The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 2

I really enjoyed the 1st volume, which the movie is *very loosely* based upon. This volume is much more mature, and really, really is not for children. However, I think you will find that it is quite good for adults and really pushes the envelope in the genre. While not quite as good as the 1st, the expanding references into past fiction are very fun. Some of the more mature themes made me giggle. The love scenes are a bit sappy, and the cartoon nudity tends to make me laugh. But hey, this is a graphic novel! Even with any downsides I may have found, this book was incredibly entertaining and gets a solid 5 stars from me.

Almost everybody has their assumptions before they read something, having only seen the movie based off of Vol 1 & Vol 2, you can imagine my impressions. I will be short and to the point however. Having not read The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1, I read Vol. 2 and thought it was, OK. I won't say great or fantastic cause I just can't do it. I read to the end of the illustrations more or less and just didn't feel like putting in that much effort to read the loads of "journal-type entries" after the story. I skimmed over them to see if I could find more about the characters of Mina and Quartermain but, after a point said, to heck with this. This is a book I am glad I checked out of the library instead of bought, as I would have regretted spending the money on it. This book by no means was bad, it just wasn't really my cuppa tea.

Like the first brilliant volume in the series, this installment will appeal to fans of both Victorian genre literature and modern comics. While it doesn't quite reach the heights of Volume 1, it's still an entertaining concept with a decent story and great art. Following a rather bizarre opening battle scene on Mars (featuring John Carter of Mars and Gulliver), Moore's public-domain "heroes" of the 19th-century British Secret Service (Ms. Murray, the widowed wife of Mr. Harker from Dracula, gaunt ex-adventurer Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, the terrifying Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Hawley Griffin, aka The Invisible Man) are assembled to investigate mysterious meteors which have struck outside of London.

These meteors turn out to be invaders from Mars, and a "War of the Worlds" plotline unfolds, as the tripod aliens start incinerating everyone with their death rays and march on a steampunky Victorian London. As in the first volume, much of the storytelling revolves around the characters' relationships with one another, and here we're treated to a dreadful betrayal, a rather shocking (and graphically gross) affair, vengeance, and sacrifice. It's wonderfully written and the visual attention to detail is outstanding -- both story and art are packed with 19th-century literary inside jokes that will reward repeated reading. Especially prominent is the no longer isle-bound Dr. Moreau and his creations, who live sequestered in a British forest.

The artwork is once again pitch perfect throughout, with straightforward paneling jam-packed with detail. For example, a nice piece of dark character-based humor is found in the background of one early panel. The heroes survey the landscape just after a host of innocent citizens have been burned to cinders by the aliens, and while some talk in the foreground, Hawley Griffin is nonchalantly lighting a cigarette from a burning branch. For the Dr. Moreau part, the art is flatter and much more vividly colored, reminiscent of an old-fashioned children's book, albeit one with a good measure of weirdness.

The book comes with plenty of extras, including an amusing "Chutes and Ladders" type game, a lengthy gazetteer of lost worlds, original cover art, and other such tidbits. On the whole, while not quite as amazing as Volume I, this is still much much better than most stuff on the market, both in terms of writing and artwork. A word of caution, the book is not intended for young children. The violence can be rather graphic and there is graphic sexual material.

I thought this book was very good. I enjoyed bth the artwork and story. Now i just wish the next volume would come out since this leaves a lot unresolved.

Alan Moore's 2nd adventure about the cast of fictional characters: Nemo, Invisible Man, Quartermain, Hyde, Mina. The eclectic heroes are called into action by M after a Martian invasion in London. As with Vol.1, Moore takes his time developing characters before throwing them into direct confrontation with the enemy. Hyde is especially interesting because he has quite an intellect, unlike the Hulk. But like the Hulk, he is impulsive and has quite a temper.

The book is near perfect. There are a few "mature" moments, and the overall tone is quite dark. I would probably give this a 10 if it weren't for an extended sexual encounter. Moore got carried away, making the scene last several frames, which was definitely unecessary. Art is just as good as Vol.1. Loved it.