The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 2

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #2

by Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill (Illustrator)

It's one month after the events in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1, and the skies over England are filled with flaming rockets as Mars launches the first salvo of an invasion. Only our stalwart adventurers Allan Quatermain, Mina Harker, Captain Nemo, Hawley Griffin, and Mr. Edward Hyde can save mother England and the very Earth itself. But there are many startling revelations along the way, including the blossoming of love and the uncovering of a traitor in their midst!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Steampunk, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Alan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.

As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume of this eclectic group of fictional characters brought together to fight evil sees Alan Moore weave a parody around HG Wells' The War of the Worlds with his eclectic band of adventures. Superb satire/fantasy… and the dialogue alone is worth the reading of it. 8 out of 12, Four Stars.

2012 read

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was entertaining in its own way, but not really my taste.
If you think you would enjoy seeing the wrinkled ass of Allan Quartermain while he humps Mina Murry, then this is the book for you. As an added bonus, you will also get to witness Mr. Hyde butt-rape the Invisible Man to death. Yes. You read that right. Also, in case you are a huge fan of animal/human hybrid-making mad scientists, Dr. Moreau makes a cameo appearance.
The actual story going on in the background involves an invading force of evil Martians, but to be honest, it wasn't very interesting.

[Paul Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill continue to pay tribute to Victorian adventure classics!

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, VOL 2, like its stellar predecessor, is a graphic novel and is most assuredly not a comic book intended for children. Rather it is solid proof that mainstream comic books can be combined with exciting, imaginative adventure and story-telling, illustrated with serious, skilled artwork that merits close examination in each and every panel aimed at serious adult readers with eclectic tastes in classic literature. THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, VOL 2 is at once a pastiche and a tribute to the skills of an extraordinary, lengthy and almost bewildering list of adventure, mystery and horror writers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Moore's eclectic team of stalwart adventurers - Mina Harker of Bram Stoker's DRACULA fame; Edward Hyde, the brutal alter ego of Robert Louis Stevenson's gentler Dr Jekyll; H Merle Haggard's aging Allan Quartermain, the basis of modern Hollywood's INDIANA JONES; HG Wells' Hawley Griffin, better known as THE INVISIBLE MAN; and, finally, Captain Nemo, Jules Vernes' inscrutable captain of the fabulous Nautilus - defend the earth against an invasion from Mars.

Moore's borrowed cast of characters leaps off the page and into life under the skilled artistry of Kevin O'Neill. But alert readers will quickly discover that it doesn't end with this short list of main players and will delight in scavenging for even the most fleeting references to an almost endless list of literary luminaries - John Carter of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars series; his likely inspiration, Lieutenant Gullivar Jones; Alphonse Moreau; Rupert the Bear (honest!); Badger and Toad from THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS; Ishmael; Fu Manchu ... the list just goes on and on!

Be advised. Readers who consider themselves to be faint of heart should know that Kevin O'Neill has given himself full permission to display violence, fighting, bloodletting, death (and did I mention sex?) in the most graphic fashion. But this is far from a criticism, it is only a caution in the full understanding that some potential readers will simply not enjoy the degree to which O'Neill has visually let loose the free flow of blood, guts and unbridled sexuality. Thankfully, I am not on that list and can say that I enjoyed every single word and every single illustration immensely. I'm only sorry to realize that there are only two volumes left in the series which I will be purchasing just as soon as I finish this review.

Paul Weiss

[Lukas Sumper · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the first volume did a decent job to neatly establish the characters Vol.2 comes out guns blazing, the story took on a more catastrophic scale and I actually was really shocked at certain points how serious Alan Moore took certain subject matters.

His funny tie ins and homages to other fictitious characters are a lovely idea and made me laugh multiple times throughout both books. But as I already mentioned when it comes to deep dialouge this book just knocks it out of the park, if its mister hydes monologue at the dinner table or Doctor Moreau with his awful creations with human needs, I really can't praise his writing enough.

At first I wasn't too sure about the art but the more I read the more it grows on me.
What a fantastic book, well worth the money.
5.0 out of 5 stars

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely splendid!! Like volume 1, but even ruder. Not for the easily offended.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why, but I don't much care to write a review, yet I feel compelled to do so. And because of that you get point form adapted from a discussion I've been having about the comic while reading it.

•One of my favourite parts of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol 2 are Kevin O'Neill's pencils. The way he exaggerates features through understatement is difficult to describe, but there is a sort of Victorian reality that he captures that is really effective. Another cool bit of pencilling is when O'Neill places the League in the background and foregrounds the people of England, fleeing from the cities, getting drunk in alleys, whatever. It creates a sense of the people surrounding Alan Moore's anti-heroes, which isn't something you always get in comic books.

