Treasury of Victorian Murder: Jack the Ripper: A Journal of the… (edition 1995)

At first glance, Rick Geary's volume on Jack the Ripper may seem sparse and nearly clinical. It is not padded with endless theories on the identity of Jack the Ripper, reasons for the targeting of the particular women or endless gossip about the lives of those investigating the murders. Comparing this against Alan Moore's 575-page epic, From Hell, one might well ask, "what's the point of a simple 62-page graphic on Jack?"

The point is that Rick Geary has presented us Jack the Ripper in the purest form possible - straight from the journals of an unknown British gentleman that lived in London during the murders. These were copious journals (the real ones are 24 volumes) from someone that clearly had access to insider information and a desire to play a bit of armchair detective. So this is Jack the Ripper in his heydey, before the conspiracies, before the movies, before the endless tell-alls and long before the massive rumors.

In this, you get a lot of fact, many fantastic maps and a lot of surprising commentary. Popular conspiracy theories today are readily dismissed by our journalist back then (An equally sinister theory concerns the...Free-Masons...but what motive the organisation could have in these cases is difficult to discern). The journalist actually backs no official theory on Jack's identity, but there are several long-forgotten suspects that briefly appear in Geary's volume.

This is worth the read simply to see the story from the perspective of someone as they were watching it unfold. ( )

Great story and illustrations by Rick Geary ( )

good overview. would have liked more on the lives of the victims. ( )

Rick Geary has given us a first hand account of the Jack the Ripper case through the eyes of a contemporary but unknown British gentleman who kept a meticulous set of journals. In these journals the gentleman followed closely the news of the killings, while occasionally setting down his own opinion.

Mostly a typical accounting of the Ripper case, though the narrative voice is interesting. If you already know the case it isn't very intriguing but would probably make a good read for first exposure to the killings. The illustrations are amazing! Much better than in the first book of the series. This is such a brutal murder case and the illustrations are very dark and shadowy with many night time scenes. The intricate detail in each panel leads one to linger on each page before continuing. A decent showing in this series but not my favourite. ( )

There's a certain "tour de force" quality about Rick Geary's take on Jack the Ripper. While Geary's entire Treasury of Victorian Murder series is worthwhile, there is something about this particular volume that takes the endeavor to a new level - there is a weight to Geary's line, and a coolness to his narrative approach that really bring "Saucy Jacky's" crimes to light without being melodramatic or overly sensational. Given the unique position of Jack the Ripper in western culture, it's a testament to Geary's skill that he can dive into these well-traveled waters and still deliver an examination of events that is original, dispassionate, and beautifully drawn. ( )