Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #300 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-29
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Proving that mainstream comics could be infused with past literary/cultural ideals and still be best sellers, the America's Best Comics imprint took the dilapidated superhero genre and created three vastly entertaining hybrids with Tom Strong, Promethea and Top Ten. Now, a stunning coup de grace is delivered with this masterful pairing of Victorian adventure fiction's greatest characters and the old war-horse of the super-group. With the stunning The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it would be no exaggeration to say that Alan Moore has produced a near-perfect piece of adventure fiction that is clever, literate, rich with excitement and hard to put down.

It's 1898 and at the behest of M, the mysterious head of the secret Service, Campion Bond is dispatched to procure the services of Miss Mina Murray (nee Harker), adventurer Allan Quartermain, "Science-Pirate" Captain Nemo, Henry Jekyll (and his monstrous alter ego) and Hawley Griffin (aka The Invisible Man). Together, they must combat an insidious threat that will decide supremacy of the London skies, but their success may unleash a far greater threat. With no shortage of action, Moore and O' Neill sustain a high level of suspense, intrigue, mystery and terrific wit that all contribute to an indispensable read. O'Neill's art, so memorable in Marshal Law, produces a London filled with vivid, magnificent architecture and a malevolent atmosphere ripe with thrills and danger. An unmitigated triumph, the sequel cannot come soon enough, with such a glorious past showing what the future can hold for comics. Magnificent--pure and simple. --Danny Graydon

Synopsis
Comics scriptwriting supremo Alan Moore's incredible, reinvention of classic heroes and villains - now available in an eagerly-anticipated paperback. What if some of the best loved literary characters in history were to band together to fight crime? What if Captain Nemo, Allan Quatermain, Dr Henry Jekyll (together with his brutish alter ego Edward Hyde) and The Invisible Man were brought together by a Miss Mina Harker (who once had a dalliance with a certain Count from Transylvania), to fight the menace of Fu Manchu? Enter the extraordinary world of Alan Moore with this fantastic collection to find out!

Customer Reviews

Strange, literary and brill!
Alan Moore is a creative genius. Yes, he does the superhero thing with Watchmen and his DC and Marvel forays, but this is a whole new spin on it! This graphic novel will make you want to re-read all those classics gathering dust on your shelves, because all of the major characters are torn from Victorian masterpieces. Allan Quartemain, Captain Nemo, The Invisible Man, Mina Murray (formerly Harker), Dr Jekyll and of course Mr Hyde are summoned to form the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. All the characters are well portrayed, especially Mr Hyde. But they all have flaws and dark sides. The Invisible Man is a rapist for instance, not your jolly scientist. You have all these classics in a James Bond-esque plot, spying for the Empire to save the world from a devious villain so foul, dear reader, I shudder at the thought of his very name! You'd be surprised at the humour too. The artwork is fantastically detailed and fits the story perfectly. You get a bonus Quartemain story at the end and a fab collection of cover artwork from the original comics. There is always something new to notice when you re-read it. This is unlike anything you have read and I highly recommend it! Can't wait to read Black Dossier! Utterly marvelous!

Rainbow in the Comic Book Land
This comic is a magical exploration into the world of Alan Moore. It's a masterpiece fraught with adventure & intelligence. Moore creates so many different layers in his work it's hard to fully comprehend. The illustration is also fantastic.

Britannia waives the rules with some relish!
If you're a fan of victorian characters such as Dr Jekyl and Capt Nemo, or you are a comics fan wanting a good read, this book is for you!

Don't be put off by the movie, the book is infinitely better.

Buy the hard-back - you'll read it often enough to warrant the extra.

Superbe. Alan Moore at his best.