Comic Book Icon Slams Batman Writer in Explosive Remarks

It is clear that, for most comic book creators, working in this industry is a labor of love. However, that is not how the renowned Alan Moore feels about it, and he puts some of the blame on none other than Frank Miller.

In an interview with The Observer, Moore did not hold back from sharing his feelings about Miller, summing it up in one sharply worded sentence.

"He’s one of the reasons I’m embarrassed to be connected with the comics industry."

The V for Vendetta creator's jab — or, better yet, forceful impaling — at the author of graphic favorites like Sin City and 300 comes out of his latest of many condemnations of the comic book industry during the interview. While his love for the medium itself has not waned, he considers the business behind it to be "poisonous," which is why he walked away from it completely a few years ago.

Moore has even voiced a few personal regrets about his comic book career, such as his belief that the 1988 classic, Batman: The Killing Joke, is his worst effort. However, that does not seem to perturb him as much as the work of Miller, whom he was reportedly on friendly terms with at one point before making enemies with him by branding his themes as "misogynistic," "homophobic," and "fascist," in response to Miller's disparaging comments about the Occupy movement in 2011.

Miller and Moore came to prominence around the same time and are both credited with dramatically changing the comic book medium and helping it earn respect among more mature readers, and in the same year at that. Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which turns 40 this year, once received praise from Moore, whose groundbreaking 12-part miniseries Watchmen also launched in 1986.

There is very little chance of hearing Moore speak highly of The Dark Knight Returns during its anniversary this year, however. It is probably best not to anticipate hearing Miller speak highly of Watchmen as it reaches the same milestone either, especially after experiencing just about the most brutal blow from his feud with one of the most celebrated contemporaries yet.

Alan Moore Has A New Book Coming Out In 2026

Moore no longer shares his talents with the comic book medium, leaving behind a stellar legacy that includes his acclaimed run of Swamp Thing in the 1980s and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. However, fans of his work who also enjoy reading prose are in luck.

The English-born anarchist's interview with The Observer was in promotion for his new novel, I Hear a New World, from Bloomsbury Publishing. It is the second in his Long London series, which debuted in 2024 with The Great When, the story of a teenage bookseller whose discovery of a non-existent text in late 1940s England puts him on a magical adventure involving multiple realities.

In the sequel to the much-praised book, this time set in 1958, the protagonist, Dennis Knuckleyard, has focused his attention away from the fantastic "other" London he once discovered, only to be lured back into it after rediscovering a key to the alternate reality he tried to safely hide in his world. Suddenly, creatures from this disparate reality begin making themselves at home in his world, creating chaos that he, along with his crush, Grace, must race to contain.

Meanwhile, Frank Miller has a new book of his own coming out in July 2026. His memoir, called Push the Wall: My Life, Writing, Drawing, and the Art of Storytelling, offers lessons he has learned from his decades as a comic book creator.

Alan Moore's I Hear A New World releases on May 21.