What do you think?
Rate this book
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #1-2
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Omnibus
At last, Volumes 1 and 2 of Alan Moore's LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN are collected in a single, hardcover edition!
As the twentieth century approaches, there is a need for a new kind of champion - adventurers not bound by the chaste order that characterizes the stagnant Victorian Era. The enigmatic Campion Bond of British Intelligence has begun a recruiting mission, collecting a menagerie of individuals who can be of value to his superiors due to...activities that have forced them beyond the pale.
But as Allan Quatermain, Mina Murray, Captain Nemo, Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde, and Hawley Griffin, the Invisible Man discover, British Intelligence has plans for them that go far beyond mere spying. And if they survive their first test against the devil doctor of Limehouse, they'll have to battle an even stranger menace from the stars!
416 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2005
About the author
Alan Moore
1,679 books20.4k followersAlan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
May 5, 2018
I had previously comes across this series in a one-shot comic. It was with great pleasure that I ran across this omnibus edition. It collects Volume I and II of the League along with two short stories. What an excellent series! The combination of world-building (steampunk Victorian England) with an off-beat cast of characters (The League and their "associates") ,interesting villains and a solid plot butressed by excellent prose make for a superb comic.
The art style actually grew on me through the story and certain large panels did have a certain attraction, especially the complex panels. But it's the cool story that makes this a great read. In the first story we see the League put together and their very first mission , and one of the best ones IMHO, against a mysterious M who seeks to destroy the Empire. The cast of characters from Mycroft Holmes to the opium-addicted Quartermain are inspired! I enjoyed it tremendously. The various interpersonal conflicts between team memebers is excellent. Just one question, and no hate intended I rather LIKED Mina, but ummm what exactly is her qualification? Er besides being bitten by Dracula? She has no powers I can see. Isn't exactly a tactical nor strategic genius. Nor terribly good at hand to hand combat. She DOES have a sigular personality- the epitome of the British unflappable calm. I liked her complex character and thought the whole Hyde-Mina relationship had surprising depth and I enjoyed how it played out.
The Second Story is a H.G. Well's inspired Mars invasion. This was also a damn good story though not to the quality of the first. I thought this story made Hyde shine. He is easily one of my favorite League characters along with Nemo and, yes, Mina. I know she doesn't really DO anything but her presence has a calming effect. She "greases the wheels" as it were. Otherwise it's a bleeding clusterfuck. The stresses of the various League members really comes out in this one. The Hyde-Invisible man conflict is also great. Once again why Hyde is my favorite of the League members. Go figure, huh?
Want to read something cool? Something different? Try League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. A welcome addition to the collection. Highly recommended.
The art style actually grew on me through the story and certain large panels did have a certain attraction, especially the complex panels. But it's the cool story that makes this a great read. In the first story we see the League put together and their very first mission , and one of the best ones IMHO, against a mysterious M who seeks to destroy the Empire. The cast of characters from Mycroft Holmes to the opium-addicted Quartermain are inspired! I enjoyed it tremendously. The various interpersonal conflicts between team memebers is excellent. Just one question, and no hate intended I rather LIKED Mina, but ummm what exactly is her qualification? Er besides being bitten by Dracula? She has no powers I can see. Isn't exactly a tactical nor strategic genius. Nor terribly good at hand to hand combat. She DOES have a sigular personality- the epitome of the British unflappable calm. I liked her complex character and thought the whole Hyde-Mina relationship had surprising depth and I enjoyed how it played out.
The Second Story is a H.G. Well's inspired Mars invasion. This was also a damn good story though not to the quality of the first. I thought this story made Hyde shine. He is easily one of my favorite League characters along with Nemo and, yes, Mina. I know she doesn't really DO anything but her presence has a calming effect. She "greases the wheels" as it were. Otherwise it's a bleeding clusterfuck. The stresses of the various League members really comes out in this one. The Hyde-Invisible man conflict is also great. Once again why Hyde is my favorite of the League members. Go figure, huh?
Want to read something cool? Something different? Try League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. A welcome addition to the collection. Highly recommended.
March 31, 2016
Combining volumes 1 and 2 of LOEG makes for a thick book, and with the narrative density of Moore's writing and the sharply rendered details of Kevin O'Neill, it reads like the best of novels. It includes, of course, all the extras from the comics and original TPB collections, from the substantial and brilliantly written prose stories and accompanying illustrations, to the board game designed by O'Neill for the second volume. In the more than 15 years since the first series was published, I've read volumes 1 and 2 several times; it's like the Simpsons in it's prime, in that the narrative is so tightly coiled, so heavy with literary allusion and fictional-historical detail, as well as crazy twists and graphically violent action, that it can be revisited as often as you like and still be entertaining. My only complaint is that 'The Black Dossier' should have been included, too, but that might be a problem relating to publishing rights, as Top Shelf published the latest edition instead of DC.
*[Don't think the crappy movie of the same name has anything to do with the comic; if it had, it would have been an amazing film, instead of a cheesy summer suckfest.]
*[Don't think the crappy movie of the same name has anything to do with the comic; if it had, it would have been an amazing film, instead of a cheesy summer suckfest.]
May 11, 2013
Mostly enjoyable, but my attitude at the end was more along the lines of "Gah, finally done." It was good at first, a fun little romp around Victorian literature - for me, I liked guessing which book/person was being referenced before they were introduced. But the jokes got dry after the dozenth repeat - 'haha Victorians were so racist/sexist/prudish' is good maybe twice. Not to mention the omnibus had these interminably long prose sections which were okay, but in tiny print and kept with the stilted Victorian writing. It completely broke up the flow of the novel and didn't add much to my enjoyment.
Wish I liked it better.
Wish I liked it better.
July 31, 2023
3.5 stars, firmly rounded down
If you're expecting anything like the movie version, don't. On one hand, the first Volume is much better than anything put on screen. On the other hand, the second Volume is random and tortuous. The Almanac is interesting in many respects, but also feels overwrought with the dozens of references per page... like Moore is trying too hard. As a whole, it's the epitome of uneven. See my updates throughout reading for more comments.
If you're expecting anything like the movie version, don't. On one hand, the first Volume is much better than anything put on screen. On the other hand, the second Volume is random and tortuous. The Almanac is interesting in many respects, but also feels overwrought with the dozens of references per page... like Moore is trying too hard. As a whole, it's the epitome of uneven. See my updates throughout reading for more comments.
January 6, 2019
The movie wasn't bad on its own merits. The gruff voice of Edward Hyde certainly carries over to the pages. Even better, the source material was collected for a re-issue to be re-discovered & re-read ad infinitum.
