A review by billie_visible
From Hell by Alan Moore
5.0
Really and truly this has climbed to the top of the list of my favorite books in Alan Moore's bibliography, and I'm somewhat ashamed that it took me so long to dig into what can be said is one of his most overwhelmingly underrated works to date. I fell hard and fast for this comic book (described as thus in the preference of the Grumpy Old Man himself, despite the fact that it is, by all means, a graphic novel at 500+ pages) due in essence to the following three tenants:
1.) The humane treatment and background writing of the Whitechapel victims - in the age of true crime, there's something to be said about the way Moore crafts and shapes stories around the lives of the woman who were murdered by the man deemed the most prolific serial killer of all time. More often than not, his victims are regarded as merely background details, and it's with a shocking amount of humanity that their lives are examined, treated, and displayed. Having read this in proximity to nonfiction pieces detailing sexual mores of the early 20th century, it's also fascinating to see the array of small details incorporated regarding sexual health, societal norms, and the role of prostitution in Victorian London portrayed in accurate detail.
2.) The illustrations here are a fantastic stylistic break for someone with sensory overload issues. While I love Watchmen and League, I sometimes struggle with other comics and their oversaturation of images, colors, and detailing. From Hell features simplistic black-and-white panels and seemingly shifts its energy into the stylistic choice of its text which isn't too over the top, making it easy to focus on both the action of the story while still enjoying the graphic images.
3.) Despite the prevalent twists and turns common in AM novels, this one is fairly easy to follow along with. There were a few times I found myself prodded forward from my seat, jolted by the sudden appearance of a new mesmerizing element, but as a whole, the narrative is simplistic even while supporting a few stories-within-stories that range from occultism to mistaken identities to time-travel and back.
This was, a joyous read even in its despair, and a reminder that despite the fact that I'd probably get into a screaming match with the author if I ever actually met him in a pub, he is without a doubt one of the most brilliant writers of our time.
1.) The humane treatment and background writing of the Whitechapel victims - in the age of true crime, there's something to be said about the way Moore crafts and shapes stories around the lives of the woman who were murdered by the man deemed the most prolific serial killer of all time. More often than not, his victims are regarded as merely background details, and it's with a shocking amount of humanity that their lives are examined, treated, and displayed. Having read this in proximity to nonfiction pieces detailing sexual mores of the early 20th century, it's also fascinating to see the array of small details incorporated regarding sexual health, societal norms, and the role of prostitution in Victorian London portrayed in accurate detail.
2.) The illustrations here are a fantastic stylistic break for someone with sensory overload issues. While I love Watchmen and League, I sometimes struggle with other comics and their oversaturation of images, colors, and detailing. From Hell features simplistic black-and-white panels and seemingly shifts its energy into the stylistic choice of its text which isn't too over the top, making it easy to focus on both the action of the story while still enjoying the graphic images.
3.) Despite the prevalent twists and turns common in AM novels, this one is fairly easy to follow along with. There were a few times I found myself prodded forward from my seat, jolted by the sudden appearance of a new mesmerizing element, but as a whole, the narrative is simplistic even while supporting a few stories-within-stories that range from occultism to mistaken identities to time-travel and back.
This was, a joyous read even in its despair, and a reminder that despite the fact that I'd probably get into a screaming match with the author if I ever actually met him in a pub, he is without a doubt one of the most brilliant writers of our time.