The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – Vols I & II<\/i> – by Alan Moore & Kevin O’Neill<\/p>\n
Kicking off the 2009 book log, these graphic novels were a bit different than I expected.<\/p>\n
I had expected a turn of the last century equivalent of a Justice League or X-men, meaning set in a universe that would later have those groups or their equivalent. But these stories exist in a universe that is wholly different, where virtually all fictional characters of our universe are real. In short, the concept is more literature-based than… whatever typical superhero comics are based on.<\/p>\n
Which is not to say this is not a good premise. It’s very enjoyable, and most of that fun is in trying to catch the literary references (not unlike Jasper Fforde’s stuff). There is a gentleman, a professor in a college somewhere, who has extensively researched the tomes and identified all the references to literature and history, from subtle background objects to main characters. I read a little of his website and grew exhausted with the scope of his research, which must mirror the research of the original authors.<\/p>\n
The almanac at the back of Vol. II is good reading, and packed with detail on this universe they’ve created. It’s essentially a travel guide, detailing where you can find the hole Alice fell down and other interesting attractions in post-Victorian England.<\/p>\n
There is one more LoEG novel (The Black Dossier<\/i>) and a new one due out this year (Vol. III: Century<\/i>). I look forward to reading them.<\/p>\n
I’m told to skip the movie adaptation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – Vols I & II – by Alan Moore & Kevin O’Neill Kicking off the 2009 book log, these graphic novels were a bit different than I expected. I had expected a turn of the … Continue reading