The Fellowship was fortunate enough to obtain a copy of SPRINGHEELED JACK from Titan Comics. David Hitchcock writes and draws.
Sir Jack Rackham has made a career out of madness, running
the “Bedlam” asylum. But now that his pregnant wife has disappeared, he’s
driven to find and rescue her. He’s heard many stories about a strange bat-like
creature haunting the darkness of London
(early Victorian era – the heart of the industrial age) and wants to track it
down. With the help of his friend Henry (no spoilers) he finds one of its
lairs, but there may be more than one of them out there.
This book is a really well-constructed example of early
Gothic literature; it has the dark setting, the liberal use of science, the flawed
and haunted characters. Jack’s gloomy narration and the occasional peek into
the thoughts of others add to the effect, giving us glimpses into the society
as well as Jack’s slipping grip on the world. And the art adds to the Gothic
style as well, with the dark, shadowy lines and the amazing detail throughout
the book (down to the bottles on the shelves).
If you’re interested in a throwback to what horror fiction
used to be (before the advent of the slasher film), this book is a great place
to start. Brooding, atmospheric fun from beginning to end.
SPRINGHEELED JACK is available now at your FLCS (ask them to
order it if not) or at titan-comics.com.
~Mike ( @MikeyGeek )
