The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume 1 by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neil

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I admit I saw the movie first.  With that out of the way, I am going to try hard not to compare the two in my review, even though I did when I was reading. I will just add that I have no quarrels with the casting decisions all around (not including the addition of Dorian Gray and Tom Sawyer). I've been wanting to read this for a while because I love mashups, and I have a particular love for Victorian genre fiction and literature.  I finally bit the bullet and pulled this off my library shelves.

Here are my thoughts:

I think this book is too crass for my tastes.  The violence, the characterization, and to some degree, the sexuality (although that is probably more subtly done than the other aspects).  On the other hand, I did like Quatermain, Harker, and Nemo, and I sort of liked Dr. Jekyll. I loved the idea of a their teaming up for the defense of Great Britain and all that.  I despised Hawley Griffin, the Invisible Man. He was repulsive. His behavior showed no moral compass whatsoever, and his willingness to harm innocent people was distressing. His behavior in the girl's school was beyond the pale.  I can't hold the actions of Mr. Edward Hyde against his alter ego, Dr. Henry Jekyll, but I wasn't a fan of the carnage that Hyde perpetrates, gleefully illustrated by the artist of this book, Kevin O'Neil.

Another big issue was the very racist Orientalism on display in this book. I realize that this is a realistic reflection of the time period, but I can't be too tolerant of how unrestrained it was , especially in a modern publication.  The pictures of the Chinese characters seemed too much racist caricatures from some sort of propaganda pamphlet for my comfort.  In contrast, Captain Nemo's character is portrayed with dignity and strength of character. It was hard to integrate the two in my thinking.  I want to guess that Moore and the artist wanted us to take it tongue in cheek, but it was a bit too offensive for my tastes.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book.  I guess if I pick this series up again, it might be with long intervals in between.  I definitely have to be in the mood for this kind of subject matter, with main leads whose behavior is disturbingly psychopathic and amoral, and the above mentioned racist content. While I can excuse Dr. Jekyll, right now, I pretty much hate Hawley Griffin and consider him a menace to society.  I haven't read The Invisible Man, so it's possible he's very much in line with the character from HG Wells' novel, so I guess I'll have to read it and see what I think.

I give this three stars because there is something worthwhile about this idea, but I wasn't too thrilled about several aspects of the execution.



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Ruse, Volume 2: The Silent Partner by Mark Waid

Ruse, Vol. 2: The Silent Partner by Mark Waid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Ruse is a graphic novel series that is perfect for readers who love the Victorian-set adventure vibe. There is a paranormal element that felt very light in this volume, but it's there for readers who like a bit of the weird (admittedly myself).  For readers who can't get enough of the sometimes obnoxious Sherlock Holmesian character, Simon is going to appeal. At the same time, with this edition, we see more vulnerability and the less confident person beneath the know-it-all exterior.  Emma's loyalty to the often maddening Simon is much like Watson.  It serves to make you like Simon more because you feel that if Emma likes him, then there must be something to like/love about him.  Emma is definitely long-suffering.  Simon gets her into many a dangerous situation, and he isn't very nice to her.  Much like Watson is treated by Sherlock.  The arch-nemesis adds a twist that reminds the reader of Moriarty, but takes the character in a much more interesting direction, although I admit I am rather tired of that character.  At the end of this volume, the author teases at a game-changer, so we'll see what happens next.

The chapters in this volume have some interesting story-arcs, especially the small village that our two leads end up staying in.  That was really kind of cool.  Not what I expected at all.  The other stories tie closer together to the overarching theme of this volume, and they bring to mind the high adventure classics of Victorian literature in a very pleasing fashion.

The art is well-done, but as I said for the previous volume, I find the panel progression confusing. Instead of moving left to right down the page, they often go willy-nilly from page to page and often across the page. I find myself having to backtrack and catch the flow of the story, especially last night, when my brain was fried. That is the major detractor for this series.

Ruse is a graphic novel series that I count as a major find, as such a huge fan of Victorian genre literature, and know-it-all sleuths and their long-suffering companions. The action is really good and it keeps me guessing what will happen next. I'm excited to keep reading this series.



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