|
© 2001 Image Comics
|
|
 |
Torso:
A True Crime Graphic Novel
Review
by: Troy
Brownfield
By:
Brian
Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko
|
A CUT
ABOVE
Torso,
originally published in six installments and now collected
in trade paperback, comes on like a blow to the stomach and
then kicks you while you’re down. The singular drive of the
narrative evokes other classic examinations of the serial
killer phenomenon even as it stakes out gripping territory
on its own. It’s not an exaggeration to immediately list it
alongside From Hell, Silence of the Lambs, Manhunter
or Seven as another landmark examination of just how
twisted the psyche of one person can get.
What
makes Torso all the more amazing is that it’s a look
into a real case that surprisingly few people know about.
After he and his Untouchables manuever Al Capone into prison
on tax evasion, Eliot Ness came to Cleveland, Ohio as the
city’s Safety Director. Unfortunately for Ness, he arrived
just as America’s first serial killer began to relentlessly
terrorize the city. So named for the decapitations and mutilations
of his victims, the Cleveland Torso Killer was, in reality,
never caught. Or was he?
That’s
the conceit with which Bendis and Andreyko attack their narrative.
Following two detectives and Ness himself, the creative duo
charts the search for the killer and the prevailing social
and job-related pressures that mount as a result.
Bendis’
reputation was made on rugged tales of crime, so obviously
he’s perfected suited to this story in both art and text.
The bleak look of the action underscores the notion of a city
that desperately wants to be modern, but suffers from a rotting
cancer of corruption and filthy secrets. I get the feeling
that Bendis and Andreyko want us to understand that the truth
of the city echoes Ness’ own career; what once seemed like
a bright future, full of promise, is dragged into the mire
by circumstances that no one could have forseen.
As
famous and as central as Ness is, it is truly detectives Myrlo
and Simon that receive the bulk of dialogue and action. Their
rapid-fire speech and brusque manner callback to any number
of noir references, but the surprising depth of their trust
and friendship in the face of personal differences is strikingly
original.
There
are all sorts of details that I would love to examine in order
to show what an achievement this work is. However, I think
that revealing too much would take away from the discovery
of the work on your own terms.
Torso
comes to us rooted in the old-school crime tradition, but
it signals another breakthrough in the maturation of the comics
medium. Bendis and Andreyko should be proud. Whether or not
Ness and his men actually found the killer, the mystery of
who is going to take comics into the future has been solved.
Note
1: In you have any interest in this topic, there are several
fine non-fiction books available that cover the Cleveland
Torso Killer. For those interested in related fiction, I suggest
James Ellroy’s The Black Dahlia. Some people believe
that the Dahlia killer in L.A. may have actually been the
Torso Killer himself. Whether or not you buy that hypothesis,
a Torso fan should appreciate Ellroy’s mood and tone.
Note
2: If you haven’t read Bendis’s Fortune and Glory,
part three details his and Andreyko’s riotous attempts to
get Torso off the ground as a film. As funny as the
rest of F&G is, the scenes of Bendis and Andreyko on
the pitch with a series of clueless film execs ranks as a
high-water mark in the history of American humor.
Note
3: Explore Bendis’s other work at www.jinxworld.com.
Troy Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews. He’d like to
thank his wife for tolerating his interest in things like
Torso killers, Jack the Ripper, hitmen, zombies, and any number
of other things that generally make chicks run screaming in
the other direction.
Email Troy at psikotyk@aol.com.
|