•There is a cool cameo from Dr. Moreau and all his "Moreauvians" (thanks for the new word, Amber), all of whom live in a forest. The art is bizarre, almost comical, and I had trouble getting into it to begin with. It turned out well though, and I think it really suited the general aesthetic. And there were plenty of extra references to children's lit that I liked.

•Big fan of Wilhelmina Harker in the second volume. I see now that Moore is trying to show us a strong woman in a Victorian England which completely frowns on strength in a woman. Quartermain's control begins to slip, and it is banished entirely once Mina takes him to bed. Mina is in control of who she and Quartermain are.

•I liked the first sex scene in the Inn, but I didn't care much for the outdoor sex scene that is intruded upon by the Moreauvians. Together they show an interesting shift back and forth between Mina in control and Quartermain trying to regain the control he's lost, and it is nice to see that his attempt to regain control is Moreauvians (I just like hearing that name in my head).

SPOILER ALERT (look away)

•The rape(s). What to say? I wasn't convinced that Griffin actually raped Mina, although there seems to be some implication of that in her diary response after the Invisible Man's attack, but since the only violation from Griffin we actually see is Mina's severe beating, the question of rape remains up in the air. Interesting, then, that her rape (if that is indeed what it was) is withheld, but we are given a clear view of Hyde raping Griffin for revenge. It is a unsavoury piece typical of Alan Moore’s work, His heroes are nowhere near as heroic as heroes are supposed to be. And even calling them anti-heroes seems too kind. They are villains whom we delude ourselves into thinking are heroic; they’re not heroes.

SPOILER OVER

•Volume 2 is much better than Volume 1.

•I wonder if any of those who died are actually dead. I doubt it. It is a comic book after all, and there was much talk amongst the characters about staged deaths. A little foreshadowing, I've no doubt.

•I love Nemo. Mina's my favourite. And Quartermain is my least favourite, but I appreciate the role he plays. And Griffin and Hyde fascinate me.

•Avoid this movie at all costs. It is utter crap. Such a shame that it will likely be the last movie Sean Connery ever makes.

•The Almanac contains tons of interesting stuff, but it is boring. Seriously boring. Sleep inducing, in fact.

That’s it for my lazy list. Hope you enjoyed it.

[Dan Schwent · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Martians attack London, it's up to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to stop them!

The second book is just as good as the first, if not better. I still think Kevin O'Neill's art isn't quite right for it but Nemo, Quartermain, and the rest seeking out Dr. Moreau for help makes up for it. This is a kick ass tale and a fitting end for the League if it was the end. Fortunately, there's still quite a bit of material out there.

[Drew Canole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was greatly improved by my just having read War of the Worlds. John Carter is introduced and giant capsules are shot from Mars to Earth. The Gentlemen are once more needed to help combat the War of the World's tripods. The Invisible Man predictably becomes an enemy but Mr. Hyde is more helpful than ever before. Alan and Murray's relationship develops. Doctor Moreau from that other HG Wells novel (that I haven't read) is involved. It's a brilliant weaving of all these different Victorian Age novels, plus more that I probably didn't realize.

I want to go through with chatGPT and look up every proper noun in this book!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ovog puta za osnovu imamo Rat Svetova i moram da kazem odlicno je ukomponovano. Prica je zabavna i brza, likovi se fino dalje razvijaju a kraj je takav da se ne zna kako bi ovo moglo dalje.

Jedini minus je sto se likovi suvise brzo razvijaju i ne bi bilo lose da su sve ovo razvukli na bar jos jedan volume.

U svakom slucaju odlican nastavak.

[Dave Maddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better story than volume one. However, Alan Moore's seeming obsession with creating ancilliary documents as companion pieces to his stories is getting a bit tiresome.

The New Traveller's Almanac included with volume two is insufferably long and tedious prose. Moore melds all manner of details from sundry novels into one universe in the context of a travelogue of weird phenomena (perhaps channeling Charles Fort if Fort had a PhD in Victorian literature), but it quickly loses all redeeming value when it stops being a humorous novelty.

This is a shame because the graphic portion of this book is damn near perfect, but the Almanac takes up almost a quarter of the book for no good reason that could have been much better spent on the actual freaking plot.

[Vigneswara Prabhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all let’s get it out of the way; the second Volume of Alan Moore’s League of extraordinary gentlemen is not a sequel which supplants the first. It is adequate in its own right, but lacks a certain flair from the first.

The engaging worldbuilding and characters demonstrated in the first volume, appear to be almost diluted in this installation. Part of the reason might be how, while the predecessor was a globetrotting Indiana Jones style fantasy steampunk adventure, this iteration feels much more linear and doesn’t have the same sense of wonderment about it.

