Rating: 
Summary: Careful, only the hardback is the comic!
Review: According to the ISBN number (1401201172), images at other websites (e.g., BN), and the publisher's name (DC Comics), only the hardback is the second volume of the graphic novel. All other editions available now (December 2003) are novelizations of the movie. Amazon should be a bit more careful, don't you think?
Rating: 
Summary: The League of Extraordinary Gentlmen vs. Invaders from Mars
Review: Actually, my copy of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume 2" collects the six issues put out by Mr. Alan Moore & Mr. Kevin O'Neill courtesy of America's Best Comics over the past year or so. Consequently it has nothing to do with the movie, which seems fair since the movie, just released on DVD, had relatively little to do with what now has to be referred to as Volume 1 of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." But then the movie merely copied the idea of the comics without capturing the magic.The great conceit that Moore and O'Neill came up with was to create a late 19th-century version of a group of superheroes based on literary creations from that time period (in many ways the opposite of the legendary "Watchmen" series). Back again are the core group: Allan Quatermain from H. Rider Haggard's "She," Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," Mina Murray from Bram Stoker's "Dracula," Edward Hyde from Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Hawley Griffin from H.G. Wells's "The Invisible Man." The works of Wells become a major factor in Volume 2 as two more of his science fiction novels are worked into the tale. The first is "The War of the Worlds," as the League is called upon to save England from the Martian tripods. The second plays a decisive role in saving the day, but I think that deserves to be a surprise for the reader. Things do not work as well the second time around, partly because the novelty of the idea has worn off and also because the members of the League are not particularly well suited to dealing with invaders from Mars. That might explain why the soap opera elements are a bit more prominent this time around as Miss Mina becomes romantically entangled with one of the gentlemen and Hyde kicks Jekyll out of the picture. Actually Hyde becomes the most interesting character in this story, although you will need a strong stomach to read about how he deals with the group's traitor. For that matter, you should be forewarned that this trade paperback might look like a collection of comic books, but these are not for little kids. This is not as intense as "From Hell," but Moore's readers have long known that he only provides stories that have mature content. Even when Moore is not blazing new territory or reinventing the wheel in some interesting way, he is still worth reading. The stories are still presented as if they were being published late in the Victorian era, with ads and articles that add to the general sense of fun. I liked the final words of the penultimate issue which disparages any one who fails "to purchase our concluding number" as being "a sissy, coward, or girl." Yet Moore and O'Neil lampoon the Victorian sensibilities of their characters as much as anything, and despite some major setbacks at the end of the saga, we are told that there is now an intermission before the stories continues again. As always, it will be interesting to see what literary works serve as additional inspiration for the next endeavor, although after the less than inspiring movie I suspect Oscar Wilde might be out of the equation (or should we expect Lady Bracknell?).
Rating:
Summary: 1898...
Review: Allan Quatermain, Captain Nemo, Hawley Griffin, Mr. Edward Hyde and Miss Mina Murray with the help of Dr. Moreau must fight off their greaest enemy of all - invaders from Mars! And some of the League won't live to see victory!
Realistic artwork and a gritty story, in which nothing is Black or White, but a shade of Gray as Mr. Bond and Mr. Mycroft Holmes try to win against heat rays, giant tripods and impossible odds.
Like Volume One Vulome Two has extras in the back. But instead of a story there is a Almanac, full of information about the world, from such great explorers as Gulliver, Nemo, Miss Wilhelmina Murry, the Duke of Milan, and even some reports from Orlando, Sindbad and G.E. Challenger. Through these characters and their travels we visit the Black Lagoon, Utopia, Arkham, Laputa, Lilliput, Shangri-La, Xanadu, Toyland and even the Mountains Of Madness. We meet, or learn about, Goldfinger, Dr. Dolittle, Gene Autry, the "Deep Ones", Captain Hook and even Alice (from Wonderland). There are so many facts that it would take a review many times longer just to list them. Rich cities, haunted ruins, weird races and underground mysteries are all part of this world. The total collection of man's fears, loves and dreams.
You HAVE to buy it. Be careful, to my knowledge the soft-cover is not available yet (at the time this was made anyway).
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary again.
Review: Contrary to other reviewers, I found the second one just as exciting and interesting as the first. It shows that Alan Moore is not afraid to shake up what he started. Kevin O'Neill's art is also amazing as it captures the series alternate Victorian Era setting. My only disappointment is the non-inclusion of other literary characters (Frankenstein's monster, Joseph Conrad's Secret Agent and Phineas Fogg comes to mind), or if they were there I missed it and could've hoped for a bigger role, but then again, Mr. Moore could already be cooking up more surprises hopefully in the near future. I just hope Hollywood stops at bastardizing this excellent piece of work.
