Rating: 
Summary: Only Alan Moore could have pulled it off
Review: ONly a writer with the brilliance of Alan Moore (it must be the beard) could have combined Victorian literature and comic books and actually had the mix work. I was skeptical at first, but the story is brilliant. The characters are true to the roots (Nemo as a Sikh), but my idea of Mr. Hyde was an evil looking short guy, but I understood why he looked the way he did in the book. The only character that remains apocryphal to me is Campion Bond, but with Alan moore you never know. The coolest thing about it is that every background character is someone from real Victorian literature (although most I did not recognize). For 25 dollars you get a brilliant story in hardcover with a bookmark and an Alan Quartermain story. The only thing that I wish it had was the Victorian ads the individual issues had, but it is worth every penny. BUY IT!
Rating:
Summary: Another masterpiece from Alan Moore!
Review: Moore has done a fantastic job of weaving a broad tapestry of the most famous fantasy characters of the Victorian Age. The story development seems well grounded in each character's original book and serves as a launching pad for a well-crafted tale. It really stretched my memory of these classic stories. I cannot remember if Captain Nemo was Indian in the original Jules Verne story. Does anyone recognize Campion Bond? Is he a Moore character? Furthermore, Moore has created a harmonious synergy of the heroes and villains that develop them far beyond what their creators intended - especially Mina Murray. Also interesting was the Mars sub-plot that probably deals with Wells' "The War of the Worlds" and sets up the next volume. It reminded me somewhat of the pirate comic book in "The Watchmen". The Allan Quartermain feature is also an enjoyable and quick read.
Rating: 
Summary: oh my god!!!!!!! if i could i would give it -5 stars
Review: This was one of the worst books i have ever read and i am a big reader. I'm telling all people who read this do not, i repeat DO NOT waste your money on this book it is terrible, no its beyond terrible. I don't know how people can say its better then the movie because their is no comparison, i mean the movie is not one of the most popular but its still a really good movie and compared to the book the movie show will as many oscars as possible. Adding Dorian Gray and Tom Sawyer to the movie was a very good idea, the book is terrible, it you want to know the story just watch the movie most people are not giving it the credit it deserves. Mina's character was not the most well thought out one and like someone said earlier, back in 1898 they would not have put a women in charge. Plus Dorian Gray isn't even in the book yet his picture is on the cover, and in my opinion there are to many rapes in this book the parts there in its just not nesecery to be there, its doesn't hold the story together they could have found griffen some other way. Just please don't waste your money on this just watch the movie leave the book in the dark where it belongs.
Rating:
Summary: Dammit, Miss Murray, this is EXCELLENT!
Review: Being not a great fan of Moore, I was told by a friend this was his best work. He was right! This is the best Moore work I've EVER READ! I think it even surpasses Watchmen. Its better than Vol. 2, and is really action packed, funny and exciting!
A Moore classic!
Despite being so good, I warn you it is quite adult. Although not being as "romantically" graphic as Vol. 2, it is EXTREMELY gory, spraying guts, flying heads and all, and is a tad fruity-languaged in some parts. Still, its an excellent piece of work, and a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Get lost in the artwork and unique setting
Review: First I have to comment on the artwork in this book. It is probably the best I have seen since reading graphic novels as an adult. Oftentimes I found myself lost in the artwork just looking at everything going on in the panel and losing the dialog. That may not sound like a good thing, but it really allows you to enjoy the book in a much deeper way than you normally would. You are really able to dive into the setting. You are seeing an ultra-industrial world with loose morals set at the end of victorian times, and you can see all the details of what that means in the artwork.
Of course, add on top of that the excellent writing of Alan Moore and you have yet another level of enjoyment. The plot is actually not very special. It's sort of a "put together the superteam - do a mission - realize you were betrayed" type deal. However, doing that story in a different era with a set of characters many folks my age have forgotten, as well as the interesting details when moving between those plot points more than makes up for the simple plot. The subtle humor adds to the story and is integrated with the artwork well. Quartermain's eyes bulging had me chuckling each time I saw it.
