''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II'' is a

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...

written by

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...

and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill, published under the

America's Best Comics America's Best Comics (ABC) was a comic book publishing brand. It was set up by Alan Moore in 1999 as an imprint of WildStorm, an idea proposed to Moore by WildStorm founder Jim Lee when it was still under Image Comics. History ''America's ...

imprint of

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

in the United States and under

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

in the United Kingdom. It is a sequel to the original volume of ''

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' (''LoEG'') is a multi-genre, cross-over comic book series co-created by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill which began in 1999. The comic book spans four volumes, an original graphic novel, and ...

'' and like its previous installment is a

pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...

of various characters and events from Victorian literature; though it borrows a great number of characters and elements from various literary works of writers such as Sir

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

and

Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...

, it is predominantly a retelling of ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. It was written between 1895 and 1897, and serialised in '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US in 1897. The full novel was ...

'' by

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...

. The volume continues the narrative of

Mina Murray Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker (née Murray) is a fictional character and the main female character in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic novel, Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. In the novel She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young schoolmistress who ...

Allan Quatermain Allan Quatermain is the protagonist of H. Rider Haggard's 1885 novel ''King Solomon's Mines'', its one sequel '' Allan Quatermain'' (1887), twelve prequel novels and four prequel short stories, totalling eighteen works. An English professio ...

Hawley Griffin This is a collection of the characters from ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'', a comic book series created by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, and its spin-off ''Nemo''. Overview Character's name * Original source/author * Appearances or ...

, Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde and

Captain Nemo Captain Nemo (; also known as Prince Dakkar) is a character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (1828–1905). Nemo appears in two of Verne's science-fiction books, ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' (1870) and '' The Mysterious Is ...

who respond to an invasion of England by extraterrestrial invaders.

Plot

Issue #1: Phases of Deimos

On the planet Mars, John Carter and Gullivar Jones have assembled an alliance of Martian races to combat an invading race of non-Martian aliens called "Molluscs" (the aliens from

' ''

''). After a fierce battle, the Martian alliance successfully force the Molluscs off Mars. As they leave, however, Carter worries they may be going to Earth. On Earth, in the year 1898, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (consisting of

, Dr. Henry Jekyll,

and

) arrive in

Horsell Common Horsell Common is a open space in Horsell, near Woking in Surrey. It is owned and managed by the Horsell Common Preservation Society. An area of is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Pr ...

, where a Mollusc spaceship lies at the centre of an impact crater.

Issue #2: People of Other Lands

The League meet with MI5 Agent Campion Bond, and debate about what the mysterious craft is and where it came from. A tentacled alien emerges from the craft, and a group of men carrying a white flag descend into the crater to make peace with it, only to be incinerated by a powerful heat-ray from the craft. As the heat-ray kills the onlookers gathered around the crater's edge, Dr Jekyll turns into Mr Hyde, who threatens the alien with violent death. Mina manages to calm Hyde down, and the League retreat to the nearby

Bleak House ''Bleak House'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode Serial (literature), serial between 12 March 1852 and 12 September 1853. The novel has many characters and several subplots, and is told partly by th ...

Inn. Later that day, the British armed forces arrive in the area, and Griffin sees another spaceship falling from the sky towards

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...

. Mina checks on Hyde, and they have a compassionate conversation about their friendship, which is something Hyde does not feel he shares with the other League members, but he politely asks Mina to leave, believing he will kill her at the slightest provocation. Meanwhile, Griffin returns to the crater on his own and encounters the aliens. Communicating with them by drawing pictures on the ground, he tells them he wishes to be their ally.

Issue #3: And the Dawn Comes Up Like Thunder

The next morning, the League leave the inn and hear the military shelling another spaceship that has landed in Surrey. Most of the army division is incinerated by the alien's heat-ray, which also destroys the inn. A coach arrives to take the League back to London, but on the way, Mina starts to fear not every League member will survive this mission. At their headquarters in the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

Mycroft Holmes Mycroft Holmes is a fictional character appearing in stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from 1893 to 1908. The elder brother (by seven years) of detective Sherlock Holmes, he is a government official and a founding me ...

tasks the League with researching Mars and returning to Horsell to observe the alien's behaviour. Bond gives Mina secret military plans and tells her to study them, as well as find out all she can about Mars. Allan, Hyde and Nemo set off back to Horsell, leaving Mina on her own and unprotected at the headquarters. Griffin stays behind and hides under cover of invisibility, and once Mina is alone he fiercely assaults her, then flees with the military plans. During their reconnaissance, Allan, Hyde and Nemo encounter a

Tripod A tripod is a portable three-legged frame or stand, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The three-legged (triangular stance) design provides good stability against gravitational loads ...

