This was, for me, one of these books where I was incredibly struck by the art and care with which it was done - and yet wasn't able to derive much basic enjoyment from the read. (It reminds me a bit of Foucault's Pendulum, by Umberto Eco, in that way).

From Hell essentially reviews five murders of prostitutes in 1888 attributed to the unidentified "Jack the Ripper" and locates them against a backdrop of two types of power - the first, is the visible, royal power: the Crown has authorized certain of the murders to cover up the indiscretions of one of the princes. The primary actor, the "Ripper" himself, is only too glad to carry out the Crown's wishes, because, as a member of the Freemasons at one of their highest levels, he sees this also as an opportunity to create or to access a certain paranormal power available only to the Masons by means of ritual sacrifice. The book is obsessively documented in an appendix - no surprise, given it's an Alan Moore creation - for those who are curious to explore either of the theories at greater length.

Many parts of the book are spent as the Ripper (Dr. William Gull) describes the structure of London and the placement of certain artifacts and buildings on occult lines, which the Masons know about and are keep to capitalize on. I may be something of a dilettante, but these were the parts of the book I had to struggle a bit to get through - I am unfamiliar with London's geography, and while I find the theory of these placements and power lines interesting, it was hard for me to be captivated by the minutia of them.

For all this, I was intrigued by Moore's theory, and particularly by his elaborations on what the record can tell us. Most of the characters are a bit lacking in depth - each of them stands for a single idea, in many cases, but they are still compelling as figures in the greater history. I'd recommend it as worth a read, but again, more as a thought-provoker than an entertainment.

Campbell's drawings fit the book astonishingly well. The entire work is done in black and white, not a spot of color to be found, and Campbell seems averse to coloring in dark spaces or using traditional shading - many of the dark lines and shading are done in gridding or hatchmarks, a curiously technical, engineer-like overlay that seems fitting for this moment in history. The art adapts to its subjects - members of the upper class are drawn with even faces, clean lines, fine inkwork; the lower classes are roughly drawn, features askew, lines unmatched and unkempt. I think the artwork here is brilliant.

The plot is well-paced and has a clear storyarch: things are brought to a believable, if not always satisfying end. I'd be curious to hear what students of history think about it, in addition to the fiction-focused (like myself) and fans of the graphic. ( )

Bad ( )

The title is borrowed from one of the contemporary letters to the press claiming to be from Jack the Ripper. Moore notes that only one of hundreds of authors could be identified (and made accountable), and seems to think all are likely bogus excepting perhaps the one from which he borrowed the title.

This edition compiles all installments along with 2 appendices: uncertain whether or not the appendices are typical of other editions, but they are as intriguing as any of the 16 serialised installments: Appendix 1 provides source notes and commentary on the story / illustration as envisioned by Moore & Campbell; Appendix 2 is an annotated bibliography, in serial art format.

From Hell's themes are compelling in their own right (Whitechapel murders symbolically ushering in the 20th century; Royal scandal and Victorian class politics; Masonic conspiracy; British mythology including London's sacred architecture; an unflinching look at urban poverty), and are interwoven in such a way to build up a multilayered story.

The art is deliberately and effectively raw, using the technical shortcomings of some images to advantage.

Not as provocative or ultimately as satisfying an accomplishment as V for Vendetta, but well worth reading. I'm now curious to see the film, which up to now impressed me as a silly slasher film. ( )

Yet another take on Jack the Ripper.*

My initial thought on this work is 'why has this work been so lavishly praised?'.

I'm not spoiling anything by revealing that Moore pins the murders on Sir William Gull, the Queen's physician. This is a why done it, rather who done it. (Most of Moore's plot is taken from Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution by Stephen Knight**). In Moore's interpretation of Knight's version of events Gull goes mad when he suffers a stroke and starts to see visions. Unfortunately for everyone neither the Queen or his Masonic brothers release this before they entrust to him the job of covering up the Prince of Wales illegitimate child (pre-stroke he has already dealt with the mother by operating on her and leaving her with diminished mental capabilities) from four women who, in order to raise protection money, attempt blackmail. Gull's madness ensures that the task, rather than being quietly hushed up, results in bloody carnage whereupon he sacrifices the women to his own mystical plan. It is this plan that allows Moore to go on another one of his trips into esoteric magical theories - this time involving the masons, the mystical importance of parts of London, and so on. Moore also links the Ripper spiritually with a number of other killers to come - Peter Sutcliff (the Yorkshire Ripper), Ian Brady, and even Adolf Hitler.

In parallel to the Gull thread we see the victims and the abject poverty they lived in - turning to prostitution for a few pennies to earn enough for a bed. We also follow Inspector Frederick Aberline as he attempts to solve the crimes, latterly with the help of the psychic Robert Lees, while Masons higher up in the force arrange a cover-up. To give it more cultural depth Moore has cameos galore from celebrities of the era - for example, Oscar Wilde, William Morris, Joseph Merrick ("The Elephant Man"), a young Aleister Crowley - most of them don't add much other than a little (lurid) colour.

There are good things here - the depiction of everyday life, the inescapable poverty, the sordid nature of the victims existence. The problem is that Moore doesn't actually do anything new with the subject matter and what he does do has been done better elsewhere. The Knight book was used as the basis for the film Murder By Decree, within Sherlock Holmes solves the murders but finds the establishment closing rank - the use of Holmes highlighting more effectively than Moore the protected nature of the British elite. Most of the mystical ramblings about London are drawn from Iain Sinclair, who draws them more effectively and powerfully; the magical aspects of Hawksmoor were told in Peter Ackroyd's excellent novel. Once you remove everything that Moore has borrowed from superior sources all you are left with is an empty baggy monster of a book.

I was pleasantly surprised by Campbell's art, I remember when he first started out and his work would best be described as an acquired taste. He still appears to have some technical shortcomings but the rough scratchy illustrating style adopted here is entirely appropriate.

Disappointing - the epitome of the emperor's new clothes.

* is there really anything left to say on this subject? Really? Really?

** Moore acknowledges his sources and discusses them and his reasoning in over 40 pages of notes on the text. ( )

Why did I read a dark, fearful, complex graphic novel about Jack the Ripper?
It was written by Alan Moore. I think he is the best writer of graphic novels. Moore is intelligent, experimental, critical; he wrote: V for Vendetta, Watchman, The Lost Girls, Promethea, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and many others. He has ideas about superheroes, magic, mysticism, consciousness, violence, sex, history...the fourth dimension. I feel smarter when I am reading Moore; he opens up possibilities.
It took me several months to get through From Hell. I started reading it in November and finished it last night. The subject, the violent murder of 5 women in London in 1888, and the incredible detail of Moore's writing...sometimes...my reading experience was too intense and I had to set the book aside for a week or two. To make things more real, this week is the start of the trial in Vancouver for serial killer Robert Pickton (accused of killing 26 sex-trade workers). The media sphere is saturated with information about Pickton and the women he murdered and the way he murdered them.

"Murder, other than in the most strict forensic sense, is never soluble. That dark human clot can never melt into a lucid, clear suspension." (appendix II-page 22)
"The greater part of any murder is the field of theory, fascination and hysteria that it engenders. A black diaspora, our tireless, sinister enthusiasm." (appendix II-page 22) ( )