Dark, gruesome, horrifying and beautiful – that is “From Hell” in a nutshell.

Alan Moore with help from Eddie Campbell has resurrected the world’s most famous serial killer – Jack the Ripper.

This weekend “From Hell” hits movie theaters featuring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham in a Hughes Brothers film.

The movie is based on a graphic novel. A graphic novel is basically a large comic book. Originally published in 10 volumes, “From Hell” is now available as a collected edition.

The story follows Jack the Ripper, the victims, and Detective Abberline in a disjointed nonlinear story. Much of what happens in the novel has a historical background, but Moore adds his own touch to the characters making the story fiction.

“From Hell” does not explore the many theories about who Jack the Ripper was. In fact, from the beginning the reader is told who the killer is. The intriguing part of the story is how Moore interprets the thoughts and motives of Jack the Ripper.

Moore chooses the viable Ripper theory called “The Royal Conspiracy”.

This theory claims that Prince Albert impregnated and married a commoner.

The only people who are aware of this are four prostitutes. It is then believed that someone in the Royal house, maybe even the Queen, hires Jack the Ripper to do away with the witnesses.

This is a popular theory basically because it implicates the Royal Family in these crimes.

Moore’s Jack the Ripper is a disturbed and insane member of the Freemasons, a cult-like group of wealthy businessmen. Much emotion and drive is given to this character, which is the opposite of Detective Abberline.

Abberline is part of Scotland Yard. He is a very depressed man that seems unable or unwilling to solve the crime.

His character is used to show how primitive investigations were in 1888. At one point he laughs at a person’s suggestion to put down dust to look for fingerprints.

A minor character in the story is Mr. Lees. Lees claims to be clairvoyant and tells Abberline where to find the killer.

The characters of Abberline and Lees are combined in the movie adaptation. Johnny Depp (Abberline) will play a detective with the ability to use visions to solve crimes.

“From Hell” has an advantage that books do not have. As a graphic novel, the story can be told in three ways: with words, pictures and the combination of both.

Moore provides the words and Campbell provides the images. Some chapters in the novel are made up mostly of images and few words. This allows the reader to visually experience the story.

The first one-fourth of this novel will confuse the reader. It is hard to tell what is happening.

Once through that part the narrative becomes easier to comprehend. The early confusion sets up the powerful ending.

The movie version will keep the viewer in suspense.

The graphic novel will kill that suspense.

The novel version is not meant to keep the reader guessing, but instead to make one think.

Moore and Campbell deliver more than just a comic book. They reinvent the legend that shaped 20th-century crimes and investigations.