, an enormous three-legged war machine, and set off back to London to warn British Intelligence. Upon returning to the museum, Hyde finds Mina lying beaten and unconscious on the floor, and realises what has happened. After Mina recovers from her attack, Mycroft sends her and Allan on a new mission: they travel to the

South Downs The South Downs are a range of chalk hills in the south-eastern coastal counties of England that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the ...

to find a scientist who may be able to help stop the invasion.

Issue #4: All Creatures Great and Small

While Mina and Allan are away, Captain Nemo and Mr. Hyde patrol the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...

in the ''

Nautilus A nautilus (; ) is any of the various species within the cephalopod family Nautilidae. This is the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and the suborder Nautilina. It comprises nine living species in two genera, the type genus, ty ...

'' and fend off the oncoming Tripods. The advanced technology aboard the ''Nautilus'' proves to be an even match for the Tripods, and Nemo orders his crew to bring the wreckage of a destroyed Tripod on board so they can study the alien technology. While investigating the South Downs countryside, Mina and Allan meet a man called Teddy Prendrick (the protagonist of H. G. Wells' ''

The Island of Dr. Moreau ''The Island of Doctor Moreau'' is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. It was published on 1 January 1896. The novel is set between 1 February 1887 and 5 January 1888. The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Pr ...

''). He is insane and gives them little information, but does mention a "devil doctor", whom they suspect could be the scientist they are looking for. Despite Prendrick's warnings, Mina and Allan continue to search the countryside, retiring to a country inn at the end of the day, where they end up having sex. Awakening afterwards, Allan notices horrific scars on Mina's neck (which were left by

Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...

) and is shocked at the sight. Back in London, Griffin approaches the aliens again and tells them they have to "do something to the river" to stop the ''Nautilus''.

Issue #5: Red in Tooth and Claw

The next day, the aliens fill the Thames with red weed, draining all the water and immobilising the ''Nautilus''. Hyde refuses to wait until Nemo's crew have cleared the red weed and goes back to headquarters. In South Downs, Mina and Allan are searching for the scientist in a forest. Mina is angry at Allan for how he reacted to her scars, but he explains he was not repulsed by them, they merely reminded him of his second wife,

Stella Stella or STELLA may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Films * ''Stella'' (1921 film), directed by Edwin J. Collins * ''Stella'' (1943 film), with Zully Moreno * ''Stella'' (1950 film), with Ann Sheridan and Victor Mature * ''Stella'' (1955 ...

, who was similarly scarred in a fire. They have sex again by a tree, but are confronted by a bear-like creature capable of speech and dressed in tattered human clothes. Joined by other talking animals, the bear takes them to the hideout of Dr. Moreau, who has relocated to the countryside and continues to create human-animal hybrids (humorously, all of Dr. Moreau's hybrids resemble anthropomorphic animal characters from children's fiction, including

Puss in Boots "Puss in Boots" (; ; ; ) is a European fairy tale about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand in marriage of a princess for his penniless and low-born master. The oldest written telling version ...

Mother Goose Mother Goose is a character that originated in children's fiction, as the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. She also appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as ...

, and Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad from ''

The Wind in the Willows ''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and get ...

''). Mina explains MI5 has asked for something called "H-142", and while Moreau is seemingly disturbed by this request, he obliges nonetheless. In London, Hyde waits at the headquarters for Griffin to reappear. When he does, still trying to hide through invisibility, Hyde reveals that he has

infrared vision Infrared vision or thermal vision may refer to: *Thermography, a process where a thermal camera captures and creates an image of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object in a process *Thermoception, the sensation and perception ...

, and has therefore always been able to see Griffin. He savagely beats Griffin and rapes him, leaving the "Invisible Man" to die in agony. Later that evening, Hyde has dinner with Nemo and the League's coachman Samson at the headquarters, but blood stains slowly appear on his clothes and the tablecloth, and Nemo finds Griffin's dead body, now visible again. He is horrified and prepares to kill Hyde, but Samson urges him to stand down, as Hyde's great strength may be useful against the aliens, and he grudgingly agrees.

Issue #6: "You Should See Me Dance the Polka..."

Mina and Allan bid farewell to Dr. Moreau at a train station, and return to London by train with the cargo crate carrying H-142 (which they assume is another hybrid animal). They are met by Bond and agents wearing gas masks, and proceed to

London Bridge The name "London Bridge" refers to several historic crossings that have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark in central London since Roman Britain, Roman times. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 197 ...

