Rating: 
Summary: Where are the footnotes
Review: You don't expect to find a comic that would so justify a complete set of literary footnotes, but that's just what this is. Stranger still, it's a pulp adventure with literary qualities. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent comic, but a bit overrated
Review: This was a great comic, and I really enjoyed reading it. But I feel like the story suffered a bit. This is Moore's continuing exploration of the superhero, and he extends it to the beginning of the 20th century through the literature of the day. If we view this as a comic book of the 1900's, and I doubt that Moore and O'Neill were aiming for anything less, then I feel that it was a great success. But it feels incomplete to me. It is inevitably a comic book: too much story being crammed into too few pages. The characters are fleshed out nicely in the limited space they're given, but they still feel a bit too one-dimensional. And the story is good, but like in the classic comics, it feels rushed. If Moore had never written something like Watchmen, I'd probably have given this five stars without a second thought. But after raising the bar as he and his contemporaries have, it's become harder for me to handle the rhythm of the comic formula.
Rating:
Summary: A Modern Illustrated Classic
Review: In the 1960s I loved "The Classics Illustrated" series of comics. The stories were based, as the title implies, on classic novels. Perhaps my favorite was "Master of the World," based on the novel of the same name by Jules Verne. The science fiction theme and the characters created this wonderful world that appeared as though it could be real, rather than the complete fantasy of Superman or Marvel's venerable lineup of mutants and superheroes. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is reminiscent of those great Classics Illustrated comics, but with a much more adult edge. Early in the book we find Alan Quatermain addicted to opium and apparently well down the road to an oblivious death. We soon find Hawley Griffin, "The Invisible Man," creating multiple pregnancies attributed to either demons or saints. Clearly this story is far different from the comics I read as a youth. But what a story it is. While told with a distinctly adult edge, the story is an epic tale of some of the best literary characters of the Victorian era fighting against a villain intent on (what else?) conquering the world. In the course of the travails of the dubiously phrased good guys a number of deaths occur, and the significantly less than pure predilections of our heroes form a dark base to a story that is nominally of good versus evil, but turns out to be more of evil versus not-as-evil. The real marvel of the story is the style in which it was written. I have read many of the classics that form a basis for this graphic novel, and the style herein emulates that style in a disconcertingly exceptional way. There were points where I wondered how Alan Moore was able to capture the style of 100 years ago in a newly created novel. If there were gross inconsistencies with that style, I was unable to find them. Those unfamiliar with classic literature may find the style a bit difficult to read, but once you get into it you find that it challenges your mental abilities and makes you think about events and writing in a different way. There have been few graphic novels for which I would provide more than a mild recommendation to another reader. In the case of this novel, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys graphic novels and classic literature, particularly adventure classics. If you enjoyed "Classics Illustrated" series of books that date quite far into the past, you will find some similarities. However, be warned that this is clearly an adult story. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: The Absolute Edition
Review: I wanted to give some information about the "Absolute Edition" of this book, because the listing here doesn't really tell you anything about it. The "Absolute Edition" is the one with the $75 list price. It features two oversized books in a sturdy slipcase. The first book is the acclaimed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 comic book series that has been printed in a few other forms, although this version is printed much larger. The second book contains Alan Moore's scripts for the comic book series. If you enjoyed the comic book series and can't get enough of it, this book is for you. I was amazed at how detailed the scripts were. He gives camera angles and everything for virtually every panel in the comic. This is the ultimate version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Rating:
Summary: POWERFULLY IMAGINATIVE
Review: MOORE DID IT ONCE AGAIN WITH THIS SUPERHEROIC TAKE ON CLASSIC POPULAR LITERARY CHARACTERS. SAW THE MOVIE SHORTLY AFTER READING THE BOOK. DESPITE LESS CHARACTER, THE BOOK PROVIDES A MORE ENJOYABLE THRILLS FROM SEEING HOW MOORE REINVENTS EACH OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK SO THEY CAN FIT TOGETHER AS MISFITS. CAN'T WAIT FOR VOLUME 2.
