For those who somehow don’t know, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a combination of famous literary characters who are brought together in order to have adventures in solve mysteries (in a manner of speaking). To be more forthright, their original purpose was to find a mythical device that would give man the ability of flight in machinery (unheard of, I know!). The group consists of Alan Quartermain (King Solomon’s Mines), Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde, Captain Nemo (20,000 Leagues Under The Sea), Mina Murray (Dracula), and Henry Griffin (the Invisible Man) being led by a Mr. Bond and the mysterious “M” (a nod to the James Bond books). The action takes place at the end of the 18th century, with Mina being recruited by Mr. Bond to find and bring together the League. The story itself is then consistently filled with more literary references in the background, such as my favorite moment when Captain Nemo’s righthand man says, “Call me Ishamel, sir.”
It is without a doubt in anyone’s mind that Alan Moore is one of the greatest comic book authors of all time. The League is really no different. It shows us how well-read Moore is, but also expresses his insane creativity in that he can take a group of characters who have never interacted and put them together in a world that shouldn’t make sense yet does. We have a much darker view of all the characters now as well. Quartermain is an opium addict, the Invisble Man is a rapist, and Nemo is a very violent and broody individual. It’s a great juxtaposition to how each character was initially written and makes for a great story. On top of that, the artwork by Kevin O’Neil feels very classical, and it fits the 18th century vibe of the story inside. I feel that with Moore’s work, he picks and chooses his artists very carefully to represent the medium of story he wants to tell. Watchmen is a great example of that. O’ Neil’s artwork is creates a very lucid feeling to the characters, and all the extra little lines that he does in some of the pictures are truly incredible. It adds layers upon layers of depth to the work and he really brings this fascinating steampunk world to life.
If you’ve never read League, I don’t know what to tell you. If you avoided it because of the movie, I don’t blame you, but I hope you reconsider. While I myself have only read the first volume, I feel that all the things the movie did wrong this book does right. It’s the sort of thing where you read Wanted and then see the movie and say, “Ok, they had the idea, but they just screwed it up. The book is better.” Granted, almost all graphic novel type stories are better in the comic than on the screen, and League is absolutely no exception. A group of characters I didn’t quite care for have now become a group of characters I actually very fondly enjoy, and I can’t wait to get caught up for part two of Volume III. You should do the same.
To purchase Volume I of the League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, please click the link to the left. It truly is another staple in the great library of work that is comprised by Alan Moore.