While the crossing of the League universe with H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds is unquestionably more satisfying than a sequel to the death of Sherlock Holmes, both cycles carry the same bleakly realistic theme: the expert agents in the field fall victim to political intrigue. Sometimes I wonder what other motivation lay behind the composition of the League: Mina nor Quartermain contribute in the way of superpowers.
Nevertheless, they deserve the leisurely reading pace of literature. Every panel is an artwork with little stories of Victorian decay in the background. The sheer volume of dialogue could fill a Boys' Own story such as connects volume I & II. The eye needs two tours to take it all in.
While the crossing of the League universe with H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds is unquestionably more satisfying than a sequel to the death of Sherlock Holmes, both cycles carry the same bleakly realistic theme: the expert agents in the field fall victim to political intrigue. Sometimes I wonder what other motivation lay behind the composition of the League: Mina nor Quartermain contribute in the way of superpowers.
Nevertheless, they deserve the leisurely reading pace of literature. Every panel is an artwork with little stories of Victorian decay in the background. The sheer volume of dialogue could fill a Boys' Own story such as connects volume I & II. The eye needs two tours to take it all in.
June 5, 2016
I believe I’m in the minority when I say I rather enjoyed the film. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love it – but it wasn’t the worst thing I have ever seen. It was a concept that interested me, if nothing else.
Therefore, it should be no surprise to find out I was happy to read the graphic novel when my friend offered it to me as a means to complete another item on my genre challenge list. Of course I would love to give it a read – why wouldn’t I? Despite this, it wasn’t very high up on my to-read list. Compared to other books sitting by the side of my bed, this one was merely a curiosity rather than a deep desire to read. I worked around to it, though, and was able to complete it in next to no time at all.
It was enjoyable, I will say that much, yet it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I’d been expecting something more, yet I fear such is always the case when I read graphic novels. I’m not sure why, but I always seem to find it difficult to immerse myself fully in such tales.
A fun read, but not something I’ll be going out of my way to read more of.
Therefore, it should be no surprise to find out I was happy to read the graphic novel when my friend offered it to me as a means to complete another item on my genre challenge list. Of course I would love to give it a read – why wouldn’t I? Despite this, it wasn’t very high up on my to-read list. Compared to other books sitting by the side of my bed, this one was merely a curiosity rather than a deep desire to read. I worked around to it, though, and was able to complete it in next to no time at all.
It was enjoyable, I will say that much, yet it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I’d been expecting something more, yet I fear such is always the case when I read graphic novels. I’m not sure why, but I always seem to find it difficult to immerse myself fully in such tales.
A fun read, but not something I’ll be going out of my way to read more of.
April 15, 2020
The frivolous rape, misogyny, racism, and very little original, compelling content in this graphic novel reminds me that I live in a capitalistic hell that lifts shit up into the sky like a trophy.
March 1, 2021
Volume 1: 4 stars
Volume 2: 3 stars
I have reviewed them both separately. :)
Volume 2: 3 stars
I have reviewed them both separately. :)
December 14, 2015
n an interview, Alan Moore admitted that he never revises anything he writes. While a lot of people label him a genius, this admission has always stuck in the back of my mind whenever I read anything by him. Consequently, it makes all of the problems more apparent knowing that a second pass would have strengthened the story had he felt like doing it. This means that there are a lot of inconsistencies, sudden revelations that contradict previous information, and giant stretches of believability even for a fantasy/sci-fi story. I really am intrigued by a lot of the ideas he has, but when a character acts in a manner that goes against everything they did prior, or a thread is just dropped and never referred to again, it makes me angry.
The first volume of the story is rather enjoyable. The references are fun for literary buffs and the strict adherence to Victorian style, not to mention the ragtag bunch of characters who are deeply flawed and often psychopathic offers a nice contrast to the usual superhero teams. But the second volume really starts to drag. The characters become weaker and a few fall into the background where they don't really do anything. The references and jokes get tired and everything wraps up in such a hurry that it feels like Moore got bored and wanted to just move on rather than closing with emotional resonance. I'd like to rate it higher, but I'm far too distracted thinking about what could have been.
The first volume of the story is rather enjoyable. The references are fun for literary buffs and the strict adherence to Victorian style, not to mention the ragtag bunch of characters who are deeply flawed and often psychopathic offers a nice contrast to the usual superhero teams. But the second volume really starts to drag. The characters become weaker and a few fall into the background where they don't really do anything. The references and jokes get tired and everything wraps up in such a hurry that it feels like Moore got bored and wanted to just move on rather than closing with emotional resonance. I'd like to rate it higher, but I'm far too distracted thinking about what could have been.
February 28, 2012
I've read both League volume one and two already, so I'm mostly going to review the book itself here. Obviously these stories are the bees' knees. If you haven't already experienced the Wold Newton extravaganza that is the League of Extraordinary gentlemen then you need to run out right now and do so, cause you are only living half a life and its the sucky half so go read this.
I'm extremely happy that they re-released this in hardcover. I briefly owned and got rid of both volume in there original hardcover releases, and I kicked myself every day for getting rid of them. I then owned both volumes in "absolute" edition. Which as a nerd I must say we awesome things on par with some kind of graphic novel Arthur C. Clark monolith that could potentially inspire new heights of cognition in lower creatures. Yet those are an unwieldy and carpal tunnel inducing tome of editions, so I found them problematic to read. As I personally am not in the habit of aquairing books that I don't read, I was very happy to see this omnibus announced. And thats the long and the short of it. Awesome books finally collected in an edition I can lavish my reading affection on. The end.
I'm extremely happy that they re-released this in hardcover. I briefly owned and got rid of both volume in there original hardcover releases, and I kicked myself every day for getting rid of them. I then owned both volumes in "absolute" edition. Which as a nerd I must say we awesome things on par with some kind of graphic novel Arthur C. Clark monolith that could potentially inspire new heights of cognition in lower creatures. Yet those are an unwieldy and carpal tunnel inducing tome of editions, so I found them problematic to read. As I personally am not in the habit of aquairing books that I don't read, I was very happy to see this omnibus announced. And thats the long and the short of it. Awesome books finally collected in an edition I can lavish my reading affection on. The end.
January 7, 2013
As a part of the genre, four stars. As Alan Moore, two stars. For a feminist heroine, Mina sort of seems like she's just there as a pair of breasts to be oggled over by the other, much stronger, male characters. *spoiler*
*spoiler*
In the end, she even proves too weak to handle it all and goes into a commune. Also, Alan Moore does not excell at prose. However, there are many pros. I loved all the literary references and now I prefer Hyde to Jekyl (by a whole shit ton too, the Griffin-raping, Woman-devouring, Man-dismembering brute!). Enjoyable. ^_^
*spoiler*
In the end, she even proves too weak to handle it all and goes into a commune. Also, Alan Moore does not excell at prose. However, there are many pros. I loved all the literary references and now I prefer Hyde to Jekyl (by a whole shit ton too, the Griffin-raping, Woman-devouring, Man-dismembering brute!). Enjoyable. ^_^
December 29, 2022
Cool concept, awful execution.
