From Hell by Alan Moore

I jumped from joy and excitement when my boyfriend gave me this volume on my birthday. From Hell is one magnificent graphic novel although it is raw and the illustrations are ..well quite not subtle. This one is not for the faint heart. Alan Moore in his own way and creativity, digs in the in the identity of Jack The Ripper and gives us a phenomenal dark, gothic and cultic version of it.

I loved the mystery surrounding the protagonist for the first two chapters. We all see the scenes from his point of view, while his face is always hidden in someway. We often see a glimpse of his arms and his hands as her performs autopsies on animals, as he climbs up the ladder from his surgery classes to being a renowned Her Majesty Doctor.

After a few chapters, the identity is revealed quite rapidly and even though I thought the graphic novel to be a murder mystery, where we would have to guess and whatnot, it certainly isn’t. The rest of the graphic novel feels more like a very long novel with hints from historical, political and geographical interests. I love the details in the illustrations, and the sketchy style of Campbell and short strokes put on an impressive detail. So much that it feels like the surroundings and the sightings were more important than the characters themselves. As for the themes of this volume, they are as heavy as the volume itself. I believe it is Alan Moore’s gift. To look into one soul’s darkest moment, seize the moment and fill it with ink.

RATING : 4/5

Did you read this graphic novel? How did you like it?

-TRANG