The Comics Rack

FROM HELL

   From Hell, the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, is truly a masterwork of comics that has a depth that is unknown at any of the major publishers. Moore has captured the feel of Victorian England that pictures the lower classes as they existed at the time and also manages to make the class distinctions the era a real and viable part of the entire story.
   There are almost too many words in this "graphic" novel, as Moore has written a long and winding story in which he offers a motive and suspect for the Jack the Ripper murders that includes the Freemasons, many odd facts about London, and HRH Queen Victoria in the mix. Although much of the information presented has appeared in other venues, this is the first time that anyone has come up with this particular "solving" of the crimes and Moore's conclusions seem logical as any and, perhaps, better than most.
   Campbell's art is almost representational in some cases, but it tells the story without getting in the way of the words. A more realistic approach might actually have been a detriment, as the story does not focus just on the murders, but on the people who are caught up in the events before, after, and during the crimes. At least, Campbell is capable of drawing recognizable faces and bodies, so there is no question about who is who (a problem that besets many of the comics being published today).
   The greatest success of From Hell is not in the research that went into it (Moore includes some 40 pages of notes broken down by chapter), nor is it in the conclusions that it reaches, but that it is first and foremost a story about people. In the course of the book, we come to know the characters and to understand what makes them tick. We also come to look at the Jack the Ripper murders as a part of a whole and not as a tabloid incident. By the end of the book, you will definitely feel that you have read a story about something, that is not just a vacuous exercise in storytelling.
   I would definitely recommend you seek out this work. It is a purposeful and well written work and it is a pity that we will probably never see its like at anytime in the near future.

THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES Vol. 3

   Currently on the reading list is The Spirit Archives Vol. 3 which reprints the Spirit stories from 7/6-12/28/41. As always, the stories are entertaining and Eisner delivers the goods. Of particular interest is that, to the best of my knowledge, these stories have never been reprinted before, and this just adds to the fun.
   The strongest point to the Spirit strip is that the Spirit is a character that fits into any number of situations. In this collection, as in the previous volumes, we see horror, science fiction, crime drama, spy thrillers and comedy all played out against the world of the 1940s. It wasn't until reading this reprint series that I realized why The Spirit is known as Eisner's masterwork.
   My only complaint about the volume is the lack of background information about Eisner and the strip. As a prime example, it would be very interesting to know how far ahead Eisner and company produced the Spirit section. Why? Because this volume reprints Spirit strips that were printed just after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, yet, after a quick skimming of the stories at the end of the volume, there does not seem to be any mention of those events and their affect on the people of the time. A small point, but one that would enrich the overall presentation.
   Highly recommended, you can find all The Spirit Archives at your local comic book store or online at Barnes and Noble.

LONE WOLF AND CUB

   Dark Horse comics has released 4 volumes to date of Lone Wolf and Cub (with a 5th due out soon) and if you have not been reading this series you are missing out on one heck of a good story.
   Yes, I have heard all the complaints about the format Dark Horse chose for these reprint volumes; that they are too small, they are in black and white, and that they are hard to read. However, the depth of the story that has unfolded so far makes the effort put into each volume worthwhile.
   In the previous printing done by First comics in the 1970s, the attempt was made to turn the main character into some sort of martial arts super hero and their selective reprinting of the stories tended to focus on the wrong done to Itto Ogami (Lone Wolf) and his constant attempts to get revenge on the evil Yagyu clan. The current Dark Horse printing, which presents the stories in the order they originally appeared in Japan, reveals a sweeping epic of feudal Japan, the Samuari code of honor and how one man deals with this code after his world has been torn apart. Rather than a Marvelized version of Bushido, we find something much more akin to the films of Akira Kurosawa...an influence that both the creators of the series acknowledge.
   If you enjoy Samurai films, or just want a read that has a bit more depth than the usual four color fare, pop on down to your local comic shop and give the first volume a try. You'll be glad you did.