Has any comic been as lauded as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen? Possibly only Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns but Watchmen remains the critics' favourite. Why? Because Moore is a better writer, and Watchmen a more complex and dark and literate creation than Miller's fantastic, subversive take on the Batman myth. Moore, renowned for many other of the genre's finest creations (Saga of the Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, and recently From Hell, with Eddie Campbell) first put out Watchmen in 12 issues for DC in 1986-87. It won a comic award at the time (the 1987 Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards for Best Writer/Artist combination) and has continued to garner praise since.

The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterisation is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling, rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality. The artwork of Gibbons (best known for 2000AD's Rogue Trooper and DC's Green Lantern) is very fine too, echoing Moore's paranoid mood perfectly throughout. Packed with symbolism, some of the overlying themes (arms control, nuclear threat, vigilantes) have dated but the intelligent social and political commentary, the structure of the story itself, its intertextuality (chapters appended with excerpts from other "works" and "studies" on Moore's characters, or with excerpts from another comic book being read by a child within the story), the fine pace of the writing and its humanity mean that Watchmen more than stands up--it retains its crown as the best the genre has yet produced. --Mark Thwaite

Watchmen forever!, 17 Nov 2008
I have always been a graphic novel buff ever since buying Hitman & Preacher in my late teens. And now in my early 30's I came across an old box containing my old graphic novels, I felt that I struck gold! I loved the V for Vendetta movie and decided to purchase the V for Vendetta graphic novel and found it gripping, intense and incredible (not that I'm a non-conformist!). Thus leading me to Watchmen. What can I say, WOW! This is my second read of Watchmen within a month. It's definately better reading it again & again! It is imperative to read Watchmen before the movie. So, what are you waiting for.....go & buy it!!!!!

!!!!!!GREAT!!!!!!!!, 15 Nov 2008
I didn't really know what to expect from this book.I bought V for Vendeta {by the same author Alan Moore} because of it's positive feedback but after reading it for a couple of hous I knew that I would be giving it negative.So as you can imagine I was a little bit wary of buying Watchmen but boy am I glad I did.Right away from the fdirst page I was hooked by its compelling story and often had to fight with myself to put it down.The characters are ingaging (Rosoach especially) and are all totaly different.The art (Dave Gibbons) is amsing and fits so well with Moores story tellig.I could go on for hours about all the good things this book has to over but basiclliy !!!JUST BY IT!!!!!

Surprisingly great, 30 Oct 2008
Recently, I have reached a part in my life in which I have gone back to reading comics. This is not a comic.

This is one of the finist pieces of literature I have ever read.

Alan Moore is is a very good writer, getting across the themes of this book, and has defined how good books should be written in the graphic novel form.

A very good book. NOT A COMIC.

The Most Depressing Story Ever Told, 24 Oct 2008
Alan Moore is a genius of the very worst kind. He produces work which you have to read, because frankly it's brilliant, but which you really don't want to, because fundamentally it's horrible.

Well, except Voice Of The Fire. Even an endorsement by Neil Gaiman couldn't put a shine on that.

Watchmen, however, is fantastic. I don't want to give it five stars, but it pries them from my begrudging hands. I have never come across a work of art so good which left me feeling so bleak and hopeless. If you're questioning your faith in humanity, or feeling at all bummed about the world, you might want to wait a bit before picking this up.

Don't say I didn't warn you. I did. This is me, warning you.

Still a good vintage, 22 Oct 2008
I hadn't read this since it was first out, and boy it has still got what it takes to be a classic.

I will agree some points of the book have dated but then again hasn't dickens? its a book of its time, but should be read and remembered always

Watchmen forever!, 17 Nov 2008
I have always been a graphic novel buff ever since buying Hitman & Preacher in my late teens. And now in my early 30's I came across an old box containing my old graphic novels, I felt that I struck gold! I loved the V for Vendetta movie and decided to purchase the V for Vendetta graphic novel and found it gripping, intense and incredible (not that I'm a non-conformist!). Thus leading me to Watchmen. What can I say, WOW! This is my second read of Watchmen within a month. It's definately better reading it again & again! It is imperative to read Watchmen before the movie. So, what are you waiting for.....go & buy it!!!!!

!!!!!!GREAT!!!!!!!!, 15 Nov 2008
I didn't really know what to expect from this book.I bought V for Vendeta {by the same author Alan Moore} because of it's positive feedback but after reading it for a couple of hous I knew that I would be giving it negative.So as you can imagine I was a little bit wary of buying Watchmen but boy am I glad I did.Right away from the fdirst page I was hooked by its compelling story and often had to fight with myself to put it down.The characters are ingaging (Rosoach especially) and are all totaly different.The art (Dave Gibbons) is amsing and fits so well with Moores story tellig.I could go on for hours about all the good things this book has to over but basiclliy !!!JUST BY IT!!!!!

Surprisingly great, 30 Oct 2008
Recently, I have reached a part in my life in which I have gone back to reading comics. This is not a comic.

This is one of the finist pieces of literature I have ever read.

Alan Moore is is a very good writer, getting across the themes of this book, and has defined how good books should be written in the graphic novel form.

A very good book. NOT A COMIC.

The Most Depressing Story Ever Told, 24 Oct 2008
Alan Moore is a genius of the very worst kind. He produces work which you have to read, because frankly it's brilliant, but which you really don't want to, because fundamentally it's horrible.

Well, except Voice Of The Fire. Even an endorsement by Neil Gaiman couldn't put a shine on that.

Watchmen, however, is fantastic. I don't want to give it five stars, but it pries them from my begrudging hands. I have never come across a work of art so good which left me feeling so bleak and hopeless. If you're questioning your faith in humanity, or feeling at all bummed about the world, you might want to wait a bit before picking this up.

Don't say I didn't warn you. I did. This is me, warning you.

Still a good vintage, 22 Oct 2008
I hadn't read this since it was first out, and boy it has still got what it takes to be a classic.

I will agree some points of the book have dated but then again hasn't dickens? its a book of its time, but should be read and remembered always

A beautifully drawn, but very dark, tale., 24 Oct 2008
This was my first introduction to more "adult orientated" graphic novels (as opposed to comics). I bought it on a whim after seeing the cover featured in a TV programme hyping the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie, and it was a real eye-opener. The tone is certainly much darker than the image of Batman which I'd grown up with (ie Adam West in all his campness) and provides a fascinating origin for the Joker. He comes across as an ordinary man driven beyond his capacity for reason, instead of the stereotypical insane clown of lazier Batman stories. (In fact the entire story is based around his "one bad day is all it takes" philosophy...)
The story itself is short but all the more effective for it, with some beautifully - if chillingly - drawn characters. The Joker is especially well rendered, with several large and extremely detailed frames - which is hardly surprising given that much of the book focuses on him and his "past life".
All in all, "A Killing Joke" is a worthy complement to "Batman: Year One" and "Dark Knight Returns", as it gives the reader a solid - and believable - origin to Batman's most enigmatic adversary. Highly recommended.

Return of a classic, 24 Oct 2008
This was the first comic i ever bought,twenty or so years ago and it is still one of my favourites.The story is probably the best Joker tale and the art is un-paralled.This edition is if anything an improvement on the original having Brian Bolland's own colours which are a delight in themselves.This book might be the definitive version of this seminal graphic novel.

It was OK., 01 Sep 2008
I was really looking forward to this, having heard so much praise. I guess I missed something, but I was expecting a really deep, complex story, like so many reviews and articles had described, and didn't find anything of the sort. The artwork's flawless, but the story really did nothing for me, especially the Joker's back story, which seems to be the most raved about part. I felt no attachment to any characters, and having only recently read Watchmen for the first time, and being so blown away by that, I couldn't see how this was the same writer. I also found it shockingly short, which I don't expect from a graphic novel. As I said before though, awesome artwork. I still love that cover!

A Feast for the Eyes; A Drain On the Mind, 29 Aug 2008
Okay, let's keep this brief and informal lest I start taking myself far too seriously. After all, it is only a comic book to which I am referring regardless of how good or bad this particular one may be.
As an addition to the Batman Legend, 'The Killing Joke' is something of a let down, and not least due to the 1980's "think outside of the box" storyline. In my opinion it will warp your perception of the Caped Crusader and Smiles-McGee as it did mine with it's painting of the pair as something of an old married couple who may fight but deep down are the best of friends (and thankfully like an old married couple they are not sexually attracted to each other either). It has to be said though that The Joker's crimes depicted here are less master-criminal and more sick-bastard. Whilst inventive, they lack the subtlety and genius you'd expect from the character. It would be far too easy to confuse his antics with that of 'Lord Pumpkin' in his origin one-shot as the freaky carnival setting and deformed minions are not Joker-like in my mind. I'd also suggest that the "definitive origin story" for the Joker is an ideal that should have died long ago, way before the 80's ever hit, and it's inclusion here makes the Joker seem weak and unjustified (in some senses) in his madness. Basically, as in the short version, Alan Moore's story is cleverly gimmicky at best with scripting that is just plain awful. Sorry to all the fans of the piece out there, but it reads more like a romance comic with Batman being the hysterical woman moreover Dark Knight.
What you will take away from reading this (and despite what I just said, you must buy and read this!) is that Brian Bolland is highly revered for a reason. The artwork is simply phenomenal, and the newly revamped colouring is stunning. You may never see a depiction of classic Batman or Joker looking this good anywhere else again. With the added bonus of Bolland's 'Innocent Man' (which he also wrote) sitting quietly at the back, this package must adorn your bookcase. I would recommend this to anyone.

"I know you're a mass murderer, but can't we be friends?", 24 Aug 2008
Alan Moore provides the reader with plenty motivation for us to hate the Joker in this short story; so much in fact that it make's Commisioner Gordon's response largely unbelievable, and Batman's 'let's be friends, I can help you' reaction somehow cowardly. The villain is elevated to such a level of cruelty and malice that Batman's idealistic moral outlook has no counter. The result is Batman comes off as a wimp.

The artwork by Boland is wonderful, but probably the worst story I've read of Moore's.

