LoEG - Black Dossier

[Mr.Smith]

okay, first off sorry if this has been covered before (probably has several times) but the thread search isn't working for me for some reason. what's the story with the league of extraordinary gentlemen - the black dossier?

i know it was published sometime last year in the states and that alan moore wasn't too happy about the publication not being right for a couple of reasons but i wanna know if i can get my hands on a copy? and if so is it to be re-published in a different moore-envisioned format?

this is all my own fault of course for not paying as close attention to comics news and comics in general as i used too, but would appreciate any info or apoint in the right direction.

[Michael P]

You can probably get it by mail from the US Amazon.

As for what was up, various bits of international copyright law prevented it from being released outside the US. For starters, I'd imagine the thinly veiled versions of James Bond and Emma Peel would have raised some eyebrows in the UK.

Also, Moore wanted to include, among other things, an LP recording featuring him singing an original song. DC originally solicited this as part of the collection, but later removed it, probably for cost and shipping reasons. They were originally going to release it with the Absolute Edition, but recently balked once again, meaning if it ever does come out, it'll probably be self-published by Moore, possibly via Top Shelf.

[Pil]

You can order it using amazon.com, no problem. Apparently the stores outside USA can't get any copies, but you can get it using Amazon. I had to do it that way too.

[mgs]

They were originally going to release it with the Absolute Edition, but recently balked once again, meaning if it ever does come out, it'll probably be self-published by Moore, possibly via Top Shelf.

Michael, just last week at Midtown, my lcs (I think you're in New York, yes?), they did have the Absolute Edition and it was a big box (looking like it could contain an LP), and wrapped. So it was released, fyi. ;)

[Michael P]

Michael, just last week at Midtown, my lcs (I think you're in New York, yes?), they did have the Absolute Edition and it was a big box (looking like it could contain an LP), and wrapped. So it was released, fyi. ;)

Regardless, they did take out the LP. There was a press release a while ago.

[Mr.Smith]

cheers guys, i'll check out amazon US come payday.

[The Confessor]

Has The Black Dossier been released in TPB form yet? I can only seem to see Hardcover edition online.

If not, does anyone know if there are any plans to release it in paperback?

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

Has The Black Dossier been released in TPB form yet? I can only seem to see Hardcover edition online.

If not, does anyone know if there are any plans to release it in paperback?

DC's official site says October 22nd.

[Michael P]

cheers guys, i'll check out amazon US come payday.

It's worth the money. Hell, the "Jeeves & Wooster meet Yog-Soggoth" story is worth the money all by itself.

[mgs]

Regardless, they did take out the LP. There was a press release a while ago.

I have no idea, I was just replying to your query/doubt that they would ever release the Absolute Edition, which they have.

[The Confessor]

DC's official site says October 22nd.


My birthday!! :smile:

Cheers for the info.

[octothorp]

Two thumbs up! Can't recommend it highly enough.

[NiteOwl2]

Over the last few months I've been getting a lot of questions about the League on my "League of Leagues" site, so I've decided to put together an FAQ about the League

http://www.comp.dit.ie/dgordon/League/loeg0031.html

It's a bit rough-and-ready at the moment so I'd welcome all comments, corrections, and additions.

[king mob]

okay, first off sorry if this has been covered before (probably has several times) but the thread search isn't working for me for some reason. what's the story with the league of extraordinary gentlemen - the black dossier?

i know it was published sometime last year in the states and that alan moore wasn't too happy about the publication not being right for a couple of reasons but i wanna know if i can get my hands on a copy? and if so is it to be re-published in a different moore-envisioned format?

this is all my own fault of course for not paying as close attention to comics news and comics in general as i used too, but would appreciate any info or apoint in the right direction.


I believe Gosh Comics in London still openly sell it, and several comic shops in the UK stock it but don't advertise the fact to avoid any legal issues.

[Loren]

They were originally going to release it with the Absolute Edition, but recently balked once again, meaning if it ever does come out, it'll probably be self-published by Moore, possibly via Top Shelf.

It's apparently out now. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401207510/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)

Unfortunately, the Amazon reviews are universally negative. As in an average score of 1 star.

[GRANT!]

It's apparently out now. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401207510/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)

Unfortunately, the Amazon reviews are universally negative. As in an average score of 1 star.

That's a shame. Maybe Top Shelf will someday do a decent reprint of it. Or at least release the record.

[mauisunset]

It's apparently out now.[/url]

Unfortunately, the Amazon reviews are universally negative. As in an average score of 1 star.

You make that sound like a mark against the song or even the book. The reviews are all very negative because there was nothing significant in the absolute edition (except for the price.)