This was painful to get through for so many reasons. Two very boring stories littered with racist / sexist language throughout for no reason, ridiculous stereotypes as the villans, and graphic SA I now have to try and delete from my brain!
Vol 2 was just ripped off war of the worlds. What a waste if time.
10/10 would not recommend.
This was painful to get through for so many reasons. Two very boring stories littered with racist / sexist language throughout for no reason, ridiculous stereotypes as the villans, and graphic SA I now have to try and delete from my brain!
Vol 2 was just ripped off war of the worlds. What a waste if time.
10/10 would not recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2016
Firstly, the stories: both "League" tales are remarkably fun ideas that just skirt the edge of fan fiction. The basic idea of an Avengers-like team built out of the literary heroes of Victorian times is an inherently fun idea, and Moore is a writer too talented to let that potential go to waste. There are clever references everywhere (I'm sure I haven't picked up on half of them), and much of the delight of these books is watching the way Moore seamlessly draws in other classic characters to the narrative, and the way O'Neill packs the panels with detail. The second story, which links John Carter of Mars and War of the Worlds, is the weaker of the two, with the characters from the first book sort of inelegantly included in an otherwise compelling story.
Secondly, this edition: I read these stories a month ago, but it took me a while to work through all the extra material that's collected here. I'm finally giving up on reading the "Traveller's Almanac" at the back of the book, which is reading like a truly exhaustive attempt to unify all of genre literature. But there's a lot to like here: I got a kick out of the serialized short story that's included after the first book, "Allan and the Sundered Veil", which is a trippy prequel (of sorts) to the first book, and there's even a board game here!
Secondly, this edition: I read these stories a month ago, but it took me a while to work through all the extra material that's collected here. I'm finally giving up on reading the "Traveller's Almanac" at the back of the book, which is reading like a truly exhaustive attempt to unify all of genre literature. But there's a lot to like here: I got a kick out of the serialized short story that's included after the first book, "Allan and the Sundered Veil", which is a trippy prequel (of sorts) to the first book, and there's even a board game here!
June 14, 2015
Alan Moore is often regarded as a juggernaut of the comics world. And many times, that's true. No matter how many times I read Watchmen, I find myself completely drawn in. As a person who in general does not give a flying cluck about Superheroes, Watchmen is the constant exception to that rule. Similarly, V for Vendetta is a superb showing of Moore at his best. This is no Watchmen or V for Vendetta. The storytelling is washed out, the hyper-sexualized portrayals of women are cringe worthy, and the plotlines are messy. Disappointing, with the exception of some fantastic illustration by Kevin O'Neil.
December 14, 2015
Amazing concept --- heavily cliched followthrough. Died for Allan & Mina's creeptastic thing, but was never fully drawn in to the world as I usually am with Moore's work. Overall, this read like sketches of something with great potential.
October 11, 2019
Jumped ship at about 25%. Nicest thing I can say about it is it gave us the movie, which was a ton better.
Shame that such a strong concept with so much potential ended up as another canvas for rape and sex as story mechanisms. And that's especially egregious in an illustrated work. Hard pass.
Shame that such a strong concept with so much potential ended up as another canvas for rape and sex as story mechanisms. And that's especially egregious in an illustrated work. Hard pass.
July 7, 2017
It's hard for me to rate and review this book. I really wish that I had read this before V for Vendetta and Watchmen because, for me, the bar is set high when I see the name Alan Moore on the cover of a graphic novel.
The illustrations are great, really detailed and beautifully colored. They're clear and tell the story well. Kevin O'Neill is gifted and deserves a lot of credit for his work on this story, especially the Mars scenes and the battle scenes. Seriously, so impressive--images you can stare at and turn around and find little things hidden in (like the names of the authors who inspired this work on an ad outside the door of the museum cut off at the top right corner of one scene).
The characters aren't the problem; I guess it's the story itself. Compared to V and Watchmen, it feels a little shallow, particularly in Volume One. The back stories are all there, especially because the main characters are almost all literary characters that most readers will recognize from the classics (Mina Murray from Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from...well, you know, etc.), so there's no problem with developing the characters and their raisons d’être. I didn't get as much complexity as I did with Watchmen and V, maybe because the plot is taken from other stories. The word "compendium" is appropriate, and not just because this edition of The League is an omnibus edition of volumes one and two. Moore took other people's stories and characters and brought them together to make his own. That sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.
I didn't like the ending of this book. I know there are moore (couldn't resist) in the series, so I can't fault Moore for ending on a cliffhanger, especially because the "almanac" in the back updates the reader on two of the characters' further travels. Still, it feels abrupt and unfinished to end an omnibus this way. And then, some of the scenes are a little too graphic for me (no pun intended this time...). I understand some of the sexual violence, but showing rape scenes is a little over the top (yet, for some reason, I didn't find it as much of an issue in The Kite Runner: Graphic Novel).
The thing is that some of what the characters do and say makes it hard for me to be on their side. They're not supposed to be "good" people--I get that--but I can't really support them as even anti-heroes when they're just so depraved and doing things that most people would agree are evil. Yet, I liked other characters and the way Mina, especially, brings and keeps them all together. I enjoyed the literary and cultural allusions, and I've always admired Moore's ability to take comics and attach profound meaning and depth to them by associating them in some way with our world and politics (like the story taking place at the turn of the twentieth century but being written at the turn of the twenty-first). He makes comments about our world and our "heroes" in ways that are blatant but could also be lost if a reader is totally absorbed in the story, which isn't hard to do because the plot is still engrossing. Also, the "inserts" are amazing. I skimmed the almanac at the end and sped read the story about Allan Quartermain between volumes, but the ads and the graphics are genius.
No matter what my issues are with this particular book, Moore is a gifted writer, and I will read more by him if I get the chance. I have already read three of his graphic novels, and I'm certainly a fan even though this particular one isn't a favorite.
I guess that means 3.5 stars...(although I did hover between marking it as three or four).
The illustrations are great, really detailed and beautifully colored. They're clear and tell the story well. Kevin O'Neill is gifted and deserves a lot of credit for his work on this story, especially the Mars scenes and the battle scenes. Seriously, so impressive--images you can stare at and turn around and find little things hidden in (like the names of the authors who inspired this work on an ad outside the door of the museum cut off at the top right corner of one scene).
