Nemo: Heart of Ice

Alan Moore’s ability to be wildly and effectively original in creating from Lovecraft mythology is amazing!Highly recommended!Also, along the same lines of original spin, check out, Kindle book “Dream Return to Unknown Kadath”.https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Return-Kadath-Lovecraft-Sexier-Darker-ebook/dp/B07N2F2PZV/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1IT874CELME5E&keywords=dream+return+kadath+ken&qid=1663279104&sprefix=dream+return+kadath+ken%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-1

I am a huge fan of Alan Moore's going back almost three decades and a huge fan of the first two `League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' books but since volume II there really hasn't been anything League related that has captured me. The Black Dossier was my least favorite but the three Century books weren't a tremendous amount better as far as I'm concerned. The Century books certainly weren't terrible but I know what Alan Moore is capable of and there is no way those books will be looked at as some of his best work. My suspicion is that what has happened with the series is that Alan Moore is now writing for himself and not the reader. He slips in reference after reference to classic books that take place in the era in which the stories take place but they are generally so obscure that few readers will catch more than a small fraction of them.The titular Nemo from Heart of Ice is not Prince Dakkar but is instead his less interesting daughter Janni who made brief appearances in previous League material as the new Captain of the Nautilus following her father's death. The story opens with Janni and crew stealing goods from a Princess Ayesha and her American protectors including Charles Foster Kane from Citizen Kane. I had to look up Ayesha on Wikipedia to find out that she's a character from a book called `She' by Henry Rider Haggard. Kane is only ever referred to by his last name and again I needed Wikipedia to decode his actual identity. There are multiple Kane's from literature and of course this Kane is from a movie not a book so I was thrown off.Following the plundering Janni decides to travel to Antarctica for reasons that aren't entirely clear to me. On her trail is a group of American "scientific adventurers" intent on retrieving Ayesha's stolen goods. The adventurers include Frank Reade Jr. Jack Wright and Tom Swift with Swift being the only one I've ever heard of and knowing his name was about the limit of my knowledge. Janni's first stop is a place of French backwards talking cartoon animals called Megapatagonia. Most of the rest of the book is a cat and mouse chase between Janni and her small group and Princess Ayesha's mercenaries.It's certainly possible to write a story filled with obscure characters from literature and make it work and Alan Moore did it with the first two volumes. However, in those books Moore weaved references to characters from literature into his story whereas now it seems as if the references ARE the story. The section with Megapatagonia takes up two entire pages and has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the story. There are three panels discussing the Steam Man of the Prairies who is then never mentioned again and the only reason I can figure out why Moore would have Janni travel to Antarctica would be to have her come across a location from one of H.P. Lovecraft's classic novels.Another issue is a question of who the protagonists are. It was Janni Dakkar and her crew that attacked Princess Ayesha, stealing her goods and killing her people so it would seem like Janni is the villain but Ayesha is a ruthless woman who takes pleasure in breaking the necks of pigeons. The scientific adventurers were good guys in their respective books but Moore has them acting somewhat villainous particularly Tom Swift. There is just the merest wisp of a story with most of the characters motivations unexplained. Moore doesn't spend enough time on individual characters for the reader to know much of anything about them or care about their welfare.One thing I will say about these books is that they inspire me to find out more about these classic characters but as a story I'm just not loving them. In fact I would put Heart of Ice below the three Century books in terms of enjoyment. Alan Moore remains my all time favorite writer but I can't deny it's been a long time since I've loved anything new he's put out.

I pre-ordered this, in the series of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, new chapter simply (honestly) because it was part of the series that I have enjoyed thus far - so what not another go-round. I was confident enough, given my past experiences with Allan Moore and company's work, that I had no doubt it would be another great story with unexpected twists, sub-story lines, and other personal revelations of characters. It was just that. Nemo's daughter is just as a sly, crafty, intelligent, and adventurous as her infamous sea captain father's legend and life. I look forward to seeing how her character plays a part as a sort of "grandfathered" character into the series, since she is truly a legitimate, just as respectable, and equally interesting personality that fits into the unique world of characters in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Captain Nemo's daughter takes center stage as she tries to live up to her father's lengthy shadow as she tries to follow in his footsteps, which unfortunately for her brings her into contact and conflict with various other literary geniuses as well as Cosmic Eldritch Abominations.Really enjoyed the unconventional (though completely appropriate) style of storytelling as they neared the infamous 'Mountains of Madness'.The only gripe I had was with the collected crew of 'antagonists' brought together by Charles Foster Kane, as they weren't that well developed in the run of things, their personalities, motivations, and characters merely boiling down to various degrees of cynicism, arrogance and (in Tom Swyft's case) misogeny.

if "nemo" proves to be the introduction to a new multivolume plotline set in the 20s/30s, i can definitely see some foundational material that could be expanded upon. on its own, i did not find this particular story that interesting.janni nemo is fairly one-dimensional, as was prince dakkar. this was tolerable in a team setting where there was some vulgarity (hyde) and wit (mina) as a foil...but thats missing here. i'm not sure if i should be rooting for her or not, but her character seems to be aimless, arbitrary and unlikeable. the americans set off as nemo's pursuers seem likewise shallow, i never quite figured out why they were involved with the mysterious queen from whom janni steals...something.the antarctic locale is well thought-out though. its really one of the last places moore can establish any credible notion of mystery and the unknown. i'm surprised it took him this long to realize that the vast regions of the south pole were fertile ground for his imagination...yet his vision seems to fall short. i still can't figure out if the south pole was a base for giant flowers from space or not.if moore can grow this plot more meaningfully than "century", then this series has hope. if nemo is a one-off, then its not worth reading.

Alan Moore continues to mine the pulp fiction of his youth to horrific and wondrous effect. In this tale, the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft is his muse. As a lover of horror, I was thrilled by this adventure through the frozen wastes, but found the pacing to be a bit choppy at times, jumping forward to progress the story at an unnaturate rate. (And no, I don't mean the middle portion of the book when that is the narrative device.) Otherwise I was thoroughly entertained. The usual supplemental prose piece at the end is comfortingly present as well. Enjoy.

Nice spinn-off from the league series, Nemo's dauhter is a fascinating caracter and there are stuff for more novels following her. We see the last of her in Century 1969 where she transport the group to England and then return to Lincoln Island to die but there must have happened a lot inbetween.Being a Tom Swift reader i actally enjoyed the portrayal of him in this book.Moore in top form.

I am a big fan of the 'league' series and of Alan Moore in general. I felt a little short changed by this as it is a fairly short story and does rely on a knowledge of HP Lovecrafts 'at the mountains of madness'. Still, the artwork is great as ever (thankyou Mr O'Neill) and the characters are engaging.

Great League of Extraoridinary Gentleman spinoff, with the daughter of the original Captain Nemo following in her fathers icey footsteps and finding dark horrors in the frozen wastes.

Brilliant, fast delivery.

Highly recommended.