V for Vendetta is, like its author's later Watchmen, a landmark in comic-book writing. Alan Moore has led the field in intelligent, politically astute (if slightly paranoid), complex adult comic-book writing since the early 1980s. He began V back in 1981 and it constituted one of his first attempts (along with the criminally neglected but equally superb Miracleman) at writing an ongoing series. It is 1998 (which was the future back then!) and a Fascist government has taken over the UK. The only blot on its particular landscape is a lone terrorist who is systematically killing all the government personnel associated with a now destroyed secret concentration camp. Codename V is out for vengeance ... and an awful lot more. V feels slightly dated like all past premonitions do. The original series was black and white and that added to the grittiness of the feel while the colouring here in the graphic novel sometimes blurs David Lloyd's fine drawing. But these are small concerns. Skilfully plotted, V is an essential read for all those who love comics and the freedom, as a medium, they allow a writer as skilled as Moore. The graphic novel contains all the V series plus two additional stories concerning V that were originally considered "interludes". This edition also contains an essay from Moore dating from 1983 explaining the creation process. For any comic fan it's a must-have. --Mark Thwaite

Watchmen forever!, 17 Nov 2008
I have always been a graphic novel buff ever since buying Hitman & Preacher in my late teens. And now in my early 30's I came across an old box containing my old graphic novels, I felt that I struck gold! I loved the V for Vendetta movie and decided to purchase the V for Vendetta graphic novel and found it gripping, intense and incredible (not that I'm a non-conformist!). Thus leading me to Watchmen. What can I say, WOW! This is my second read of Watchmen within a month. It's definately better reading it again & again! It is imperative to read Watchmen before the movie. So, what are you waiting for.....go & buy it!!!!!

!!!!!!GREAT!!!!!!!!, 15 Nov 2008
I didn't really know what to expect from this book.I bought V for Vendeta {by the same author Alan Moore} because of it's positive feedback but after reading it for a couple of hous I knew that I would be giving it negative.So as you can imagine I was a little bit wary of buying Watchmen but boy am I glad I did.Right away from the fdirst page I was hooked by its compelling story and often had to fight with myself to put it down.The characters are ingaging (Rosoach especially) and are all totaly different.The art (Dave Gibbons) is amsing and fits so well with Moores story tellig.I could go on for hours about all the good things this book has to over but basiclliy !!!JUST BY IT!!!!!

Surprisingly great, 30 Oct 2008
Recently, I have reached a part in my life in which I have gone back to reading comics. This is not a comic.

This is one of the finist pieces of literature I have ever read.

Alan Moore is is a very good writer, getting across the themes of this book, and has defined how good books should be written in the graphic novel form.

A very good book. NOT A COMIC.

The Most Depressing Story Ever Told, 24 Oct 2008
Alan Moore is a genius of the very worst kind. He produces work which you have to read, because frankly it's brilliant, but which you really don't want to, because fundamentally it's horrible.

Well, except Voice Of The Fire. Even an endorsement by Neil Gaiman couldn't put a shine on that.

Watchmen, however, is fantastic. I don't want to give it five stars, but it pries them from my begrudging hands. I have never come across a work of art so good which left me feeling so bleak and hopeless. If you're questioning your faith in humanity, or feeling at all bummed about the world, you might want to wait a bit before picking this up.

Don't say I didn't warn you. I did. This is me, warning you.

Still a good vintage, 22 Oct 2008
I hadn't read this since it was first out, and boy it has still got what it takes to be a classic.

I will agree some points of the book have dated but then again hasn't dickens? its a book of its time, but should be read and remembered always

A beautifully drawn, but very dark, tale., 24 Oct 2008
This was my first introduction to more "adult orientated" graphic novels (as opposed to comics). I bought it on a whim after seeing the cover featured in a TV programme hyping the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie, and it was a real eye-opener. The tone is certainly much darker than the image of Batman which I'd grown up with (ie Adam West in all his campness) and provides a fascinating origin for the Joker. He comes across as an ordinary man driven beyond his capacity for reason, instead of the stereotypical insane clown of lazier Batman stories. (In fact the entire story is based around his "one bad day is all it takes" philosophy...)
The story itself is short but all the more effective for it, with some beautifully - if chillingly - drawn characters. The Joker is especially well rendered, with several large and extremely detailed frames - which is hardly surprising given that much of the book focuses on him and his "past life".
All in all, "A Killing Joke" is a worthy complement to "Batman: Year One" and "Dark Knight Returns", as it gives the reader a solid - and believable - origin to Batman's most enigmatic adversary. Highly recommended.

Return of a classic, 24 Oct 2008
This was the first comic i ever bought,twenty or so years ago and it is still one of my favourites.The story is probably the best Joker tale and the art is un-paralled.This edition is if anything an improvement on the original having Brian Bolland's own colours which are a delight in themselves.This book might be the definitive version of this seminal graphic novel.

It was OK., 01 Sep 2008
I was really looking forward to this, having heard so much praise. I guess I missed something, but I was expecting a really deep, complex story, like so many reviews and articles had described, and didn't find anything of the sort. The artwork's flawless, but the story really did nothing for me, especially the Joker's back story, which seems to be the most raved about part. I felt no attachment to any characters, and having only recently read Watchmen for the first time, and being so blown away by that, I couldn't see how this was the same writer. I also found it shockingly short, which I don't expect from a graphic novel. As I said before though, awesome artwork. I still love that cover!

A Feast for the Eyes; A Drain On the Mind, 29 Aug 2008
Okay, let's keep this brief and informal lest I start taking myself far too seriously. After all, it is only a comic book to which I am referring regardless of how good or bad this particular one may be.
As an addition to the Batman Legend, 'The Killing Joke' is something of a let down, and not least due to the 1980's "think outside of the box" storyline. In my opinion it will warp your perception of the Caped Crusader and Smiles-McGee as it did mine with it's painting of the pair as something of an old married couple who may fight but deep down are the best of friends (and thankfully like an old married couple they are not sexually attracted to each other either). It has to be said though that The Joker's crimes depicted here are less master-criminal and more sick-bastard. Whilst inventive, they lack the subtlety and genius you'd expect from the character. It would be far too easy to confuse his antics with that of 'Lord Pumpkin' in his origin one-shot as the freaky carnival setting and deformed minions are not Joker-like in my mind. I'd also suggest that the "definitive origin story" for the Joker is an ideal that should have died long ago, way before the 80's ever hit, and it's inclusion here makes the Joker seem weak and unjustified (in some senses) in his madness. Basically, as in the short version, Alan Moore's story is cleverly gimmicky at best with scripting that is just plain awful. Sorry to all the fans of the piece out there, but it reads more like a romance comic with Batman being the hysterical woman moreover Dark Knight.
What you will take away from reading this (and despite what I just said, you must buy and read this!) is that Brian Bolland is highly revered for a reason. The artwork is simply phenomenal, and the newly revamped colouring is stunning. You may never see a depiction of classic Batman or Joker looking this good anywhere else again. With the added bonus of Bolland's 'Innocent Man' (which he also wrote) sitting quietly at the back, this package must adorn your bookcase. I would recommend this to anyone.

"I know you're a mass murderer, but can't we be friends?", 24 Aug 2008
Alan Moore provides the reader with plenty motivation for us to hate the Joker in this short story; so much in fact that it make's Commisioner Gordon's response largely unbelievable, and Batman's 'let's be friends, I can help you' reaction somehow cowardly. The villain is elevated to such a level of cruelty and malice that Batman's idealistic moral outlook has no counter. The result is Batman comes off as a wimp.

The artwork by Boland is wonderful, but probably the worst story I've read of Moore's.

Infinitely preferable to the film, 19 Aug 2008
Great. This deserves the hype but not the butchering it received on film at the hands of the Wachowksi brothers. This is really about Thatcher's Britain and nuclear winters and the social control of 'deviant' minorities and the power of dissent. So it has something to say about today. But don't read it as a proxy for political critique. It is a joy for many a reason, of which its anarchist politics is one, but our present predicaments require something less wedded to Cold War models. V for Vendetta is of its time, by which I mean also that it is a classic.

Good work, but totally spoiled..., 14 Aug 2008
A potentially excellent work of graphic fiction, but totally spoiled by the worst attempt at phonetically transcribing a Scottish accent I've ever read--when you read it out loud it sounds it a bit like Russ Abbott's "See You Jimmy" character. Embarrassing and unnecessary when there are so many great Scottish comic book writers who could have assisted.

The V-effekt of V for Vendetta , 27 Jul 2008
Alan Moore and David Lloyd's aesthetic seems almost Brechtian. With a sci-fi motif it distances the reader from the universal political issues being addressed; amusingly, V for Vendetta could be said to use Brecht's V-effekt. There is a strong dialectic that runs throughout, a sense of determinism layered symbolism. All V's Larkhill targets personify aspects of the state. Science is embodied by Delia Surridge, military and media by Lewis Prothero and religion by Anthony Lilliman. Each takes an attitude of opposition; so Lilliman is the unrepentant leader of an institution of salvation, whilst Surridge seeks repentance from the opposed standpoint of a scientist. Prothero, by representing the military become media, is in himself a synthesis between the power of rhetoric and that of violence, which ultimately spawns a new antithesis resulting in V - anarchy personified.

The secret police are represented by Peter Creedy and the figurehead by Adam Susan; Creedy seeks power as an end in itself, whilst Susan is a deranged idealist who believes in his superiority to the extent that he becomes solipsistic, disconnected from humanity and infatuated with the super computer `fate'. With all of this madness Moore knows how to offer grounding and realism; investigator Eric Finch and orphan Evey Hammond take on the roles of the everyman and everywoman respectively. They offer the audience characters to follow, to empathize with. They are a thread of sanity weaved through this excellent narrative.

Moore's story is also full of intertextual allusion; from Shakespeare to Goethe and from Crowley to Fawkes, this is intelligent writing. The dialogue (replete with convincing phonetic spellings, character ticks and vernacular language) flows beautifully and the absence of thought bubbles or sound bubbles lends this book both a maturity and minimalism. Lloyd is given room by this minimalism to show of his artistic capabilities, which are not at all lacking; this is a gritty, dystopic kind of realism that takes you to the action. Each panel demands your attention.

