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The Mirror of Love
Alan Moore, creator of the popular comic book series Watchmen, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman and From Hell published an anthology in 1988 to fight the passage of Clause 28, a notoriously anti-gay law brought forth by Margaret Thatcher, prime minister of England at the time. Clause 28 intended to ban the mention of homosexuality or the promotion of homosexuality by public authorities. Public authorities included teachers in schools from elementary to university level. If a teacher mentioned that the author of a book or play was homosexual of if the material had any themes of homosexuality, the person could find themselves in trouble with the government in violation of this law. Alan Moore published AARGH! (Artists Against Rampant Government Homophobia) to respond to his law. His contribution to the anthology was an eight page strip entitled The Mirror of Love recounting the history of homosexuality. Top Shelf Comix along with Alan Moore has now published the original script in its entirety as a hard back book complete with photographs by Jose Villarrubia.
The Story
The Mirror of Love is presented as an epic poem rather than a traditional narrative story. The poem recounts stories about same sex love as experienced through figures of Western history, such as Sappho, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Oscar Wilde and many more.
Alan Moore and Jose Villarrubia are able to condense gay history into a beautifully written book coming in at 136 pages. They cover everything from same sex love at the dawn of humanity up through the AIDS crisis of today’s time. Through the magnificently written prose, they are able to embrace the triumphs and the heartbreak of persecution that gay people, both men and women, have experienced through the years.
In addition to the poem, there are several appendices. They appendices cover everything from a “Who’s Who” directory of historical figures mentioned in the poem, a list of the poems that were referenced in the book, the history of Clause 28 and a suggested reading list. I found the inclusion of these extensive appendices to be an excellent addition to the book, providing the opportunity for readers to learn more about gay history and culture.
Another feature that makes The Mirror of Love such a beautiful book is the choice by Top Shelf to have the pages sewn into the spine of the book rather than glued. This makes the book lie completely flat when opened rather than trying to close constantly, which is the outcome of a glued book spine. To have the pages sewn is a more expensive option and is a perfect example of the great care and love that went into publishing this important book.
Upon research, I learned that Clause 28 was repealed in 2003. Although painfully slow, the world is starting accept the validity and importance of gay individuals and couples in our world. The Mirror of Love gives the reader a poetic and visually stunning history lesson into the ongoing journey of gay people to be accepted in the world today. The saying “It is not important who you love but rather that you love” could not be expressed more brilliantly than within the pages of The Mirror of Love. .
10/10
The Artwork
The photographs by Jose Villarrubia can only be described as stunning. Villarrubia’s style is classic, yet gothic and visually arresting. I found that the photographs often made the powerful words that accompanied them resonate even stronger as I was reading and reflecting on the lines of this poem.
10/10
-Suzie Lackey |
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The Mirror of Love
Written By Alan Moore and Jose Villarrubia
Photographs by Jose Villarrubia
Review: The Book 10/10 The Artwork 10/10 Overall 10/10
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