I saw the movie version of the league a while ago and thought it was an ok popcorn flick... I didn't realize how pitiful the movie really was until I read the source material. The movie captures none of the world created in the artwork, settings and language used in these books.
Rating:
Summary: Alan Moore....Lite
Review: Alan Moore... Lite
With The League, Moore shows that he can put aside the overt socio-political concerns that take centre stage in some of his other writings (From Hell, V for Vendetta) and construct as good an adventure story as anyone else in the comix genre. However, as Jess Nevins' indispensable Annotations can attest (which are freely available on the Internet), there is still a tremendous amount of depth and referentiality here. This is a simultaneous homage and indictment of the nineteenth century: a paradoxical time of innocence and exploitation. Moore, as usual, proves why he's the best, by doing what others don't. Foreign languages (Arabic, Chinese) are written in foreign characters, and clever puns and double entendres are generously sprinkled throughout the text. He also cuts and pastes some of the more famous storylines of the era and reinvents them to suit his purposes. The narrator's affectations completely nail the tone and attitude of the era. A book is never just a book with Alan Moore; he always stretches the limits of the traditional graphic novel, introducing such elements here as a novella, games, and biographies of people having nothing to do with the narrative.
Truly, the artwork here is nothing short of amazing. Kevin O-Neill's colours brilliantly match the flow of the narrative, running the gamut from drab to dazzling. His full-page illustrations are immaculately detailed and very pleasing to the eye. O'Neill is no mere comix illustrator: he's a full-blown artist. His ability to effortlessly move from the abstract to the concrete is remarkable.
Pick up this book. As bizarre a conceit as a 19th century version of the Justice League of America stacked with England's more famous fictional heroes/heroines of the time merits a look. The fact that it's Alan Moore quarterbacking this experiment makes things all-the-more interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good, but not Very Loyal
Review: The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Book version) 5 Stars
The Story:
1898: England is in danger and a group of people with extraordinary talents are assembled to save king and country. Including:
Mina Murray, recently divorced after the `Dracula' incident, she is the team leader. Though possessing no real extraordinary talents, she is very smart, crafty, adaptable and always proper.
Allan Quatermain, former African adventurer. An excellent shot, smart, brave and handy in any tight situation.
Captain Nemo, long believed dead, Nemo has `resurfaced' along with his tentacled ship the Nautilus. Merciless and grim, he provides the team with many of his own inventions for various uses.
Dr. Henry Jekyll and his inseparable shadow: Edward Hyde, provide the muscle for the team. Although neither one can be trusted, they are an important part of the team.
Dr. Hawley Griffin, the infamous invisible man. A man without any moral limits, he proves to be useful, but quite unpredictable.
Now with the heros assembled, can they save England and is there more to this than meets the eye?
An enjoyable read, filled with action and adventure and even some laughs. Better in some ways to some of Alan Moore's other comics, but without any of the drama or preachiness. Good entertainment, although I wouldn't let any kids read this who weren't used to rated R material.
(Warning: Spoilers!)
Now for the hard truth. I'm sick and tired of everyone calling this better than the movie or even worse: more accurate!
Item 1: I find it very hard to swallow that the British government at that time would put a woman in charge! And besides that, a woman with no qualifications whatsoever! I mean, just because she was bit by a vampire suddenly she's who everybody calls? And while in the real book you see some the guts she seems to have in the comic book, she's hardly a superhero. While we're on the subject of the book, did any of these people read that! The final page of the book clearly states that Mina and Jonathan lived a long happy life together, not to mention had a kid! Meanwhile in the movie it makes sense: She's been turned into a vampire, her husbands dead and manages to control her bestial urges and the government hires her because of her extraordinary talents. Admittedly it still tampers with the book, but certainly no worse. (Besides, which leader would you rather follow: Sean Connery or Peta Wilson?)
