Hey all, Stoker again. So last week the new “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” story came out; I am glad to say that it is a step up from the last installment, “The Black Dossier.” Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed following the exploits of Mina and Alan as they searched for information on previous incarnations/variations of the League from around the world but, when all was said and done, the Black Dossier left me a bit on the cold side. Unlike the other League stories I have never had the urge to revisit it, something which I am prone to do with comic books I really like.

The new League tale, however, has sucked me back in. This release is the first of a three part arch and follows a new group of literary characters lead by two old favorites. Mina Murray and a young Allan Quatermain (see the Black Dossier for information on the much more impressive de-aging process than Patrick Stewart’s in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) are back with three new teammates, the immortal and gender bending Orlando, the powerful mentalist Carnacki, and the thief Anthony Raffles. The characters spend their time in this new book attempting to avert a prophesied mass murder.

The best part of this league tale is the addition of characters Mac the Knife and Jenny Diver (Captain Nemo’s daughter in disguise) from “Threepenny Opera.” These two characters bring a new aspect to the comic book world making this League the first comic book / musical that I have ever encountered. This new aspect of the tale may be off putting to some, but as someone who enjoyed “The Beggar’s Opera” (the original version of Threepenny Opera) when I read it as an undergraduate, I was excited to see Macheath cutting a bloody swath through London.

There are a few draw backs to Century, most of which have to do with the new members of the group. Carnacki and Raffles seem almost superfluous to the tale, they do their jobs but are mostly unmemorable, so much so that I actually had to look through the book again to remember Raffles name. As for Orlando, well He / She is quite frankly… annoying. I am surprised that the other characters didn’t spend their time slapping Orlando around for his / her ineptitude.

The fact of the matter is that there is now a bit of a power vacuum in the ranks of the team. With the deaths of Hyde and the Invisible Man in the second volume of The League, there haven’t been any big bruisers. Plus the Hyde, Quatermain, Murray triangle was so interesting in the second volume, I am disappointed that we will never get to see that whole thing played out. Hyde was my favorite character of all, he knew exactly who he was and never asked forgiveness for being a monster.

Kevin O’Neill is back again on art duties and doing, as always, a commendable job. O’Neill’s art style gives the reader a feeling of being drawn into something old while allowing the characters to be as dynamic as possible. His skill at crosshatching brings the streets 1910 London to life.

While it may not be as unique as the first League story, or as all around powerful as the second, this piece is a solid addition to Alan Moore’s massive body of work. I fully recommend this incarnation of League for Comic fans and Lit Majors alike.

Stoker