From Hell

From Hell is a story about Jack The Ripper, one of the most famous serial killers of all time. From the blurb “FROM HELL combines meticulous research with educated speculation, resulting in a masterpiece of historical fiction both compelling and terrifying.”So yes, Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell did A LOT of research to come up with his version of events, and who is to say what is true and what isn’t, but this is certainly a work of fiction – until it can be proven otherwise of course.This graphic novel took me AGES to read it because it was just so bleak. It is hard to say if I enjoyed it or not because the topic is not too easy going. The murders are gruesome in detail, but the cover up, if true, is just as disgusting. It is a really good story, and I am very glad I read it, but I would say that anybody who is thinking of reading it should approach with caution. Certainly not one I would expect anybody to read in one sitting. I found I had to leave weeks between a couple of sections. There are also some areas where I was completely lost – luckily the version I read came with an extended appendix with detailed explanations of where the ideas came from and what certain phrases meant.I find it difficult to rate it. It is clearly a genius piece of work, but I can’t say that I loved it. I am going to read The Five soon, which is a story focused on the victims of Jack The Ripper (long overdue), so I am hoping this will have given me at least some info to start off on the right foot.I can certainly see why this novel is held in such high regard, as with a lot of things though, I am not sure this one is to everyone’s taste.

I bought this for my partner as a gift as he's a massive graphic novel fan and I was most impressed when it arrived. The book is large, heavy and thick and tells the entire From Hell story. Each page it's beautiful drawn telling this dark tale with thought and care.The characters are striking from the first page and the story of Jack the Ripper comes alive once more.From Hell takes a very interesting spin on the Ripper tale and follows follows the story a detective trying to track him down. The super natural meets the bloody and cruel steeds of Victorian London in a gripping tale that I dare not say to much about lest I give away the plot. Needless to say anyone who buys this book will not be disappointed.

I like Alan Moore's stuff, but this is a real dud. Boring, self-indulgent, far too wordy, up its own backside, yet self-consciously "arty"... and it just doesn't work. Just as bad, the font-size is so tiny it's impossible to read without a magnifying glass. Why do that? Crazy. (I don't wear glasses and I CAN read the label on a ketchup bottle so it's not a problem with my eyes). This purchase was a huge mistake and it's such a shame.

The plot and writing is excellent - far beyond an expectation of a graphic novel. This is a genuine work of literature, with strong characters in an atmospheric setting. The experience is enhanced by being familiar with several of the areas of London covered in the novel. The artwork is dramatic and adds to the growing sense of foreboding arising from the dark alleys and tenements of Victorian London. Highly recommended.

I got this recently for my Kindle, I read the book years ago so it was nice to be able to compare the two. I have an old Kindle that only does black and white so this is a good comic for my reader as it was written in black and white, at £3.82 it is an excellent purchase for almost any adult. It is incredibly violent and weird but if you have an interest in JTR, or in London, or in freemasonry, or in Victorian England and its characters circa 1888 or the Philosophy of History then you find some interesting stuff here.The authors spin a fine yarn, there is no claim that what are saying is 100% correct but the whole story is so interesting and illuminating that that the book does not stand or fall on its mere veracity of who JTR was.There are copious notes from Moore at the back of the book, however I could not access them when reading the book, I also could not save or highlight any passages which is a pity as the insane but eloquent Dr.Gull has some fantastic lines."For better or worse, the 20th century; I have delivered it."

After Watchmen and V for Vendetta, this is Alan Moore's best book. It's a interesting step away from superheroes and vigilantes, and sets a much darker tone. I've always been fascinated by Jack the Ripper, and Moore had clearly done plenty of research upon writing this book. Although it can seem difficult to read to begin with, with artwork is unlike a lot of his work and the text can be hard to absorb at times. It's worth persevering as it tells a terrific and contains great visuals. Lastly, if you've ever seen the film 'From Hell' I would suggest you not be discouraged as it the book is much different from the film.