“Green River Killer: A True Detective Story†allows you to truly get inside the mind of a serial killer.
Based on the actual Green River murders of forty-eight women by Gary Leon Ridgway, we follow Detective Tom Jensen and his time on the Ridgway case. We also see how his life and health deteriorates during this case. The story is written by Jenson’s son Jeff.
Written by a son for the love of his father and based on true events, a work like this is hard to dissect. With that, it is a good telling of a detective dealing with an impossible suspect. Nevertheless, some parts of the story are boring because not everything real is interesting. The parts where we go into the memories of Ridgway however are interesting and gives us some insight into what kind of person he was. He comes off as any normal person, but he does have a dark side. He does show he has some regret.
The artwork by Jonathan Case is very well done and fits with the serious tone of the book. The decision to keep the art in black and white is smart because it keeps the comic serious and the characters depiction neutral. Case has a knack for facial features; they just look amazing.
Some readers may be turned off with the lack of action in this book. If you’re looking for action, look elsewhere. This is meant to be more of a historical account of a case. As stated before, there are some boring parts that could have been cut short. That would’ve made this book that much more interesting.
“Green River Killer: A True Detective Story“ provides good insight on the Green River murders. The book does state that it is “not intended as history or memoir.†It does come off as that, but if you are looking for a graphic novel version of the case, this is your only option.
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