Booknote: Nemo: River of Ghosts

Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, Nemo: River of Ghosts. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf Productions, 2015. ISBN: 978-0-86166-233-3

Genre: comics and graphic novels
Subgenre: adventure, steampunk
Format: paperback
Source: My local public library

I liked The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (link to my review of the second volume in that series. I read the first one, but likely before I started putting my reviews online.) very much, but this mostly feels like a shadow of that. I did read it with a small disadvantage. It is the third volume of a trilogy and while you can read it on its own, it does help if you have read the previous two volumes. However, the fact it is part of a series is not made clear in the volume. I found out after a little research I did after reading it.

Anyhow, the plot is that by now Nemo's daughter commands the Nautilus and rules over his legacy. Now an elderly lady, she decides to embark on one last mission to confront an old enemy once and for all. She is being advised by ghosts of the past that only she sees, and though her crew questions her actions, they remain loyal and carry out the mission.

The story is a decent enough adventure piece, but it feels more like Moore is just reaching way out now. For readers who look for the literary references, there are some here though you may have to look up things as they are much more obscure in some cases. If you do not get them, it is OK, but for the completists, it may take some work. In the end, this is really a book for the completists. I can't help but feel that by now Moore is just stretching the story line. It's a good tale, but it highlights that his best work on this series is already in the past. The art, however, is certainly a good reason to pick this volume up. When it comes the art, the quality is excellent.

I would consider this an optional read. I may look up the previous two volumes, mostly out of curiosity, but I do not consider reading them a priority. If my public library gets them, I may pick them up. For libraries, if they have League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, this is optional. I think this Nemo series is more for the hardcore fan. Casual readers likely won't notice if it is not there.

3 out of 5 stars.

This book qualifies for the following 2015 Reading Challenges: