I will admit to a fascination with Jack the Ripper. Apparently like a good chunk of the American public, I am intrigued as to what causes such great evil to manifest in certain men and women, and all of the stories, from the suave Republican Ted Bundy to everyone’s favorite fictional cannibal Hannibal, begin with the Whitechapel murders. The string of murders which have continued to puzzle criminal experts since the 1880s remain sensational, and the various speculations on the identity of this first icon of serial killers are often the most intriguing, if often ridiculous, tales of all. Rick Geary has a series of titles, dubbed A Treasury of Victorian Murder, which each examine a particular case of the time, from the Ripper to accused murderess Lizzie Borden. This volume is presented as journal following the case as it happened, obviously of a gentleman of the upper classes given his access to the crimes and their details, and Geary does an excellent job of presenting the case, the players, and the suspects without ever speculating on the killer’s true identity. The artwork is suitably dark and strong, its woodcut style giving every image an almost physical weight on the page. Though graphic enough to transmit the severity and violence of the crimes, the art is never ghoulish in its portrayal of the victims. An admirable addition to Jack the Ripper titles, certain to delight young investigators and those in search of a good, chilling tale.
Jack the Ripper
ISBN: 9781561633081
by Rick Geary
NBM Publishing 2008 (new edition)