Overall V for Vendetta is faultless; I love the film as well, but the original is on a different level. This is a comic book that shows you how far the medium can be pushed when it is backed by enough raw creative talent.

Wicked, 22 Jun 2008
I love this graphic novel, I read it a long time before I saw the film, and I still think the novel is better! If you have never read a comic/ graphic novel before, I highly recommend this one.

ESSENTIAL READING just as good as all these 5 star reviews make out, 10 Apr 2008
Just thought I'd add my own opinion to the pile of customer reviews praising this graphic novel through the roof. I've come to comics fairly late and I find comic book mile stones to be funny things. I find that some of them leave me scratching my head and wondering what all the fuss was about in the first place. Others age like wine and reward careful re-reading. V for Vendetta is definitley the latter. The story does miss a beat, the art work is top notch and even the recent medicore movie adaptation doesn't detract from it's power to shock, move and inspire the reader.
This is a book that doesn't require any previous appreciation of comics to get totally lost in. Best of all it's as quintessentially English as tea, Dad's Army and the Queen's speech. Absoluely essential reading!

Proving that mainstream comics could be infused with past literary/cultural ideals and still be best sellers, the America's Best Comics imprint took the dilapidated superhero genre and created three vastly entertaining hybrids with Tom Strong, Promethea and Top Ten. Now, a stunning coup de grace is delivered with this masterful pairing of Victorian adventure fiction's greatest characters and the old war-horse of the super-group. With the stunning The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it would be no exaggeration to say that Alan Moore has produced a near-perfect piece of adventure fiction that is clever, literate, rich with excitement and hard to put down.

It's 1898 and at the behest of M, the mysterious head of the secret Service, Campion Bond is dispatched to procure the services of Miss Mina Murray (nee Harker), adventurer Allan Quartermain, "Science-Pirate" Captain Nemo, Henry Jekyll (and his monstrous alter ego) and Hawley Griffin (aka The Invisible Man). Together, they must combat an insidious threat that will decide supremacy of the London skies, but their success may unleash a far greater threat. With no shortage of action, Moore and O' Neill sustain a high level of suspense, intrigue, mystery and terrific wit that all contribute to an indispensable read. O'Neill's art, so memorable in Marshal Law, produces a London filled with vivid, magnificent architecture and a malevolent atmosphere ripe with thrills and danger. An unmitigated triumph, the sequel cannot come soon enough, with such a glorious past showing what the future can hold for comics. Magnificent--pure and simple. --Danny Graydon

Watchmen forever!, 17 Nov 2008
I have always been a graphic novel buff ever since buying Hitman & Preacher in my late teens. And now in my early 30's I came across an old box containing my old graphic novels, I felt that I struck gold! I loved the V for Vendetta movie and decided to purchase the V for Vendetta graphic novel and found it gripping, intense and incredible (not that I'm a non-conformist!). Thus leading me to Watchmen. What can I say, WOW! This is my second read of Watchmen within a month. It's definately better reading it again & again! It is imperative to read Watchmen before the movie. So, what are you waiting for.....go & buy it!!!!!

!!!!!!GREAT!!!!!!!!, 15 Nov 2008
I didn't really know what to expect from this book.I bought V for Vendeta {by the same author Alan Moore} because of it's positive feedback but after reading it for a couple of hous I knew that I would be giving it negative.So as you can imagine I was a little bit wary of buying Watchmen but boy am I glad I did.Right away from the fdirst page I was hooked by its compelling story and often had to fight with myself to put it down.The characters are ingaging (Rosoach especially) and are all totaly different.The art (Dave Gibbons) is amsing and fits so well with Moores story tellig.I could go on for hours about all the good things this book has to over but basiclliy !!!JUST BY IT!!!!!

Surprisingly great, 30 Oct 2008
Recently, I have reached a part in my life in which I have gone back to reading comics. This is not a comic.

This is one of the finist pieces of literature I have ever read.

Alan Moore is is a very good writer, getting across the themes of this book, and has defined how good books should be written in the graphic novel form.

A very good book. NOT A COMIC.

The Most Depressing Story Ever Told, 24 Oct 2008
Alan Moore is a genius of the very worst kind. He produces work which you have to read, because frankly it's brilliant, but which you really don't want to, because fundamentally it's horrible.

Well, except Voice Of The Fire. Even an endorsement by Neil Gaiman couldn't put a shine on that.

Watchmen, however, is fantastic. I don't want to give it five stars, but it pries them from my begrudging hands. I have never come across a work of art so good which left me feeling so bleak and hopeless. If you're questioning your faith in humanity, or feeling at all bummed about the world, you might want to wait a bit before picking this up.

Don't say I didn't warn you. I did. This is me, warning you.

Still a good vintage, 22 Oct 2008
I hadn't read this since it was first out, and boy it has still got what it takes to be a classic.

I will agree some points of the book have dated but then again hasn't dickens? its a book of its time, but should be read and remembered always

A beautifully drawn, but very dark, tale., 24 Oct 2008
This was my first introduction to more "adult orientated" graphic novels (as opposed to comics). I bought it on a whim after seeing the cover featured in a TV programme hyping the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie, and it was a real eye-opener. The tone is certainly much darker than the image of Batman which I'd grown up with (ie Adam West in all his campness) and provides a fascinating origin for the Joker. He comes across as an ordinary man driven beyond his capacity for reason, instead of the stereotypical insane clown of lazier Batman stories. (In fact the entire story is based around his "one bad day is all it takes" philosophy...)
The story itself is short but all the more effective for it, with some beautifully - if chillingly - drawn characters. The Joker is especially well rendered, with several large and extremely detailed frames - which is hardly surprising given that much of the book focuses on him and his "past life".
All in all, "A Killing Joke" is a worthy complement to "Batman: Year One" and "Dark Knight Returns", as it gives the reader a solid - and believable - origin to Batman's most enigmatic adversary. Highly recommended.

Return of a classic, 24 Oct 2008
This was the first comic i ever bought,twenty or so years ago and it is still one of my favourites.The story is probably the best Joker tale and the art is un-paralled.This edition is if anything an improvement on the original having Brian Bolland's own colours which are a delight in themselves.This book might be the definitive version of this seminal graphic novel.

It was OK., 01 Sep 2008
I was really looking forward to this, having heard so much praise. I guess I missed something, but I was expecting a really deep, complex story, like so many reviews and articles had described, and didn't find anything of the sort. The artwork's flawless, but the story really did nothing for me, especially the Joker's back story, which seems to be the most raved about part. I felt no attachment to any characters, and having only recently read Watchmen for the first time, and being so blown away by that, I couldn't see how this was the same writer. I also found it shockingly short, which I don't expect from a graphic novel. As I said before though, awesome artwork. I still love that cover!

A Feast for the Eyes; A Drain On the Mind, 29 Aug 2008
Okay, let's keep this brief and informal lest I start taking myself far too seriously. After all, it is only a comic book to which I am referring regardless of how good or bad this particular one may be.
As an addition to the Batman Legend, 'The Killing Joke' is something of a let down, and not least due to the 1980's "think outside of the box" storyline. In my opinion it will warp your perception of the Caped Crusader and Smiles-McGee as it did mine with it's painting of the pair as something of an old married couple who may fight but deep down are the best of friends (and thankfully like an old married couple they are not sexually attracted to each other either). It has to be said though that The Joker's crimes depicted here are less master-criminal and more sick-bastard. Whilst inventive, they lack the subtlety and genius you'd expect from the character. It would be far too easy to confuse his antics with that of 'Lord Pumpkin' in his origin one-shot as the freaky carnival setting and deformed minions are not Joker-like in my mind. I'd also suggest that the "definitive origin story" for the Joker is an ideal that should have died long ago, way before the 80's ever hit, and it's inclusion here makes the Joker seem weak and unjustified (in some senses) in his madness. Basically, as in the short version, Alan Moore's story is cleverly gimmicky at best with scripting that is just plain awful. Sorry to all the fans of the piece out there, but it reads more like a romance comic with Batman being the hysterical woman moreover Dark Knight.
What you will take away from reading this (and despite what I just said, you must buy and read this!) is that Brian Bolland is highly revered for a reason. The artwork is simply phenomenal, and the newly revamped colouring is stunning. You may never see a depiction of classic Batman or Joker looking this good anywhere else again. With the added bonus of Bolland's 'Innocent Man' (which he also wrote) sitting quietly at the back, this package must adorn your bookcase. I would recommend this to anyone.

"I know you're a mass murderer, but can't we be friends?", 24 Aug 2008
Alan Moore provides the reader with plenty motivation for us to hate the Joker in this short story; so much in fact that it make's Commisioner Gordon's response largely unbelievable, and Batman's 'let's be friends, I can help you' reaction somehow cowardly. The villain is elevated to such a level of cruelty and malice that Batman's idealistic moral outlook has no counter. The result is Batman comes off as a wimp.

The artwork by Boland is wonderful, but probably the worst story I've read of Moore's.

Infinitely preferable to the film, 19 Aug 2008
Great. This deserves the hype but not the butchering it received on film at the hands of the Wachowksi brothers. This is really about Thatcher's Britain and nuclear winters and the social control of 'deviant' minorities and the power of dissent. So it has something to say about today. But don't read it as a proxy for political critique. It is a joy for many a reason, of which its anarchist politics is one, but our present predicaments require something less wedded to Cold War models. V for Vendetta is of its time, by which I mean also that it is a classic.

Good work, but totally spoiled..., 14 Aug 2008
A potentially excellent work of graphic fiction, but totally spoiled by the worst attempt at phonetically transcribing a Scottish accent I've ever read--when you read it out loud it sounds it a bit like Russ Abbott's "See You Jimmy" character. Embarrassing and unnecessary when there are so many great Scottish comic book writers who could have assisted.