It might also be that this edition lacks a suitable Machiavellian antagonist for the league to go up against. Threatening and world ending while they might be, the Martians (taken from ‘The War of the Worlds’ by H. G. Wells) are monolith, and much like the Tyrranids in Warhammer 40k, and unlike the zerg in StarCraft, lack a personal touch to make us connect with them, or see them as anything but a faceless mass.

Which is not to say all the story is bad. The opening chapters of the book, serving as a New game+ crash course into the world of ‘A Princess of Mars’, by Edward Rice Burroughs (sans the titular princess) set up the ‘Martian’ invaders. Though as we are told, they are as exotic to mars as they are to earth, likely some manner of planet jumping extra solar invaders. This prologue gives some of the best panels in the story, with the endemic Martians oddly reminiscent of the fremen from ‘Dune’.

In Volume II, the band is back together, Allan Quatermain, Wilhelmina Murray, Jekyll/ Hyde, Captain Nemo & Hawley Griffin a.k.a the invisible man, all resume their roles. The threat this time is extraterrestrial, as a large Martian armada makes landfall across England, wreaking havoc and destruction owing to their superior technology and armaments. As talented as they are, the members of the league can at best engage in delaying tactics against the invaders. Even Nemo’s genius technological prowess is stymied against the tripodal Martians.

Perhaps because the alien invaders lacked a personal touch, we are given a traitor from within, which most aptly is the man who has the natural ability to be the perfect spy. The invisible man keeps his intentions hidden as he attempts to kowtow to the Martians with superior firepower, in an attempt to be human regent to the new rulers.

This may come as not that much of a surprise, as Hawley Griffin since his first introduction was shown to be an impulsive man, who was using his newfound abilities to satisfy his more basic instincts. His betrayal in time segues into an uncomfortable interaction between him and Wilhelmina. For those of you who were incensed by the toxic interaction between Silk Spectre and the Comedian in Alan Moore’s ‘Watchmen’, this won’t be an easy pill to swallow.

Rather than the unabashed swashbuckling antics of the group in Volume 1, the current iteration takes a more internal approach, with the Martian invasion serving almost as a backdrop for the characters to reminisce.

Allan and Wilhelmina bond over their trauma, scars and share a night of solace. Nemo demonstrates his contrarian and rational principles of greater good, as he saves a young boy by blowing up a tripod, while at the same time is willing to sacrifice countless Londoners as collateral damage when they blow up the bridges in an attempt to slow down the invaders. Hawley griffin shows his opportunistic streak, abandoning ship at the first sign of trouble and backdoor dealing with invaders.

But perhaps the one with the most introspection is Mr. Hyde, who follows a brief cameo from his alter ego at the beginning, completely takes over the persona and the show. He is this odd mixture of Frankenstein's monster & King Kong.

He engages in philosophical musings of his own existence and identity, which is inversely tied to that of his alter ego Doctor Jekyll. An aberration without an independent identity, he tries and seeks comfort from the only person whose presence he can tolerate Mrs. Murray. She is to him a decent thing in this screwed up world. Which is why Griffin’s transgressions towards her becomes his own death sentence, as he meets a gruesome end at Hyde’s hands for his actions. There is a curious dichotomy between Jekyll & Hyde, as Mr. Hyde notes 'at the beginning Jekyll was a strapping man, while I was but a dwarf. Now, he wastes away like a corpse while look at me'.

The plot and its conclusion have little to write home to. As the league and entirety of the royal armed forces are brought to their knees and London turns to a burning ruin, salvation comes from an unlikely McGuffin.

A mad scientist who lives in seclusion in the wilderness of Sussex, experimenting on animals and turning them into anthropomorphized hybrids, Dr. Moreau (from 'The Island of Dr. Moreau') had devised a hybrid weaponized pathogen from the Anthrax and Streptococcus bacterial strain, H-142, which under the direction of Mycroft Holmes & the British intelligence is fired upon the Martian invaders, bringing their threat to an end (along with any unfortunate humans who happened to have been caught in the crossfire). Nemo leaves the league, evidently disgusted at the use of the biological weapons, while Hyde had earlier sacrificed himself facing the tripods and blocking their way. Allan and Ms. Murray went their separate ways, wanting to put this whole affair behind them.

One pet peeve I had was how while reading I was not able to anticipate the nature of the mysterious hail Mary H-142, until the very end. Even after having read the source material, here I was imagining everything from an eldritch tentacle monster, to a Cyborg 001-esque overpowered psyker infant who could wreak havoc on the Martian armada.

