What if there was an immersive theme park in London that celebrated and recreated the Victorian Era? What if London WAS an immersive theme park that celebrated and recreated the Victorian Era? That’s the premise of Ripperland, a comic where the past meets the future.

London, 2188. In the wake of Brexit, England completely fell apart. The U.S. swept in to take it over, on the condition that they literally go back to the 19th century. Now, the men wear top hats, and the women wear corsets. The streets are lined with gas lamps and paved with cobblestones, with horse-drawn carriages driving over them. And no modern technology allowed. It’s not just a gimmick. It’s a whole lifestyle they’re required to abide by—in order to cater to crass, American tourists, for whom it IS all just a gimmick.

But when one of those crass, American tourists is brutally murdered—a crass, American tourist who turns out to be the son of one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world—the past and the future will have to team up to solve the case. Specifically, Detective Fogg of Scotland Yard and Agent Holden of the FBI. The two have very different backgrounds and very different methods, but if they can work together, they might just be able to get to the bottom of this heinous crime. Especially after their investigation finds striking similarities to another famous set of grisly murders which took place in actual Victorian London, some 300 years previously.

The vibe of this comic is very similar to the Westworld TV show, except without the robots. I love the immersive theme park concept, and the story has great potential. The down side is that a lot of the characters are hard to like which makes it difficult to get invested in the story.

The script has two writers, and a little research tells me that one is American and the other is English, much like our odd couple detectives. Or at any rate, one of them is listed as “American comic book writer” when you Google him, and the other’s Twitter profile says he lives in England. It makes me wonder if perhaps the English writer wrote the American characters, and vice versa. Both cultures seem to be portrayed in caricature, and unflattering stereotypes abound.

Nonetheless, the world is fascinating, and I’m interested to explore it further. We’ll see how things progress in the next issue…

Creative Team: Steve Orlando (script), John Harris Dunning (script), Alessandro Oliveri (art and cover), Francesca Vivaldi (colors), Fabio Amelia (letters)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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