Anyone familiar with any portion of the life of Eliot Ness most likely knows about his time as the head of The Untouchables. The Untouchables were a group of police officers who made a huge splash during the days of Prohibition. Few people, though, know what became of Ness post Chicago. It is Ness’s time in Cleveland Ohio investigating a series of grizzly murders that Brian Michael Bendis tackles in his award winning graphic novel “Torso.” Bendis is best known for his work on marvel comics superhero books but his true strength lies in the crime tales he told oh so many years ago.
Torso is a roller coaster of a ride as we follow Ness, and two other detectives, trying to solve the killings that have been plaguing Cleveland. Bendis utilizes many unique techniques to tell his story including spiraling panels and news clips from the time. The most shocking and valuable of his techniques, and also the most bloody and terrifying, is the utilization of actual crime scene photos in the pages to the comic. This book is not for the squeamish and I have warned people in the past that if you cannot handle photos of decapitation and decay that this is not the book for you…but if you can stomach it I full recommend this comic.
Torso gives the reader insight into what drives a man like Ness. Torso also gives a unique perspective on the beliefs about homosexuality at the time. The tale deals with corruption like no other book I have ever seen. The reader gets to witness the unraveling of a once powerful man as a killer slips through his fingers over and over again.
It is also important to note that Torso is a graphic novel in black and white so if you are one of those people who needs vibrant colors to read a comic; this isn’t the book for you. If, however, you are the kind of person who is ready to have chills run down your spine, if you are the kind of person who loves police procedurals, if you are the kind of person ready to expand your graphic novel reading prowess, this is the place to begin.
I do not want to give away too much of the plot because it simply would be unfair so I am going to stop here but this is my bloody valentine to all you out there in NR world. Oh, and I hope that the Torso (now called Ness) film comes to fruition soon.
4/5 - Nearly classic!