Like the earlier iteration, Vol.2 has its haunting, rich panels, which can create a sense of awe as well as make you feel the weight of the world. There is also this callous indifference to humans or any life in the narrative. Innocent citizens and soldiers die by the hundreds, entire towns are being destroyed, yet the main characters are perfectly content to stand in the middle of all of this, while literally sipping tea and discussing mundane affairs. Their attitude is ‘there are literally tens of thousands of people to go around, so who cares if a couple thousand get vaporized’.

All in all, an acceptable entry into the series, if not one which requires more richness and polish.

[Christian Savin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The The War of the Worlds retelling I didn't know I needed.

It wasn't as good as Wells' story, nor was it as good as the first volume of the League, but I still had a lot of fun reading it (well, most of it). Hyde was easily the MVP of the sequel, with Nemo right behind him. While the two of them were stealing the show in London, Mina and Allan were busy with their little holiday in the country, for which I didn't really care much about. And I am no prude, but their little steamy romance thingy was my least favorite part of the story. I wish we could've focused more on Moreau's cameo instead. As for Griffin, the writing for his character wasn't that great either, but I gotta say, that was a pretty lively way to go. Too bad he couldn't watch Hyde dance the polka with the Martians, though.

[Venus Maneater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read 2020
I want to add that Wilhelmina Murray is badass and forever will be badass.

re-read! 2017

LoEG holds a very special place in my heart, and I try to read my copies at least once a year.


Favorite things:

- How young and untainted both Murray and Quartermain seem, in comparison to the later volumes.
- Mister Hyde. Just thinking about him makes me feel like I'm on a rollercoaster. I think my feelings about him kinda went like this: excited -> curious -> respecting -> unnerved.... -> OH GOD NO THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH -> WHY -> angry apprehensiveness -> sadness
- All the details, the foreshadowing, the hints, jabs and jokes both Moore and O'Neill managed to put into their work. It is beautiful.


Things I would like to see more of:
- Nemo, my man
- Mars


Still worth every star. Love it. Thank you Mr. Moore

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘La Liga de los Caballeros Extraordinarios, Volumen 2’ (The League of the Extraordinary Gentleman, Vol. 2 #1-6, 2002), de Alan Moore y Kevin O’Neill’, continúa donde se quedó el primer volumen, es decir, con un extraño objeto en forma de bala cayendo desde el espacio. Como era de prever, la Tierra, en concreto Inglaterra, está siendo invadida por Marte y sus artilugios de tres patas. De nuevo, el variopinto grupo comandado por Mina Murray, tendrá que hacer frente a la amenaza.

Aventuras, comedia, traición, amor, sacrificio, son los ingredientes que nos ofrece este segundo volumen de la Liga, que si bien me ha entretenido, encuentro que va de más a menos.

[Pinkerton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riecco i nostri bizzarri Gentlemen (capeggiati da una donna) vittoriani. Questa volta impegnati nella discutibilmente eroica missione che consenta di vincere ‘la guerra dei mondi’. Una bella storia vintage ed eccentrica, anche se forse talmente sopra le righe da limitare le peculiarità dei singoli freak, tranne Hyde - una spanna sopra tutti gli altri °_°
Buon volume, ahimè zavorrato da “L’Almanacco del Nuovo Viaggiatore”. Al contrario, fantastiche le ultime fittizie pagine promozionali con giochetti ad hoc, tra le altre cose mi hanno insegnato che la Pazienza è una virtù essenziale XD

[Antonio Fanelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questa violta i nostri eroi devono difendere il mondo dai marziani di H.G: Welles.
E c'è la storia d'amore.
Riconoscere i vari protagonisti è la parte divertente di una ben triste storia con morti e variamente feriti.
Sarebbe stato un ottimo finale, ma leggo che esistono altre avventure di questi gentiluomini.
Vedremo.

[clumsyplankton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good. Mina is such a great character.

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book, but it's such a brilliant concept, one barely notices the difference.

[Майя Ставитская · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Moore not without grace frames the beginning of the second volume with a Martian interlude with the participation of John Carter at the beginning (the character of the" Princess of Mars " by Edgar Burroughs, who does not remember), it is from there, from Mars, that monstrous tripods fly to Earth. Not because their homeland is there, but because the resistance shown by the inhabitants there forced them to turn to the Land, which was considered an easier prey.

And at the end, the diary of Wilhelmina, who wanders first through the British isles, then everywhere in search of wonders and curiosities, which she finds in a great variety, surprises the reader. And in this literary part of the novel, the author played around with the reader's weak brain to his heart's content. Because this includes all the fantastic creatures from legends, myths, folk and author's fairy tales, as many as there are in the world.