The characters aren't the problem; I guess it's the story itself. Compared to V and Watchmen, it feels a little shallow, particularly in Volume One. The back stories are all there, especially because the main characters are almost all literary characters that most readers will recognize from the classics (Mina Murray from Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from...well, you know, etc.), so there's no problem with developing the characters and their raisons d’être. I didn't get as much complexity as I did with Watchmen and V, maybe because the plot is taken from other stories. The word "compendium" is appropriate, and not just because this edition of The League is an omnibus edition of volumes one and two. Moore took other people's stories and characters and brought them together to make his own. That sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.
I didn't like the ending of this book. I know there are moore (couldn't resist) in the series, so I can't fault Moore for ending on a cliffhanger, especially because the "almanac" in the back updates the reader on two of the characters' further travels. Still, it feels abrupt and unfinished to end an omnibus this way. And then, some of the scenes are a little too graphic for me (no pun intended this time...). I understand some of the sexual violence, but showing rape scenes is a little over the top (yet, for some reason, I didn't find it as much of an issue in The Kite Runner: Graphic Novel).
The thing is that some of what the characters do and say makes it hard for me to be on their side. They're not supposed to be "good" people--I get that--but I can't really support them as even anti-heroes when they're just so depraved and doing things that most people would agree are evil. Yet, I liked other characters and the way Mina, especially, brings and keeps them all together. I enjoyed the literary and cultural allusions, and I've always admired Moore's ability to take comics and attach profound meaning and depth to them by associating them in some way with our world and politics (like the story taking place at the turn of the twentieth century but being written at the turn of the twenty-first). He makes comments about our world and our "heroes" in ways that are blatant but could also be lost if a reader is totally absorbed in the story, which isn't hard to do because the plot is still engrossing. Also, the "inserts" are amazing. I skimmed the almanac at the end and sped read the story about Allan Quartermain between volumes, but the ads and the graphics are genius.
No matter what my issues are with this particular book, Moore is a gifted writer, and I will read more by him if I get the chance. I have already read three of his graphic novels, and I'm certainly a fan even though this particular one isn't a favorite.
I guess that means 3.5 stars...(although I did hover between marking it as three or four).
August 31, 2018
The "Team" as a unit in literature is rooted in antiquity, it's as old as humanity period, and so a book which explores a team of individuals who manage to come together and fight the forces of evil and manages to feel original and fresh is a delight to read. The first volume of this book was rather underwhelming as the characters seem to follow the typical team building exercise, but it's in the second volume of this Omnibus when Moore adds the element of Martins from War of the Worlds that the characters demonstrate a real depth that keeps the reader engaged.
This book is beautiful for it's ability to pack so much detail and depth into almost every panel so that the reader is forced to slow down and ingest every page slowly. This can at times work against the actual reading experience, but by the end the reader will surely have felt that they were really dropped into this world. Even at it's most repulsive, and there are plenty of moments that left even me shocked, this book is a fascinating opportunity to rediscover the "team" narrative and be reminded why it can be such an enjoyable trip.
Alan Moore is a crazy sentient beard who plays with magic, but damn if the final result doesn't work.
This book is beautiful for it's ability to pack so much detail and depth into almost every panel so that the reader is forced to slow down and ingest every page slowly. This can at times work against the actual reading experience, but by the end the reader will surely have felt that they were really dropped into this world. Even at it's most repulsive, and there are plenty of moments that left even me shocked, this book is a fascinating opportunity to rediscover the "team" narrative and be reminded why it can be such an enjoyable trip.
Alan Moore is a crazy sentient beard who plays with magic, but damn if the final result doesn't work.
August 19, 2023
Ekselenti!!!
October 23, 2017
Sehr brutal, aber coole Dialoge, faszinierende Charaktere, fesselnder Plot!
April 3, 2021
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, LEG from here on out, is such an interesting comic. I loved it through and through, but I can see how someone could see all the hype and not get it. When I was younger, there was a series of easy reader illustrated classics that I absolutely devoured. Dracula, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, Moby Dick, and The Time Machine were all books in that series and all of which I loved. As I grew up, I then read the full versions of these novels. Since LEG uses all these books in varying degrees it’s no wonder I was fully engaged with this entire volume.
However, if someone doesn’t have an affinity for the classics referenced in this omnibus, I can fully see how this lands with a resounding dud. This series is a love letter to the classics that laid the foundation for today’s science fiction and horror. Unless you are one of the parties either receiving or writing a love letter, reading it without that relationship context can be interesting, but it will never have the intended response.
This omnibus contains the first and second volumes of LEG, as well as some extras that were included in the original comic books, Allen and the Sundered Veil and the New Traveller’s Almanac. Each will have a mini-review in turn before my final thoughts.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume I
Obviously, I was sold on the entire concept before I started reading. However, there are some character issues that stand out. First is Allen Quartermaine. He has a severe opium addiction and kicks it within two issues. There is an almost relapse, but the laudanum he purchases is a plot point in ingratiating another member of the League. The later issues really put the plot ahead of character development, so if that’s what you are here for, you will be disappointed.
The biggest question mark of a character is the Invisible Man. He is wretched. An absolute bastard of a man. He’s a rapist. His actions can be framed in any way the writer wants, but in the end, he’s still a bad dude, and I wish any other way was chosen to bring him into the story. He seeks no repentance; he does not become better. He is vain and arrogant and terrible. He could have been all of those, without being a rapist on top of it. If you really squint, you can find the slimmest pseudo-commentary that a government in peril will turn to even the worst if they can help save the nation… but you really really have to squint to see it.
The remaining characters are all fine. Captain Nemo is a personal favorite, and his backstory may come as shock if you are only familiar with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea but falls in line with what we learn about the character from the sequel, The Mysterious Island. Jekyll and Hyde is the Hulk, and that too is fine. Mina Harker, or by her maiden name, Mina Murry, is the character in charge of rounding up these deplorables for a mysterious benefactor. She’s a strong woman but falls into the tired trope of having to dress like a prostitute to lure out a villain. Other than that incident she has good chemistry with the other characters. In fact, the dialog between all the characters is well done.
The plot is relatively bare-bones. Assemble team, complete mission, reversal of fortune, work together to beat the heretofore unrevealed villain. The plot is straightforward, the character development is minimal, but the interactions between characters are very enjoyable.
Looking at the art of the volume, the first two issues felt very muddy to me. Very dim and not very detailed. I’m not sure why, I read the entire first volume in the same lighting. The rest of the volume was vibrant and well done. There are some fun action scenes and some gruesome moments that pop off the page. The depiction of women has been criticized, but the style is consistent across the board (Rosa Coote being the minor exception with her exaggerated assets, but it is an understandable allusion to the origins of her namesake), and as long as it is consistent I generally give it a pass, as long as it is not offensive.
