by Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell

isbn: 0958578346
subject: Graphic Novels, Fiction and Literature
finished: 9/3/2000

From Hell is Alan Moore's interpretation of the Jack the Ripper story. It's not what he thinks really happened -- the notes make it clear that he knows there are problems with Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution, the book he borrowed his major premise from. Rather, depicting the murders as being performed by the Queen's doctor as a cover-up for a royal scandal allows Moore to say his piece about the late 19th century and its role in creating the modern world. Still, the story is very plausible even though it's often repulsive and sometimes horrifying.

Campbell's black and white drawings are grainy, scratchy, and sometimes difficult to make out; they're perfect for depicting the seedy underside of Victorian England. He draws each murder in gory detail: this book is certainly not for squeamish readers. From Hell, like Moore's other work, is complex and multi-layered: this is a great story, and that's saying a lot since Moore is easily one of the best writers in comics today.