The plots are mixed in the most incredible combinations, canonical characters like Alice, Peter Pan or Narnitsev are not recognized immediately and the element of a postmodern game will give reading additional charm in the eyes of an advanced connoisseur. Without alienating a fan focused on a graphic novel, who will scroll through the final part without compromising the virginity of his brain.

Непримиримые противоречия или Лига распадается
В том лесу белесоватые стволы
Выступали неожиданно из мглы.
Из земли за корнем корень выходил,
Точно руки обитателей могил.
Под покровом ярко-огненной листвы
Великаны жили, карлики и львы,
И следы в песке видали рыбаки
Шестипалой человеческой руки.
Н.Гумилев "Лес"
"Лига выдающихся ��жентльменов", пятую часть которой количественно составляет не менее выдающаяся леди Вильгельмина Мюррей, снова в деле. На сей раз их задачей будет оборонить землю от нашествия марсианских треножников из "Войны миров" Уэллса, при помощи биологического оружия, созданного доктором Моро из другого романа дедушки мировой фантастики.

Межличностные отношения внутри великолепной пятерки претерпевают серьезные изменения. Капиан Немо, прежде относившийся к работодателям-англичанам со сдержанной неприязнью, по результатам текущей кампании сдел��ет вывод, что не может участвовать в затее с Лигой вовсе, ввиду непримиримых противоречий. Джекил-Хайд (из каковой пары мы будем иметь дело практически с одним только Хайдом, все больше напоминающим марвеловского Халка) все более нежно привязывается к Мине и проникается все большей неприязнью к человеку-невидимке Гриффину.

Мисс Мюррей не в силах прогтивиться детскому обожанию, коим дарила героя своих девичьих грез Алана Квотермейна, тот отвечает ей взаимностью, не смея поверить своему счастью. И то сказать, Мина в блеске цветущей молодости прекрасна, в то время как возрастной Квотермейн, чей организм к тому же изрядно истощен приемом наркотиков, производит на окружающих впечатление не ее любовника, а скорее престарелого папаши. Забегая вперед, эта пара найдет способ поправить положение вещей, но упс, об этом пока молчим.

Алан Мур не без изящества обрамляет начало второго тома марсианской интерлюдией с участием в начале Джона Картера (персонаж "Принцессы Марса" Эдгара Берроуза, кто не помнит), именно оттуда, с Марса летят на Землю чудовищные треножники. Не потому, что там их родина, но потому, что оказанное тамошними жителями сопротивление заставило их обратиться к Земле, которую сочли более легкой добычей.

А в конце сюрпризом читателю дневник Вильгельмины, странствующей сначала по британским островам, далее везде в поисках чудес и диковин, которые в великом множестве находит. И вот в этой-то литературной части романа автор покуражился над неокрепшим читательским головным мозгом вволю. Потому что сюда вошли все фантастические твари из легенд, мифов, народных и авторских сказок, сколько их есть на свете.

Сюжеты перемешаны в самых невероятных сочетаниях, канонические герои, вроде Алисы, Питера Пэна или нарницев узнаются не сразу и элемент постмодернистской игры придаст чтению дополнительной прелести в глазах продвинутого ценителя. Не оттолкнув поклонника, ориентированного на графический роман, который пролистает финальную часть без ущерба для девственности своего мозга.

К вопросу невинности, "Лига" совершенно точно не то чтение, которое можно рекомендовать детям. Специфически хардкорная, довольнно жестокая сексуальность романа выводит его из числа вещей, о каких можно сказать: "Сядь, почитай книжку с картинками"

[bookstories_travels🪐 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Como quien no quiere la cosa ha pasado casi un año desde que leí el primer tomo de “La Liga de los Hombres Extraordinarios”. El tiempo se me ha pasado volando, y yo no me he dado cuenta de seguir avanzando con esta colección hasta ahora…

En este segundo tomo, algunos de los personajes más conocidos de distintas novelas góticas y de aventuras de la literatura victoriana como Mina Murray, Alan Quatermain, el Capitán Nemo, el Hombre Invisible y el doctor Jeckyl (y mister Hyde, claro) se vuelven a unir para salvar al imperio británico y al mundo de una invasión por parte de los habitantes del planeta Marte.

