"I shall tell you where we are. We're in the most extreme and utter region of the human mind. A dim, subconscious underworld. A radiant abyss where men meet themselves. Hell, Netley. We're in Hell." Having proved himself peerless in the arena of reinterpreting superheroes, Alan Moore turned his ever-incisive eye to the squalid, enigmatic world of Jack the Ripper and the Whitechapel murders of 1888. Weighing in at 576 pages, From Hell is certainly the most epic of Moore's works and remarkably and is possibly his finest effort yet in a career punctuated by such glorious highlights as Watchmen and V for Vendetta . Going beyond the myriad existing theories, which range from the sublime to the ridiculous, Moore presents an ingenious take on the slaughter. His Ripper's brutal activities are the epicentre of a conspiracy involving the very heart of the British Establishment, including the Freemasons and The Royal Family. A popular claim, which is transformed through Moore's exquisite and thoroughly gripping vision, of the Ripper crimes being the womb from which the 20th century, so enmeshed in the celebrity culture of violence, received its shocking, visceral birth. Bolstered by meticulous research that encompasses a wide spectrum of Ripper studies and myths and coupled with his ability to evoke sympathies in such monstrous characters, Moore has created perhaps the finest examination of the Ripper legacy, observing far beyond society's obsessive need to expose Evil's visage. Ultimately, as Moore observes, Jack's identity and his actions are inconsequential to the manner in which society embraced the Fear: "It's about us. It's about our minds and how they dance. Jack mirrors our hysterias. Faceless, he is the receptacle for each new social panic." Eddie Campbell's stunning black and white artwork, replete with a scratchy, dirty sheen, is perfectly matched to the often-unshakeable intensity of Moore's writing. Between them, each murder is rendered in horrifying detail, providing the book's most unnerving scenes, made more so in uncomfortable, yet lyrical moments as when the villain embraces an eviscerated corpse, craving understanding; pleading that they "are wed in legend, inextricable within eternity". Though technically a comic, the term hardly begins to describe From Hell's inimitable grandeur and finesse, as it takes the medium to fresh heights of ingenuity and craftsmanship. Moore and Campbell's autopsy on the emaciated corpse of the Ripper myth has divulged a deeply disturbing yet undeniably captivating masterpiece. --Danny Graydon
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: A graphic masterpiece Comment: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell have excelled themselves with this excellent graphic novel telling the story of Jack the Ripper, who needs no introduction. The artwork is primarily pen and ink and blends well with the subject of this story. While the text can look a little spidery at times, it actually works well with the illustrations and so I think this is an excellent testament to the professionalism of Eddie Campbell.
The story itself is a very complex study of the Ripper murders and Alan Moore calls upon some of the greatest Ripperologists to weave the known facts with situations he sees as fiction but, nevertheless, events which could have taken place at the time. Once again, the mood depicted in the artwork captures Alan Moore's writing perfectly.
This is a book which cannot be read within a day or two. It has to read carefully and the artwork appreciated panel by panel. Furthermore, I strongly suggest reading a chapter and then turning to the back of the book and reading the annotations to the chapters. The explanations of the pages are excellent and 'From Hell' cannot fail to make sense, though it will inevitably open up more questions.
Who was Jack the Ripper? Personally I hope we never find out. He is an enigma of London, an East End setting which is fast disappearing under the hand of redevelopment. Alan Moore tells us right from the start who the book considers to be the identity of Jack the Ripper and I think he will convince many readers of the true identity. I, however, prefer to remain open-minded.
A highly recommended book for Ripper fans and graphic novelists alike! Customer Rating: Summary: Good... Comment: I read this book over the course of one week,yes it was gripping,yes it was good but lets not get too excited it wasnt great. 2 chapters were so dialogue heavy that I wondered why moore bothered making this a comic and didnt just write a novel. Waaaaaay to much of the book requires you to read the appendix at the back to make any sense of and I'm sorry but I find that both irratating and unimpressive,if the book was really well written I wouldnt need clarification of anyhting. Moore has an obsession with making people see comics as art and make them respected like any great novel or film and it causes him to forget why people read comics in the first place,fun! The art is good,very fitting to the period piece nature of the book. I would recommend this book to try but try and sneak a read in a book shop or borrow a friends before investing,its not for everyone. Customer Rating: Summary: Excellent Comment: Heavy on craft jargon and historic detail. This is good and bad. Footnotes necessary. Disturbing subject matter unsuitable for youngsters.
An interesting story. Quality of the artwork is not the best at times. Customer Rating: Summary: Monumental Comment: Alan Moore's stated aim was to solve in fiction, that which could not be answered by conventional analysis or enquiry and my word, did he succeed.
A giant tower house of a thing, it must be one the most engrossing reads ever - part examination of the crimes, part critique of Victorian society, part history lesson and part mythical analysis. In some instances even one page can take ages to properly read and understand, but in each an every case it is well worth it. The epilogue `Dance of the Gull Catchers' should be required reading for anyone even remotely interested in history of any sort.
Eddie Campbell's black and white ink-style is wonderfully complimentary to the narrative; you simply couldn't imagine it any other way.
Well done to Topshelf for going all out with this edition - good quality paper (unlike other versions) and a good size and well bound. The only sadness for me was the lack of inclusion of Campbell's cover-paintings for each issue, but no doubt it was the financial consideration - I recommend seeking out the individual editions if you can, or have a look at Eddie Campbell's blog spot for more background and info.
Everyone always talks about `Watchmen' but this powerhouse beast of a thing must rank among Moore's best work, if only because it transcends it's own medium and genre to become something of real relevance way, way beyond what it's initial appearance suggests. I'm not even that curious about the case, but that is almost irrelevant because of the amount of insight this work has in a broader context.
I strongly urge anyone with even a passing interest to check this out - you are unlikely to be disappointed. And if you can, treat yourself to the hardback edition.
Customer Rating: Summary: From Hell The Compleat Scripts Comment: All the other reviews are for From Hell the Graphic Novel whilst this book is From Hell the Compleat scripts . This is a book that prints Alan moores Scripts for the comic book series and gives the reader an idea of the detail that alan moore invests into his work. A great book for potential script writers or like myself an admirer of this authors work who is much under rated in the modern literary world. Comics is still regarded as a substandard art form by those who are unfortunately in control of weak minded fools.
