Rating: 
Summary: It was fine....
Review: With the movie adaptation of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen coming out I figured now was a good time to become familiar with the source material and to get an understanding of who these characters are and how the whole comic works. The comic/graphic novel (depends what you want to call it) is set in 1898,England. Mina Murray (Bram Stoker's Dracula) is putting together a team made up of 19th Century literary heroes. The team will comprise Alan Quartermain (King Solomon's Mines), The Invisible Man (title character), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (title character), Captain Nemo (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea). Other literary characters make appearances (the brother of Sherlock Holmes and somebody who may be a grandfather of James Bond...). The goal of this team is to save London from all threats. This first volume contains the first six issues of the graphic novel and is one complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. It features the gathering of the League and the first enemy who is trying to destroy London. The artwork is stunning and the book is well done. This is a well told story, but my main problem was simply that I knew of the characters mostly by name and some by reputation. The only characters that I was truly familiar with were the Invisible Man and Jekyll/Hyde. This removed some of the charm of the book because it was not a romp with familiar characters but rather with familiar names. I'll give this a positive review, but this isn't exactly my taste.
Rating: 
Summary: The best Alan Moore comic out there
Review: After the hype about Watchmen I decided to buy it. While it is a good story, I was not impressed. This book on the other hand is something completely different. This is an incredibly entertaining read and I can't wait for volume 2. The characters are all well-known and they way they are presented in the comic is masterful. All your victorian favorites are here and it is chock-full with tounge-in-cheek refences to some of that eras best writers (like the "scene" where they are investigating the first murders which take place in a street between rue Richelieu and Rue St. Roch. They don't mention the name of the street, but you can see it in the art. And the manner of the murders is exactly like the one in that famous story. I loved it.) Just the use of the famous characters is worth the price of the book alone. But on top of that the story is quite gripping and the pace perfectly executed. This is one of the best comics I have read in a long time. I hope the series continues for some time to come. Run and buy it now.
Rating:
Summary: fun stuff eh..
Review: I won't bore you with a summary of the comic because there are so many already up here, but i just wanted to say this is just a good old fashioned ... comic. It's really fun stuff, alan moore never looked better. The charcters are intersting and a lot of amusing mentions to the backgrounds of the literay inspired charcters. It might be confusing for those who don't really know literay figures, but don't worry the art and makes up for it. Actuallly i'm really annoyed with the way they're doing this in the movie that's going to be coming out. Read the the comic before you see the movie, so you can join me in being [mad]. Psh.. adding Tom sawyer and dorien grey..Thats! that's?!!! WTH man??? You know they changed the name of the invisible man from griffin to skinner??!! Also what's this with making sean connary the leader of the group where it's presumed that miss murray is the leader in the comic??!! grrr..
Rating:
Summary: Get set for Extraordinary Adventure...
Review: Within weeks the SLEEPER blockbuster film of summer 2003 erupts. THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN cannot fail as Super Hero action extravaganza rivaling Indiana Jones and 007 adventures. Irony is SEAN CONNERY playing archetypal hero Allan Quartermain who prefigures "Heart of Darkness" explorers from Tim Tyler(the Ivory Patrol)and Jungle Jim; to Harrison Ford as Dr. Jones Jr. Cinematically successful or not, Moore's LEAGUE of EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN triumphs as milestone in emerging literature genre praised or disparaged as Graphic Novels. Complemented by eye-opening, equally extraordinary art work of Kevin O'Neill, Moore has assembled a bizarre battle-array of HEROES & VILLAINS of classic 19th century literature(from H.Ryder Haggard; Robert Louis Stevenson and Bram Stoker; to Jules Verne and H.G.Wells). This secret society of champions and monsters is enlisted by British M-I 5(led by Sherlock Holmes'brother Mycroft; the great grandfather of 007, Sir Campion Bond; and a mysterious third figure who may be England's most nefarious criminal)to battle THE DOCTOR: a megalomanaical genius and sadist(Ian Fleming's precursor of Dr. No)bent on destroying Pax Britannica. If you enjoy literary trivia you'll have a blast figuring-out Who's Who? and what's really up in this epic adventure brilliantly comprising figures as(ironically PC)diverse as Captain Nemo,survivor of apparent destruction of The Nautilus and MYSTERIOUS ISLAND...in his true identity of Indian Prince Dakkar...and Mina Harker,survivor of blood-thirsty affections of Count DRACULA. To date I haven't been a fan of Alan Moore.His disturbing classic THE WATCHMEN...Post-Modern grim, existentially grotesque in my estimate...revels in psychopaths glorifying themselves as heroes and UBERMENSCHEN. I found THE KILLING JOKE offensive with its perverse equation of BATMAN'S pursuit of Justice beyond Good and Evil with overt sadism of JOKER.But...THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN is "different". Mr. Moore's delight in "twisted" tales of sociopathic supermen, this time employs his undeniable talent and astute use of irony to re-invent our perceptions of World Order and "heroes" who defend it. There is immense(adult)humor in this work; the authors have done an incredible job of rendering Extraordinary Adventure which is also a genuine piece of PM literature. God Save Allan Moore? Not quite: in THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN...God Save The Queen? Write On! (7 Stars)
Rating: 
Summary: Worth reading as well as looking at . . .