However, the reason I was interested enough to read the reviews was that, despite liking the first two series and loving Moore's stuff, I really disliked it for two reasons. First, the work is soo heavily referential. I've heard one valid criticism of Moore; that he's so referential. Despite having made the greatest single, and many of the greatest comics series, almost all of his work is based on existing properties which he reinterprets. I've always understood most of what he was referencing, but on BD I just didn't know some of the references. Either I'm an imbecile or that's the risk artists run when you have to know extant art to understand the point of what an they are doing.

My second problem with BD was the section about halfway through the GRAPHIC NOVEL there's this huge (largely) prose section. I know this a Moore-ism, and usually improves his stories, but, considering it all referenced things I was unfamiliar with, it just took me out of what little I was enjoying of the story. My only complaint is that the greatist comic writer ever should know that a handwritten page, with 140 lines, and no breaks, is a little tough on the eyes.

I didn't come with the intention of complaining, though. I trust most everyone's advice here. Tell me why I'm wrong and what I need to read to "get it."

[Pil]

Tell me why I'm wrong and what I need to read to "get it."
Actually I tend to agree with you. I know most of the references, or at least understand them. IMO this book is for the most part rather boring.

I see what he is trying to do by making the story a mixture of several genres in storytelling, and that's cool. The classical references too. It's what made the first two volumes of LoEG and Watchmen great. He's just overdoing it, so you get way too many words and pages and not nearly enough story. It's style over substance.

[GRANT!]

I won't tell you you're wrong for not liking the book but it strikes me as ironic that the chief complaint about a book featuring predominately literary characters "has too much text."

I do enjoy the Black Dossier. But I think it's more how Moore creates this massive world and setting up stuff we'll see in the next volume then the actual story (which is pretty fun). I don't know all of the references but I think he sets it up in a way I'd like to know (even to the point where I've been digging up some of the books he references). It's almost like a dare to try out all these interesting obscure books.

My one complaint there's some stories he's basically told and laid out that I would have preferred to see in comics form. The French League fight and the story with Mina, Allan and Randolph Carter (which was mainly described in the New Travelers Almanac). I know he has reasons for not doing that and probably feels he has more interesting stories to tell in comics but it is disappointing we don't see them in sequential form.

But there's things handled beautifully like Allan's deaging and the life and times of Orlando. And there's fun little side trips like the Woodehouse/Lovecraft mash up.

[Michael P]

I have no idea, I was just replying to your query/doubt that they would ever release the Absolute Edition, which they have.

Oh, I wasn't doubting that. I was doubting that the LP would ever be released.

[Mladen]

I live in Australia, and my LCS told me they weren't allowed to order it in (we were one of the black-listed countries, since our copyright laws are the same as in the UK)...
But my LCS still put the order in with Previews to see what would happen, and diamond sent them the copies... And nobody said anything. I don't know what happened there?

The work itself... Hmmm... Really dissapointed. Totally agree with the criticisms stated by Mauisunset and Pil.
I won't say that the prose itself bothered me, but the fact that the prose literally served no purpose to the main plot. You could skip it and lose absolutely nothing.

I liked the 3d glasses though. Just about every superhero comic would be improved with the use of 3d glasses.

[GRANT!]

I won't say that the prose itself bothered me, but the fact that the prose literally served no purpose to the main plot. You could skip it and lose absolutely nothing.

It did give us information about Bond betraying Britain to the Americans and how Big Brother was overthrown. So it did serve a purpose to the main plot. And introduces Orlando, Prospero, Fanny and a few others who don't appear in the main plot until the very end (interesting Orlando has never made a "comic" appearance until the Blazing World section). It also lets us know what Mina and Allan were up to between this story and the last volume. There's a massive amount of story here.

It also expands the world. Which is going to help with the time jumping in the upcoming Century Book.

I liked the 3d glasses though. Just about every superhero comic would be improved with the use of 3d glasses.

I don't know. They kind of annoyed me with Superman Beyond (which was awesome otherwise).

[Web of Fear]

Tell me why I'm wrong and what I need to read to "get it."

If this helps, Jess Nevins' site details a large number of the references.

http://www.shsu.edu/~lib_jjn/dossier.html

:smile:

[Kelly Tindall]

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is my favorite comic-book series of all time. Every piece of literature is a back issue. Moore and O'Neill trump every superhero book ever written in one fell swoop.

It's transcendental. It's magnificent. It's genius.

Off to Amazon to correct some reviews!

[Mr.Smith]

for reference i got my copy a week or so back and it was fab! loved the whole thing which was a bit of a suprise given the break up in style to the previous volumes and the 3D section looks fantastic! £14 well worth spending on e-bay!