CRAIG’S PICK :: NEMO: HEART OF ICE: When the final volume of Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s most recent League of Extraordinary Gentlemen story–Century: 2009–arrived in comic shops last June, it generated some heat. Sean Collins hand-wrung his way through a review on the Comics Journal website, arguing that the exhausted, dispirited tone of Moore and O’Neill’s story (which, incidentally, posits Harry Potter as the Antichrist and Mary Poppins as Yahweh) was a perfect expression of the Bearded Mage’s personal distaste for contemporary popular culture. Meanwhile, the critics at the Comic Books Are Burning in Hell podcast devoted an entire episode to Century: 2009; Matt Seneca claimed that the most significant British authors of our generation are Moore and J.K. Rowling (suck it, Martin Amis!), while Joe McCullough wondered aloud if Moore’s takedown of Rowling has less to do with jockeying for canonical position, and more to do with a persistent strain of sexism in Moore’s work.

Me? I liked Century: 2009 fine, though none of the Extraordinary Gentlemen tales has ever reached the lucid artistry of my favorite Moore pieces, such as “The Anatomy Lesson” (Steve Bissette and John Totleben!), “The Bowing Machine” (Mark Beyer!) and every single solitary panel of From Hell (Eddie Campbell!). Century: 2009 seemed to me a fine second-tier Moore comic, revved up by the taboo-busting that’s always been a hallmark of Gentlemen. After the way the Invisible Man is murdered at the end of LOEG volume 2, and after the irreverence with which James Bond is treated in LOEG: Black Dossier (not to mention Moore’s dredging-up of “The Galley-Wag” from the Empire’s racist Imaginary), did we really expect Moore and O’Neill to treat the Hogwarts-verse with respect? Why would we want them to?

The next LOEG book, a single 56-page comic titled Nemo: Heart of Ice, drops this week. The central character is Janni Dakkar, the daughter of Captain Nemo, who has inherited the super-submarine Nautilus and decides to explore the Antarctic in her vessel. The description of the book on the Top Shelf Comix website blatantly reveals Moore’s inspirations this go-round–we’ll be plunging into the frozen hell of Charles Dexter Ward/Mountains of Madness territory–though I hope Janni will also sing some Brecht/Weill show tunes like she did in the first volume of Century. (It might be tough to smuggle “Alabama Song” into a story that takes place at the South Pole.) And I bet Kevin O’Neill’s draws some mucousy, multi-orificed, calamari/Caligari Lovecraft creatures..!

ANDY’S PICK :: HELLBLAZER #300: Ah, Johnny, we hardly knew ye! It’s the end of an era and (coming as no surprise to the world of monthly comics) the start of yet another new era. Writer Peter Milligan and artists Giuseppe Camuncoli & Stefano Landini along with cover artist extraordinaire Simon Bisley bid farewell to everyone’s favorite neer-do-well occultist in the dirty haunted trench coat. John Constantine was created by Alan Moore and
during the classic American Gothic storyline in Swamp Thing over 30(!) years ago. Since then, ol’ JC has been a Vertigo Universe stand-by. This landmark issue is the third and final part of the last storyline aptly titled “DEATH and Cigarettes”. Hellblazer has been a terrific series and it has proven to be the true flagship title of Vertigo Comics. You owe it to yourselves to give this issue a try. If you love it (and if you are a horror fan, I know you will!) then you will want to go back to the beginning and devour the trade paperbacks. They are legion and they are terrific. And for the love of comics forget that god forsaken movie!

My, how time flies! Can you believe that the Heroes Discussion Group is celebrating it’s 50th (that’s right, 50th!!) meeting already?!

KARLA’S PICK :: DR. MANHATTAN #2: If you’ve been following the new Before Watchmen series, you know that this is not just any prequel. The artist and writers working on these new titles are true fans of the characters they are bringing to life. That has never been more apparent than in the new Dr. Manhattan series by J. Michael Straczynski, John Higgins, and Adam Hughes. If you are a fan of Mr. Hughes’ artwork, this book will not disappoint. With Adam on covers and interiors, this book is not only captivating for its storytelling, but for its impeccable art as well. It’s a can’t miss for me.

JUSTIN’S PICK :: V FOR VENDETTA BOOK AND MASK SET: Just in time for Halloween, you too can don the mask of everyone’s favorite anarchist dandy (just don’t wear it into the gas station). And to sweeten the deal, you get a copy of Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s masterful tale of poetic terrorism in totalitarian Britain. If you’ve only seen the film adaptation, you’re doing yourself a great disservice; V is truly one of Moore’s greatest accomplishments.

ANDY’S PICK :: V FOR VENDETTA BOOK AND MASK SET: Need a Halloween costume? Need to read one of the best graphic novels ever written (you heard me–EVER!!)?  Well then, look no further and do all your shopping with a single gift set. Vertigo is offering said gift set that includes V for Vendetta the graphic masterpiece written by Alan Moore and gorgeously drawn by David Lloyd along with a beautifully rendered Guy Fawkes mask just like the one worn by Vendetta’s main character V as he attempts to save a future Britain from itself.  Explosives sold separately. The time (to buy) is October 3rd. This is the voice of FATE. Heroesonline prevails!

DOUG’S PICK :: BEFORE WATCHMEN: OZYMANDIAS  #2: Jae Lee art!  Jae Lee art!  Jae Lee art!  Need I say more?  Ozymandias is the best of the Before Watchmen books and the closest in tone to the original series.