The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 2

In offering this tale Moore is ably complimented by Kevin O'Neill, whose artwork offers a lush visualization of Moore's alternate Victorian Britain. Like the first volume, the panels are loaded with visual references to the fantastic literature of the previous centuries, suggesting that the extraordinariness of this world is not limited to the central characters. Deciphering the references - which has sparked much discussion on the Web - is part of the enjoyment of reading this book, and it left me amazed at the breadth of both Moore's and O'Neill's range of reading. It is only one of the many ways in which the reader is rewarded when delving into this fantastic work.


The League of Extraordinary Gentlmen vs. Invaders from Mars   December 18, 2003
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Actually, my copy of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume 2" collects the six issues put out by Mr. Alan Moore & Mr. Kevin O'Neill courtesy of America's Best Comics over the past year or so. Consequently it has nothing to do with the movie, which seems fair since the movie, just released on DVD, had relatively little to do with what now has to be referred to as Volume 1 of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." But then the movie merely copied the idea of the comics without capturing the magic.

The great conceit that Moore and O'Neill came up with was to create a late 19th-century version of a group of superheroes based on literary creations from that time period (in many ways the opposite of the legendary "Watchmen" series). Back again are the core group: Allan Quatermain from H. Rider Haggard's "She," Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," Mina Murray from Bram Stoker's "Dracula," Edward Hyde from Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Hawley Griffin from H.G. Wells's "The Invisible Man." The works of Wells become a major factor in Volume 2 as two more of his science fiction novels are worked into the tale. The first is "The War of the Worlds," as the League is called upon to save England from the Martian tripods. The second plays a decisive role in saving the day, but I think that deserves to be a surprise for the reader.

Things do not work as well the second time around, partly because the novelty of the idea has worn off and also because the members of the League are not particularly well suited to dealing with invaders from Mars. That might explain why the soap opera elements are a bit more prominent this time around as Miss Mina becomes romantically entangled with one of the gentlemen and Hyde kicks Jekyll out of the picture. Actually Hyde becomes the most interesting character in this story, although you will need a strong stomach to read about how he deals with the group's traitor. For that matter, you should be forewarned that this trade paperback might look like a collection of comic books, but these are not for little kids. This is not as intense as "From Hell," but Moore's readers have long known that he only provides stories that have mature content. Even when Moore is not blazing new territory or reinventing the wheel in some interesting way, he is still worth reading.

The stories are still presented as if they were being published late in the Victorian era, with ads and articles that add to the general sense of fun. I liked the final words of the penultimate issue which disparages any one who fails "to purchase our concluding number" as being "a sissy, coward, or girl." Yet Moore and O'Neil lampoon the Victorian sensibilities of their characters as much as anything, and despite some major setbacks at the end of the saga, we are told that there is now an intermission before the stories continues again. As always, it will be interesting to see what literary works serve as additional inspiration for the next endeavor, although after the less than inspiring movie I suspect Oscar Wilde might be out of the equation (or should we expect Lady Bracknell?).


A Curiosity Compendium for our Modern Era   February 23, 2004
 10 out of 12 found this review helpful

So what does one do after completing a masterpiece? Alan Moore undoubtedly mulled over this very question upon the completed print-run of his *Watchmen,* the 12-volume superhero-angst exegesis that shattered and redefined the boundaries of the illustrated-lit medium. The pressure to surmount a previous `peak' must be, for lack of a better work, Extraordinary: many geniuses have crumpled under the task of replicating a similar revolutionary feat, producing only pale shadows of their former majesty. But Moore is not among these wasted one-shot-wonders: a careful analysis of his career, from the early scribe-work on *Swamp Thing* and the prototype-insurgency of his *MiracleMan*, through the critical acclaim of *Watchmen* and into his current role of alternative publisher-cum-artiste, one sees a clear delineation of theme and conceptual progression: Moore ever challenges the stereotypes of the medium, injecting fresh blood into the rigid molds of the American ubermench hero-shell, finding fertile soil in the compost-heap of 20th century horrors, its ideals, hypocrisies and myriad illusions - all to produce art that both reflects and illuminates our precarious position.