Overall, I really enjoyed the first LEG. The impetus of the Invisible Man joining the team bugs me, as it should bug everybody and I would understand if you stopped there. Similarly, if you have no connection to any of the main characters, I can understand how this is a thin story. But I am unabashed in my love for the characters (Invisible Man from the original story, not this interpretation) and was able to look past the thinness of the plot. This individually is a 4/5.
Allen and the Sundered Veil
In the original run of comics, the end of each chapter of the first volume had two or three pages detailing a serial adventure of Allen Quartermain. This is a welcome addition to the omnibus and serves as a great pallet cleanser between Volume I and Volume II.
Due to his love of drugs, Quartermain finds himself in a situation where he takes a super special mind-bending deep sleep-inducing drug, and he finds his consciousness lost in time and space. On this dream-quest, he encounters John Carter (who would later be of Mars), a character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Randolph Carter, the wayward dream created by HP Lovecraft who frequently appeared in his Dream Cycle, and the Time Traveler, the unnamed protagonist of HG Well’s The Time Machine.
This team is the stuff of my dreams. While I’m not familiar with Burrough’s fiction, the inclusion of Randolph Carter (strange retconning of his relationship to John Carter aside) had me incredibly hyped, and I was instantly hooked.
As I mentioned before, this is written in the style of a serial, and it is as pulpy as possible. Again, little character development and the story hinges on your love of the already established characters, but I loved it. The plot is straightforward and fantastical, and the first issue is a bit too heavy on the establishing details, but otherwise, this is a pleasure to read as an interstitial. 5/5
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume II
LEG Volume II kicks off pretty much right after Volume I. Actually, there are a few references to Mars in the first Volume that set up the events of Volume II, as well as some foreshadowing from Allen and the Sundered Veil. It’s a great setup, adding the War of the Worlds to the universe as the primary driving force of this Volume.
I was left feeling a bit cold at the introduction of John Carter (the same John Carter who appeared in Allen and the Sundered Veil) and was hoping he would somehow contribute to the League. He didn’t. While it was a fun addition, the majority of the other figures in the first Volume actually did something to affect the plot (the sole exception that comes to mind being Ishmael).
Thinking back over this second Volume, it leaves me disappointed. The majority of the first issue occurs on Mars and then doesn’t return. While it serves as a prologue, it’s also 1/6th of the total volume, and at least half of that first issue could have been spent with the League adding some character development. The ending events come so quickly that an entire invasion (that only affects England?) is over with a few special rounds or artillery and a causal hand-waved explanation (that literally has a character waving his hand). The best addition to this truncated narrative is Dr. Moreau, who is incredibly creepy, and his contribution to the plot makes total sense.
As far as the characters go, Allen and Mina have an arc that comes out of nowhere. Sure it was mentioned as a possibility in the first Volume, but it just doesn’t feel organic. And the resolution is just as fast, and just as worthy of a head scratch. Captain Nemo begrudgingly continues to work with the British government he so hates, until they go too far and he leaves. The Invisible Man continues to be an unrepentant monster, and his actions in the first volume are neither mentioned nor acknowledged.
And Hyde. We won’t even talk about Jekyll. He was in the Volume for about five panels it seems and then Hyde was running the show. Hyde had some of the laziest writing surrounding him. He’s a monster, yeah. We get it. That’s covered in depth. He wants to fight Martians. We get it. The narrative goes into some King Kong “‘‘twas beauty killed the beast” theme with the almost friendship between him and Mina. Then we get the rape of the Invisible Man. We’ve entered the territory of punishing a rapist with rape and it’s so lazy and appealing in execution. I realize this is a spoiler, but consider it a content warning as well. Hyde rapes the Invisible Man (the murder, totally justified, and the reveal, while not making a lot of sense, was still really cool). But twice now in two Volumes rape serves as the fulcrum for the plot to advance and its unnecessary and poorly done.
The art is consistently good throughout. While at first, it seemed out of place, the art surrounding the scenes with Dr. Moreau is disconcerting and done extremely well. The scenes on Mars are fun and really capture an alien vibe. As for the characters, there was some inconsistency with Nemo’s physique that caught my attention. Mina, who had always been very thin, is now closer to normal proportions. Besides some questionable story choices that the art had to show, the art by itself is well done throughout the Volume.
Fundamentally, this seems rushed due to an entire issue being on Mars. The second rape in two overall volumes shows a lack of creativity and is just tone-deaf in execution, which is disappointing because the setting and theme are so good on paper. This would have been elevated with common sense to keep turning back to rape as a plot device, and with probably two more issues to really dive into some of the topics presented. 3/5
The New Traveller’s Almanac
In the same manner that Allen and the Sundered Veil progressed with each issue of the first volume, and Almanac is presented with each issue of the second Volume to really flesh out the world and history of the LEG. It’s fun all around but hardly necessary. I wish I had more to say, I applaud its inclusion, but it came at a point in the universe that I was really debating on if I wanted to invest more of my time in it. This portion is a 4/5.
Overall Thoughts
First and foremost, this Omnibus suffered from poor production. The margins were absolutely terrible. There was a significant amount of white space around all the pages, except going into the spin. If any important art or dialog was toward the spin of the book it was nearly impossible to read unless you wanted to destroy the spin and had perfect lighting. I have dozens of trade paperbacks that do not have this issue. Margins are a known variable. It’s inexcusable to not account for this.
Secondly, the concept is so great. The mere idea to throw all these figures and storylines together is so good. Alan Moore is not the man to execute, however. Rape and sexual assault should be explored in all mediums, but it should be done so with care. Alan Moore resoundingly failed in this and it is so glaring it overshadows much of the greatness of this concept.
I love the pulp. I love overall stories. I love the extra featurettes in the Almanac and Allen and the Sundered Veil, but all of that good does not negate the lazy sexual assault and the rushed narrative of the second Volume. This deserves a 3.5. Normally I round up. But I’m so aghast with gross sexual assault that I’m rounding down. 3/5.
However, if someone doesn’t have an affinity for the classics referenced in this omnibus, I can fully see how this lands with a resounding dud. This series is a love letter to the classics that laid the foundation for today’s science fiction and horror. Unless you are one of the parties either receiving or writing a love letter, reading it without that relationship context can be interesting, but it will never have the intended response.
