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I’m absolutely fascinated with the fascination over Jack the Ripper. I mean, compared against other serial killers, like the Son of Sam and Ted Bundy, what happened in Whitechapel in 1888 isn’t that (I hate to use this word) impressive, but for some reason Jack the Ripper is the most famous killer of all time. Where did this obsession come from? Is it the name? Is it the brutality of the acts? Is it the fact that he/she/them was never caught? Well, it’s definitely not the last one, because there are plenty of killers out in the world who will never be caught, but we don’t care about them as much do we? The closest thing to Jack in modern times would be the Zodiac killings of the 60s and 70s, but once again, the reason that became so infamous was because he/she/them was the 20th century version of Jack the Ripper. In the end, I tend to focus more on how Jack the Ripper, who was probably just some no name person who knew how to use a knife in the end, has impacted on society. I mean, people do know who Ian Brady and Myra Hindley are, but nowhere near the number of people who have heard of Jack the Ripper. Like it or not, Jack the Ripper will stay with us for a very long time, until our current society floats away in dust.
Now, the reason I start with that statement is that Alan Moore seems to share the same belief as me, in that there is no point trying to solve the murders because not only have WE made it unsolvable, WE really don’t care enough to know in the end. Hell, there is a whole separate comic at the end of this called “Dance of the gull-catchers” that sums up the whole obsession with the killer perfectly, which I’d give 5 stars to on its own. But Alan Moore still decided to take a shot at writing a Jack the Ripper fiction, so here we are, discussing a nearly 600-page comic that is bigger than the size of my head…and what a masterpiece of a comic it is.
From Hell, which gets its name from one of the few notes sent to the police that is commonly believed to have come from the killer (probably because of the human kidney that came with it) takes the theory that Jack was actually Sir William Gull, a royal surgeon who is rather famous in the surgical and biological study worlds, who was attempting to hid from the public the birth of a bastard child by the Duke of Clarence Albert Victor. This is reveal essentially in the first 100 or so pages, and this theory is commonly believed, especially by Moore, to be fictional (but in his own words “it was a good place to start the story”), so the identity of Jack isn’t that important. Instead, what we have is a dark meditation on time, evil, and humanity at its rawest form, as well as those who think they can rise up in society, and think themselves incorruptible. Needless to say, it’s a difficult read, and there is clearly a lot going on at once, so while it all becomes understandable by the end, a couple of re-readings wouldn’t hurt, but this is usually the case with Moore.
The whole comic book works a bit like a clock, flying through dates and times that would seem important to the 21st century, but wasn’t important in the 19th century (which fyi is probably the main reason he wasn’t caught, because they didn’t have the ability to figure out who it was…they didn’t even fingerprints or somewhere to permanently store evidence), and instead staying on things for incredibly long periods of time, which usually is the more…despicable and sad aspects of the story. I’ve always loved Alan’s writing, but here it takes itself to another level. While it is hard to keep track of characters at points due to the sheer amount of them throughout the story, you do get a fairly good understanding of everyone by the time you reach the end pages, however do be aware, Alan is an evil bastard. Because you know who the killer is, you think that the police will learn too, but as the story goes on, it’s clear that he will never be caught, and the physical weight of this knowledge weighs down on you, as you flip through each page scared to see if there will be another murder. Needless to say, this is a very uncomfortable book.
William Gull is depicted as a misogynist, along with most of England’s male population, so his justification for his actions is disgusting and meant to get under your skin, but it’s his interest in what comes next that makes him more than a causal killer of woman because he doesn’t trust them. Gull has put a huge weight on his shoulders, as he believes himself to be protecting society itself, and thus giving birth to the 20th century, allowing it to function without swallowing itself whole. He is a scary man, and a very sick man at that, but as it goes on you can’t help but feel sorry for him, as while he takes immense satisfaction from his actions, it’s the few moments of mental destruction going on within him as he tries to justify his actions to the people he kills that really pull at the heart strings, to the point where he incredibly aware of what he is doing and how he can’t stop the advancement of time. One gets the impression that he wouldn’t act like this if he really didn’t believe what he was doing was necessary, but at the same time, he is the kind of sick and vile creature that haunts our nightmare due to his sheer brutality, so while Jack the Ripper doesn’t have a face, William Gull does, and it is an incredibly haunting sight.
But the real moments of pain come from the 5-6 woman he killed, who seems so sad anyway, but the foreword knowledge that they won’t live through their pain makes it almost unbearable to watch them, as you can’t help but wish that you could do something to save them. They aren’t bad people, and they definitely aren’t just mutilated bodies, they are women that suffer from living in Victorian England. In all honesty you could probably write a whole essay on every main character in the story, and I haven’t even mention the sad frustration that fills Frederick Abberline (or the freemasons, or the police, or the number of famous people within the story, etc), which to me shows just how well written this comic is, to the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if this is studied in universities or collages somewhere (definitely not high school, too much nudity, sex, gore, and big words for growing boys and girls to understand).
Meanwhile, Eddie Campbell (whose Australian by the way, and interestingly enough multiple theories on Jack the Ripper has come from Australian people, so even we have a say on the subject) and his drawings are the real stars of the show, somehow so messy and slathered in ink, yet completely understandable and frequently hauntingly beautiful. It could be said that the art actually at points best represents the murders more than any words can, being very vile and disgusting, but your unable to look away, because there is beauty in evil.