Review: I was never much of a comic-book reader as a kid (back in the fifties), but I've developed a fondness for graphic novels in the past decade or so. Not super hero stuff (except for Moore's Watchmen, of course) but "real" stories set in the present or past. Reasonably real, anyway. This one is a high-Victorian adventure involving such literary greats as Alan Quartermain (fallen on hard times as a result of drug-dependence), Capt. Nemo (here interpreted as a renegade from the Subcontinent), the Invisible Man (a deeply sociopathic character), and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (suffering from a bipolar disorder of some magnitude), all of whom are collected Wilhelmina Murray, who has reverted to her maiden name following an unnamed horrible experience the previous year. She working under the instructions of Mr. Bond and "M" (who is suspected of being Mycroft Holmes, . . . but that initial can stand for a number of things), who are trying to save the world from the criminal use of cavorite. I often find that in even the best graphic novel, the story is not nearly as well produced as the artwork, and that's also the case here -- but the discrepancy is rather small this time. And the art is very well done indeed, especially the flow from one panel to the next and the use of slight changes in facial expression or body language to make a point. There are some really lovely details, too, like the bad guys in corsets. I shall waiting with anticipation for the next volume.
Rating:
Summary: I like it
Review: After the events depicted in "Dracula" Mina Harker divorced her mealey mouthed husband and struck out on her own. The civilized world is danger, Sherlock Holmes is missing and believed dead and Mina at the request of Campion Bond,( guess who's ancestor he is) and a mysterious person known as M, sets out to assemble a team up to the challenge: Dr. Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the Invisible Man. The only trouble is Dr. Quartermain's hooked on drugs, Jekyll can't control Hyde, who still enjoys killing people and the Invisible Man is still a meglomaniac. Can Mina hold them together and get the job done?
This is a delicious romp for the classic literature lover and for the graphic novel fan. I do have to say as other reviewers have pointed out, there are intense scenes in League. This is a comic book but it's not for little kids, okay? Everything that was hinted at in the books that all these characters are derived from is fully described here. If you're sensitive about violence you might want to wait for the movie to come out. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: For fans of classic sci-fi greats, this is it!
Review: Some weeks ago, I saw the trailer for the upcoming film, not knowing that it is based on a best-selling graphic novel by esteemed author Alan Moore. This is the second time that my curiosity was peaked by a film that got its beginnings from a "comic book" (the first being last year's "The Road to Perdition"). I had to read it and am I glad that I did. As one that was grew up intrigued by the writings of Verne, Wells, and Stevenson and also watched the various film incarnations of Stoker's "Dracula", this book was a must-read. A thoroughly digestible feast for the literature fan, as well as a treat for the avid or even casual comic book reader, "League" just goes to prove that the modern superhero owes a major debt to the exploits put forth in the pages of works by the aforementioned authors. The author and illustrator do seem to be influenced a bit by a certain Marvel Comics character, making Dr. Jekyll's transformation into Mr. Hyde a little too similar to the Bruce Banner/Hulk change. That withstanding, the story, with its many other literary references is a welcome addition to anyone's library. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, AND the X-Men ain't got a thing on Allan Quatermain! I'm placing my advance order for Volume II.
