The Adventures Of The Extraordinary Gentlemen!

The Dojo closes out the year focusing on two great writers. There's no doubt that Alan Moore is one of the great literary talents of our generation. He's even achieved this level of notoriety by writing comic books. Hie works are no small part of the reason that comics have an elevated status in the United States, a status they have long had in Europe and elsewhere. He a distinctive figure, a shaggy looming ogre of a man who comes across as a mad Merlin. But there's no denying his output. I'm very slow to the Moore temple of worship, but I did hop aboard for his The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen adventures, and I've always had a soft spot for the anti-fascist epic V for Vendetta. (Just read it again this past November 5th, and might make that an annual tradition, just to keep my head on straight.) I did a deep dive into his groundbreaking Swamp Thing work in 2021 and as 2022 nears its end, I want to do the same for a few other Moore series. 

This month is also dedicated to the recently departed Kevin O'Neill, Moore's partner on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen books which were published DC and then later by Top Shelf. Regardless of who published them, O'Neill's distinctive art guaranteed the reader he or she was getting the pure stuff. The League stories form a sprawling saga which incorporates elements of no less than all of English popular literature and other entertainments to form its narrative. Any character who has drifted into public domain (and many who are not though in disguise) is on the table for inclusion into this comic book variation of Philip Farmer's Wold Newton gimmick. My plan is to read these books in order of their publication, and many of the later ones I have never read before. I'm eager to dive in. 

And then there's Lost Girls, a book written by Moore and drawn in a delightful style by Melinda Gebbe. This is a yarn that includes adult versions of Alice from the Wonderland books, Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ books, and Wendy from Peter Pan and puts them in a European hotel as the First World War is about to break out. Somewhat isolated from reality the three women explore a wide range of sexual experiences. This work depicts sexual activity with frank clarity, but I wouldn't call it pornography in the strict sense because it is about more than just depicting the sex acts themselves. 

From Hell is the epic exploration by Moore and artist Eddie Campbell of the sundry theories about Jack the Ripper. I did gather up some of these when they were being released in the early 90's, but reading them all together in a collection, despite its mammoth size is the best way to experience them. 

Now turning to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes and Professor Edward Challenger. I'll be also taking fresh ganders at classic Dojo items featuring Sherlock Holmes, especially those written by Martin Powell and drawn by Seppo Makinen such as the utterly exquisite Scarlet by Gaslight and the very upsetting A Case of Blind Fear among others. Sherlock Holmes battled Dracula, the Invisible Man, and the Devil himself in these comics and elsewhere. These early 80's and 90's comics while preceding them are very much in the spirit of Moore's League, crossing over iconic characters from different writers. 

Expect a closer look at his interactions with some nasty Martians as well. I'm planning on watching a number of Sherlock Holmes movies and television efforts as this final month of 2022 marches towards its inevitable conclusion. Expect classic as well as new posts on those too.  

And while I'm spending time at 221 B Baker Street, it's a nifty moment to revisit one of my favorite television series of the 21st century -- BBC's Sherlock starring Doctor Strange and Bilbo Baggins. 

And if time permits, I want to finally get through all the episodes of Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, an animated take on the great detective. It's not some flavor for a cartoon of its era. There are several clever takes on the classic tales. I hope some of this strikes your fancy.  

Oh, and there will be a few holiday items as well. Enjoy the finale to 2022!

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