Como me paso en el primer volumen, lo que más he disfrutado han sido las referencias a distintos personajes y obras ya no solo victorianas, también de otras épocas. Era muy divertido encontrarte con alguna que ya conocías, o investigar sobre alguna que no te sonase de algo. El propio concepto del que parte la historia es lo más atrayente e interesante que tiene, al igual que la manera que tiene Alan Moore de trabajarlo de forma que la trama no se quedase en un mero pastiche simplista y tópico. El tono de la narrativa, tono oscuro, violento y pulp alejan la historia de cualquier convencionalismo. También son muy interesantes la ambientación oscura y steampunk que aquí tiene ciertos aires bélicos. Es un estilo narrativo denso, un poco difícil de digerir, siendo una historia plagada de personajes atormentados, aventuras, matanzas, sangre y visceras. Tambien es interesante, y un punto a favor, la complejidad de los personajes que protagonizan esta historia (para los cuales se toman muchas licencias respecto a como eran presentados en las obras originales de donde provienen) y las relaciones que se establecen entre ellos. No son personajes fáciles, cada uno tiene su propia personalidad, ambiciones y pasado, todos ellos consiguen una dimensión más carismática y humana que muchas veces no lograban con sus autores originales. Así que es muy divertido ver como interactúan entre ellos, siendo personajes que se mueven de forma independiente y, muchas veces, poco predecible. Para mi esto ha sido lo mejor de todo, las relaciones entre los personajes y lo realistas que me han resultado la mayoría de ellos. No obstante, admito que hay algunos que sobresale más que otros. Para mí, en este volumen la palma se la lleva Mister Hyde. También me encanta Mina, pero echo en falta que sea un carácter un tanto más poderoso, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta de que no tiene ningún tipo de poder.

Respecto al arte, creo que la labor al pincel de Kevin O’Neill es justo lo que necesita una historia de estas características. Es un dibujo muy peculiar y si, la mayoría de las veces resulta muy exagerado, con unos diseños muy personales y viscerales, cargados de mil y unos detalles que hacen que sea una delicia pararte a contemplar cada viñeta para empaparte de su estética brutal y gore que retrata y dibuja muy bien tanto la ambientación de las zonas más sórdidas y peligrosas del Londres Victoriano, como crea bosques parecidos a la sabana y lleno de morbosos secretos, como se encarga del diseño naves y objetos de ciencia ficción y de criaturas extraterrestres que resultan cuidados, originales y grandiosos. Sus personajes, además, son muy expresivos, y eso ayuda al lector a introducirte en la historia y en lo que sienten o piensan en ese momento concreto.

No obstante, a nivel narrativo, esta historia me ha parecido bastante más pobre en comparación con la que se nos presentaba en el tomo de inicio. A ver, el ritmo narrativo nunca decae o deja que el lector pueda aburrirse, todo es una carrera contra reloj desde el minuto uno. Pero, personalmente, note que la trama no estaba tan bien perfilada como en el primer tomo. Me pareció un tanto más aleatoria que en este, hubo momentos en los que me pareció que adolecía de profundidad, o de que todos los hechos que pasaban no tenía el mismo tono de unicidad o sentido.

He tenido la suerte de manejar la edición de la editorial Planeta publicada en el 2019, que creo que hace honor a la obra por lo cuidada y bonita que está y por la excelencia de su traducción, y que además incluye “El Almanaque del Nuevo Viajero”, una suerte de guia en la que, a base de datos recogidos por diferentes miembros de la Liga a lo largo de los años (y ahora lo explicare esto bien) descubriremos sitios de los cinco continentes relacionados con lo misterioso y paranormal. es decir, a lo largo y ancho de sus páginas aparecen muchísimos lugares y personajes de todo tipo y condición aparecidos en la literatura y en otras obras como películas óperas. Y tengo que decir que he disfrutado este almanaque lo mismo que he sufrido con él. Me explico: por un lado me ha parecido muy interesante, porque descubrimos muchas cosas sobre la liga. Para empezar, descubrimos que antes del grupo liderado por Mina Murray hubo al menos otros dos más, conformados también por personajes de la literatura británica como Gulliver, el Duque Próspero u Orlando. No sabéis lo que he disfrutado leyendo sobre la relación de estos personajes con la liga que conocemos, y con todas las referencias que ha habido, que las hay a punta pala. Pero por otro lado me ha parecido una lectura muy densa. Salían demasiados lugares y todo ello escrito con una letra pequeña. Muy pequeña. Me ha costado leer esta parte, no lo voy a negar. Pero aún así la he disfrutado bastante. Adoro la locura que a que la creado Alan Moore y como ha creado un lore con sello propio usando elementos de todo tipo.

La edición, además, viene con las portadas de los capítulos cuando fueron publicados individualmente, y con una serie de extras y juegos que resultan muy interesantes y cuidados. Y todo ello con un tono de gaceta victoriana que he disfrutado mucho .

En definitiva, no sé cuando leeré el tercer volumen. Pero sin duda lo haré antes o después.

