Review: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

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Details: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Author: Allan Moore. Artist: Kevin O'Neill.America's Best Comics. Wildstorm.com

Both reviewed items are for Mature Readers due to violence, language, and sexuality. This Hub article complies with standards and contains no objectionable passages or imagery.

My introduction to the "gents" was not an extraordinary one, like many in the audience. There was a recent film version of the clever and enthralling novels that the author Alan Moore hated. Most who saw it can't blame him, it was indeed mediocre at best. But it is this reviewer's hope that the sins of the film do not reflect poorly on the "parent" novels, which are beautifully illustrated and skillfully written. There is no Sean Connery, but there is a funny stinging satire of James Bond in the volume, "Black Dossier."

London, 1898. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Volume 1.

While the books themselves are intriguing, the main draw is the quality of stars. The League itself is comprised of hunter Allan Quatermain, Mina Murray of Stoker's immortal Dracula , Jekyll and Hyde, The Invisible Man, and Captain Nemo of the Nautilus (who is much scarier and interesting than in the film.) There are also brief cameos by a famed sleuth and his nemesis, who returned to the public's consciousness courtesy of Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr.

The graphic design of the novels alone is reason to add them to your shelf. They are faithful to articles and sensationalist publications of the era with witty headlines and passages and aged sepia-tone coloring. There are splash pages of "Weird Tale" or "Penny Dreadful" inspired covers to further the atmosphere

An interesting quirk of the books is that sound effects are not distinguished by written text. That is to say if a weapon fires, a punch is received etc there are no words of "blam" "pow" or otherwise. It's quite relaxing, aside from being inventive.

The League faces two fiends in Volume 1, both intent on causing destruction in London with a pilfered scientific weapon, leading to an exciting climax aboard an airship.

1950s Britain. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier.

Despite the difference in years, readers will still enjoy the menacing environment and fantastic events in Black Dossier.

A mysterious fair couple has stolen a Top Secret file from the British Government detailing the exploits of The League of Extraordinary Gentleman (and a few other racy narratives :-) What can be their purpose. Three agents are sent to retrieve the article, including a hilarious but unflattering take on 007.

The series' brilliant graphic design continues in a graphic novel that is part-government brief, part- trashy picture book, part epic comic strip, and of course, part-standard comic book relating the events of the cat-and-mouse game. It's a veritable buffet of text and images, complete with 3-D glasses for some parts of the book.

"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is a devilishly fun reading experience and should not be judged too harshly by those who disliked the film.

More volumes in the series exist. I only reviewed these two because I own them. Fans of War of the Worlds, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and the life of Aleister Crowley will want to read the others.

If you liked reading this article/review please click on my name and check out my other reviews and opinion pieces. Thanks and have a good day! N.M.

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For this article, Copyright Nicholas Malizia 2010.