Rating:
Summary: More Moore!
Review: Alan Moore successfully integrates characters from different Victorian novels making them analogous to modern day superheroes. This is a very intriguing idea. Moore himself is an excellent writer who knows Victorian literature very well. His love for it is obvious in every page and in every small sly reference. Combining all of these different characters--most who were not necessarily heroes in their novels--he comes up with a fresh way of approaching the superhero genre. Don't let the movie fool you. The comic is dark and intelligent. A comic truly for adults and written at an adult level. If anyone can eventually convince the world that comics are a legitimate form of literature it would be Alan Moore. I would certainly buy the Second Volume if it is released. My only complaints are that the artwork doesn't live up to the writing. In fact, it many times takes away from the story. That and whenever Chinese writing is used it is the modern simplified characters created by the Communists in the latter half of the 20th century rather than the traditional ones still in use outside of Mainland China.
Rating:
Summary: VERY VERY Cool Idea But....
Review: League is well illustrated, and the extra advertisements and the masthead with the old time style of writing definitely adds to the authentic feel it's trying to recreate. Narrative passages at the end of each issue (Watchmen style) help add another dimension to the story. The idea of making a superhero team with the heroes from Victorian literature is very fresh. The plot twists a bit, but in the end, it's just that: a superhero story. But this is what Alan Moore is doing. He deconstructed superheroes in his seminal magnum opus, "Watchmen," and now he's recreating them again with the entire line of "America's Best Comics." On one hand, League is something truly unique and fresh, but on the other hand, it's still a comic that could have been published by Marvel.
Rating: 
Summary: The beginning of something great
Review: The idea behind this book is much, much better than the execution. Kevin O'Neill's illustration style is unique, but he sucks the action out of every panel. The characters are very stiff. Scenes of explosions and fist-fights are static --- you see the action before and after, but nothing in between. The story is hard to follow. Honestly, I had no idea what was going on until the *third* time I read the book. Alan Moore seems to have cut any "establishing shots," dumping you into different places without introduction, and keeping character motives secret. (Compare this to WATCHMEN, in which every location is identified and each character is carefully examined as they are introduced.) To make matters worse, too many pages are rendered so dark, you can't see the artwork. Notice how the big splash page at the end of chapter 2 ("limehouse...") is too dim to see all the carefully-rendered details drawn by O'Neill. What's good about this? Well, first of all the whole idea is so good, you can justify the effort to get involved. Moore and O'Neill could do this series for the next ten years and it would just get better. Second, despite the repressive Victorian setting, they've have thrown in a lot of sex (including an invisible man fondling girls) and blood (slit throats, torture, and more). The ponderous plot is given constant injections of mayhem and titillation to keep you interested. If you don't know Alan Moore's work, don't start here. (Start with WATCHMEN and FROM HELL.) If you know his work --- and if you enjoyed Kevin O'Neill's work on MARSHALL LAW --- you'll like this. And it's only going to get better . . . the next book combines Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom with HG Wells' War of the Worlds. Who could resist that?
Rating:
Summary: CAUSE IM THE INVISIBLE MAN
Review: This comic book is just awesome-just like the movie! I bought this book one day-and I started reading it the second I got to my sisters condo in Edmonton when I was visiting her! And I finished the comic book that day! This comic is filled with great art-and the lines the Invisible Man has a cool also! Actually-this comic book glitters more then the movie! And whats also neat is that there is a story at the back of the comic book! So this book is pretty great-I know I will never let this comic go or get misplaced!
Rating:
Summary: One of the finest "Penny Dreadfuls" ever written...
Review: Every time I read this, I find some new little tidbit to enjoy. If you were discouraged by the movie, I implore you to pick up the source text to find out what went wrong. This is an excellent story and a great tribute to early 20th century adventure fiction. I really like this book.
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