Tengo mucha curiosidad por dónde va a derivar la historia, y más después de todo lo que he leído en el almanaque. Además con Moore nunca se sabe. Por lo pronto solo puedo decir que esta saga de novelas gráficas tienen un tono brutal y fresco que las hace muy recomendables.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion, this is a hell of a good read.

The author took famous characters from Victorian popular literature and put them together into a 'special action group' that works for MI5 in the last decade of 19th Century England. MI5 is lead by Mycroft Holmes by the way.

The League consists of Mina Murray, Alan Quartermain, Henry Jekyll and his alter-ego, Captain Nemo and Hawley Griffin, otherwise known as the Invisible Man.

And the situation they have to deal with is the invasion of Earth by Mars.

I've read it many times. the artwork is excellent. Every frame just reeks of Victorian. If you look you can find a website that deconstructs this book frame by frame. And it's amazing how much the artist jammed into his work.

The story is excellent, much more human than most of these 'grand adventures' are. None of the characters breaks character, and I got to like all of them, for the most part.

I'd recommend this book for a pleasant, amusing and very different read.

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a soul down on the corner
That's a pretty certain sign
That wedding bells are breakin' up
That old gang of mine

Wedding Bells are Breaking up That Old Gang Of Mine -Sammy Fain with lyrics by Irving Kahal and Willie Raskin. Published in 1929,
https://www.lyricsplayground.com/alph...

It was my mistake to read the LOEG core trilogy out of order. Even knowing what is next, this book feels like the Moore team losing steam. I have enormous respect for Moore, but not based on League Vol 2.

It opens with a prologue that may have been intended to herald a spin off book but here it is pointless. It ends with about 40 pages of triple column text, something of a travel guide to the magic realms just out of sight, but again of no real point to the story. It does have more of the wonderful illustrations by Kevin O’Neil but not one map. A travel guide without maps…

Given that Moore redefined what a Graphic novel could be with his Watchman book, this is barely a case of several comic books tied together. No one should be judged solely against their out-of-the-park best of class achievements. LOEG Vol 2 is not up to the standard of Vol 1.

Moore’s take on H. G. Wells’, War of the Worlds is as clever as any homage by Moore. O’ Neils art work is everywhere wonderful. His almost there, Mr. Green character, a tribute to another great English Children’s story is almost worth the entire book.

Mean time there is nearly nothing for the League to do. The pressure of this nothing will more than test the membership. This time it looks like a job for someone else. Someone not worthy of a comic book series. Sample mission briefing: The world is under attack, go wonder in the woods until you find…well you will know it when you see it.

Super secret messenger boys is not a new plot, but when they sent James Bond out to play fetch (Moore loathes 007 BTW) he has a sexy manly adventure. Moore is not one to pass on some female nudity and displays of affection but a female lead with grandpa issues is not as sexy as you might think.

And so Moore is clearly winding down this association. There are other titles, but they will reflect individual story lines, not an extraordinary league.

[fonz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tras un arranque espectacular de O´Neill en las páginas desarrolladas en Marte, la fórmula ya empieza a dar signos de agotamiento en el comportamiento de los personajes, el desarrollo y la conclusión. Como los personajes son arquetipos vacíos no se entiende la absurda tración del Hombre Invisible porque el personaje querrá dominar el mundo pero muy listo no es, no se entiende que Nemo se escandalice porque se empleen armas químicas contra los marcianos (hacía dos capítulos que hablaba de sacrificar a la población del sur de Londres sin escasos miramientos), Moore tiene que meter una escena absurda de Hyde y Mina para justificar los acontecimientos posteriores (ya ha desaparecido el Dr. Jekyll y el único papel de Hyde es ser el Hulk/Lobezno del grupo), en fin. El desarrollo es la novela de Wells (con una excursión al campo por medio) pero sin su magnífica atmósfera apocalíptica y tono melancólico, con una resolución que arrebata todo el sentido del original sin aportar otra cosa que vacuas escenas escabrosas.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew, the travelogue at the end was rather tedious even if it did have some interesting bits to it. One of the weaknesses of late-Moore is his tendency to over-written expansive prose. The clean poetry of his earlier years has given away to long-windedness. The illustrated comic parts were fun and the plotting is enjoyable and the art is a treat. I'd trade all the end papers nonsense for six more pages of illustrated adventure where Moore's word count is more curtailed.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

League Vol. 2. Moore casts his nets wider in this second volume by incorporating the tales of H.G. Wells, primarily The War of the Worlds, but with an amusing diversion to The Island of Doctor Moreau. The result is a very different sort of adventure tale from the first, but one that's both more evocative and engaging. (And that's not even counting the wonderful first issue, which mashes together a few Martian planetary romances.)

