Indy Comics Writer

Like all good comic fans, I love the work of writer Alan Moore. His list of achievements in the comics business is amazing: V for Vendetta, Watchmen, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Swamp Thing, Tom Strong, Prometheus and much, much more.

But until yesterday, I hadn’t read his much-anticipated third installment of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Black Dossier.

Well, now that I’ve read it, I’m again reminded of what an amazing talent Alan Moore is. But, and I hate to admit this, I was a bit frustrated with the graphic novel.

Maybe I’d been expecting too much. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was an amazing feat, both volumes. They combined adventure, drama, character studies and humor in thick books that you couldn’t read in 15 minutes. And who could resist seeing characters like the Invisible Man and Mr. Hyde in new adventures, their warts and all exposed?

The Black Dossier has its charms, plenty of them, in fact. Moore’s portrayal of James Bond — or Jimmy Bond in this version — is wonderful. You’ll never watch Dr. No in the same away again. His two main characters, Allan Quartermain, Jr. and Wilhelmina Murray, are likable, and their dialogue is snappy and witty.

Yet … the story itself kind of drags, especially considered with the earth-shaking events of the first two volumes. In some ways, Moore seems always too in love with the idea of stretching the boundaries of graphic novels here. He includes old sex comics, bawdy nursery rhymes and long, long examples of supposedly confidential prose stories that are almost impossible to read. And the ending scenes? They’re in 3D, yes, and that’s a neat gimmick. But what happens on those pages is kind of dull, at least to me.

Of course, I’d still recommend this. It’s literate, funny in places and does have some action. It’s worth the price just to snicker at the thuggish Jimmy Bond.

But don’t compare it to the first two volumes. You’ll probably be a bit underwhelmed if you do.

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