Sexual content involving children.
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Lost Girls has come under fire from critics who have argued that the book displays controversial sexual content involving children - before you buy this book I think the reader should be aware of this and make a judgement as to whether they really wish to read such things (I was unaware of this).
Yes, the writing is very clever as each of the girls 'speak' in a different dialect. Also, the art reflects the original stories of Alice (as in 'Wonderland'), Dorothy (from 'Wizard of Oz') and Wendy (from Peter Pan). I had a hard time understanding why someone would wish to pollute and denigrate children's classics by having older versions of these characters describe their first sexual experiences (of which Dorothy's involves her father...although this bit I have only gleaned from Wikipedia as I binned this book before finishing it). Apparently, Moore has said that he is trying to move sexual literature away from the "disreputable, seamy, under-the-counter genre with absolutely no standards: [the pornography industry]". I don't think he has achieved this and I think Moore is falling into the disreputable and seamy category himself...albeit 'over-the-counter'. Ultimately, please be the judge for yourself - I was quite shocked by the book and wanted to make sure anyone buying this is well aware of its content.
Amazon states that this graphic novel displays "...ecstatic writing and art in a sublime union that only the medium of comics can achieve". In a way this is true but only so far that the art carries the story - I would like to see Moore write an actual novel and see if his words alone can convey the message he says he is trying to convey. Moore has no love for the comic book/graphic novel genre, only a cold and calculated mixing of ingredients the writer knows his fans like.
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Below Par Moore
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After Eagerly awaiting Moore's latest oddessy I have to say that I was somewhat dissapointed by Lost Girls, this feeling may not have been so if Moore had concluded following Book One:
In the first Book of Lost Girls all of Moore's writing techniques are evident, subtle nods to the era, other works and juxtapositions of two different events happening concurrently, added to this there is the very smart premise that the fantasy stories of Wendy, Dorothy and Alice are formed through the repression of their first sexual experiences. I would therefore give the first book 4stars.
Unfortunately I cannot say the same for the following 2 books, book 2 being the one of least merit (2 Stars), Moore continues to sexualise the fantasy stories of Neverland, Oz and Wonderland for no other reason than he can. This is also probably the most graphic of the three books, so may be seen as 100% erotica which has been bookended by the set up and justification.
The final book of Lost Girls then justifies the series (as another reviewer has mentioned) by stating that the events in the series should cause no offence as they are ficticious and are purely intended to entertain. This justification along with the resolutions to the Lost Girls stories raises this book above book 2 to 3stars.
As Lost Girls is still an overtly Alan Moore collection (as described above) I fans may still enjoy the collection, however I personally feel that this is way below the quality of Watchmen and League of Extrodinary Gentlemen etc.
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Art or pornography
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Alan Moore's long awaited and unabashed pornographic epic finally arrives. Is it worth the wait? Yes and no. The quality of the art is undeniably supreb with Melinda Gebbie demonstrating a range of styles and the quality and craft of Moore's writing is of a high level. However, I'm not convinced of some of the points he's making, such as, if incidents are fictional then there is no harm in them. Art or pornography? I'm still undecided.
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Pleasantly surprised
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The very beginning of this book was printed in comic format. When presented with it for the first time I didn't know what it was... frankly I refused to read it after the first few paragraphs.
But then I was given a summary of what Moore and Gebbie are trying to do. So I gave it a second chance. Now I can't wait for the end to come out.
In his usual style Moore has tackled a difficult subject sensitively and in an unusual way, this is an attempt at reinventing an old medium, in reclaiming it if you like, as a potentially intellectual vehicle for unexpectedly intircate ideas. As a study of human psychology, human sexuality and pornography/erotica this is decidedly interesting and, as I should have expected from Moore, well worth multiple readings... not just titilating (although it is, in many ways) this is a detailed exploration of many many things, and I thank Moore and Gebbie for putting in the dedication to not just create this beautiful work, and it is beautiful visually, but to battle through getting it published against disapproval from not entirely unexpected directions.
I look forward with anticipation to the rest of this story.
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