This omnibus contains the first and second volumes of LEG, as well as some extras that were included in the original comic books, Allen and the Sundered Veil and the New Traveller’s Almanac. Each will have a mini-review in turn before my final thoughts.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume I
Obviously, I was sold on the entire concept before I started reading. However, there are some character issues that stand out. First is Allen Quartermaine. He has a severe opium addiction and kicks it within two issues. There is an almost relapse, but the laudanum he purchases is a plot point in ingratiating another member of the League. The later issues really put the plot ahead of character development, so if that’s what you are here for, you will be disappointed.
The biggest question mark of a character is the Invisible Man. He is wretched. An absolute bastard of a man. He’s a rapist. His actions can be framed in any way the writer wants, but in the end, he’s still a bad dude, and I wish any other way was chosen to bring him into the story. He seeks no repentance; he does not become better. He is vain and arrogant and terrible. He could have been all of those, without being a rapist on top of it. If you really squint, you can find the slimmest pseudo-commentary that a government in peril will turn to even the worst if they can help save the nation… but you really really have to squint to see it.
The remaining characters are all fine. Captain Nemo is a personal favorite, and his backstory may come as shock if you are only familiar with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea but falls in line with what we learn about the character from the sequel, The Mysterious Island. Jekyll and Hyde is the Hulk, and that too is fine. Mina Harker, or by her maiden name, Mina Murry, is the character in charge of rounding up these deplorables for a mysterious benefactor. She’s a strong woman but falls into the tired trope of having to dress like a prostitute to lure out a villain. Other than that incident she has good chemistry with the other characters. In fact, the dialog between all the characters is well done.
The plot is relatively bare-bones. Assemble team, complete mission, reversal of fortune, work together to beat the heretofore unrevealed villain. The plot is straightforward, the character development is minimal, but the interactions between characters are very enjoyable.
Looking at the art of the volume, the first two issues felt very muddy to me. Very dim and not very detailed. I’m not sure why, I read the entire first volume in the same lighting. The rest of the volume was vibrant and well done. There are some fun action scenes and some gruesome moments that pop off the page. The depiction of women has been criticized, but the style is consistent across the board (Rosa Coote being the minor exception with her exaggerated assets, but it is an understandable allusion to the origins of her namesake), and as long as it is consistent I generally give it a pass, as long as it is not offensive.
Overall, I really enjoyed the first LEG. The impetus of the Invisible Man joining the team bugs me, as it should bug everybody and I would understand if you stopped there. Similarly, if you have no connection to any of the main characters, I can understand how this is a thin story. But I am unabashed in my love for the characters (Invisible Man from the original story, not this interpretation) and was able to look past the thinness of the plot. This individually is a 4/5.
Allen and the Sundered Veil
In the original run of comics, the end of each chapter of the first volume had two or three pages detailing a serial adventure of Allen Quartermain. This is a welcome addition to the omnibus and serves as a great pallet cleanser between Volume I and Volume II.
Due to his love of drugs, Quartermain finds himself in a situation where he takes a super special mind-bending deep sleep-inducing drug, and he finds his consciousness lost in time and space. On this dream-quest, he encounters John Carter (who would later be of Mars), a character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Randolph Carter, the wayward dream created by HP Lovecraft who frequently appeared in his Dream Cycle, and the Time Traveler, the unnamed protagonist of HG Well’s The Time Machine.
This team is the stuff of my dreams. While I’m not familiar with Burrough’s fiction, the inclusion of Randolph Carter (strange retconning of his relationship to John Carter aside) had me incredibly hyped, and I was instantly hooked.
As I mentioned before, this is written in the style of a serial, and it is as pulpy as possible. Again, little character development and the story hinges on your love of the already established characters, but I loved it. The plot is straightforward and fantastical, and the first issue is a bit too heavy on the establishing details, but otherwise, this is a pleasure to read as an interstitial. 5/5
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume II
LEG Volume II kicks off pretty much right after Volume I. Actually, there are a few references to Mars in the first Volume that set up the events of Volume II, as well as some foreshadowing from Allen and the Sundered Veil. It’s a great setup, adding the War of the Worlds to the universe as the primary driving force of this Volume.
I was left feeling a bit cold at the introduction of John Carter (the same John Carter who appeared in Allen and the Sundered Veil) and was hoping he would somehow contribute to the League. He didn’t. While it was a fun addition, the majority of the other figures in the first Volume actually did something to affect the plot (the sole exception that comes to mind being Ishmael).
Thinking back over this second Volume, it leaves me disappointed. The majority of the first issue occurs on Mars and then doesn’t return. While it serves as a prologue, it’s also 1/6th of the total volume, and at least half of that first issue could have been spent with the League adding some character development. The ending events come so quickly that an entire invasion (that only affects England?) is over with a few special rounds or artillery and a causal hand-waved explanation (that literally has a character waving his hand). The best addition to this truncated narrative is Dr. Moreau, who is incredibly creepy, and his contribution to the plot makes total sense.
As far as the characters go, Allen and Mina have an arc that comes out of nowhere. Sure it was mentioned as a possibility in the first Volume, but it just doesn’t feel organic. And the resolution is just as fast, and just as worthy of a head scratch. Captain Nemo begrudgingly continues to work with the British government he so hates, until they go too far and he leaves. The Invisible Man continues to be an unrepentant monster, and his actions in the first volume are neither mentioned nor acknowledged.
And Hyde. We won’t even talk about Jekyll. He was in the Volume for about five panels it seems and then Hyde was running the show. Hyde had some of the laziest writing surrounding him. He’s a monster, yeah. We get it. That’s covered in depth. He wants to fight Martians. We get it. The narrative goes into some King Kong “‘‘twas beauty killed the beast” theme with the almost friendship between him and Mina. Then we get the rape of the Invisible Man. We’ve entered the territory of punishing a rapist with rape and it’s so lazy and appealing in execution. I realize this is a spoiler, but consider it a content warning as well. Hyde rapes the Invisible Man (the murder, totally justified, and the reveal, while not making a lot of sense, was still really cool). But twice now in two Volumes rape serves as the fulcrum for the plot to advance and its unnecessary and poorly done.
The art is consistently good throughout. While at first, it seemed out of place, the art surrounding the scenes with Dr. Moreau is disconcerting and done extremely well. The scenes on Mars are fun and really capture an alien vibe. As for the characters, there was some inconsistency with Nemo’s physique that caught my attention. Mina, who had always been very thin, is now closer to normal proportions. Besides some questionable story choices that the art had to show, the art by itself is well done throughout the Volume.