Item 2: People are blaming the movie for turning Jekyll and Hyde into a Hulk wannabe? In the comic Dr. Jekyll mentions that he used to be taller than Mr. Hyde. In the comic it's explained because Jekyll's `metabolism' changed, any stress will turn him into the hul'------Mr. Hyde. In the comic Hyde is now a huge ape-like, super strong monster totally willing to tear people to shreds.
Item 3: did somebody forget to mention that the Invisible Man was going stark raving mad before the mob got him?
Item 4: am I the only one who notices the picture of Dorian Gray on the cover of the graphic novel? Besides, anyone who's read the plot of the movie knows why he's in there. (Don't ask about Tom Sawyer)
Item 5: I hardly think Moriarty would be stupid enough to grab onto something floating into space. To anyone who cares, I thought the Pollyanna joke to be quite offensive and unnecessary. Who are the characters in the picture of a 1787 league of Extraordinary people? I know one's Gulliver but who are the other's? Especially The Reverend Dr. Syn?
In conclusion, the comic is an excellent five-star read, but it's just as disloyal to the original material as the movie is.
Rating:
Summary: Fun
Review: This was the first Alan Moore comic I read, and I could tell right off the bat why comic fans always speak so reverentially about the man. After reading just a few panels, it was clear that Moore is someone concerned about the texture of language, the subtext of character, and nuance of meaning.I had heard this one wasn't Moore's best effort, but I wanted to read it before I saw the Sean Connery movie based on it. I was still highly impressed, however, and thought it was one of the best written comic I'd ever read. But after just recently finishing Moore's mesmerizing FROM HELL, I can see that by comparison, LEAGUE is a slightly inferior work. But that's just because FROM HELL is hands-down the most amazingly complex and well written comic novel I've ever read.
Still, LEAGUE, a high concept literary action hero romp is a lot of fun, and if it's not quite the toure-de-force that Moore achieved with FROM HELL, it's still a thrilling story.
Rating:
Summary: Crazy fun
Review: This 'graphic novel' by Alan Moore is filled with fascinating characters, literary references, and very dry humor. It's a hundred times smarter than the movie that came out last summer under the same title. This tells the story of five famous characters from Victorian literature who join forces in a 'league of extraordinary gentlemen' to save the world. Allan Quatermain from 'King Solomon's Mines', Mina Murray from 'Dracula', Dr. Jekyll and his Hyde counterpart, the invisible man and Captain Nemo from '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' come together, bantering over cups of tea(...). The graphic element of this graphic novel is absolutely stunning. The artist O'Neill assembles crowded street scenes in Paris and London with a few quick strokes of his brush, and lovingly creates detailed images of the macabre and sometimes perverse world Moore has created in words. Take a look at the all girls 'school' the characters visit while recruiting the invisible man. Whew. The action is fast paced, the dialogue is biting and believable, and the characters are great fun. Overall, a good, smart story.(...)Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: unimpressive; idiotic; racist
Review: this is a very good comic book. the only reason i didn't give it a five-star rating is because i think that the characters can be fleshed out a little bit more. that having been said this is an enthralling and gripping read. if you have seen and hated the movie (as i did) then please don't turn your back on this. the story is much better and the characters are more rich than in the movie. the difference abound greatly between the comic and the movie. quartermain isn't the rough and tumble hero in this comic, rather he is a bumbling, opium addicted, idiot. he does sober up somewhat by the end but he still isn't the same character depicted in the movie (which makes him more interesting). nina murray (harker in the movie) is the most mysterious as her story isn't expounded on as of yet (but here's to hoping the second collection does). nemo is an ego-maniac, the invisible man is a pervert, and dr. jekyl is a wus. those thing having been said, the plot is great and the twist at the end is even better. read this for a good time and i guarantee you will enjoy it (at least better than the movie!).
|