The V-effekt of V for Vendetta , 27 Jul 2008
Alan Moore and David Lloyd's aesthetic seems almost Brechtian. With a sci-fi motif it distances the reader from the universal political issues being addressed; amusingly, V for Vendetta could be said to use Brecht's V-effekt. There is a strong dialectic that runs throughout, a sense of determinism layered symbolism. All V's Larkhill targets personify aspects of the state. Science is embodied by Delia Surridge, military and media by Lewis Prothero and religion by Anthony Lilliman. Each takes an attitude of opposition; so Lilliman is the unrepentant leader of an institution of salvation, whilst Surridge seeks repentance from the opposed standpoint of a scientist. Prothero, by representing the military become media, is in himself a synthesis between the power of rhetoric and that of violence, which ultimately spawns a new antithesis resulting in V - anarchy personified.

The secret police are represented by Peter Creedy and the figurehead by Adam Susan; Creedy seeks power as an end in itself, whilst Susan is a deranged idealist who believes in his superiority to the extent that he becomes solipsistic, disconnected from humanity and infatuated with the super computer `fate'. With all of this madness Moore knows how to offer grounding and realism; investigator Eric Finch and orphan Evey Hammond take on the roles of the everyman and everywoman respectively. They offer the audience characters to follow, to empathize with. They are a thread of sanity weaved through this excellent narrative.

Moore's story is also full of intertextual allusion; from Shakespeare to Goethe and from Crowley to Fawkes, this is intelligent writing. The dialogue (replete with convincing phonetic spellings, character ticks and vernacular language) flows beautifully and the absence of thought bubbles or sound bubbles lends this book both a maturity and minimalism. Lloyd is given room by this minimalism to show of his artistic capabilities, which are not at all lacking; this is a gritty, dystopic kind of realism that takes you to the action. Each panel demands your attention.

Overall V for Vendetta is faultless; I love the film as well, but the original is on a different level. This is a comic book that shows you how far the medium can be pushed when it is backed by enough raw creative talent.

Wicked, 22 Jun 2008
I love this graphic novel, I read it a long time before I saw the film, and I still think the novel is better! If you have never read a comic/ graphic novel before, I highly recommend this one.

ESSENTIAL READING just as good as all these 5 star reviews make out, 10 Apr 2008
Just thought I'd add my own opinion to the pile of customer reviews praising this graphic novel through the roof. I've come to comics fairly late and I find comic book mile stones to be funny things. I find that some of them leave me scratching my head and wondering what all the fuss was about in the first place. Others age like wine and reward careful re-reading. V for Vendetta is definitley the latter. The story does miss a beat, the art work is top notch and even the recent medicore movie adaptation doesn't detract from it's power to shock, move and inspire the reader.
This is a book that doesn't require any previous appreciation of comics to get totally lost in. Best of all it's as quintessentially English as tea, Dad's Army and the Queen's speech. Absoluely essential reading!

Strange, literary and brill!, 29 Apr 2008
Alan Moore is a creative genius. Yes, he does the superhero thing with Watchmen and his DC and Marvel forays, but this is a whole new spin on it! This graphic novel will make you want to re-read all those classics gathering dust on your shelves, because all of the major characters are torn from Victorian masterpieces. Allan Quartemain, Captain Nemo, The Invisible Man, Mina Murray (formerly Harker), Dr Jekyll and of course Mr Hyde are summoned to form the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. All the characters are well portrayed, especially Mr Hyde. But they all have flaws and dark sides. The Invisible Man is a rapist for instance, not your jolly scientist. You have all these classics in a James Bond-esque plot, spying for the Empire to save the world from a devious villain so foul, dear reader, I shudder at the thought of his very name! You'd be surprised at the humour too. The artwork is fantastically detailed and fits the story perfectly. You get a bonus Quartemain story at the end and a fab collection of cover artwork from the original comics. There is always something new to notice when you re-read it. This is unlike anything you have read and I highly recommend it! Can't wait to read Black Dossier! Utterly marvelous!

Rainbow in the Comic Book Land, 25 Jul 2007
This comic is a magical exploration into the world of Alan Moore. It's a masterpiece fraught with adventure & intelligence. Moore creates so many different layers in his work it's hard to fully comprehend. The illustration is also fantastic.

Britannia waives the rules with some relish!, 12 Jan 2007
If you're a fan of victorian characters such as Dr Jekyl and Capt Nemo, or you are a comics fan wanting a good read, this book is for you!

Don't be put off by the movie, the book is infinitely better.

Buy the hard-back - you'll read it often enough to warrant the extra.

Superbe. Alan Moore at his best.

I've read it more than once., 05 Sep 2005
I've read it more than once. Each time finding something new to enjoy.
First time. I loved the way a bullied Dr. Jekyll would turn into the ultra violent Mr. Hyde, in a hilariously over the top fasion.
Second time. It's a nice James Bond story and that Griffin's character is dark. Doubtlessly being invisible has drove him insane.
Third. Maybe that Chinese 'Fu Munchi' guy has every right to fight against the english empire. I mean the League arn't entirely hero's are they.
Fourth. Isn't that Oliver Twist?
Fifth. It's a great adevture story and is something going on with Quartermain and that woman from Dracula?
It goes on. By now you must have figured out this is top-notch entertainment.

Yes, It is That Good!, 22 Apr 2005
If you're a fan of Victorian genre literature and have any interest in comics, this will very probably appeal to you. I'm a very casual comics reader, never buying any but borrowing anything that's at the library except for manga or pure superhero fare. As for 19th-century genre lit, when I was a child, I read some Stoker, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, and the like. All that said, this is a highly entertaining work, probably the most purely enjoyable trade comic volume I've encountered.

The concept is pretty outstanding: Moore's taken public-domain "heroes" of the 19th-century and remixed them into a classic superhero team in the spirit of Justice League, X-Men, etc. They are tossed into a steampunk version of Victorian London to do battle with a nefarious villain from the same era of genre-lit. In this volume, the head of the British Secret Service orders his minion (Campion Bond), to assemble a team for a secret mission. He starts with Ms. Murray (the widowed wife of Mr. Harker from Dracula), who drags the gaunt former adventurer Allan Quartermain (the intrepid explorer of H. Rider Haggard's stories) from the depths of a Cairo opium den. They are spirited to safety by H.G. Wells' incomparable stern Sikh pirate, Captain Nemo, in his magnificent submarine technological wonder The Nautilus. Next stop, the backstreets of Paris, where a beast is terrorizing the prostitutes of the Rue Morgue. This ends up being the terrifying Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, whom they barely manage to subdue. The final stop is to the "Rosa Cootes' Correctional Academy for Wayward Gentlewomen", where a mysterious spirit has been "possessing" some of the boarders. This bizarre combination of boarding school and S&M academy is where we meet Hawley Griffin, aka The Invisible Man.

These initial adventures do a very good job of both establishing the marvelous setting and the individual nature of the five heroes. Each is a formerly respected, now somewhat fallen member of society. When a storyteller assembles such a team of flawed misfits, the result is usually either slapstick comedy or some form of redemption. In this case redemption is the order of the day, as the team is assigned to recover a stolen container of "cavorite", a mysterious compound which makes flight possible. It seems an evil Chinese East End triad leader named Fu Manchu has stolen it in order to build a superweapon. The remaining 2/3 of the book details their attempt to infiltrate his Bond-villainesque secret base and recover the material. A major plot twist halfway through reveals yet another literary criminal mastermind at work, one that many readers will have guessed at early on. Things build to a climactic and chaotic aerial battle above London's East End, with crazy fighting kites, firebombs, and plenty of wild action.

There's a lot to like in the book, notably an attention to detail that is head and shoulders above most graphic adventures. When Arabic and Chinese speaking characters are encountered, their dialogue is rendered in the actual script. The story and visuals are packed with 19th-century literary inside jokes that will reward repeated reading and the curious who seek out their meaning. (Alternatively, you can pick up Jess Nevins outstanding Unofficial Companion to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which decodes the inside jokes and tells you where everything came from.) This is not to imply that the book is stuffy or dull, because the writing is actually quite witty and arch -- providing you like puns, double-entendres, and other such wordplay. The artwork perfectly supports the story, as O'Neil's techno-gaslight London vibrates with energy and activity. The paneling is traditional and straightforward, as befits a retro-romp such as this, and full-page pieces teem with background activity and wit. There's a lot to look at in these pages, such as pickpockets and thieves operating in the background, or more amorous silhouettes... And when things get violent, they get very violent, as we are shown limbs getting ripped asunder, heads getting blown off, and soforth.

This is an outstanding work, although definitely not for younger children. Without being overly sensitive, one has to also keep in mind that in keeping with the setting and origin of the characters, one of the villains is a pretty vile stereotype of an evil "Oriental". Perhaps more disturbingly, the serial rape committed by the Invisible Man is treated as a subject of humor. This latter is slightly counterbalanced by having the team led by Ms. Murray, a setup which seems improbable for the setting. However, minor caveats aside, this is a splendid work of escapist adventure that is much better than the movie made from it. There is a second volume, which finds the team battling a Martian invasion.

Watchmen forever!, 17 Nov 2008
I have always been a graphic novel buff ever since buying Hitman & Preacher in my late teens. And now in my early 30's I came across an old box containing my old graphic novels, I felt that I struck gold! I loved the V for Vendetta movie and decided to purchase the V for Vendetta graphic novel and found it gripping, intense and incredible (not that I'm a non-conformist!). Thus leading me to Watchmen. What can I say, WOW! This is my second read of Watchmen within a month. It's definately better reading it again & again! It is imperative to read Watchmen before the movie. So, what are you waiting for.....go & buy it!!!!!

!!!!!!GREAT!!!!!!!!, 15 Nov 2008
I didn't really know what to expect from this book.I bought V for Vendeta {by the same author Alan Moore} because of it's positive feedback but after reading it for a couple of hous I knew that I would be giving it negative.So as you can imagine I was a little bit wary of buying Watchmen but boy am I glad I did.Right away from the fdirst page I was hooked by its compelling story and often had to fight with myself to put it down.The characters are ingaging (Rosoach especially) and are all totaly different.The art (Dave Gibbons) is amsing and fits so well with Moores story tellig.I could go on for hours about all the good things this book has to over but basiclliy !!!JUST BY IT!!!!!

