Book: Torso- a true crime graphic novel

Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyke did a great job adapting one of Clevelands oddest crimes into a graphic novel.

For those unfamiliar with the case, the Torso Murderer took the lives of probably 10-15 victims during the 1930s. There is much debate over who the killer could be (and even if it was one single person or not). The crimes were notable for the very specific way he treated the victims. Also, most of the victims were never identified.

The legendary Eliot Ness tried to solve the entire case, but he never did (though he said openly that he actually did know the identity of the killer).

The case is a very scary and strange one in many ways. It was never solved. The crimes have been linked to others (including some in Pennsylvania and the Black Daliah murder). The at times Super-Man like Ness could not resolve the case. Also, about every author who has written about the case has a different opinion.

Bendis and Andreyko have done an amazing job crafting a graphic novel about the case. The black and white photo/drawing type style forces the reader back to the streets of Cleveland in the 30s. Their classic hero (Ness) vs. Villain (the Torso Murderer) is just as exciting as reading a comic about Bat-Man battling the Joker.

Actually, this story is more exciting. Eliot Ness was a real person. He did have a really battle, of sorts, with the Torso Murderer. Also, unlike Gotham City, Cleveland Ohio is a real place.

The writers do have their theory about the identity of the murderer, by the way.

Let me add that this book is begging for a big screen adaptation. I do know that the writers were negotiating a movie deal at one point, and I hope this still happens. The book has been out for a decade. A movie should have come out about 9 years ago.