If anybody is interested in more serial killer stories, then they should check out the graphic novel From Hell by Alan Moore. He tells the tale of Jack the Ripper. Moore heavily researched it, which creates this incredibly intense story. As you all probably know, Jack the Ripper was never solved, but there have been many theories on who he or she was. Moore takes the stance on the theory he feels most connected to, believing that the Ripper was a prestigious doctor hired by the Queen. The doctor, Sir William Gull, is misogynistic freemason with brilliance unlike anybody of his time.
The story begins with the prince having an illegitimate child with a woman in a lower class. The royalty try to hide it, and in an attempt to not be blackmailed the queen hires Gull to eliminate the prostitutes who knew of the women who had the child with the prince. Moore also writes the story of Gull’s past, and how he became a doctor while at the same time controlled his violent urges. Gull also never sees his acts as evil. His ties with freemasonry create a monster with no conscience.
Warren Ellis describes From Hell as a tale of the birth of the 20th Century and a dark view of the Victorian world. It is entertaining, but at some points hard to get through because of how dense it is. If you are looking to read more stuff like Larsen’s interpretation of Holmes, but with better writing and a more comprehensive and imaginative tale, then take a chance with Alan Moore’s From Hell. You will not be disappointed.
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