Surprisingly great, 30 Oct 2008
Recently, I have reached a part in my life in which I have gone back to reading comics. This is not a comic.

This is one of the finist pieces of literature I have ever read.

Alan Moore is is a very good writer, getting across the themes of this book, and has defined how good books should be written in the graphic novel form.

A very good book. NOT A COMIC.

The Most Depressing Story Ever Told, 24 Oct 2008
Alan Moore is a genius of the very worst kind. He produces work which you have to read, because frankly it's brilliant, but which you really don't want to, because fundamentally it's horrible.

Well, except Voice Of The Fire. Even an endorsement by Neil Gaiman couldn't put a shine on that.

Watchmen, however, is fantastic. I don't want to give it five stars, but it pries them from my begrudging hands. I have never come across a work of art so good which left me feeling so bleak and hopeless. If you're questioning your faith in humanity, or feeling at all bummed about the world, you might want to wait a bit before picking this up.

Don't say I didn't warn you. I did. This is me, warning you.

Still a good vintage, 22 Oct 2008
I hadn't read this since it was first out, and boy it has still got what it takes to be a classic.

I will agree some points of the book have dated but then again hasn't dickens? its a book of its time, but should be read and remembered always

A beautifully drawn, but very dark, tale., 24 Oct 2008
This was my first introduction to more "adult orientated" graphic novels (as opposed to comics). I bought it on a whim after seeing the cover featured in a TV programme hyping the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie, and it was a real eye-opener. The tone is certainly much darker than the image of Batman which I'd grown up with (ie Adam West in all his campness) and provides a fascinating origin for the Joker. He comes across as an ordinary man driven beyond his capacity for reason, instead of the stereotypical insane clown of lazier Batman stories. (In fact the entire story is based around his "one bad day is all it takes" philosophy...)
The story itself is short but all the more effective for it, with some beautifully - if chillingly - drawn characters. The Joker is especially well rendered, with several large and extremely detailed frames - which is hardly surprising given that much of the book focuses on him and his "past life".
All in all, "A Killing Joke" is a worthy complement to "Batman: Year One" and "Dark Knight Returns", as it gives the reader a solid - and believable - origin to Batman's most enigmatic adversary. Highly recommended.

Return of a classic, 24 Oct 2008
This was the first comic i ever bought,twenty or so years ago and it is still one of my favourites.The story is probably the best Joker tale and the art is un-paralled.This edition is if anything an improvement on the original having Brian Bolland's own colours which are a delight in themselves.This book might be the definitive version of this seminal graphic novel.

It was OK., 01 Sep 2008
I was really looking forward to this, having heard so much praise. I guess I missed something, but I was expecting a really deep, complex story, like so many reviews and articles had described, and didn't find anything of the sort. The artwork's flawless, but the story really did nothing for me, especially the Joker's back story, which seems to be the most raved about part. I felt no attachment to any characters, and having only recently read Watchmen for the first time, and being so blown away by that, I couldn't see how this was the same writer. I also found it shockingly short, which I don't expect from a graphic novel. As I said before though, awesome artwork. I still love that cover!

A Feast for the Eyes; A Drain On the Mind, 29 Aug 2008
Okay, let's keep this brief and informal lest I start taking myself far too seriously. After all, it is only a comic book to which I am referring regardless of how good or bad this particular one may be.
As an addition to the Batman Legend, 'The Killing Joke' is something of a let down, and not least due to the 1980's "think outside of the box" storyline. In my opinion it will warp your perception of the Caped Crusader and Smiles-McGee as it did mine with it's painting of the pair as something of an old married couple who may fight but deep down are the best of friends (and thankfully like an old married couple they are not sexually attracted to each other either). It has to be said though that The Joker's crimes depicted here are less master-criminal and more sick-bastard. Whilst inventive, they lack the subtlety and genius you'd expect from the character. It would be far too easy to confuse his antics with that of 'Lord Pumpkin' in his origin one-shot as the freaky carnival setting and deformed minions are not Joker-like in my mind. I'd also suggest that the "definitive origin story" for the Joker is an ideal that should have died long ago, way before the 80's ever hit, and it's inclusion here makes the Joker seem weak and unjustified (in some senses) in his madness. Basically, as in the short version, Alan Moore's story is cleverly gimmicky at best with scripting that is just plain awful. Sorry to all the fans of the piece out there, but it reads more like a romance comic with Batman being the hysterical woman moreover Dark Knight.
What you will take away from reading this (and despite what I just said, you must buy and read this!) is that Brian Bolland is highly revered for a reason. The artwork is simply phenomenal, and the newly revamped colouring is stunning. You may never see a depiction of classic Batman or Joker looking this good anywhere else again. With the added bonus of Bolland's 'Innocent Man' (which he also wrote) sitting quietly at the back, this package must adorn your bookcase. I would recommend this to anyone.

"I know you're a mass murderer, but can't we be friends?", 24 Aug 2008
Alan Moore provides the reader with plenty motivation for us to hate the Joker in this short story; so much in fact that it make's Commisioner Gordon's response largely unbelievable, and Batman's 'let's be friends, I can help you' reaction somehow cowardly. The villain is elevated to such a level of cruelty and malice that Batman's idealistic moral outlook has no counter. The result is Batman comes off as a wimp.

The artwork by Boland is wonderful, but probably the worst story I've read of Moore's.

Infinitely preferable to the film, 19 Aug 2008
Great. This deserves the hype but not the butchering it received on film at the hands of the Wachowksi brothers. This is really about Thatcher's Britain and nuclear winters and the social control of 'deviant' minorities and the power of dissent. So it has something to say about today. But don't read it as a proxy for political critique. It is a joy for many a reason, of which its anarchist politics is one, but our present predicaments require something less wedded to Cold War models. V for Vendetta is of its time, by which I mean also that it is a classic.

Good work, but totally spoiled..., 14 Aug 2008
A potentially excellent work of graphic fiction, but totally spoiled by the worst attempt at phonetically transcribing a Scottish accent I've ever read--when you read it out loud it sounds it a bit like Russ Abbott's "See You Jimmy" character. Embarrassing and unnecessary when there are so many great Scottish comic book writers who could have assisted.

The V-effekt of V for Vendetta , 27 Jul 2008
Alan Moore and David Lloyd's aesthetic seems almost Brechtian. With a sci-fi motif it distances the reader from the universal political issues being addressed; amusingly, V for Vendetta could be said to use Brecht's V-effekt. There is a strong dialectic that runs throughout, a sense of determinism layered symbolism. All V's Larkhill targets personify aspects of the state. Science is embodied by Delia Surridge, military and media by Lewis Prothero and religion by Anthony Lilliman. Each takes an attitude of opposition; so Lilliman is the unrepentant leader of an institution of salvation, whilst Surridge seeks repentance from the opposed standpoint of a scientist. Prothero, by representing the military become media, is in himself a synthesis between the power of rhetoric and that of violence, which ultimately spawns a new antithesis resulting in V - anarchy personified.

The secret police are represented by Peter Creedy and the figurehead by Adam Susan; Creedy seeks power as an end in itself, whilst Susan is a deranged idealist who believes in his superiority to the extent that he becomes solipsistic, disconnected from humanity and infatuated with the super computer `fate'. With all of this madness Moore knows how to offer grounding and realism; investigator Eric Finch and orphan Evey Hammond take on the roles of the everyman and everywoman respectively. They offer the audience characters to follow, to empathize with. They are a thread of sanity weaved through this excellent narrative.

Moore's story is also full of intertextual allusion; from Shakespeare to Goethe and from Crowley to Fawkes, this is intelligent writing. The dialogue (replete with convincing phonetic spellings, character ticks and vernacular language) flows beautifully and the absence of thought bubbles or sound bubbles lends this book both a maturity and minimalism. Lloyd is given room by this minimalism to show of his artistic capabilities, which are not at all lacking; this is a gritty, dystopic kind of realism that takes you to the action. Each panel demands your attention.

Overall V for Vendetta is faultless; I love the film as well, but the original is on a different level. This is a comic book that shows you how far the medium can be pushed when it is backed by enough raw creative talent.

Wicked, 22 Jun 2008
I love this graphic novel, I read it a long time before I saw the film, and I still think the novel is better! If you have never read a comic/ graphic novel before, I highly recommend this one.

ESSENTIAL READING just as good as all these 5 star reviews make out, 10 Apr 2008
Just thought I'd add my own opinion to the pile of customer reviews praising this graphic novel through the roof. I've come to comics fairly late and I find comic book mile stones to be funny things. I find that some of them leave me scratching my head and wondering what all the fuss was about in the first place. Others age like wine and reward careful re-reading. V for Vendetta is definitley the latter. The story does miss a beat, the art work is top notch and even the recent medicore movie adaptation doesn't detract from it's power to shock, move and inspire the reader.
This is a book that doesn't require any previous appreciation of comics to get totally lost in. Best of all it's as quintessentially English as tea, Dad's Army and the Queen's speech. Absoluely essential reading!

Strange, literary and brill!, 29 Apr 2008
Alan Moore is a creative genius. Yes, he does the superhero thing with Watchmen and his DC and Marvel forays, but this is a whole new spin on it! This graphic novel will make you want to re-read all those classics gathering dust on your shelves, because all of the major characters are torn from Victorian masterpieces. Allan Quartemain, Captain Nemo, The Invisible Man, Mina Murray (formerly Harker), Dr Jekyll and of course Mr Hyde are summoned to form the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. All the characters are well portrayed, especially Mr Hyde. But they all have flaws and dark sides. The Invisible Man is a rapist for instance, not your jolly scientist. You have all these classics in a James Bond-esque plot, spying for the Empire to save the world from a devious villain so foul, dear reader, I shudder at the thought of his very name! You'd be surprised at the humour too. The artwork is fantastically detailed and fits the story perfectly. You get a bonus Quartemain story at the end and a fab collection of cover artwork from the original comics. There is always something new to notice when you re-read it. This is unlike anything you have read and I highly recommend it! Can't wait to read Black Dossier! Utterly marvelous!