Of Moore's many current projects, *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* is unique in the fact that it so clearly chronicles both progression _and_ regression within genre margins. The progressive element is obvious; at this point, Moore must be able to circumnavigate clichéd counter-production even in his somnambulistic scribblings. Thus, taking stock characters of 19th century fiction and giving them multi-dimensions - check. Sharp, witty writing that avoids the showy or superficial (more than necessary in historical re-invention) - check. A heaping of jolly-good fisticuffs, titillating fleshpot shenanigans, betrayal, murder and other assorted nastiness - check. Of course, after so many successful, serendipitous projects, one comes to expect these qualities from Moore, a true master of his craft; perhaps the most impressive constituent in the span of his prolific oeuvre is an overall *consistency* to every project attempted.

As for my claim of `regression' . . . this may seem an oxymoron, until put into perspective. For the amount of research Moore has done in compiling the *League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* becomes astonishingly obvious in this volume's cheeky coda, `The New Traveller's Almanac,' which serves as a sort of Curiosity Compendium for penny-dreadful fantastical imaginings, and displays ever so clearly how bastardized and mass-market streamlined these heroes/villains of Ye Olde Classical have been by the horrific H-wood machine - a continual cultural DumbingDown afflicted at the very heart of our most precious modern storytelling. Recent examples include the style-over-substance vamp-epic *Underworld* (now vampires have reflections!) and the disastrous "adaptation" of *LXG* (to coin 20th Century Fox's marketing abbreviation). These movies reverse-result the intrinsic power of the original material, sacrificing the greatest elements - characterization, psychological motive, intricate plot development and theme - for "bigger bang for the buck;" eradicating all challenging content for simple-minded surface thrills.

Thus, Moore's Curiosity Compendium exposes the current regression of our literate history, via the `whitebread effect:' if the spread-thin adaptations of Disney et al is all an impressionable mind has as reference, then the saturated result eventually _becomes_, in the majority of our cultural knowledge, the origin-point of said myths . . . a gradual devolution unto deficit-simulacra. Truly a frightening state of affairs to contemplate. Luckily we have Alan Moore, and a few learned others, to `hold the torch,' utilizing the actual tone and temperament of the source material in their own re-invention fictions.

*LXG vol. 2* (if I may be so bold) begins upon the wasted plains of Mars. After some cursory environment-designs and ambiguous conversation, the reader is plunged into the red planet's symbolic namesake - the blood-foaming battle-tyrant of Roman mythology - via a pitch battle between humans and alien forces; the combined allusion to Gulliver's Travels, H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs is masterfully done. When we return to our League, it seems but a page-turn in time from vol. 1: Jeckel still struggles to contain his monstrous Id; Quartermain and Miss Murray circle one another in pre-rut ritual; Nemo barks and blusters. . . and sadly, isn't developed any further. The arrival of the alien forces reunites these disparate souls, but the fractures in the League's façade are more apparent this time around; it shall endure betrayal, murder and sacrifice before the tale is finished.

Alas, Vol 2. is not as compelling as the first edition. The stakes are higher this time around, yet the tension feels somewhat lethargic due to pacing issues and a disappointing lack of development amongst certain members of the League, Nemo in particular. The sea-pirate is condemned to a reactionary role, shouting and scowling at the atrocities in constant rotation, with little insight as to his character or deeper motivations; and unfortunately, the `New Traveller's Almanac' hints that Nemo shall play no larger a part in the future story, rendering him an example of wasted opportunity. Still, the writing itself is as sharp as ever, and the O'Neill's art remains consistently marvelous.

The hardback edition of *LXG vol. 2* is particularly beautiful, crimson-covered and embossed with the League's question-mark sigil, complete with a red ribbon chapter-marker and a portrait dustjacket. Games, advertisements and a cover-gallery round out the extras, along with an amusing Cautionary Fable directed at those overly impatient fans that simply cannot get their League quickly enough. Despite my reservations about some of the structural qualities, *LXG vol. 2* is a quality item amongst the pulp rubbish of the bookseller's comic-bin. Don't be a pansy, a fop or a sissy-boy! Pick this one up today!