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Having originally been released years apart, the three-part Century series has now been collected into a handsome single hardcover volume by Knockabout Comics and Top Shelf and its a great format in which to enjoy the third volume of the series.

One of the things that youll notice about Century is the slight change in tone compared to previous volumes. This may still be a book called The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but its not really about the League or at least, a functioningversion of it instead serving as a wider exploration of the intricate world that Moore and ONeill have created through their unique literary unified theory.

Its also slower-moving than previous volumes, offering the opportunity for greater depth in terms of its depiction of the characters, and giving the creators thespace to explore some slightly more challenging ideas about the nature and value of literature than were raised in the earlier books.

Focusing on newly-introduced characters as much as the old favourites, and assuming a certain level of knowledge on the part of the reader (there are very few obvious recaps of charactershistories or motivations here), it feels like a bookthat has been liberated from the requirements of being a DC comic, and can actually be written for the attentive audience it deserves.

That said, Century still feels very much of a piece with the earlier LOEG adventures, and plays an important role in broadening the horizons of the world of the

League not least by introducing all manner of new guest-characters to the seriesmythos, with my personal favourite being Andrew Norton from Iain Sinclairs SlowChocolate Autopsy, whose enigmatic utterances play a key role throughout all three chapters.

As ever, Moores careful treatment of even minor supporting characters reinforcesthe writers love of fiction in all its forms even if, by the time the books ultimate climax rolls around, you could be forgiven for questioning that love. Becausethe denouement of Century is one of the darkest, most challenging sequences inthe series to date, obliquely articulating certain criticisms towards modern fantasy literature that some readers may find hard to swallow.

ONeills contribution to the series should never be underestimated, and he provides

some of the standout moments here: in particular, the artistic experimentationduring the climax of the 1969' middle chapter stakes out bold new territory for LOEG, with a psychedelic colour palette and unusual, non-linear page layouts helping to evoke some occasionally-disturbing imagery as the series begins to veer into darker territory. Theres also a stunning earlier sequence in which Janni Dakkar launches a dockside attack, offering explosive action on a grand scale in theway that only great comics can pull off.

The artist is also great at bringing less showy moments to the page, with a command of body language and facial expressions that despite ONeills angular, unnatural-looking style manages to sell the reality of (say) a low-key dialogue exchangeor a moment of physical closeness between two characters just as effectively ascould several pages of Moores prose.

The only real criticism I have of ONeill is his occasional tendency to overwhelmthe visuals by packing in multiple cameos and easter eggs, but given how much entertainment and delightful recognition these references provide, I think you can forgive the occasional crowded panel.

Yes, one could argue that Century is neither as original in concept as the earlyvolumes of LOEG nor as innovative as the multi-media explosion of Black Dossierbut the third proper volume of the series is nonetheless an excellent and essential part of the story of the League, and one that is certainly done justice by

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this smart hardcover edition. Especially since having all three books in one volume helps you to more easily see the connections between the trio of temporally-separated narratives, which were originally published so far apart that the through-lines that connected them werent always readily apparent.

Talking of this hardback specifically, the book is well worth an upgrade for those who might own the original three paperback editions of Century, as it includes a few extras that werent part of those volumes. These include special full-pagebookplateimages by ONeill (one for each chapter) that were originally available only in limited editions, as well as a couple of pieces of promotional art that were never used in the books themselves, and a new cover drawn by the artist foran Italian collection of the series.

And all three of the backup text stories from the original Century publicationsare also collated here, providing a comprehensive and uninterrupted rundown of the lunar exploits of Mina and the Galley-Wag. Like the main stories themselves,theyre presented here as one continuous whole: and after enjoying them all over again in this new edition, I have to conclude that this hardcover is the definitive way in which to enjoy League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century.