By
Brian
Michael Bendis & Marc Andreyko
Torso is a "true crime graphic novel" based
on the true story of Eliot Ness's attempts to catch the famous "torso
killer" in Cleveland in 1939. Ness, of course, is known from The
Untouchables, and this takes place after those adventures.
This is a great companion piece to Bendis's Powers. The artistic similarities demonstrate how much of the design of a book is based on the ideas and mood established by the writer. Though many of the storytelling techniques are similar to Powers, Torso is grittier and establishes more psychological tension. Andreyko uses an impressive but subtle amalgamation of shadow-based brushwork, bits of photographs and newspaper clippings, and computer effects to create a distinctly stylized world. Bendis's dialogue and characterization is dead-on as always.
However, because Bendis follows the true accounts as closely as possible, the culmination of the story is anticlimactic and dissapointing. Luckily, the trip there is a feast of insights into the characters and distinct culture of the time. Bendis's and Andreyko's graphic storytelling experiments also make the book more than just worthwhile.
The graphic novel is assembled nicely and also includes an appendix of many of the actual photographs and pieces of evidence from the case.