Reviews of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen -- Century 1910

The Comics Corner
By The Comedian

This review will address a recent addition to my comics library. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen -- Century 1910 (volume three) is a recent publication (June 2009) and is part of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series by Allan Moore and Kevin O'Neill and now published by Top Shelf Comics.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (LXG) -- Century 1910
This is latest installment of the popular series by writer Allan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill. For those who have not been blessed with reading previous novels (and those cursed with watching the horrid film of the same name), a bit of general background is important to understanding this review of the current issue.

LXG draws its characters from British Victorian adventure literature. For example the title has used Mina Murry (Stoker), Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde(Stevenson), Allan Quatermain (Haggard), Nemo (Verne), The Invisible Man (Wells) and others. . . . and grouped them together to investigate a variety of odd happenings in Victorian England and Europe. These groups of talented individuals operate as covert agents in service to Her Majesty and have their headquarters in a secret room in the British Museum.

In Century 1910, Mina Murry, Quatermain, Carnacki (Hodgeson), and the ageless & gender-shifting Orlando (Wolfe) set out to investigate a group of power-hungry occultists. Additionally, the text introduces a parallel plot of Nemo's young daughter Janey's struggle with her identity and independence.

Structurally, the story well balanced with the two plots clearly running toward a confluence in later issues. And the sequencing of panels, splash pages, and dialogue create a simple read that, as the same time, suggests a depth for those interested diving into the O'Neill's fine artwork and Moore's myriad allusions to British literary history. Oh yes, and there's nudity lots of violence. The book is designed to be both playful and literary. And this reader thinks that is succeeds at both.

On the down side, Moore is clearly more interested in the newer characters of the series (Orlando, Carnacki, the young Janey), while the Mina Murry (the leader of the gentlemen) and Quatermain, whose roles and characters were so developed and central in earlier titles, are less developed often merely supply the lacquer and not the structure of Century 1910. I miss them.

This fault, however, should not hinder anyone who picks up this text. Indeed, for readers on LitNet, the entire LXG title is a love-letter to Victorian adventure literature and the references in both the art and text could keep one busy happily looking up allusions for a good long while.

Final Rating: 4/5 smiles: :):):):)

Happy to find another comics lover. There should be a little bit more discussion on comics in these forums, discussions more serious than most that can be found in comic book sites.

As regards LOEG, i have only read the first volume, almost four years ago (i was 17 or so back then). I really don't remember much but i know i loved it. Not so much as Watchmen or V for Vendetta though.

I think i'll be jumping back on Moore's comics soon, there is much of his work i want to read. Maybe reading the 3 volumes of LOEG would be wise for starters.

Right now im reading Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol. I think it's great. It's like a proto-Invisibles, with all the themes and strangeness he would then master.