From Hell is a mish-mash of fact and fiction graphic novel about Jack the Ripper. I'm not an Alan Moore virgin and have recently enjoyed The Watchmen and V for Vendetta (graphic novels more than the movies). The story is very interesting especially if you're a conspiracy theorist and like convoluted plots with a large range of multi-dimensional characters. This is pretty typical of Alan Moore's writing. There are often small side plots or twists in the story and learning the identity of Jack the Ripper isn't given up at the start or really the plot of the story. The characters are never flat and the pace of the story keeps you turning the pages. For all of you avid comic book readers it probably won't take you more than a weekend to finish. The vast appendices outline in detail the fact and fiction of the story and based mainly on Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution by Stephen Knight and Theo Ackland's biography of Sir William Gull. In addition, Moore adds a bit about his own becoming as a Ripperologist in a short chapter entitled Chasing the Gulls (Appendix II).
As for Campbell's work; I am less familiar. The comic is drawn in a dark style that reminds me of Bruce Timm's Batman the Animated Series and Batman Beyond. The panels are carefully constructed and many of the quotes in the comic are factual conversations. The characters are difficult to differentiate in the first few chapters (especially the vast number of women illustrated), but as you continue to read you start to notice the subtle nuances between people and they become easily identifiable.
Overall, this graphic novel is highly recommended. The storytelling of Alan Moore has yet to disappoint me and he always chooses the best artists for the story. The movie was good in it's own right, but it's only reminiscent of this work.
Plot: 3.5 stars; Character development: 3 stars; Artwork: 3 stars; Overall: 3.24 stars
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