The Collection - From Hell
From Knockabout Comics
I’ve been a little lax in posts on my collection recently. In some parts, it is due to me deciding to sit down and read this book. From Hell is a hefty read and is available through Knockabout Comics.
Legendary comics creators Eddie Campbell and Alan Moore have created a gripping, hallucinatory piece of crime fiction about Jack the Ripper. Detailing the events that led up to the Whitechapel murders and the cover-up that followed, From Hell has become a modern masterpiece of crime noir and historical fiction.
Author: Alan Moore
Artist: Eddie Campbell
This is not a book that you can read in one sitting. I have many books I can speed through (I am a fast reader), but I think From Hell has sufficient points where you can put it down and absorb what you have just read.
Even so, this is still a book worth reading, with its various parts, information, tours, and a rich cast of characters.
I enjoy the beginning; it works as part of the epilogue, even though it is just as you begin the story. It sets the tone and gives you at least one viewpoint as you read the story properly.
As we begin, the art starts to do some heavy lifting along with the storytelling. Along with the story's main thread, you also get a good feel for the state of affairs of the people living in Whitechapel. Some have the money, but many do not. They must make money for food, drink, and lodgings in any way possible. As we work through the story, we meet one of the key instigators.
He’s not the main character, but the Prince is the reason for this whole sorry tale, and his naivety is on show here as he wanders the streets and shops with his chaperone. The following scandal involves the Prince, a shopkeeper, a wedding and a child - things seem to have been hushed up, but spoilers are on the horizon.
Gull - a high-ranking freemason - is tasked by the Queen (Victoria) to ensure that the blackmail attempt and subsequent chance of news of the child and wife coming out. He does so with vim and vigour.
It is a fantastic sequence with an intriguing look into not only the role and history of the Masons but also the tour around London and its landmarks. Both artistically and in terms of the story and the history behind it. I could read more on the subject broached here and found it a brilliant part of the story.
Of course, there are the murders, and along with the gruesome and more sexual aspects of the story, there is also the look into the fractured mind of Gull. Knowing what is real and what is just in his head is tricky. As with many other stories by Alan Moore, it could be looked at as being either.
The dual aspects of the story, with Gull and his possible delusions and the police hunting him, are excellent. You get a good look at the police of the time and how they went about their work. The search for the simple answer, along with the other establishment aspects like the coroner's investigation, was equally fascinating and frustrating.
Closing off the story is also a clever part - especially one as well known as Jack The Ripper - and it leaves some excellent threads and character reactions.
As I mentioned above, the art brings forth the story's tone, with the grotty underpinning of Whitechapel and the tour around London to the beaches and hills further afield.
The characters and moments in the story are excellent, and the black-and-white tone takes you to the time period. Some brilliant character shots and scenes are here.
As I said above, this is a big and heavy comic, but it is certainly worth reading.