Meanwhile, Moore dramatically develops the pulp heroes that we met in the first volume, turning them into true characters with character arcs all their own. It's wonderful to see how they all change (after the foundation of their characters in V1).

Is this volume a bit too violent and explicit? Perhaps. It's certainly part of the deconstruction that Moore began in V1, but it may go too far for the faint of heart [4+/5].

[Ryofire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really was not expecting much after volume 1, but I already had it at home so I wondered if it might improve.

I was wrong. There are brief neat moments. My favorite takes place when Nemo comments that he is prepared to destroy a bridge full of civilians to trap the aliens and protect the greater good, and Hyde taunts him into saying that it's no great strategic loss if he must do so, anyway. Nemo says, "Besides, they're only-" and Hyde says, "Human?" And Nemo finishes, "English". Nemo is the subject of various racist slurs throughout both novels and this was a good moment of him responding back to that without a damn. Yeah, they hate him. He hates them right back, although he still willingly protects them at various points because he's a better person in many ways. I also liked that there were moments of teamwork and at least Nemo, Allan and Hyde care about Mina's well-being by this novel.

Mina loses what little control she had over the group in the novel. Sure, she can still lead Allan around, especially since he's head over heels for her, and she still fascinates Hyde, but no one else respects her and she serves more as a spectator and messenger than anything else here. Her 'romance' with Allan was one of the dumbest I've seen in a while. The only redeeming quality was how Allan reassured her over her scars. Her parting with Hyde is creepy, at best. "May I touch your breast?" Well at least it's a straightforward last request.

There's a bad place reserved in the afterlife for rapists and attempted rapists. There's a worse place for people who think rape is a proper form of revenge, especially for rape. I don't know if Moore wants us to sympathize with the Invisible Man (and I don't) or cheer Hyde's butt-raping and otherwise torturing him to death in revenge for Mina, or just feel conflicted on who should receive worse punishment. But like Nemo said, Hyde teaches terror. He's there for nothing else.

Nemo was again the most interesting character, even more so than Mina. I wish we had more of his story.

The art is still pretty awful. Mina is treated like crap. Tons and tons of men doing stuff and the one woman is a weak little flower. There's animal cruelty and aliens invade London and somehow Moore made me not even care. I don't question what makes a hero after reading this. I question what Moore wanted: did someone want him to make a heroic group of these people and Moore then went about demonstrating just how STUPID an idea that is or did he want to see if he could sell this group of unlikeable people as heroes, like Stan Lee did with Tony Stark? Whatever the case, again: if you romanticize Victorian lit, read this and bring yourself back to reality. If you don't, watch the film. It's still shockingly better.

[junajuna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've seen criticism of this comic as being sexist and racist, as well as praise for Moore as a master of parody/satire. After reading both volumes, I think I lean toward the former. I think this was written in a time where it was enough to "criticize" prejudice of a different time period by simply imitating it and that counted as condemning the bigotry -- but you still end up with female characters treated as sexual objects, some really weird messages about rape, and some sort of moralish message that completely evil men can be good if they do one tiny good thing at some point in their lives. And yes, I've also read the reviews about Moore's fascination about anti-heroes, but at a certain point, I feel no sympathy. And I know that the audience is meant to feel sympathy, but I just didn't.

**SPOILERS**

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Murray from the movie was way better than comic book Murray! Comic book Murray should have been a vampire.

[Kienie · Rating 2 out of 5]

So Alan Moore hates women. I guess having read V for Vendetta and Watchmen should have made me aware of that, but call me slow.
While the story and art were as interesting as in the first book, the details were mostly gross. First of all, two whole sex scenes between Mina and Allan, which I could have tolerated if not for the mutual professions of love. Then there is an assault on Mina where she doesn't vamp out and fight back. Lastly, someone is raped to death. Oh yeah, and Martians are invading.
The most interesting character turned out the be Hyde. I wish we could have seen more of him. Nemo, for all that is was his ship, was barely there. I guess the story relies on previous knowledge of these characters, but this does not excuse lack of development.

[Matty Dub · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept grows tired in this one because Moore just throws every literary character he can at you to distract you from a paper thin plot. He also writes Nina like an even bigger creep and has her aggressor raped to death by Ed Hyde. While the latter event made me laugh when I first read it a decade ago, it just feels like irresponsible writing now.

On the art side it’s still amazing.

[Metin Yılmaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Farklı hikayeler okumayı beklerken yine bir Wells klasiğinin uyarlaması ile karşı karşıya kalmak üzücü. Zaten bir kaç yazarın karakteri ile ilerliyoruz, zaten orjinal bir durum yok üstüne bir de hikaye olmayınca anlamsızlaşıyor.