Rating:
Summary: The more Moore, the merrier!
Review: I'm usually not one to follow trends seeing how The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is about to hit the theaters in a few short weeks and how the graphic novel is available in the bookstores I frequent. Yet I am both a fan of Alan Moore's work (The Watchmen in particular) and of literature from the 19th Century, from which some of the greatest written material ever. emerged. So a mathematical equation popped into my brain : Alan Moore + 19th Century Literature = a great read BINGO!!! In 1898, a mysterious young lady who calls herself Wilhelmina Murray is sent by the English government to find a group of 19th Century literary characters (Wilhelmina being one herself under a different name) scattered throughout the globe. Her search leads her to Cairo to find Allan Quartermain in an opium-induced stupor and also Captain Nemo (who isn't that much of a fan of English Imperialism) coming to their rescue; to Paris where a gargantuan ape-like monster is murdering ladies of ill-repute; and back to England where a group of mysterious pregnancies are occuring at a school for girls. Now this new "menagerie" of heroes has a mission: recovering the gravity-repellant material known as Cavorite (the same material used in H.G. Wells' "the First Men on the Moon") from a powerful London crimelord known as The Doctor. And as Sherlock Holmes would say: "The Game's afoot!" Also included in this graphic novel is the story "Allan and the Sundered Veil", which is printed in 1890s illustrated magazine format. "AatSV" not only describes the events that lead up to Quartermain's appearance in a Cairo opium den but also hints at events that might take place in TLoEG Vol. 2. Here there are appearances by H.G. Wells' Time Traveller, Burrough's John Carter, and Lovecraft's Randolph Carter (who is revealed to be John's great-nephew). I really liked how Moore wrote this story. He should consider writing outside of comics once in a while. Be warned. There are depictions of violence and depravity that are far more graphic than one may expect from classical literary characters. But this is not violence for its own sake. It is how the creators of TLoEG feel these characters would act without the veneer of 19th Century censorship holding them back. You have to understand that Hawley Griffith (the Invisible Man) and Mr. Hyde are apt to utilize methods as deplorable as what the villains would use. But once you get past the violence and overall unsavory disposition of the heroes, you'll find TLoEG to be a jolly good read.
Rating:
Summary: Not as Daring as One Might Think
Review: Any reader might think that by having 5 Victorian age characters together in a league, similar to that of the Avengers or JLA, will be the best thing that anyone has ever thought of. While idea has premise, it's really not a cut loose cannon one might think or want it to be. Alan Quatermain, Mina Murray (previously Harker), Dr Jekyll (an of course Mr Hyde), the Invisible Man and Captain Nemo, fight a battle against the greatest villain of that age. The thing that makes this works is the story telling. Moore is able to project the intellectual, holier than thou feel of the 19th century an have it work in an action sequence. The whole story reads like a bunch of people fighting the good fight and still coming back home in time for the afternoon tea. It's a very gentleman, lady like approach to the story with everyone being so overly nice to one another. To the point of boredom. One might think how did the British ever rule more than half the world with that kind of attitude. Moore brings in the extraordinary approach to things and has all the characters fighting in flying machines, laser touting and against... uhmmm... the Chinese. Ah yes! Need I say more? O'Neill's art is mediocre at best. While Moore tries really hard to capture the essence of the 19th century, O'neill's art is just trying to deconstruct it. It's shabby and not really conveying the time with which the story takes place. All in all the story is not that bad. It has potential, but Moore may try to explore that in upcoming volumes. His stories are great, but the major problem that he falls against is that the artists chosen for him with his projects just can't make his mind's world into the real world. If comics were invented during those times, they would look exactly like this...
Rating:
Summary: this is good stuff!
Review: i had heard about the LoEG movie coming out, and i heard later that it was based on a comic book. being a new comic fan, i went out and got this, and i was impressed! the art is great, the premise is fantastic, the plot development is superb and these guys do a marvelous job of giving it that 19th century feel (the language, etc). if you have never read LoEG and want to start, start with this book. it is the first few issues where everyone is introduced, and it is just fabulous! this has been Apollyon
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