Collecting the six-issue mini-series from America’s Best Comics
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Kevin O’Neill
Publisher: DC/America’s Best Comics
Plot:
Late Victorian era England is overrun with nefarious and sinister doings. The Crown enlists some of literature’s finest – and sometimes vilest – characters to investigate: Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Mina Harker and the Invisible Man. Can such disparate and antisocial personalities unite in common cause on behalf of the citizens of Britannia? Unlikely. But the results are exciting, often amusing and utterly compelling.
Comments:
What if Monty Python had enlisted in Her Majesty’s Secret Service? Could the Justice League exist in the time of Charles Dickens? Insanity! There is no condensed or subtle way to describe The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (LXG). Veteran writer Alan Moore has crafted a story that combines espionage, horror and adventure with a fair bit of wink-wink-nudge-nudge. If you are expecting a gritty, angst-ridden tale on a par with Moore’s “Watchmen”, “V for Vendetta” or “From Hell” then you’ll be very confused or possibly even bitter.
Who cares that many of these characters existed in totally different time periods? The premise Moore concocts is thoroughly enjoyable, contradictions or not. Even still, Moore has clearly done his research. This six-chapter tale is peppered with allusions to a dozen or more classics of literature. Glimpses or references to Fu Man Chu, Sherlock Holmes, H.G. Wells lurk in the periphery of this story – that is, if you’ re clever enough to spot them. Should you not be so enlightened, like me, there are lots of Web sites that have annotated Moore’s references in excruciating detail:
http://www.enjolrasworld.com/Jess%20Nevins/League%20of%20Extraordinary%20Gentlemen/Notes%20on%20League%20of%20Extraordinary%20Gentlemen%201.htm
http://www.geocities.com/jessnevins/league1.html
http://www.thefourthrail.com/features/0702/loeg2-1notes.shtml
LXG is an adult work of fiction. There are scenes of murder, rape and gruesome mayhem. These startling bits are all in service to the story and not used solely for shock value -– I think. Moore invests depth into these characters, many of whom American readers probably don’t know terribly well. Mina Harker may or may not be an undead vampire, but she is vain about her appearance. Mr. Hyde is a vicious monster, but he laments that he will never be loved. In weaker hands these characterizations might exist only to advance the plot, but Moore really develops his protagonists into people that you care about.
Artist Kevin O’Neill’s style is very much in the tradition of those classic turn-of-the-century pen and ink illustrators. It has that creepy, surreal appeal of the old Sears & Roebuck catalogs you might find in your grandmother’s attic. O’Neill’s draws figures that are exaggerated, stylized and highly expressive. He utilizes simple page layouts, often of the 6 and 9 panel variety that Moore seems to treasure. There are a healthy number of splash pages, but each is employed for emotional effect rather than artistic indulgence; some of these splashes are incredibly detailed, you’ll want to go back and linger over them.
The many battle scenes are absurdly disorganized, but there’s a beauty in their chaos. I suppose I should stop smooching O’Neill’s butt now but this is some of the coolest stuff I have ever seen. Sure, there are moments of intense violence that may shock some people, but it isn’t nearly as graphic as “The Punisher” or “The Authority”; it’s just a matter of taste I suppose.
I realize that I have not described the central plot or any of the major events in LXG. I purposely avoided doing so. Every moment of this book should be kept a surprise. This is the kind of roller coaster experience that is should not be spoiled.
Final Word:
I honestly didn’t know that Alan Moore was capable of such understated wit and subtlety. I will re-read his other works with newfound appreciation. Even if you aren’t familiar with these characters or have no interest in classic literature I still recommend The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The story is just brilliant, though there are parts that require a second or third reading to fully comprehend. I’ll admit I only picked LXG up because I had heard about the then imminent movie with Sean Connery. As a reader of more contemporary fiction the premise of this book did not excite me. But I was wrong, wrong, wrong. This is the most beautifully drawn and wonderfully crafted graphic novel that I have come across in years. I am embarrassed that I had ignored it for so long. Read this book. Twice. Then tell ten friends about it and hope they do the same.
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