figure 29 A Small Killing Page 11

Incredibly I didnt care about the nature of the child because the protagonist is an unlikeable

whiner and I am sad that the ghost child did not succeed in killing the protagonist. A slowread that is POV technique driven to the point that reading pleasure is sacrificed for art. The

favorite device for exploring stream of consciousness for Moore seems to be via the use of
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hallucinogens by the characters in his stories which is already discussed in detail in the prior

section of this essay.

Story within a Story POV

Alan Moore often employs themetafictionaldevice of a story within a story in order to give his

narrative added depth and complexity. In Watchmen, one of the children is reading a comicbook about pirates called theTales of the Black Freighterand the bleakness of the story makes

the already real story of the Watchmen even more nihilistic and acts a plot juxtaposition

device.

Miracleman was programmed in a reality that resembled a superhero comic book. Theadventures of the Miracleman family in this virtual reality can in turn be self contained stories.

There was aMarvelmancomic book published in Great Britain in the fifties and from the

perspective of the Moore series, those adventures took place in a virtual reality which explains

the lack of reality in those adventures. Miracleman is also a comic book fan and comic booksare part of the narrative but this device was exploited more by other writers after Moore such as

Neil GaimaninMiracleman: Apocrypha.

Alan Moores Supremehas many metafictional layers but I will stick to the story within a storyelements. In the Supreme comic book, Moores Supreme has the secret identity of Ethan Crane

who works Dazzle Comics on a character named Omniman that is being rebooted. In reality,

Supreme is a Superman character that is being rebooted by Alan Moore. The comic book withina comic book is a parallel story! Eventually Supreme even has a fight with his own comic book

creation in Supreme#53. Supreme becomes a character in a comic book that fights Omniman

(see Figure 30 below) but of course there is a logical explanation and a Szazs, aMister

Mxyzptlk, clone, is the cause.
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relative tospeech bubblescompared to other writers and this shows that POV is more important

to Alan Moore than other writers.

Many of Alan Moores comic books have been made into movies including some discussed here

(Watchmen, V is for Vendetta). The art and text attempting to show the POV of Dr. Manhattan isone of the high points of this series that was not really explored in the movie and this lack of the

comic book POV devices made the movie less interesting in many ways than the comic book

series the film was derived from.
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alan moores novel use of pov

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