Rainbow in the Comic Book Land, 25 Jul 2007
This comic is a magical exploration into the world of Alan Moore. It's a masterpiece fraught with adventure & intelligence. Moore creates so many different layers in his work it's hard to fully comprehend. The illustration is also fantastic.

Britannia waives the rules with some relish!, 12 Jan 2007
If you're a fan of victorian characters such as Dr Jekyl and Capt Nemo, or you are a comics fan wanting a good read, this book is for you!

Don't be put off by the movie, the book is infinitely better.

Buy the hard-back - you'll read it often enough to warrant the extra.

Superbe. Alan Moore at his best.

I've read it more than once., 05 Sep 2005
I've read it more than once. Each time finding something new to enjoy.
First time. I loved the way a bullied Dr. Jekyll would turn into the ultra violent Mr. Hyde, in a hilariously over the top fasion.
Second time. It's a nice James Bond story and that Griffin's character is dark. Doubtlessly being invisible has drove him insane.
Third. Maybe that Chinese 'Fu Munchi' guy has every right to fight against the english empire. I mean the League arn't entirely hero's are they.
Fourth. Isn't that Oliver Twist?
Fifth. It's a great adevture story and is something going on with Quartermain and that woman from Dracula?
It goes on. By now you must have figured out this is top-notch entertainment.

Yes, It is That Good!, 22 Apr 2005
If you're a fan of Victorian genre literature and have any interest in comics, this will very probably appeal to you. I'm a very casual comics reader, never buying any but borrowing anything that's at the library except for manga or pure superhero fare. As for 19th-century genre lit, when I was a child, I read some Stoker, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, and the like. All that said, this is a highly entertaining work, probably the most purely enjoyable trade comic volume I've encountered.

The concept is pretty outstanding: Moore's taken public-domain "heroes" of the 19th-century and remixed them into a classic superhero team in the spirit of Justice League, X-Men, etc. They are tossed into a steampunk version of Victorian London to do battle with a nefarious villain from the same era of genre-lit. In this volume, the head of the British Secret Service orders his minion (Campion Bond), to assemble a team for a secret mission. He starts with Ms. Murray (the widowed wife of Mr. Harker from Dracula), who drags the gaunt former adventurer Allan Quartermain (the intrepid explorer of H. Rider Haggard's stories) from the depths of a Cairo opium den. They are spirited to safety by H.G. Wells' incomparable stern Sikh pirate, Captain Nemo, in his magnificent submarine technological wonder The Nautilus. Next stop, the backstreets of Paris, where a beast is terrorizing the prostitutes of the Rue Morgue. This ends up being the terrifying Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, whom they barely manage to subdue. The final stop is to the "Rosa Cootes' Correctional Academy for Wayward Gentlewomen", where a mysterious spirit has been "possessing" some of the boarders. This bizarre combination of boarding school and S&M academy is where we meet Hawley Griffin, aka The Invisible Man.

These initial adventures do a very good job of both establishing the marvelous setting and the individual nature of the five heroes. Each is a formerly respected, now somewhat fallen member of society. When a storyteller assembles such a team of flawed misfits, the result is usually either slapstick comedy or some form of redemption. In this case redemption is the order of the day, as the team is assigned to recover a stolen container of "cavorite", a mysterious compound which makes flight possible. It seems an evil Chinese East End triad leader named Fu Manchu has stolen it in order to build a superweapon. The remaining 2/3 of the book details their attempt to infiltrate his Bond-villainesque secret base and recover the material. A major plot twist halfway through reveals yet another literary criminal mastermind at work, one that many readers will have guessed at early on. Things build to a climactic and chaotic aerial battle above London's East End, with crazy fighting kites, firebombs, and plenty of wild action.

There's a lot to like in the book, notably an attention to detail that is head and shoulders above most graphic adventures. When Arabic and Chinese speaking characters are encountered, their dialogue is rendered in the actual script. The story and visuals are packed with 19th-century literary inside jokes that will reward repeated reading and the curious who seek out their meaning. (Alternatively, you can pick up Jess Nevins outstanding Unofficial Companion to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which decodes the inside jokes and tells you where everything came from.) This is not to imply that the book is stuffy or dull, because the writing is actually quite witty and arch -- providing you like puns, double-entendres, and other such wordplay. The artwork perfectly supports the story, as O'Neil's techno-gaslight London vibrates with energy and activity. The paneling is traditional and straightforward, as befits a retro-romp such as this, and full-page pieces teem with background activity and wit. There's a lot to look at in these pages, such as pickpockets and thieves operating in the background, or more amorous silhouettes... And when things get violent, they get very violent, as we are shown limbs getting ripped asunder, heads getting blown off, and soforth.

This is an outstanding work, although definitely not for younger children. Without being overly sensitive, one has to also keep in mind that in keeping with the setting and origin of the characters, one of the villains is a pretty vile stereotype of an evil "Oriental". Perhaps more disturbingly, the serial rape committed by the Invisible Man is treated as a subject of humor. This latter is slightly counterbalanced by having the team led by Ms. Murray, a setup which seems improbable for the setting. However, minor caveats aside, this is a splendid work of escapist adventure that is much better than the movie made from it. There is a second volume, which finds the team battling a Martian invasion.

When does subversive genius become bad taste., 25 Sep 2008
I think that in his review the Kinniburgh Kid got it right. While there are times that this is very clever, even in a moral sense, there are moments when it goes over the line from subversive genius to bad taste. It has a very angry feel that the authors wanted this to be the end of the League and that they want to see how far they can push the story.

Towards the end there is a definite feeling that they are being pushed reluctantly into writing a sequel and that they want to make sure they don't have to do anymore!

For me the funniest things are the creatures of Dr Moreau which are quite brilliant and worth three stars on their own. I will never look at Rupert or The Wind in the Willows in quite the same way again.

There is one clear mistake in the plot. Bond tells the League that they have raised Tower Bridge and that London Bridge is the only crossing of the river left but in the picture of the aliens at London Bridge, Tower Bridge is still standing in the background!

Fun. But no classic like the first, 29 May 2008
With the first League book you could actually picture writer Alan Moore scribbling the tale out with a look of joyous glee on his face as he wrote. And because of that the first League is and always will be a classic. You don't get that sense of joyous glee with League volume two. It reads more like Moore is doing the obligitory sequel, with a relationship between Quartermaine and Mina that seemed contrived, and some of the literary characters were hard to place this time around(John Carter of mars? Etc, etc). Making League volume two no less fun, but much less classic.

Collision of comic worlds, 30 Apr 2008
I have to say that I was of the opinion that this was more of the same as the first volume (which I enjoyed) but nothing special (and rather a lot of pages devoted to rumpy-pumpy). Then I got to the section where Quatermain and Mina meet Moreau's creatures and I found turning the page a real, actual shock - one of those occasions where the brain has to turn itself through several revolutions in order to get the pieces to fit, eventually laughing out loud. I won't say more than that as it would spoil it for others, but I thought it a brilliant bit of invention.


Moore on top of his game, 25 Jul 2007
The second comic allows the characters to develop. It's just as entertaining and imaginative as the first with some wonderful situations. I felt empty when it ended (I guess it was Moore's intention). The book at the end is hard to digest though.

Dark Second Act, or Daft Sequel Axed? , 15 May 2007
I loved the idea, the artwork and the dialogue of the first book. I also love H.G.Wells' War of the Worlds so expectations were high. Too high as it transpired.

There probably is a great story to be told around the theme of War of the Worlds in much the same way there are endless Star Wars stories woven around the six films, but my overriding impression with this second League book is that Moore was so angry with the movie of the first one that he wanted to write an unfilmable sequel. He succeeded.

Still, there's enough here to keep me keen to read the next instalment. Maybe with lower expectations it will be more satisfying.

Watchmen forever!, 17 Nov 2008
I have always been a graphic novel buff ever since buying Hitman & Preacher in my late teens. And now in my early 30's I came across an old box containing my old graphic novels, I felt that I struck gold! I loved the V for Vendetta movie and decided to purchase the V for Vendetta graphic novel and found it gripping, intense and incredible (not that I'm a non-conformist!). Thus leading me to Watchmen. What can I say, WOW! This is my second read of Watchmen within a month. It's definately better reading it again & again! It is imperative to read Watchmen before the movie. So, what are you waiting for.....go & buy it!!!!!

!!!!!!GREAT!!!!!!!!, 15 Nov 2008
I didn't really know what to expect from this book.I bought V for Vendeta {by the same author Alan Moore} because of it's positive feedback but after reading it for a couple of hous I knew that I would be giving it negative.So as you can imagine I was a little bit wary of buying Watchmen but boy am I glad I did.Right away from the fdirst page I was hooked by its compelling story and often had to fight with myself to put it down.The characters are ingaging (Rosoach especially) and are all totaly different.The art (Dave Gibbons) is amsing and fits so well with Moores story tellig.I could go on for hours about all the good things this book has to over but basiclliy !!!JUST BY IT!!!!!

Surprisingly great, 30 Oct 2008
Recently, I have reached a part in my life in which I have gone back to reading comics. This is not a comic.

This is one of the finist pieces of literature I have ever read.

Alan Moore is is a very good writer, getting across the themes of this book, and has defined how good books should be written in the graphic novel form.

A very good book. NOT A COMIC.

The Most Depressing Story Ever Told, 24 Oct 2008
Alan Moore is a genius of the very worst kind. He produces work which you have to read, because frankly it's brilliant, but which you really don't want to, because fundamentally it's horrible.

Well, except Voice Of The Fire. Even an endorsement by Neil Gaiman couldn't put a shine on that.

Watchmen, however, is fantastic. I don't want to give it five stars, but it pries them from my begrudging hands. I have never come across a work of art so good which left me feeling so bleak and hopeless. If you're questioning your faith in humanity, or feeling at all bummed about the world, you might want to wait a bit before picking this up.

Don't say I didn't warn you. I did. This is me, warning you.

Still a good vintage, 22 Oct 2008
I hadn't read this since it was first out, and boy it has still got what it takes to be a classic.

