By Lyndsey Holder
Powell, Eric (writer); Hotz, Kyle (artist); Brown, Daniel and Stewart, Dave (colours). Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities and the Ghastly Fiend of London. Dark Horse, 2011.
What is it about the Whitechapel Murders that has captured the imagination of so many, even now, hundreds of years later?
True, they were horrifically grisly acts performed on an incredibly marginalized class of society, but we are hardly bereft of similar horrors in current times. Perhaps, because the passage of time has defanged its terror, we have allowed it to run wild in our hearts and minds. We are far too busy being afraid of the tangible threats that stalk our streets to tell stories about them, so we instead tell tales of past villains who have been silent so long that the sharp edge of our fear has become somewhat dulled.
Who was Jack the Ripper, anyway? Reading through the list of possible (and improbable) suspects makes one wonder if there were any men in that time period who weren’t going around murdering women. It seems like it was the thing to do in those days. What did you do, yesterday, Frank? Oh, you know, read the paper, went to the pub, stabbed my wife a couple of times, hid her body in a trunk, pretty normal Sunday morning. Because there was a ridiculously large number of men who fit the profile of the kind of person who might want to brutally murder a bunch of innocent women, there is an equally large number of possible suspects, and because all of them are now dead (and thus, incapable of being properly interviewed and investigated), it’s very easy and interesting to pass off wild and improbable theories as truth, especially because pesky little details like facts are easily ignored in favour of interesting accusations.
One of the things I really liked about Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities and the Ghastly Fiend of London is the way it handled the Whitechapel Murders and the Ripper. It isn’t trying to go Dan Brown and claim some kind of factual basis – it presents itself as entertainment and never once tries to convince you that maybe it is right. There’s nothing wrong with reading a story because it’s fun – reading a story should be fun. Not everything has to be a secret true history.
A travelling freak show, including the infamous Billy the Kid himself, Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities is a less pretentious version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Its characters have abilities that vary widely: from a boy who is very tiny to a man who has hands where his feet should be. As in the League (and pretty much every other comic about a group of people ever written), it would be cool if the female characters had a bit stronger role in the stories, but I do appreciate that Isadora (Billy the Kid’s female protagonist) has abilities that are on par with those of her male counterparts.
One thing that I have in common with Michael Jackson – probably the only thing, really – is that I also have a soft spot in my heart for Joseph Merrick. His story is so tragic and yet, he seemed to live his life with such dignity and grace, remaining soft and gentle, despite life’s continued attempts to make him hard and calloused. His depiction in Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities and the Ghastly Fiend of London is appropriately caring, capturing the spirit of his story and the beauty of his soul. The juxtaposition of Merrick’s all-encompassing compassion with the Ripper’s abject cruelty lends depth to the story. It isn’t just something to be read once and forgotten – this is a tale that will haunt you.
The artwork is excellent and fits the story neatly. It absorbs you into its world, while the dialogue sinks its talons into you. It’s a perfect blend of pulp and macabre, of horror and comedy, of dark and light. This is a series that needs to be read.