League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

[calliopes_pen]

Has anyone on my Friends List ever read the comic of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Last night, I watched the movie version, and wondered if the comic was worth reading. (Or even the novelization of the movie.)

Comments

[ocvictor.livejournal.com]

The comic kicks the movie's butt.

[kkglinka.livejournal.com]

What he said. It kicks that movies ass in ten different directions. Both mini series are available as tpbs.

[simply-blah.livejournal.com]

The movie wasn't half bad actually. I thought it would be terrible.

[captain-jester.livejournal.com]

Comic is so much better...just remember they added Tom Sawyer for American audiences...and They made Quartermain much less of a drunken imbecile...

[calliopes_pen]

I remember reading something about why Tom Sawyer was added over at IMDB. Definitely a weird reason for it.

[impactbomb.livejournal.com]

Movie sucks, comic rocks. End of story.

[http://users.livejournal.com/__marcelo/]

I loved the Vol I of the comic (at oh so many levels), but the Vol II was kind of bleh. Much bleaker, at any rate.

But, yes, while I enjoyed the movie more than I thought I would, the comics are great.

[lizamanynames.livejournal.com]

"Read" is not so much the word as "collected obsessively".

The comic and the movie have about as much to do with each other as, oh, say, the movie "Bride of Frankenstien" and Mary Shelly's book "Frankenstien: The Modern Promethius".

...note how I said "BRIDE of Frankenstien."

It's an Alan Moore - take that as fair warning/endorsement. And the art style isn't for everybody - I rather disliked it, but the story had me coming back.

Hope that was helpful - I know I myself want to know *WHY* people liked things, over stuff like "it RULED!"

[calliopes_pen]

Hope that was helpful - I know I myself want to know *WHY* people liked things, over stuff like "it RULED!"

Oh, it was definitely helpful. And I'm pretty much the same way with the wanting to know why aspect, too.

I liked The Killing Joke, and a few other things Alan Moore wrote, (which I found a trade of) so I would probably like this series, too.

[lizamanynames.livejournal.com]

I'd say go for it, then. :)

[mike-mccall.livejournal.com]

Let me go on in more detail about the whys and wherefores of the comic (LoEG) versus the movie (LXG).

LoEG isn't superheroics, it isn't spies or action. It's an exploration of the 19th century pulp and science fiction (aka scientific romance) genres from a cynical, snarky Alan Moore sort of perspective. It benefits strongly from having the background in the sources, much like his other ABC series. The first series is more of a setup/birth of a team story, and the second then proceeds to go wherever the hell it feels like with that team. Since for me the greatest joy was seeing and exploring these fond friends, I liked the second series less, in spite of the fact that I will admit that the plotting is probably tighter in the second.

LXG is an action movie set in a universe with the same given circumstances as LoEG. The characters are action-movie simplified, and far less flawed. I will go against the grain and say this: for what it is, LXG is brilliant IMIAO. Is it a faithful adaptation? Frell no. But it gave me Tom Sawyer, Man of Action, Alan Quatermain the Great White Hunter, an Invisible Man who was largely incorruptible because he was so corrupt, and Mina Harker as a true mastermind instead of one plagued by third-guesses. I love it to bits. But I largely think Alan Moore is a wanker, so there you go.

[marag.livejournal.com]

IMHO, the first comic series is truly great and the second is...weird.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Ach! Alan Moore movies! *HSSS!!*

The comics are brilliant. I'm apparently in the minority that finds part 2 better than part 1. I found part 1 to be fun but part 2 to have more real impact (C'mon, the Invisible Man pulls some creepy ass shit and that scene between him and Hyde? Chills.)

Until V FOR VENDETTA proves to be the exception to the rule, Alan Moore adapted movies such. Anyone who read FROM HELL will tell you the same.

Yes. Read the comics. If only because Mina is a far, far superior character in them.

[dark-wesley.livejournal.com]

Why is the comic so good?

It's far more intelligently written than 95% of comic books out there. It takes familiar characters and turns them into actual individual people, complete with (and much more interesting becase of) flaws and neuroses and just plain f'ed-up behavior. It pulls no punches in making its villains despicable and making even its heroes look more than a little dirty and weird, but heroic in spite of it. The plots for both volumes are interesting (though it's true that Vol. II pushes the envelope pretty far with some of what happens), but its watching the interaction of this spectacularly atypical "superhero team" that really makes them worth it.

[calliopes_pen]

Sold!

*runs to quickly orders it from the local bookstore*

[paigedayspring.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for asking this question as it has been lurking in the back of my mind forever and your flist is likely more qualified to answer the question than mine.

[honorh.livejournal.com]

Never saw the movie, but the comics rock. I heard the movie was totally different, and I always hate that.

[settiai]

Like everyone's already said, the comics are much better than the movie. *shrugs* Not that the movie's bad, it's just... really, really, really different from the comics.

If you do decide to read the comics, I dare you to try finding all of the literary references made throughout it. There are dozens, if not hundreds, spread throughout both volumes, some obscure and some well-known.

[calliopes_pen]

I found a couple of books from Amazon (which I got a local bookstore to order) that points out all the character references. That ought to be a huge help when I start reading the trade paperbacks.

[skadi.livejournal.com]

Worth reading?!

It's Alan freakin' Moore! *grin*

They are so much better than the movie. I highly recommend both. Oh, so good. So, so good.

[nixxignatius.livejournal.com]

The comics are a million times better.

[mike-mccall.livejournal.com]

No they're not.

[nixxignatius.livejournal.com]

Sure they are. :)

[mike-mccall.livejournal.com]

Nuh-uh.