I will agree some points of the book have dated but then again hasn't dickens? its a book of its time, but should be read and remembered always

A beautifully drawn, but very dark, tale., 24 Oct 2008
This was my first introduction to more "adult orientated" graphic novels (as opposed to comics). I bought it on a whim after seeing the cover featured in a TV programme hyping the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie, and it was a real eye-opener. The tone is certainly much darker than the image of Batman which I'd grown up with (ie Adam West in all his campness) and provides a fascinating origin for the Joker. He comes across as an ordinary man driven beyond his capacity for reason, instead of the stereotypical insane clown of lazier Batman stories. (In fact the entire story is based around his "one bad day is all it takes" philosophy...)
The story itself is short but all the more effective for it, with some beautifully - if chillingly - drawn characters. The Joker is especially well rendered, with several large and extremely detailed frames - which is hardly surprising given that much of the book focuses on him and his "past life".
All in all, "A Killing Joke" is a worthy complement to "Batman: Year One" and "Dark Knight Returns", as it gives the reader a solid - and believable - origin to Batman's most enigmatic adversary. Highly recommended.

Return of a classic, 24 Oct 2008
This was the first comic i ever bought,twenty or so years ago and it is still one of my favourites.The story is probably the best Joker tale and the art is un-paralled.This edition is if anything an improvement on the original having Brian Bolland's own colours which are a delight in themselves.This book might be the definitive version of this seminal graphic novel.

It was OK., 01 Sep 2008
I was really looking forward to this, having heard so much praise. I guess I missed something, but I was expecting a really deep, complex story, like so many reviews and articles had described, and didn't find anything of the sort. The artwork's flawless, but the story really did nothing for me, especially the Joker's back story, which seems to be the most raved about part. I felt no attachment to any characters, and having only recently read Watchmen for the first time, and being so blown away by that, I couldn't see how this was the same writer. I also found it shockingly short, which I don't expect from a graphic novel. As I said before though, awesome artwork. I still love that cover!

A Feast for the Eyes; A Drain On the Mind, 29 Aug 2008
Okay, let's keep this brief and informal lest I start taking myself far too seriously. After all, it is only a comic book to which I am referring regardless of how good or bad this particular one may be.
As an addition to the Batman Legend, 'The Killing Joke' is something of a let down, and not least due to the 1980's "think outside of the box" storyline. In my opinion it will warp your perception of the Caped Crusader and Smiles-McGee as it did mine with it's painting of the pair as something of an old married couple who may fight but deep down are the best of friends (and thankfully like an old married couple they are not sexually attracted to each other either). It has to be said though that The Joker's crimes depicted here are less master-criminal and more sick-bastard. Whilst inventive, they lack the subtlety and genius you'd expect from the character. It would be far too easy to confuse his antics with that of 'Lord Pumpkin' in his origin one-shot as the freaky carnival setting and deformed minions are not Joker-like in my mind. I'd also suggest that the "definitive origin story" for the Joker is an ideal that should have died long ago, way before the 80's ever hit, and it's inclusion here makes the Joker seem weak and unjustified (in some senses) in his madness. Basically, as in the short version, Alan Moore's story is cleverly gimmicky at best with scripting that is just plain awful. Sorry to all the fans of the piece out there, but it reads more like a romance comic with Batman being the hysterical woman moreover Dark Knight.
What you will take away from reading this (and despite what I just said, you must buy and read this!) is that Brian Bolland is highly revered for a reason. The artwork is simply phenomenal, and the newly revamped colouring is stunning. You may never see a depiction of classic Batman or Joker looking this good anywhere else again. With the added bonus of Bolland's 'Innocent Man' (which he also wrote) sitting quietly at the back, this package must adorn your bookcase. I would recommend this to anyone.

"I know you're a mass murderer, but can't we be friends?", 24 Aug 2008
Alan Moore provides the reader with plenty motivation for us to hate the Joker in this short story; so much in fact that it make's Commisioner Gordon's response largely unbelievable, and Batman's 'let's be friends, I can help you' reaction somehow cowardly. The villain is elevated to such a level of cruelty and malice that Batman's idealistic moral outlook has no counter. The result is Batman comes off as a wimp.

The artwork by Boland is wonderful, but probably the worst story I've read of Moore's.

Infinitely preferable to the film, 19 Aug 2008
Great. This deserves the hype but not the butchering it received on film at the hands of the Wachowksi brothers. This is really about Thatcher's Britain and nuclear winters and the social control of 'deviant' minorities and the power of dissent. So it has something to say about today. But don't read it as a proxy for political critique. It is a joy for many a reason, of which its anarchist politics is one, but our present predicaments require something less wedded to Cold War models. V for Vendetta is of its time, by which I mean also that it is a classic.

Good work, but totally spoiled..., 14 Aug 2008
A potentially excellent work of graphic fiction, but totally spoiled by the worst attempt at phonetically transcribing a Scottish accent I've ever read--when you read it out loud it sounds it a bit like Russ Abbott's "See You Jimmy" character. Embarrassing and unnecessary when there are so many great Scottish comic book writers who could have assisted.

The V-effekt of V for Vendetta , 27 Jul 2008
Alan Moore and David Lloyd's aesthetic seems almost Brechtian. With a sci-fi motif it distances the reader from the universal political issues being addressed; amusingly, V for Vendetta could be said to use Brecht's V-effekt. There is a strong dialectic that runs throughout, a sense of determinism layered symbolism. All V's Larkhill targets personify aspects of the state. Science is embodied by Delia Surridge, military and media by Lewis Prothero and religion by Anthony Lilliman. Each takes an attitude of opposition; so Lilliman is the unrepentant leader of an institution of salvation, whilst Surridge seeks repentance from the opposed standpoint of a scientist. Prothero, by representing the military become media, is in himself a synthesis between the power of rhetoric and that of violence, which ultimately spawns a new antithesis resulting in V - anarchy personified.

The secret police are represented by Peter Creedy and the figurehead by Adam Susan; Creedy seeks power as an end in itself, whilst Susan is a deranged idealist who believes in his superiority to the extent that he becomes solipsistic, disconnected from humanity and infatuated with the super computer `fate'. With all of this madness Moore knows how to offer grounding and realism; investigator Eric Finch and orphan Evey Hammond take on the roles of the everyman and everywoman respectively. They offer the audience characters to follow, to empathize with. They are a thread of sanity weaved through this excellent narrative.

Moore's story is also full of intertextual allusion; from Shakespeare to Goethe and from Crowley to Fawkes, this is intelligent writing. The dialogue (replete with convincing phonetic spellings, character ticks and vernacular language) flows beautifully and the absence of thought bubbles or sound bubbles lends this book both a maturity and minimalism. Lloyd is given room by this minimalism to show of his artistic capabilities, which are not at all lacking; this is a gritty, dystopic kind of realism that takes you to the action. Each panel demands your attention.

Overall V for Vendetta is faultless; I love the film as well, but the original is on a different level. This is a comic book that shows you how far the medium can be pushed when it is backed by enough raw creative talent.

Wicked, 22 Jun 2008
I love this graphic novel, I read it a long time before I saw the film, and I still think the novel is better! If you have never read a comic/ graphic novel before, I highly recommend this one.

ESSENTIAL READING just as good as all these 5 star reviews make out, 10 Apr 2008
Just thought I'd add my own opinion to the pile of customer reviews praising this graphic novel through the roof. I've come to comics fairly late and I find comic book mile stones to be funny things. I find that some of them leave me scratching my head and wondering what all the fuss was about in the first place. Others age like wine and reward careful re-reading. V for Vendetta is definitley the latter. The story does miss a beat, the art work is top notch and even the recent medicore movie adaptation doesn't detract from it's power to shock, move and inspire the reader.
This is a book that doesn't require any previous appreciation of comics to get totally lost in. Best of all it's as quintessentially English as tea, Dad's Army and the Queen's speech. Absoluely essential reading!

Strange, literary and brill!, 29 Apr 2008
Alan Moore is a creative genius. Yes, he does the superhero thing with Watchmen and his DC and Marvel forays, but this is a whole new spin on it! This graphic novel will make you want to re-read all those classics gathering dust on your shelves, because all of the major characters are torn from Victorian masterpieces. Allan Quartemain, Captain Nemo, The Invisible Man, Mina Murray (formerly Harker), Dr Jekyll and of course Mr Hyde are summoned to form the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. All the characters are well portrayed, especially Mr Hyde. But they all have flaws and dark sides. The Invisible Man is a rapist for instance, not your jolly scientist. You have all these classics in a James Bond-esque plot, spying for the Empire to save the world from a devious villain so foul, dear reader, I shudder at the thought of his very name! You'd be surprised at the humour too. The artwork is fantastically detailed and fits the story perfectly. You get a bonus Quartemain story at the end and a fab collection of cover artwork from the original comics. There is always something new to notice when you re-read it. This is unlike anything you have read and I highly recommend it! Can't wait to read Black Dossier! Utterly marvelous!

Rainbow in the Comic Book Land, 25 Jul 2007
This comic is a magical exploration into the world of Alan Moore. It's a masterpiece fraught with adventure & intelligence. Moore creates so many different layers in his work it's hard to fully comprehend. The illustration is also fantastic.

Britannia waives the rules with some relish!, 12 Jan 2007
If you're a fan of victorian characters such as Dr Jekyl and Capt Nemo, or you are a comics fan wanting a good read, this book is for you!

Don't be put off by the movie, the book is infinitely better.

Buy the hard-back - you'll read it often enough to warrant the extra.

Superbe. Alan Moore at his best.

I've read it more than once., 05 Sep 2005
I've read it more than once. Each time finding something new to enjoy.
First time. I loved the way a bullied Dr. Jekyll would turn into the ultra violent Mr. Hyde, in a hilariously over the top fasion.
Second time. It's a nice James Bond story and that Griffin's character is dark. Doubtlessly being invisible has drove him insane.
Third. Maybe that Chinese 'Fu Munchi' guy has every right to fight against the english empire. I mean the League arn't entirely hero's are they.
Fourth. Isn't that Oliver Twist?
Fifth. It's a great adevture story and is something going on with Quartermain and that woman from Dracula?
It goes on. By now you must have figured out this is top-notch entertainment.

