EYES ON JACK THE RIPPER: VAMPIRE HUNTER
The Highgate Vampire has unleashed Hell on Earth, a plague has swept through the old town of London and a newborn vampire uprising has begun. There’s only one person that can stop it, Jack the Ripper: Vampire Hunter.
Jack, an anonymous hunter who wanders the London streets at night, is in a race against time to stop the world’s most vicious killer, the alpha vampire known as “The Lord of Highgate”. The ancient vampiric harbinger has created a legion of all-powerful newborn vampires to stop Jack’s pursuit so that he may flee London, taking refuge to enter an eternal rest that will replenish his hellish powers.
Jack’s mission isn’t motivated by an altruistic desire to protect the people of the city, rather he is trying to find a cure for his vampire bite before he turns. Can Jack put the final clues together in time to find the Highgate Vampire and stop him before it’s too late?
THE CREATIVE TEAM
The story is written by Mandy Summers (Wart The Wizard, Super Dead) with interior art illustrated by Peter Gilmore. The cover art is also by Peter Gilmore (Super Dead) which consisted of Cover A – The Pursuit, Cover B – The Arrival, and Cover C – Hell’s Harem.
JACK THE RIPPER: VAMPIRE HUNTER
Jack the Ripper: Vampire Hunter is a supernatural historical horror tale for mature audiences with a supernatural twist, all based on actual events. This 56+ page stapled Graphic Novel is printed on quality glossy paper and was published by Stuntman Comics in 2021/2022.
Stuntman Comics is an independent comic book publishing company that was established in 2019 by Mandy Summers. As of date, they have 4 titles published on their catalog including Jack the Ripper: Vampire Hunter which were available on the crowdfunding campaign.
THE STORY
A plague has swept through the old town of London and a newborn vampire uprising has begun. Jack is in a race against time to stop “The Lord of Highgate”. Jack’s investigations take him to the seediest corners of the city, to the brothels and whorehouses where the Lord of Highgate’s extensive vampire harem has taken refuge.
The ancient vampiric harbinger has created a legion of all-powerful newborn vampires to stop Jack’s pursuit so that he may flee London, taking refuge to enter an eternal rest that will replenish his hellish powers.
Jack viciously exterminates these undead ladies of the night, and the police believe that Jack is a violent serial killer preying on prostitutes, completely unaware he is actually exterminating evil supernatural beings.
Detective James King, an American policeman on temporary exchange with the London Police Force is after Jack the Ripper.
Can Jack put the final clues together in time to find the Highgate Vampire and stop him before it’s too late? Will Detective King catch the notorious Jack The Ripper?
THE CHAPTERS
The story starts with an introductory prologue and continues in four separate chapters all of which tell the story in non-sequential order. The chapters are titled as follows:
- CHAPTER 1 “An American Detective in London” from the perspective of Detective James King
- CHAPTER 2 “Voice from the Shadows” from the perspective of Jack the Ripper
- CHAPTER 3 “Dear Boss” from the perspective of Jack the Ripper
- CHAPTER 4 “The Highgate Vampire” from the perspective of Jack the Ripper and Detective James King
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The story is intriguing. Jack’s face is never revealed, probably because the historical Ripper was never discovered, but he remains an interesting character.
Jack consistently refers to himself in the third person, calling himself names like “clever Jack” and assuring himself that the world will eventually celebrate his work. It is a very light distraction to the otherwise gory imagery on the pages.
Detective King was a character I wanted to know more about since we are looking at part of the story from his perspective so I am assuming he has an important role in the series. And I’m still trying to understand how The Lord of Highgate’s ability to resurrect anywhere he has a bone buried.
Peter Gilmores’s art is extraordinarily presented in black and white. The art is very detailed showing blood, guts, eviscerations, nudity, primarily the feminine physique, imagery mimicking the actual crime photos from the original Ripper murders in newspapers, and Jack the Ripper’s original letter. The background details on each panel showing the London streets and architecture of the era are even more impressive than the characters in my opinion.
I read the story very quickly passing rapidly through the gruesome parts. It is so detailed that it is as if you’re watching the real thing. It’s not for everyone. But those who do like to watch gruesome horror and know the history of Jack the Ripper in detail will enjoy this book, like my friend did.
I asked her to read it and she liked it. There seem to be easter eggs in the story that I completely missed because I don’t know the lore of Jack the Ripper. I Think I would probably enjoy the novel edition or audiobook better than the graphic novel.
CROWDFUNDING EXPERIENCE
By the time I decided to crowdfund this campaign on Indiegogo, I chose the tier with the main cover and added the “Wart The Wizard” issues. Along with my order, I also received some free stuff, what they call stretch goals on these campaigns, including 8 prints, and 5 trading cards.
The tracking number was provided as expected via IndieGoGo. The products were shipped and received in good condition. The books & prints all came together in one package.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Jack the Ripper: Vampire Hunter is an engaging story of violence sprinkled with humor. Jack himself is a compelling lead character, he’s historically one of the most notorious serial killers to ever walk the face of the earth. The story seems to be loosely based on the Whitechapel Murders of 1888 and the twist of being a vampire hunter makes it more interesting.
The black-and-white high-detailed artwork sets the haunting mood and has a significant impact on the flow of the story. It’s fantastic! However, since the art is extremely graphic and detailed, emphasized by its high quality, it is not a story for all to digest. If you enjoy horror and gore, check the first issue of Jack the Ripper: Vampire Hunter out at Stuntman Comics.
The crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo for the second book Jack the Ripper: Vampire Hunter issue #2 was closed but the issue will be available soon, I hope, at the Stuntman Comics web store.
Interested in more titles? Check more COMIC BOOKS and GRAPHIC NOVELS under the “EYES ON” series wherein I documented my experience with crowdfunding entertainment and shared my notes on the products I received.
My notes are all set. Let me know what you think.
See you on the next page!