But I’m going to stop now, because I don’t feel like I’m doing any justice to what Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell have done here, because they have essentially described the obsession with evil and doom that fills humanity. From Hell is a dark and gloomy look at humanity, one that is absolutely fascinating and well worth reading, but be warned, if you do choose to crawl through the sludge, you won’t come out in one piece at the end, and you’ll never escape the fear that WE have made Jack the Ripper represent.
Now, the reason I start with that statement is that Alan Moore seems to share the same belief as me, in that there is no point trying to solve the murders because not only have WE made it unsolvable, WE really don’t care enough to know in the end. Hell, there is a whole separate comic at the end of this called “Dance of the gull-catchers” that sums up the whole obsession with the killer perfectly, which I’d give 5 stars to on its own. But Alan Moore still decided to take a shot at writing a Jack the Ripper fiction, so here we are, discussing a nearly 600-page comic that is bigger than the size of my head…and what a masterpiece of a comic it is.
From Hell, which gets its name from one of the few notes sent to the police that is commonly believed to have come from the killer (probably because of the human kidney that came with it) takes the theory that Jack was actually Sir William Gull, a royal surgeon who is rather famous in the surgical and biological study worlds, who was attempting to hid from the public the birth of a bastard child by the Duke of Clarence Albert Victor. This is reveal essentially in the first 100 or so pages, and this theory is commonly believed, especially by Moore, to be fictional (but in his own words “it was a good place to start the story”), so the identity of Jack isn’t that important. Instead, what we have is a dark meditation on time, evil, and humanity at its rawest form, as well as those who think they can rise up in society, and think themselves incorruptible. Needless to say, it’s a difficult read, and there is clearly a lot going on at once, so while it all becomes understandable by the end, a couple of re-readings wouldn’t hurt, but this is usually the case with Moore.
The whole comic book works a bit like a clock, flying through dates and times that would seem important to the 21st century, but wasn’t important in the 19th century (which fyi is probably the main reason he wasn’t caught, because they didn’t have the ability to figure out who it was…they didn’t even fingerprints or somewhere to permanently store evidence), and instead staying on things for incredibly long periods of time, which usually is the more…despicable and sad aspects of the story. I’ve always loved Alan’s writing, but here it takes itself to another level. While it is hard to keep track of characters at points due to the sheer amount of them throughout the story, you do get a fairly good understanding of everyone by the time you reach the end pages, however do be aware, Alan is an evil bastard. Because you know who the killer is, you think that the police will learn too, but as the story goes on, it’s clear that he will never be caught, and the physical weight of this knowledge weighs down on you, as you flip through each page scared to see if there will be another murder. Needless to say, this is a very uncomfortable book.
William Gull is depicted as a misogynist, along with most of England’s male population, so his justification for his actions is disgusting and meant to get under your skin, but it’s his interest in what comes next that makes him more than a causal killer of woman because he doesn’t trust them. Gull has put a huge weight on his shoulders, as he believes himself to be protecting society itself, and thus giving birth to the 20th century, allowing it to function without swallowing itself whole. He is a scary man, and a very sick man at that, but as it goes on you can’t help but feel sorry for him, as while he takes immense satisfaction from his actions, it’s the few moments of mental destruction going on within him as he tries to justify his actions to the people he kills that really pull at the heart strings, to the point where he incredibly aware of what he is doing and how he can’t stop the advancement of time. One gets the impression that he wouldn’t act like this if he really didn’t believe what he was doing was necessary, but at the same time, he is the kind of sick and vile creature that haunts our nightmare due to his sheer brutality, so while Jack the Ripper doesn’t have a face, William Gull does, and it is an incredibly haunting sight.
But the real moments of pain come from the 5-6 woman he killed, who seems so sad anyway, but the foreword knowledge that they won’t live through their pain makes it almost unbearable to watch them, as you can’t help but wish that you could do something to save them. They aren’t bad people, and they definitely aren’t just mutilated bodies, they are women that suffer from living in Victorian England. In all honesty you could probably write a whole essay on every main character in the story, and I haven’t even mention the sad frustration that fills Frederick Abberline (or the freemasons, or the police, or the number of famous people within the story, etc), which to me shows just how well written this comic is, to the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if this is studied in universities or collages somewhere (definitely not high school, too much nudity, sex, gore, and big words for growing boys and girls to understand).
Meanwhile, Eddie Campbell (whose Australian by the way, and interestingly enough multiple theories on Jack the Ripper has come from Australian people, so even we have a say on the subject) and his drawings are the real stars of the show, somehow so messy and slathered in ink, yet completely understandable and frequently hauntingly beautiful. It could be said that the art actually at points best represents the murders more than any words can, being very vile and disgusting, but your unable to look away, because there is beauty in evil.
But I’m going to stop now, because I don’t feel like I’m doing any justice to what Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell have done here, because they have essentially described the obsession with evil and doom that fills humanity. From Hell is a dark and gloomy look at humanity, one that is absolutely fascinating and well worth reading, but be warned, if you do choose to crawl through the sludge, you won’t come out in one piece at the end, and you’ll never escape the fear that WE have made Jack the Ripper represent.