Yes, It is That Good!, 22 Apr 2005
If you're a fan of Victorian genre literature and have any interest in comics, this will very probably appeal to you. I'm a very casual comics reader, never buying any but borrowing anything that's at the library except for manga or pure superhero fare. As for 19th-century genre lit, when I was a child, I read some Stoker, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, and the like. All that said, this is a highly entertaining work, probably the most purely enjoyable trade comic volume I've encountered.

The concept is pretty outstanding: Moore's taken public-domain "heroes" of the 19th-century and remixed them into a classic superhero team in the spirit of Justice League, X-Men, etc. They are tossed into a steampunk version of Victorian London to do battle with a nefarious villain from the same era of genre-lit. In this volume, the head of the British Secret Service orders his minion (Campion Bond), to assemble a team for a secret mission. He starts with Ms. Murray (the widowed wife of Mr. Harker from Dracula), who drags the gaunt former adventurer Allan Quartermain (the intrepid explorer of H. Rider Haggard's stories) from the depths of a Cairo opium den. They are spirited to safety by H.G. Wells' incomparable stern Sikh pirate, Captain Nemo, in his magnificent submarine technological wonder The Nautilus. Next stop, the backstreets of Paris, where a beast is terrorizing the prostitutes of the Rue Morgue. This ends up being the terrifying Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, whom they barely manage to subdue. The final stop is to the "Rosa Cootes' Correctional Academy for Wayward Gentlewomen", where a mysterious spirit has been "possessing" some of the boarders. This bizarre combination of boarding school and S&M academy is where we meet Hawley Griffin, aka The Invisible Man.

These initial adventures do a very good job of both establishing the marvelous setting and the individual nature of the five heroes. Each is a formerly respected, now somewhat fallen member of society. When a storyteller assembles such a team of flawed misfits, the result is usually either slapstick comedy or some form of redemption. In this case redemption is the order of the day, as the team is assigned to recover a stolen container of "cavorite", a mysterious compound which makes flight possible. It seems an evil Chinese East End triad leader named Fu Manchu has stolen it in order to build a superweapon. The remaining 2/3 of the book details their attempt to infiltrate his Bond-villainesque secret base and recover the material. A major plot twist halfway through reveals yet another literary criminal mastermind at work, one that many readers will have guessed at early on. Things build to a climactic and chaotic aerial battle above London's East End, with crazy fighting kites, firebombs, and plenty of wild action.

There's a lot to like in the book, notably an attention to detail that is head and shoulders above most graphic adventures. When Arabic and Chinese speaking characters are encountered, their dialogue is rendered in the actual script. The story and visuals are packed with 19th-century literary inside jokes that will reward repeated reading and the curious who seek out their meaning. (Alternatively, you can pick up Jess Nevins outstanding Unofficial Companion to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which decodes the inside jokes and tells you where everything came from.) This is not to imply that the book is stuffy or dull, because the writing is actually quite witty and arch -- providing you like puns, double-entendres, and other such wordplay. The artwork perfectly supports the story, as O'Neil's techno-gaslight London vibrates with energy and activity. The paneling is traditional and straightforward, as befits a retro-romp such as this, and full-page pieces teem with background activity and wit. There's a lot to look at in these pages, such as pickpockets and thieves operating in the background, or more amorous silhouettes... And when things get violent, they get very violent, as we are shown limbs getting ripped asunder, heads getting blown off, and soforth.

This is an outstanding work, although definitely not for younger children. Without being overly sensitive, one has to also keep in mind that in keeping with the setting and origin of the characters, one of the villains is a pretty vile stereotype of an evil "Oriental". Perhaps more disturbingly, the serial rape committed by the Invisible Man is treated as a subject of humor. This latter is slightly counterbalanced by having the team led by Ms. Murray, a setup which seems improbable for the setting. However, minor caveats aside, this is a splendid work of escapist adventure that is much better than the movie made from it. There is a second volume, which finds the team battling a Martian invasion.

When does subversive genius become bad taste., 25 Sep 2008
I think that in his review the Kinniburgh Kid got it right. While there are times that this is very clever, even in a moral sense, there are moments when it goes over the line from subversive genius to bad taste. It has a very angry feel that the authors wanted this to be the end of the League and that they want to see how far they can push the story.

Towards the end there is a definite feeling that they are being pushed reluctantly into writing a sequel and that they want to make sure they don't have to do anymore!

For me the funniest things are the creatures of Dr Moreau which are quite brilliant and worth three stars on their own. I will never look at Rupert or The Wind in the Willows in quite the same way again.

There is one clear mistake in the plot. Bond tells the League that they have raised Tower Bridge and that London Bridge is the only crossing of the river left but in the picture of the aliens at London Bridge, Tower Bridge is still standing in the background!

Fun. But no classic like the first, 29 May 2008
With the first League book you could actually picture writer Alan Moore scribbling the tale out with a look of joyous glee on his face as he wrote. And because of that the first League is and always will be a classic. You don't get that sense of joyous glee with League volume two. It reads more like Moore is doing the obligitory sequel, with a relationship between Quartermaine and Mina that seemed contrived, and some of the literary characters were hard to place this time around(John Carter of mars? Etc, etc). Making League volume two no less fun, but much less classic.

Collision of comic worlds, 30 Apr 2008
I have to say that I was of the opinion that this was more of the same as the first volume (which I enjoyed) but nothing special (and rather a lot of pages devoted to rumpy-pumpy). Then I got to the section where Quatermain and Mina meet Moreau's creatures and I found turning the page a real, actual shock - one of those occasions where the brain has to turn itself through several revolutions in order to get the pieces to fit, eventually laughing out loud. I won't say more than that as it would spoil it for others, but I thought it a brilliant bit of invention.


Moore on top of his game, 25 Jul 2007
The second comic allows the characters to develop. It's just as entertaining and imaginative as the first with some wonderful situations. I felt empty when it ended (I guess it was Moore's intention). The book at the end is hard to digest though.

Dark Second Act, or Daft Sequel Axed? , 15 May 2007
I loved the idea, the artwork and the dialogue of the first book. I also love H.G.Wells' War of the Worlds so expectations were high. Too high as it transpired.

There probably is a great story to be told around the theme of War of the Worlds in much the same way there are endless Star Wars stories woven around the six films, but my overriding impression with this second League book is that Moore was so angry with the movie of the first one that he wanted to write an unfilmable sequel. He succeeded.

Still, there's enough here to keep me keen to read the next instalment. Maybe with lower expectations it will be more satisfying.


Way out of your comfort zone., 22 Sep 2008
Moore and Gebbie have presented us with a gift and a challenge. First off, this is a beautifully presented artefact. The three volumes in their slip-case look and feel wonderful. Melinda Gebbie's art is enchanting, almost dreamlike. She presents the images suggested by Moore with real beauty and honesty. Moore, in turn, asks more of his artistic collaborator than many would be able or comfortable to provide. Just about every kind of human-on-human sexual activity is here. It's erotic, yes. It's pornographic, yes. It's graphic, yes. However, because of its beauty and intelligence, none of the situations or images are utterly repellent. Moore and Gebbie force us to ask very difficult questions of ourselves. We see and read and understand these things on these pages, and we realise that we must make moral choices. We recognise that we do make moral choices. We reflect on why we make those moral choices. We're prodded to think about our own sexuality, to think about when that sexuality awakened, to wonder at when and what and why we lusted over the things we desire. As a parent this can be occasionally uncomfortable, but it's absolutely compelling.

The retrospective retellings of the girls' tales is fascinating and astonishingly inventive. History, imagination, psychotherapy, art, myth, magic and a million other things collide in these volumes. There are messages and truths locked deep inside these pages that further rereadings may uncover. My first impression is that Moore and Gebbie point a finger of blame for a lost innocence and the experience we, concomitantly, never have the pleasure of achieving. It identifies the cheapening, commodification and vulgarisation of the erotic. Of sex. Of the simple innocent fun in f*cking. It's a dirty business, now. And ubiquitous. Furtive, sleazy and sick. This book isn't about paedophilia, or homosexuality, or masturbation. It's about (among many other things) how desire is born, what it means to lust, about sexual release, the part imagination plays in our desires... The culprits may be Modernism, mechanized war, industrialism...

This is the most startling and provocative thing I've read since Lord Horror. We should be grateful that people like Moore and Gebbie and Top Shelf are producing stuff like this, because precious few others are.

Simply stunning., 28 Jul 2008
In some ways this book is a dark delve into repressed and sometimes disturbing memories, in others it's a celebration of raw sexuality. The Dialogue is superb as each character is clearly recognisable as one of the three famous young girls. Alice in particular is very well realised. (It's great to see an older woman drawn so seductively)
I don't feel it is neccesary to decide if this is Pornography or Art, it falls into both categories.
I gave this 4 stars because I feel it may satisfy more Women than Men with it's softly drawn styles.

Sexual content involving children., 04 Feb 2008
Lost Girls has come under fire from critics who have argued that the book displays controversial sexual content involving children - before you buy this book I think the reader should be aware of this and make a judgement as to whether they really wish to read such things (I was unaware of this).
Yes, the writing is very clever as each of the girls 'speak' in a different dialect. Also, the art reflects the original stories of Alice (as in 'Wonderland'), Dorothy (from 'Wizard of Oz') and Wendy (from Peter Pan). I had a hard time understanding why someone would wish to pollute and denigrate children's classics by having older versions of these characters describe their first sexual experiences (of which Dorothy's involves her father...although this bit I have only gleaned from Wikipedia as I binned this book before finishing it). Apparently, Moore has said that he is trying to move sexual literature away from the "disreputable, seamy, under-the-counter genre with absolutely no standards: [the pornography industry]". I don't think he has achieved this and I think Moore is falling into the disreputable and seamy category himself...albeit 'over-the-counter'. Ultimately, please be the judge for yourself - I was quite shocked by the book and wanted to make sure anyone buying this is well aware of its content.
Amazon states that this graphic novel displays "...ecstatic writing and art in a sublime union that only the m