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Writer Alan Moore famously considers two of his most famous comic book works, Watchmen and V for Vendetta, as stories he has since "disowned" for a variety of reasons, namely that he believes they've been misunderstood by a significant part of their readership. Even so, Moore isn't a stranger to voicing his opinions on the state of Western comics. 

In a recent interview with RetroFuturista, Moore unpacked his feelings about nostalgia, the continued popularity of Watchmen and V for Vendetta, and the current state of comics. 

"[Nostalgia is] probably a reliable commercial tool, however, in that as the world becomes more complex and overwhelming, more and more people seem to be retreating from their responsibility to help create a tolerable present by seeking refuge in an imagined idyllic past or in their own childhoods, when they felt safe and happy and as if they understood things. Nostalgia is, and always has been since the word was first coined, an illness. It literally means ‘homesickness,’ but in effect refers to all of our yearnings for a world that, with our serial view of time, we feel we have inevitably and irrecoverably lost," Moore said. 

Moore also isn't keen on the legacy that Watchmen and V for Vendetta have garnered in Western comics. "Admittedly, with both [Watchmen and V for Vendetta], some of their subsequent American adaptations, prequels, sequels etc. have gone some way to convincing me that a majority of my comic work has probably never been understood by perhaps a majority of its mainstream superhero-fan audience. This is not their fault or mine, it’s just a misunderstanding that it has taken me too many decades to become aware of or rectify." 

But what of comics today? "I'm surprised to hear that [the superhero genre has] been strengthened, as from the sales figures I hear, I’d assumed that the genre was on its last spandex-clad legs, but what do I know? As suggested above, the whole field and that sub-genre in particular aren’t things that I keep up with or have an interest in anymore." 

So, is it safe to assume that Moore hasn't been keeping up with Absolute Batman?

Get ready for what's next with our list to upcoming comics and how to buy comics at a comic shop, and our guide to all the free comics you can get with this year's Free Comic Book Day 2026 and Comics Giveaway Day 2026.