Whitechapel Freak - One Shot
Written & Artwork by David Hitchcock
Coloured by Phillippe Gaulier
Full Circle Publications 41pp.

It's only recently I've discovered the literal wealth of unholy goodness that is the world of comic books. For me it's been, until about a year ago, an untapped resource that caters to all my yearnings for gripping narrative, post-modern literary acrobatics, evocative artwork, creative storytelling, action, suspense, humour - you name it, it's got it. I've been reading a combination of bona fide classics - 'Watchmen', 'The Dark Knight Returns' - and impressive newer series - '100 Bullets', 'Fell' - and have been unequivocally blown away by just how freaking good comic books can be. Then I read 'Whitechapel Freak'.

Can you seriously get something published on a wide basis when it is literally riddled with grammatical errors? Apparently you can. Writer/artist David Hitchcock is quite skilled with the pen - his drawings are quite articulate and atmospheric. The same cannot be said for his awkward writing style, which, with its overabundance of exposition and persistent confusion between the function of a 'comma' and a 'full stop,' kills any mood whatsoever. The story in 'Whitechapel Freak' is fairly average - Hitchcock tackles the Jack The Ripper legend (territory already covered by the master Alan Moore in 'From Hell'), explaining it in parallel to a story of a band of travelling freaks in late 19th century England. The freaks are well drawn; their characters are not, very shallow and barely more than depressed people with weird attributes. The narrative is short and awkwardly structured, although it does build to quite a satisfying and unexpected twist. It's not enough to redeem 'Whitechapel Freak' however; which is a pity, because some of the artwork is pretty commendable. Nothing mind blowing, but the framing and use of shadow is nowhere near on the same amateur level as the writing.

I write this review directed at my fellow comic book nubes; if you've never given serious, adult comic books a go, I can't recommend them any more highly. They've provided me with more narrative excitement and stylistic panache then any Hollywood movie in the last year, and the skill of writers like Alan Moore and Frank Miller is nothing short of literary. If you're new to the game, do what I did and ask your friendly neighbourhood comic-book-store-guy to point you in the right direction - they're there to help, and with that in mind they surely won't direct you to 'Whitechapel Freak'.

Matt Vesely