Reviews with content warning for Gore - From Hell

To call Alan Moore’s From Hell a book about Jack the Ripper is doing it a disservice; not because it isn’t a book about Jack the Ripper (in fact its an exceptionally well researched one), but because that just doesn’t capture what makes it so special. Wonderfully illustrated in scratchy, and where appropriate, manic lines, From Hell creates a world in which the Ripper is not only a mysterious fiend but a sort of evil lynch pin ushering in a world of sensationalized violence and popular madness. At times an uncomfortable read, its also intensely interesting and well written, one of my favorite experiences with comics so far.

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trashbadger's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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revolution666's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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lautreamont's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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roenfoe's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

As someone who greatly enjoyed V for Vendetta and Watchmen, I knew I would eventually read From Hell. I went into it almost completely blind, unaware that it was an examination of the Jack the Ripper mythos. From Hell is easily the most well-thought-out comic I have ever read, and is certainly better written and researched than many regular history books. Moore balances an absurd dedication to historical fact and detail with invented elements (such as supernatural architecture and hallucination) that establish From Hell as a wholly unique work of Jack the Ripper fiction.

While I often found the art style muddy, ugly, and difficult to read, it reflects the time and place in which the story occurs. It was appropriately filthy, irreverent, and dark.

Intriguing themes abound; power, class dynamics, the occult, and female sexual liberation and slavery.

The time travel/premonition (?) aspect of Dr. Gull's story was a shock to the system; especially his commentary on the "hell" that a modern person inhabits. We would consider "his" world to be horrible and not worth living in... while he finds our white collar wage slavery even more repulsive.

From Hell wasn't perfect; at times it was a slog. At the end of each chapter I would spend an equal amount of time reading footnotes about mundane street names and obscure tertiary characters. Overall, though, it remained extremely compelling. I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

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