, where Nemo and Hyde are waiting for them. Bond explains that every bridge in the city except London Bridge has been made impassable in a bid to slow the alien advance, and as he leaves with H-142's crate, the aliens destroy the last of London's defences and gather all their forces for their final push into the city. Hyde agrees to distract the Tripods while H-142 is delivered, but before he goes he bids Mina a fond farewell and asks for a kiss, which she graciously agrees to. He joyfully dances out onto the bridge toward an oncoming Tripod, singing See Me Dance the Polka (which was featured in the

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the ...

adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde). While his skin is burned off by a heat-ray, he survives, topples one of the Tripods and starts eating the alien inside. The other Tripods combine their heat-rays and kill Hyde, but the fallen Tripod blocks the bridge, stranding them on the South Bank. Military Intelligence fire a cannon, delivering H-142 to the aliens. Bond reveals the British government's strategy: while H-142 is one of Moreau's hybrids, it is actually a hybrid bacterium made from a mixture of

anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...

and

streptococcus ''Streptococcus'' is a genus of gram-positive spherical bacteria that belongs to the family Streptococcaceae, within the order Lactobacillales (lactic acid bacteria), in the phylum Bacillota. Cell division in streptococci occurs along a sing ...

, intended to attack and destroy the Martians through disease warfare. Nemo is outraged by this reckless use of biological weaponry, resigning from the League and leaving in the ''Nautilus''. One month later, Mina and Allan are walking through Serpentine Park (which Allan mentions is going to be renamed " Hyde Park" in honour of Hyde's sacrifice). Mina says recent events have left her deeply unsettled, so she is going to stay at Coradine, a ladies' commune in Scotland. She leaves, and the story ends with Allan sitting alone on a park bench.

Extra material

Just as in the first volume, the back of the second contains additional information on the League and its world. The chief is ''

The New Traveller's Almanac "The New Traveller's Almanac" is a series of writings included in the back of all six issues of '' The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II'', covering the timeline and the world of ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen''. The six issu ...

'', serialised in the back of the six issues and collected in the volume, serving as a guide to the world of ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'', including numerous references to classic and modern fictional works, e.g. the City of Opar, and

Laputa Laputa is a flying island described in the 1726 book ''Gulliver's Travels'' by Jonathan Swift. It is about 4½ miles (7¼km) in diameter, with an adamantine base, which its inhabitants can manoeuvre in any direction using magnetic levitat ...

, narrated by the creators. Other parts include a cover gallery, a playable "Game of Extraordinary Gentlemen", an impossible "Nemo's

origami ) is the Japanese art of paper folding. In modern usage, the word "origami" is often used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a ...

''Nautilus''", a cautionary fable to complaining fans, and " Campion Bond's moral maze".

Reception

Volume II received the 2003

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...

for Best Finite Series/Limited Series. ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine listed it as the ninth-best comic of 2003.2003 Best and Worst: Comics
/ref> It was nominated for the 2003

Bram Stoker Award for Best Illustrated Narrative The Bram Stoker Award for Best Illustrated Narrative is an award presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in horror writing for comic books. Honorees Nominees are listed below the winner(s) for each year. { ...

, but lost to '' The Sandman: Endless Nights''. It was included in the 2005 edition of ''The Year's Best Graphic Novels, Comics, & Manga''.

Collected editions

The series has been collected into the following

volumes Volume is a measure of regions in three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). The ...

: * Hardcover: * Paperback: *

Absolute edition ''DC Comics Absolute Edition'' is a series of archival quality printings of graphic novels published by DC Comics and its imprints WildStorm Productions and Vertigo. Each is presented in a hardcover and slipcased edition with cloth bookmark cons ...

(deluxe hardcover): , including Moore's original scripts and additional artwork by O'Neill

Annotations

Jess Nevins Jess Nevins (born 1966) is an American author and research librarian best known for annotated guides and encyclopedias covering Victoriana, comic books, genre fiction and pulp fiction.Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...

and Kevin O'Neill; detailed, panel-by-panel annotations; and a cover by

John Picacio John Picacio (born September 3, 1969) is an American artist specializing in science fiction, fantasy and horror illustration. Biography Picacio was born on September 3, 1969, in San Antonio, Texas.

Notes

References

Jess Nevins Jess Nevins (born 1966) is an American author and research librarian best known for annotated guides and encyclopedias covering Victoriana, comic books, genre fiction and pulp fiction.MonkeyBrain Books MonkeyBrain Books (MonkeyBrain, Inc.) is an independent American publishing house based in Austin, Texas, specialising in books comprising both new content and reprinting online, international, or out-of-print content, which show "an academic i ...

, 2004, ,

Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of the British entertainment company Titan Entertainment, which was established as Titan Books in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cine ...

, 2006, )
Review of ''League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 2''
at War of the Worlds.co.uk * * {{DEFAULTSORT:League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II Comics about alien invasions Barsoom Comics by Alan Moore Eisner Award winners for Best Limited Series Comics based on works by Jules Verne Comics based on works by Edgar Rice Burroughs Adaptations of works by H. G. Wells Fiction set in 1898 Adaptations of works by H. Rider Haggard