Rating:
Summary: Macabre, Lewd, and Lovely!
Review: Half the book is a comic, and a rather morbid and ribald sense of humor pervades that half. The other half is a travel guide to the world of the League, where everything fantastic you've ever read about is true. The adds in the back that finish it off are bawdy. All in all, it's a great second story. My only whinge is that the characters, so strong and stalwart in the forst book, are not necessarily so in the second book. They express shock and horror rather more than less. I'd wish WM a bit more of the strong leader and less the whimpering maiden she sometimes comes off as in this one. At any rate, this is a great second comic in a series made for adults.
Rating:
Summary: I loved it even more than the movie!
Review: I just happened to be one of those people who read this graphic novel before seeing the movie and, even though the movie was surprisingly good, it couldn't even compare with this wonderfully written and masterfully drawn graphic novel. Too bad all really good sci-fi and cyberpunk can't be turned into graphic novels or movies, such as "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Foundation", "Neuromancer", "Snow Crash", and "Darkeye: Cyber Hunter". All would make wonderful graphic novels or movies.
Rating:
Summary: Simply extraordinary
Review: I think we have a problem here. Amazon is mixing up reviews of different versions of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The comic books and the novelization of the crummy movie version should not be lumped together. Anyway, what I am reviewing here is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 2, which is the second volume of the comic book series. This is the League version of War of the Worlds (you know, with the Martian invaders). I don't want to give away the plot, but it's great and extremely well executed. If you liked the first volume of the League, you will want to read this volume, too.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing next installment in the "LEAGUE" saga!
Review: I'm not sure whether this one was written after the script for the lackluster film adaptation of the first adventure, but it seems as though Moore, like the film makers, tried to throw everything (including the kitchen sink) in this one: sex, betrayal, gratuitous violence, merciless alien hordes, biological warfare, and genetic engineering. Wherein the first installment was a fresh and original concept, banding together fantasy/sci-fi greats as a superhero team to thwart a super villain, this one limps along from one frame to another, with little to hold the reader's interest. Taking on H.G.Wells, one of my all-time favorite authors, might have been too much for the author to tackle. Perhaps, I'm a bit of a prude but the inclusion of the May-December bedroom romp between two of the team members was a little too much for my tastes. Because of the limited appearance of Capt. Nemo, he might as well not have appeared in the issue all together. I expected much more this time around!
Rating:
Summary: Not great literature, but a good story
Review: In this fascinating book, author Alan Moore returns once more to his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - a group of strange, yet capable men and women (well, woman, really) in Her Majesty, Queen Victoria's Secret Service. But now, the League faces its greatest threat - the War of the Worlds! Driven from Mars by John Carter and Lt. Gullivar, these foul creatures begin their conquest of Earth (as originally documented by H.G. Wells). The British government has a few tricks up its sleeves, but before this is all over mankind will face its gravest peril and treachery will split the League itself! This is another fun and interesting book. I enjoyed seeing so many of my Victorian and Edwardian favorites exhumed and thrust into new adventures - John Carter of Mars, Major (later Colonel) Blimp, and Dr. Moreau. As for the story itself, I thought that it was OK. This is definitely not a story of heroes, but instead deconstructs the old heroes as raw materials for a postmodern story instead. Let me clarify - the War of the Worlds itself was handled excellently, with lots of desperate action and adventure. However, the characters themselves don't seem to come together as nicely as in the first book. Unlike the first book, there are two sex scenes (well, three I suppose), but they are all rather disappointing. It's a dark story of war and death and treachery and surviving. Overall, I enjoyed it. Was it great literature? Heck no. But, it was a fun read and I do recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Moore,
Review: Moore's LOEG series was a thrilling story about popular book heroes who come together as a team to defeat threats to London. They are brilliant pieces of work, bringing out the inner demons in all of the characters.
The second volume is not quite as good as the first, but it takes much more time with showing the personalities of everyone. It is packed with some humor, some action, some horror, and of course, a vital component in every teamwork story, BETRAYAL. It is overall a great book.
However, the second volume is much more intended for mature readers than the first, including horrible violence in some parts, some language (despite the stronger words being blanked out) and two very graphic sex scenes.
Read Vol 1 first though. I would recommend both volumes to anyone.
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