Fundamentally, this seems rushed due to an entire issue being on Mars. The second rape in two overall volumes shows a lack of creativity and is just tone-deaf in execution, which is disappointing because the setting and theme are so good on paper. This would have been elevated with common sense to keep turning back to rape as a plot device, and with probably two more issues to really dive into some of the topics presented. 3/5
The New Traveller’s Almanac
In the same manner that Allen and the Sundered Veil progressed with each issue of the first volume, and Almanac is presented with each issue of the second Volume to really flesh out the world and history of the LEG. It’s fun all around but hardly necessary. I wish I had more to say, I applaud its inclusion, but it came at a point in the universe that I was really debating on if I wanted to invest more of my time in it. This portion is a 4/5.
Overall Thoughts
First and foremost, this Omnibus suffered from poor production. The margins were absolutely terrible. There was a significant amount of white space around all the pages, except going into the spin. If any important art or dialog was toward the spin of the book it was nearly impossible to read unless you wanted to destroy the spin and had perfect lighting. I have dozens of trade paperbacks that do not have this issue. Margins are a known variable. It’s inexcusable to not account for this.
Secondly, the concept is so great. The mere idea to throw all these figures and storylines together is so good. Alan Moore is not the man to execute, however. Rape and sexual assault should be explored in all mediums, but it should be done so with care. Alan Moore resoundingly failed in this and it is so glaring it overshadows much of the greatness of this concept.
I love the pulp. I love overall stories. I love the extra featurettes in the Almanac and Allen and the Sundered Veil, but all of that good does not negate the lazy sexual assault and the rushed narrative of the second Volume. This deserves a 3.5. Normally I round up. But I’m so aghast with gross sexual assault that I’m rounding down. 3/5.
September 15, 2024
Volume One gets 4 stars.
Volume Two gets 2.5.
So this should be 3.5 overall but here we are with no half stars.
I love this but I'm also so mad and I hate some of it? Please understand; Mina Murray is one of my favourite characters and she has been an obsession of mine since January. Some might say I'm biased towards her. True. BUT ALSO, I think my gripes are valid. I'll give that to myself.
SO the first volume was a lot of fun with some horrible messy characters behaving awfully and learning how to actually listen to Mina. Much fun Victorian gothic imagery and references along the way. I'm here for it. Mina is wonderful, she is so stern and I love that for her, she is constantly grimacing and frowning. Queen. She is smart and that's her thing. I'm here for it.
I don't get why that's never enough for her as a character. In all the adaptations she's either Dracula's long lost wife now or she's a vampire or her role is given to a man or her role is just put in the bin altogether. GOD FORBID we have a smart woman as the leader. So I was a big fan of Alan Moore just letting her be that, and her strong-arming the boys into respecting her and listening to her. I had some gripes with Vol 1 for how some things were handled, but I'll save that for Vol 2. The art was great, everyone looks a mess, there's such detail in the backgrounds, everywhere and everyone feels decrepit and I loved that.
Vol 2 made me mad. I was so hyped it was based off War of the Worlds; I loved the first chapter, the art alone was stunning, I was here for it. But after that I was just fuming. Storywise, I'm enraged that Alan decided to split the group. It felt like the natural progression for this story was to see them develop into a somewhat functioning team under Queen Mina's leadership, but no. Split. Everyone doing pointless stuff. It felt like they had no meaningful role in the story, they were just so wasted. I can and will rant about this for an hour, sorry to some of my friends who know that already.
My main FURY, though, lies in what happened with our Lady Mina. It felt like the antithesis of volume one.
Alright I'm leaving it there before it becomes more of an essay.
Justice for Mina, please.
Volume Two gets 2.5.
So this should be 3.5 overall but here we are with no half stars.
I love this but I'm also so mad and I hate some of it? Please understand; Mina Murray is one of my favourite characters and she has been an obsession of mine since January. Some might say I'm biased towards her. True. BUT ALSO, I think my gripes are valid. I'll give that to myself.
SO the first volume was a lot of fun with some horrible messy characters behaving awfully and learning how to actually listen to Mina. Much fun Victorian gothic imagery and references along the way. I'm here for it. Mina is wonderful, she is so stern and I love that for her, she is constantly grimacing and frowning. Queen. She is smart and that's her thing. I'm here for it.
I don't get why that's never enough for her as a character. In all the adaptations she's either Dracula's long lost wife now or she's a vampire or her role is given to a man or her role is just put in the bin altogether. GOD FORBID we have a smart woman as the leader. So I was a big fan of Alan Moore just letting her be that, and her strong-arming the boys into respecting her and listening to her. I had some gripes with Vol 1 for how some things were handled, but I'll save that for Vol 2. The art was great, everyone looks a mess, there's such detail in the backgrounds, everywhere and everyone feels decrepit and I loved that.
Vol 2 made me mad. I was so hyped it was based off War of the Worlds; I loved the first chapter, the art alone was stunning, I was here for it. But after that I was just fuming. Storywise, I'm enraged that Alan decided to split the group. It felt like the natural progression for this story was to see them develop into a somewhat functioning team under Queen Mina's leadership, but no. Split. Everyone doing pointless stuff. It felt like they had no meaningful role in the story, they were just so wasted. I can and will rant about this for an hour, sorry to some of my friends who know that already.
My main FURY, though, lies in what happened with our Lady Mina. It felt like the antithesis of volume one.
Alright I'm leaving it there before it becomes more of an essay.
Justice for Mina, please.
January 8, 2019
I can’t quite put my finger on why I like these comics so well. I think it’s that the parts - artwork, story, characters - are complex and fit so well together. And, the characters are actually likable, unlike in Moore’s Watchmen. I loved that our heroes were well-known characters from literature and that they were given new dimensions to their personalities. All but one proved to be flawed, but likable. The only thing that annoyed me were the two chapters of prose in the middle and end of the book. They are so dense that they require a lot of time to read, but they don’t seem to add anything to the overall story. I read the one in the middle of the volume, but couldn’t get up the energy to read the concluding one. Watchmen has similar chapters, but they serve a purpose in that book.
(It is slightly bothersome that the League is named only for its Gentlemen, while it includes a woman. This woman is bad-ass, though, and leads most of the League’s actions, so it’s hard to get too bothered by it.)
(It is slightly bothersome that the League is named only for its Gentlemen, while it includes a woman. This woman is bad-ass, though, and leads most of the League’s actions, so it’s hard to get too bothered by it.)
May 28, 2023
This started so fantastically as a beautifully illustrated story set in a fascinating alternate Victorian era Britain. The rest of the world and it’s characters are presented through the lens of Victorian Britain ideas, full of whimsical digs at women and foreigners - sometimes not easy to stomach despite the intended irony.
Sadly the story and it’s characters don’t so much hold up as it goes on, particularly volume 2 which is just War of the Worlds with these characters in it amongst other HG Wells stories interlaced.
