Though infamously turned into a pretty awful film, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen started life as a reasonably entertaining comic book, sort of a Justice League of Victoriana. Its author, Alan Moore, has been a wildly praised comics writer since he revitalized DC's Swamp Thing, back in 1983, and is perhaps most revered in the industry for The Watchmen.

The concept for League is that a group of heroes and anti-heroes from late-19th/early 20th century adventure literature are brought together to fight a mysterious evil-doer. The "good" guys include: Mina Harker (Dracula); Captain Nemo (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea); Allan Quartermain (King Solomon's Mines,/a>); Rodney Skinner (Invisible Man); Dr. Henry Jekyl1 (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde); Auguste Dupin (Murders in the Rue Morgue); and Mycroft Holmes (adventures of Sherlock Holmes). Their foes include: Dr. Fu Manchu and Professor James Moriarty. Most of the fun in this introductory tale comes just from seeing these beloved characters come on stage and from their interactions. Mr. Moore has tossed in a few sly twists: we first meet Quartermain in an opium den and Skinner in a boarding school where the girls he's been impregnating think a mystical force is responsible. But the story is really just an excuse to gather the gang. Artist Kevin O'Neill renders things in appropriately dark and cluttered fashion, with numerous visual jokes. It's all a bit bloodier than need be--especially for youngsters--and Mr. Hyde in particular is excessive in terms of both his size and his violence. Nonetheless, the premise is beguiling enough to carry the exercise and you'll especially enjoy it assuming you grew up loving the books in which the characters originally appeared.

(Reviewed:05-Jun-05)

Grade: (B) Orrin C. Judd

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Alan Moore Links:

    -FILMOGRAPHY: Alan Moore (IMDB.com)
    -INFO: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) (IMDB.com)
    -Alan Moore Fan Site
    -Alan Moore (COMICON.com)
    -PROFILE: Please, Sir, I Want Some Moore: The lazy British genius who transformed American comics (Douglas Wolk, Dec. 17, 2003, Slate)
    -INTERVIEW: THE ALAN MOORE INTERVIEW (Barry Kavanagh, 17 October 2000, Blather)
    -PROFILE: Give me Moore: Alan Moore's graphic novels brought him a huge cult following and now Hollywood loves him too. (Erin McElhinney, 06 July 2003, Sunday Herald)
    <>-REVIEW: of Major-League Entertainment: Moore and O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Bryan A. Hollerbach, Strange Horizons)

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