Proving that mainstream comics could be infused with past literary/cultural ideals and still be bestsellers, the America's Best Comics imprint took the dilapidated superhero genre and created three vastly entertaining hybrids with Tom Strong, Promethea and Top Ten. Now, a stunning coup de grace is delivered with this masterful pairing of Victorian adventure fiction's greatest characters and the old war-horse of the super-group. With the stunning The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it would be no exaggeration to say that Alan Moore has produced a near-perfect piece of adventure fiction that is clever, literate, rich with excitement and hard to put down.It's 1898 and at the behest of M, the mysterious head of the secret Service, Campion Bond is dispatched to procure the services of Miss Mina Murray (nee Harker), adventurer Allan Quartermain, "Science-Pirate" Captain Nemo, Henry Jekyll (and his monstrous alter ego) and Hawley Griffin (a.k.a. the Invisible Man). Together, they must combat an insidious threat that will decide supremacy of the London skies, but their success may unleash a far greater threat. With no shortage of action, Moore and O' Neill sustain a high level of suspense, intrigue, mystery and terrific wit that all contribute to an indispensable read. O'Neill's art, so memorable in Marshal Law, produces a London filled with vivid, magnificent architecture and a malevolent atmosphere ripe with thrills and danger. An unmitigated triumph--pure and simple. --Danny Graydon
Proving that mainstream comics could be infused with past literary/cultural ideals and still be bestsellers, the America's Best Comics imprint took the dilapidated superhero genre and created three vastly entertaining hybrids with Tom Strong, Promethea and Top Ten. Now, a stunning coup de grace is delivered with this masterful pairing of Victorian adventure fiction's greatest characters and the old war-horse of the super-group. With the stunning The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it would be no exaggeration to say that Alan Moore has produced a near-perfect piece of adventure fiction that is clever, literate, rich with excitement and hard to put down.
It's 1898 and at the behest of M, the mysterious head of the secret Service, Campion Bond is dispatched to procure the services of Miss Mina Murray (nee Harker), adventurer Allan Quartermain, "Science-Pirate" Captain Nemo, Henry Jekyll (and his monstrous alter ego) and Hawley Griffin (a.k.a. the Invisible Man). Together, they must combat an insidious threat that will decide supremacy of the London skies, but their success may unleash a far greater threat. With no shortage of action, Moore and O' Neill sustain a high level of suspense, intrigue, mystery and terrific wit that all contribute to an indispensable read. O'Neill's art, so memorable in Marshal Law, produces a London filled with vivid, magnificent architecture and a malevolent atmosphere ripe with thrills and danger. An unmitigated triumph--pure and simple. --Danny Graydon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Overall Enjoyable:
I read a few of the bad reviews here as I always do first off to get the lay of the land and most of them seem to have a problem with the morality of the story and the art work. To me this is strange as the art work is it's strength and I didn't find the whole thing particularly immoral though the invisible man character is amoral but is meant to be so... ?!? Kevin O'Neill drew a lot for 2000 A.D. which I read as a kid and I personally like his style. Yes he isn't a classical artist, has funny ideas of... more info
Good Ole Fun, Chap!:
League of Extroadinary Gentlemen, although not my favorite, was good old Alan Moore fun. I rank it below Watchmen, but definately above V for Vendetta. It has great pacing and dialogue, which kept me reading through all the unfamiliarities. I haven't been a big fan of victorian novels, but I managed to "get into it" for this read. After watching the film and then reading the comic, I have to say the book is SOOOOO much better. It's brilliant in comparison, and I'm sad to see the film do so much injustice.... more info
This is a classic graphic novel:
I'd seen the movie before reading the original graphic novel. I must say, though entertaining, the movie doesn't come close to the storytelling found in Moore's book. As portrayed in the comic, Mina appears to be just a bad-ass chick who always wears a scarf and, despite the protestations of the men, becomes the leader of the team. Their adventures create an intriguingly convoluted tale, full of action and imagination. The over-the-top art suits the story and the steam punk setting perfectly.
Review of Moore League, Vol I:
Here, again, Moore suceeds with excellent storytelling, gathering an all-star cast of mythical English characters and arranging them for the reader's utmost enjoyment. This work, much like From Hell, presents another great satirization of Victorian culture. There are also a bunch of goodies in the back of this volume, not to be missed.
