360 LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, THE
envisaged by Wells in Th e War of the Worlds. Th e third volume, Th e Black Dossier, was
not in fact a series like the previous two volumes had been, but was published as an
original graphic novel, in part due the fact that Moore was in the process of severing his
connection with Wildstorm as it had been sold to DC Comics, whom he was in dispute
with over the rights to Watchmen. Despite assurances that he would be insulated from
working closely with DC, Moore found that DC still interfered with his work. Conse-
quently, Th e Black Dossier was published with rather limited availability, and was viewed
by Moore as a bridging work to the real Volume Th ree, which is entitled “Century,” and
began publication in 2009 by Top Shelf/Knockabout Comics. Moore’s dispute with
former employer Marvel Comics was also a cause for some concern for DC Comics
while the series was being published by them through Wildstorm. Moore included
a vintage advertisement that could have been construed as an attack on Marvel (the
advertisement was for a “Marvel Brand Douche”). Th is led to DC recalling and ordering
the destruction of the entire run on Volume 1, issue #5. Th e few issues that survived
this are therefore very rare and sought after by collectors.
In keeping with Moore’s usual practice, the scripts for Th e League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen are extraordinarily detailed and precise, yet, as with the best of Moore’s
work, the power of the series comes from the collaboration between artist and writer.
O’Neill’s style has in the past been thought to be inappropriate for mainstream comics
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a.k.a. LXG, directed by Stephen Norrington, with Jason
Flemyng as Dr. Jekyll; Stuart Townsend as Dorian Gray; Naseeruddin Shah as Captain Nemo;
Sean Connery as Allan Quatermain; Peta Wilson as Mina Harker; Tony Curran as the Invisible
Man; and Shane West as Tom Sawyer (2003). 20th Century Fox/Photofest
