Where to begin with this issue? If you thought that Cole
Haddon was going to save it all for the fourth issue then be ready for the best
disappointment of your life. This issue just keeps going and reveals more and
more to the point where you don’t know when it’s going to stop. I will say that
this issue is so good that the bar is set pretty high for the fourth issue,
which means this one could end up being the best of the series.
We’re treated to only one flashback in this issue, but the
importance of the flashbacks is revealed by the end of the book. After the
flashback we find Tom in Whitecapel in bed with the whore that helped him out
in the previous issue. He confesses his guilt about convicting an innocent man
and that he knew he wasn’t the Ripper the minute he saw him. It’s a strange
moment that could definitely have been more moving had their relationship been
built upon more before this issue.
Later Tom is at the police station where he receives another
Ripper letter. This one includes an invitation to a high society party and is
bait for Tom and Hyde to try and stop the Ripper. Tom gets Hyde out of the
clink once again and the dressed for the party. Tom is taken back as the people
he looks up to and respects are basically taking part in a Roman-esc party
filled with drugs and sex. After a while Tom figures out that they’re only
there to be distracted as the Ripper kills again.
The Ripper is in fact killing again, but is interrupted
forcing him to leave. Tom and Hyde are quick on the scene and deduce that the
Ripper will strike again that same evening. Allowing Hyde to get juiced up
again, Tom takes to a balloon ride as Hyde runs the roofs hot on the scent of
the Ripper. They discover him and Hyde engages in fist-a-cuffs with him, only
to have his ass handed to him and leaving Tom to save him.
That’s the end of act two if you can believe it. The story
goes on from there, but we’re deep in spoiler territory so I don’t want to ruin
if for you. The last issue got a 9.9 out of 10 and I have to be honest there
were a few hiccups in this issue, but I think that it does so much right that
it’s going to hit the 10 mark. This issue nearly overloads the reader with
reveals, but begins tying up all the story points nicely so that it can have a
clean ending. It’s such a good read that I found myself really wanting to read
it again shortly after finishing it. There’s nothing new to say about the
writing or the art other than it continues to be top notch. If you missed out
on this series then you are really missing out on this series. I’d recommend
picking it up from Dark Horse’s digital app or web store and getting caught up
before reading this issue, but make sure you buy this book since it’s the best
in the series thus far.
Overall Score – 10/10