5-STAR REVIEW: "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 2009"

[CBR News]

James Hunt gives "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 2009" 5 stars, saying the tale by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill "sits happily alongside the previous League volumes as arguably one of the greatest comics of all time."


Full article here.

[GRANT!]

spoilers:

I like the use of Mary Poppins as a deus ex machina (literally since she is God).

end of spoilers

[Bruce Wayne Jr.]

I'm logging in just to say that this was absolutely incredible. I can't wait for a complete version containing all three Century books.

Don't skip the prose pieces at the end, folks; they reveal the TRUE harbinger of the apocalypse.

Jess Nevins, we need you!

[dupersuper]

My LCS still doesn't have this.

[Rory426]

I thought this was a return to 10/10 form for this series. I found 1969 hard to follow and at some points a little too surreal, similar with The Black Dossier. This was amazing, however.

[GRANT!]

I'm logging in just to say that tHis was absolutely incredible. I can't wait for a complete version containing all three Century books.

Don't skip the prose pieces at the end, folks; they reveal the TRUE harbinger of the apocalypse.

Jess Nevins, we need you!

here you go.

http://jessnevins.com/annotations/2009annotations.html

[Retrodork]

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole series, especially for the challenge of identifying all the pop culture figures subtly inserted within. Most of them I knew, but it was fun to do some research and figure out what I'd missed. I was sorry to see Alan Quartermain die though. I kind of hoped they'd immerse his body in the pool in Uganda and it might somehow regenerate him. No such luck, I guess...

[AJBopp]

It's funny, I always just assumed I would absolutely love League but never took the time to pick it up. I get this issue and I am greeted with this horribly written, outrageously badly-drawn piece of crap that someone gave 5 of 5 to. I can't even begin to imagine the criteria used to base that judgment on. I can only shake my head in wonder at how badly out of tune with the world I have become. This is quite possibly the worst comic book I have ever held in my my hands in my meager opinion. Abysmal.

[The Adventurer]

It's funny, I always just assumed I would absolutely love League but never took the time to pick it up. I get this issue and I am greeted with this horribly written, outrageously badly-drawn piece of crap that someone gave 5 of 5 to. I can't even begin to imagine the criteria used to base that judgment on. I can only shake my head in wonder at how badly out of tune with the world I have become. This is quite possibly the worst comic book I have ever held in my my hands in my meager opinion. Abysmal.

You read the 3rd part of a 3 issue series, that in its entirety makes up the 4th volume of ongoing narative that's started in 1999. Of course you didn't 'get it'.

However bagging on Kevin O'Neil's artwork, I agree its not nessisariy for everyone, nor is it fit for everything. But here, its note perfect for what its presenting.

Seriously, go back and read LoEG Vol.1 (and Vol.2). And try to keep an open mind from your assbackward experience.

[AJBopp]

You read the 3rd part of a 3 issue series, that in its entirety makes up the 4th volume of a series that's started in 1999. Of course you didn't 'get it'.

I 'got it' well enough. The plot wasn't exactly subtle. What I object to is not some sort of feeling that I'm lost in the middle of the story. It's that I felt the writing was a total hack and poorly executed. I've admired Moore's work in the past (though Watchmen wasn't exactly a favorite of mine) but this was mechanical, disjointed, and unimaginative work.

[The Adventurer]

I 'got it' well enough. The plot wasn't exactly subtle. What I object to is not some sort of feeling that I'm lost in the middle of the story. It's that I felt the writing was a total hack and poorly executed. I've admired Moore's work in the past (though Watchmen wasn't exactly a favorite of mine) but this was mechanical, disjointed, and unimaginative work.

Can you point out where exactly it felt like a hack job? I suspect you may have taken issue with how the Anti-Christ was taken down, and what Mina and Orlando's purpose was. Or perhaps how little being cooped up in a crazy house for 40 years actually imapacted Mina's ability to deal. Or how easily Mina and Orlando located the Anti-Christ. etc...

I mean, there are plot holes, no doubt. But a lot of what was going on was built on previously established threads, not only in the Century series, but the entire series as a whole. The purpose of the League, Mina, Orlando, and Quartermaine's roles. Etc.. Etc...

The thing about LoEG, is that's not entirely about the adventure going on itself, but how Stories work. Often examining specifically how the stories of that particular period the story takes place in work. This comic was in many ways about modern storytelling technics. So any plot holes, or 'hackery' probably was intentional.

[AJBopp]

Can you point out where exactly it felt like a hack job? I suspect you may have taken issue with how the Anti-Christ was taken down, and what Mina and Orlando's purpose was. Or perhaps how little being cooped up in a crazy house for 40 years actually imapacted Mina's ability to deal. Or how easily Mina and Orlando located the Anti-Christ. etc...

You're talking plot points, which I actually don't have all that much issue with. I learned long ago to accept plot holes in comic books with aplomb. I was speaking of the words on the page, how difficult it is for me to fight my way through each successive sentence. Almost every line of dialog seemed to me like an editorial bubble rather than a personality.

Like I said, I'm just getting really out of touch with the world if something like this can be regarded as quality work. Guess I'm still just a Will Eisner kinda guy.

[The Adventurer]

You're talking plot points, which I actually don't have all that much issue with. I learned long ago to accept plot holes in comic books with aplomb. I was speaking of the words on the page, how difficult it is for me to fight my way through each successive sentence. Almost every line of dialog seemed to me like an editorial bubble rather than a personality.

Like I said, I'm just getting really out of touch with the world if something like this can be regarded as quality work. Guess I'm still just a Will Eisner kinda guy.

Oh I see, you're struggling with the volume of words themselves. Yeah, there are quite a few of them. I don't know, I guess I just don't notice. Its a rather verbose series.

[AJBopp]

Oh I see, you're struggling with the volume of words themselves. Yeah, there are quite a few of them. I don't know, I guess I just don't notice. Its a rather verbose series.

Not the volume. The structure.

[Indigo Al]

Having now just finished 2009, I have to say, this is probably my least favorite LOEG cycle, and my least favorite chapter of that cycle. The characters and story are not a joy to read about - they've all become ugly and traumatized and listless. They can't start a sentence without a double "I". I'm not sure it said anything terribly profound about our current state of affairs, and I know, I know, nostalgia is evil and fascist, blabla, but the Harry Potter moral panic feels petty somehow.

Possibly the only positive may be that Emma Peel will drink from the Fountain of Youth and have adventures with her all-female Avengers, including Patsy and Edina!