The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 3: Century 1910

[C.F. Kane]

The Official Top Shelf Promotional page

Alan Moore's next installment of the omni-fictional series. I've already gotten a copy of "1910". It kind of works as a sing-along, but only if you know the melodies of the songs they lifted from "The Threepenny Opera".

Anyone else picked it up?

 

[Red Mask]

I was worried that the literary references would be too obscure to enjoy once they moved into the 20th century. But I'm enjoying this book nontheless. I do recall the tune for Mac the Knife, and it's still fun to read the other woman's rhyming.

One critic had observed the apparent failings of this team compared to the Victorian incarnation. I think we're just getting started. Besides we know of their adventures against Les Hommes Mysterieux. There's also mention of Mina's attempts to be part of a superhero team called the Seven Stars, which is noted to have failed as badly as the Warralson Team. This Moon Child plot is a lot more intruiging because it develop over the decades.

 

[Adam3482009]

I bought this issue a couple of weeks ago. Like most League stuff, this is one where practically every single panel is chock full of various fictional/real world references.

I have no idea how Alan makes all these crazy connections (interweaving the entirety of human fiction to reflect real world reality within a certain time period).

Over at the Alan Moore yahoo group and 4colorheroes.com, there's been abit of discussion on this so far. These places seem to be the only place to discuss Alan Moore related stuff specifically.

 

[Motown Marvel]

i never even got around to checking out the black dossier. how was that one?

 

[Themanofbat]

I picked it up but I have yet to read it...

 

[C.F. Kane]

i never even got around to checking out the black dossier. how was that one?

It's a bit avant-garde. You know in Watchmen the end of each chapter had an excerpt from a magazine or a book or some other publication giving the details of the world beyond the story? Imagine if those took up most of the book.

 

[Adam3482009]

It's a bit avant-garde. You know in Watchmen the end of each chapter had an excerpt from a magazine or a book or some other publication giving the details of the world beyond the story? Imagine if those took up most of the book.

Does that mean you like it?

Some people look for something more immediately satisfying, which makes sense but if you look at Jess Nevins annotations and really put some thought into this, it's amazing what Alan Moore is able to do. The way he uses various peices of fiction to reflect the real world is simply amazing (not to mention the way Kevin O'Neil compliments this by making every single peice of each panel meaningful).

If someone doesn't know what Moore's getting at it can be mind numbing but with the annotations it at least makes it easy to grasp some of these behind the scenes connections (between fiction vs. realworld connections and fiction vs. fiction connections specifically picked out by Alan to weave into the story that he's trying to tell). This is why I posted that thread about annotations to see if anyone wanted to discuss some of this. Unfortunately, 4colorheroes and the yahoo fan group on Alan Moore only have so many people without a whole lot of new members...

 

[NoTsOsErIoUs]

Was a bit weary of this. But will have to pick it up now. Always had a soft spot for a bit of Weil and Brecht.
Also someone mentioned a Moon Child plot, are there any Crowley references in this?

 

[Max Shrek]

Yeah, tons. Moore's trying to fit in as many Crowley-analogues from other media as he can.

 

[bored]

I really wanted to see more of the 20th century team after reading "The Black Dossier" (which, for those asking about it, is as immersive and fun as anything in the "LOEG" series). The "Threepenny Opera" references were great, but this felt strangely... incomplete. I know, it's the first in a trilogy, but it seems like it serves little purpose other than to say "Hey, look for this other stuff in the next two".

I just wonder how the last two will look. Apparently there isn't going to be an attempt to create more versions of the league, and Moore is going to include more references to television (including "24"!).

 

[Max Shrek]

From what I've pieced together about the modern-day stuff, it's essentially going to be a big metaphor that creativity has died in our day and age, told through Orlando and the Ian Sinclair from 1910, whatshisname, the Prisoner of London.

 

[Adam3482009]

From what I've pieced together about the modern-day stuff, it's essentially going to be a big metaphor that creativity has died in our day and age, told through Orlando and the Ian Sinclair from 1910, whatshisname, the Prisoner of London.

In contrast, I think it's kind of a celebration of the imagination. This seems to be kind of what League's about.

Future volumes of League after Century:
Once Century wraps up, it appears that Moore and O'Neal will backtrack to 1964 for a sort of superhero storyline, which is something that's breifly alluded to in the text story of Century part 1. Since every single League volume has had a text story attached at the end I'm guessing Moore and O'Neil will do an Enid Blyton like children's storyline (except this time not aimed at young kids) starring the Gollywog's origin/history in the League world at the back of this volume.

Next, there'll be a perhaps larger volume that takes place in the future (think outerspace). Moore has stated some vague ideas for this in numerous interviews.

After this last volume is completed, which judging by the pace at which the parts of Century is coming out, League will probably be finished for good at this point.

 

[C.F. Kane]

...unless someone else picks up the series. I hope there isn't a finite end to it. I mean, the whole concept is a wonderful framework for all kinds of potential stories.