Alan Moore is a fantastic writer when at his best. Sadly, the effort here seems to have gone so largely on endless references to the eras literature and attitudes and as such you lose out on an exploration of this fantastical alternate history London or a poignant story.
Sadly the story and it’s characters don’t so much hold up as it goes on, particularly volume 2 which is just War of the Worlds with these characters in it amongst other HG Wells stories interlaced.
Alan Moore is a fantastic writer when at his best. Sadly, the effort here seems to have gone so largely on endless references to the eras literature and attitudes and as such you lose out on an exploration of this fantastical alternate history London or a poignant story.
February 2, 2017
I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. I vaguely remember thinking the movie was ok at best and compared to other Moore comics it would be a huge step down in quality. Boy was I wrong. Alan Moore with another masterful series, nothing but classics from this guy.
Story wise, there's nothing truly insanely special but the characters are great and the setting is fantastic. You don't see too much steampunk and I think it's because nobody could ever try after seeing what's in here. The world as a whole is rich and I fell in love with all of the characters quite quickly, they were so well written it really doesn't feel like something that was written in 1999, more like 1899.
The art blew me away. I've seen a lot of good art but the use of colors in League had me in awe on so many pages. The art by itself is five stars.
There's not much else to say about this series. I don't think it ever missed a beat and five out of five is well deserved. Don't know if I would add it to my favorites but definitely a series that I wouldn't mind delving further into, I know there's a Nemo focused series and a bit more out there beyond this omnibus. Recommend to anyone who likes good art, Victorian era sci fi and steam punk.
Story wise, there's nothing truly insanely special but the characters are great and the setting is fantastic. You don't see too much steampunk and I think it's because nobody could ever try after seeing what's in here. The world as a whole is rich and I fell in love with all of the characters quite quickly, they were so well written it really doesn't feel like something that was written in 1999, more like 1899.
The art blew me away. I've seen a lot of good art but the use of colors in League had me in awe on so many pages. The art by itself is five stars.
There's not much else to say about this series. I don't think it ever missed a beat and five out of five is well deserved. Don't know if I would add it to my favorites but definitely a series that I wouldn't mind delving further into, I know there's a Nemo focused series and a bit more out there beyond this omnibus. Recommend to anyone who likes good art, Victorian era sci fi and steam punk.
August 25, 2014
I much prefer the first volume but it was still lots of fun to read. The differences between this and the badly conceived film are just staggering, they really aren't from the same family at all despite what the name suggests.
The first volume is the amassing of everyone to form the league. Mina Murray, our no nonsense team leader fresh off a divorce from Jonathan Harker, fetches opium addict Allan Quartermain, rampaging Mr. Hyde (and the good doctor be default), the thought dead Captain Nemo, and an invisible man go forth to stop catastrophe from befalling the Empire. It's a great adventurous romp and is such fun even while the source material is getting the upmost of respect.
The second volume is a little more melodramatic, which is saying something. It's War of the Worlds Alan Moore style and the team begins to shaken and splinter. There's a nice bit of character study going on inbetween the Martian invasion but some part of it is ridiculous. I'm looking at you Allan and Mina. All in all though it's a fantastic read, and this edition as a lot of extra art and material for added fun.
The first volume is the amassing of everyone to form the league. Mina Murray, our no nonsense team leader fresh off a divorce from Jonathan Harker, fetches opium addict Allan Quartermain, rampaging Mr. Hyde (and the good doctor be default), the thought dead Captain Nemo, and an invisible man go forth to stop catastrophe from befalling the Empire. It's a great adventurous romp and is such fun even while the source material is getting the upmost of respect.
The second volume is a little more melodramatic, which is saying something. It's War of the Worlds Alan Moore style and the team begins to shaken and splinter. There's a nice bit of character study going on inbetween the Martian invasion but some part of it is ridiculous. I'm looking at you Allan and Mina. All in all though it's a fantastic read, and this edition as a lot of extra art and material for added fun.
June 17, 2015
Español// English. Este libro es maravilloso y terrorífico al mismo tiempo, como acostumbra Alan Moore. Como ómnibus, la edición es excepcional. El arte original, tanto de las portadas como el material extra, y las historias de Quatermain y el almanaque están reunidos de una manera exquisita. Con la ayuda de otro de sus grandes artistas, Moore logra crear un universo completo hecho de otros universos literarios victorianos. Al mismo tiempo, el autor crea una historia cruda y fuerte. El almanaque cierra con broche de oro, con referencias que van desde Macondo hasta twin peaks. //This book is both marvelous and terrifying, in usual Alan Moore fashion. As far as omnibuses go, it's exceedingly well done: the original cover art, extra art pages and the awesome stories of Allan quatermain and the sundered veil, and the almanac are perfectly put together. Moore manages to create (with the help of yet another outstanding artist) a whole universe made out of other Victorian universes, while also creating a harrowing and crude tale. The references in the almanac, from macondo to twin peaks, give this book a perfect ending.
December 20, 2022
this is the worst effing comic book I’ve ever read. so disgustingly misogynistic, particularly in the first few issues, and I never forgot it. I only finished it bc I really want to meet my reading goal. the amount of times r*pe was played as a JOKE made me sick. I’m convinced the only reason the dick who wrote this made the main character a woman was so he could have everyone make sexist degrading comments to her the whole time, and so he could show her tits.
a cool idea that could’ve been done really well. I think it must have been the movie that I saw being recommended, bc I can’t imagine anyone in 2022 wanting to read this.
a cool idea that could’ve been done really well. I think it must have been the movie that I saw being recommended, bc I can’t imagine anyone in 2022 wanting to read this.
October 31, 2014
This just wasn't for me; I couldn't even be bothered to finish it.
I think Alan Moore is a pretty heinous writer, although it seems most people would disagree with me... plus I couldn't get into the art style. (The artist is good at drawing big scary dudes and monsters. Women: not so much.)
Bummer!
I think Alan Moore is a pretty heinous writer, although it seems most people would disagree with me... plus I couldn't get into the art style. (The artist is good at drawing big scary dudes and monsters. Women: not so much.)
Bummer!
April 30, 2016
Actual rating 4.75
This was such a strange and wonderful graphic novel series! I read it in one sitting and I had a blast with it. The art style is stunning and the story is so charming but also super edgy which surprised me. Be warned though this book has adult content so use your own discretion but overall I really enjoyed this.
This was such a strange and wonderful graphic novel series! I read it in one sitting and I had a blast with it. The art style is stunning and the story is so charming but also super edgy which surprised me. Be warned though this book has adult content so use your own discretion but overall I really enjoyed this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews