GLORIOUS CONTINUITY

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier -- A Review

by

Andrew Salmon

Since its release in 2007, the Black Dossier has been hotly debated in the US. Sadly, it's a debate we here in Canada have been unable to take part in due to copyright restrictions preventing the legal sale of the novel in this country. So as a fan of Alan Moore and the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen , I set about obtaining a copy of the Black Dossier just to see what all the fuss was about.

And judging from a lot of the comments made about the novel, it seems evident that a lot of critics of the book missed the one-eighty turn Moore and company took with this 3 rd volume. In the previous League instalments, the seemingly endless literary references sprinkled throughout the novels were wonderfully detailed set dressing against which the intricate plots played out. Rich worlds yes, but secondary to the action.

In the Black Dossier , there has been a change of emphasis. It is now the plot that is the set dressing while the thrust of the novel is the vast array of literary references woven together into one collective fictional universe. The plot is simply Alain Quartermain and Mina Harker on the run across a 1950s England in the grips of Orwell's Big Brother , stopping when time allows to read the Black Dossier they have stolen. Hardly nail biting fare, but, in this case, that is exactly the point.

The Black Dossier is a celebration of the creative intellect. By referencing everything from James Bond and Emma Peel to Horatio Hornblower , Shakespeare , Fanny Hill , P.G. Wodehouse , Robert E. Howard , H.P. Lovecraft , beatnik fiction, Sherlock Holmes , British comic strips, Greek drama and on and on and on, Moore and company are trying to break down the barriers of genre that can blind readers and shine the spotlight on the riches of the fictional universe created by humanity as a whole.

The Black Dossier is not a novel for those who maintain that “if they want a thriller, they read James Bond and nothing else” or for the comic fan who proudly states that “it's only Alan Moore (or insert creator name here) they read and to hell with everything else.” If that is one's approach to fiction, then the Black Dossier is certainly not something that you will enjoy.

However, if you're of the group that is always on the hunt for something new and exciting to challenge and entertain you as a reader, then the Black Dossier is the biggest literary shopping list around. By weaving a vast tapestry of fantasy, horror, drama, science-fiction, hippy lit, romance, classical tragedy, detective and spy thrillers along with other genres, the novel is trying to remove these classifications and put forth the idea that all of these genres are just one massive, enduring tradition of storytelling that has delighted millions over centuries. All of which has been the precursor to the fiction we enjoy today whether on the big screen, TV, books or comics. Every generation goes through a phase of concluding that anything old has to be bad while anything new has to be good and in the process a lot of great writing and art falls by the wayside.

The Black Dossier invites the reader to explore what came before, embrace it, and find the source material Moore has stitched into his script. The internet has made such research child's play and one can easily immerse oneself in the avalanche of obscure characters and stories from yesteryear. In so doing, one is bound to find a dozen characters or authors that intrigue. The Black Dossier is a treasure trove for bibliophiles or any reader who savours the joy of discovering new (old) authors, series, a novel, characters or stories that have fallen through the cracks of time yet are worthy of discovery.

All of the above weighs the novel down. It is dense reading that one cannot devour in a single sitting. The novel is a rich tapestry that must be excavated over multiple readings. The literary references are well worth tracking down and exploring and this material is presented in a framework meant to entertain rather than a dry alphabetical encyclopaedia. And once again, Kevin O'Neill is equal to the task of fleshing out Moore's words with stunning artwork which one can just pour over panel by panel.

It's my hope that the Black Dossier will be made wildly available in Canada at some point. The novel is a fascinating collection of the legacy of the fantastic and there is enough of an engaging chase to keep the reader turning pages – however slowly. One should approach the novel with an open mind to allow the literary deluge to sweep one away. The Black Dossier is a work to be savoured, to be taken off the shelf to poke around in, thumb through. Every time will be a rewarding experience.

Infinite delights await, to say nothing of a lifetime of exploration through the glorious continuity of fantasy fiction.