The Noble Experiment

The Noble Experiment.

Copyright 2014 Jesper Vighagen, Anders [email protected]@gmail.com

Permission granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only. Commercial copying, hiring, lending is prohibited.

Jesper Vighagen asserts his right to be identified as the author and copyright owner.

Anders Hallgren asserts his right to be identified as the artist and copyright owner.

The Noble ExperimentJesper VighagenWriter/Letterer

Anders HallgrenArtist

Created by Jesper Vighagen & Anders Hallgren.

I never really knew my mother. So i’m mostly guessing when i say this. But if she could see me now, she would be furious with me.

And if she could see me now, she’d grieve for me.

Coward.

Broken.

Different time, different place, different torment.

Equally pathetic.

1

Fear. Piss. Desperation. Feels familiar.

Psycho hits like a truck. Mindnumbing pain.

Less used to that. But better, numbs the real pain. Makes you forget.

You should try it some TIME. A little physical

therapy could do you WONDERS.

I’ve been thinking of going to the

psychiatrist for a while now, but this is just SO much

better.

Seriously

Hank. Are you DAMAGED? A

broken shell of a man?

Where has the vicious SCOURGE of the

underworld; Hank Evans retreated to?

Lets get that VICIOUS Hank back, shall we?

2

No wait, i got it, when your partner

acts like your WIFE.

It’d be a pretty small

stain where i’m involved.

I’m heading to the precinct

to pick up a new case.

Go home to your

WIFE man.

We’re COPS Manny, did i miss

the memo that told us NOT to chase bad guys? Let me start a kissing

booth instead and see if THAT helps.

You COMING? or will i have to look for a new parental fifififififififififfiifigure

to be dissapointed in me?

Do you know when it’s hardest to catch

bad guys?On an empty

stomach?

When your brains

are splattered on the flFLOOR!

You’re like a MAD

and VICIOUS dog Hank. This is What happens when you chase down every street dealer in the whole GOD

damn city.

3

And then i saw her.

I wish i had’nt.

I don’t know WHY i decided to bite back.I used to

admire you, you know.

Hank Evafins, the great detective

turned MAD DOG. It was GLORIOUS watcfififihing you work, inspired me a great

deal.

You’re one sick FUCK

Eddy.

WHAT did you just

say?

You do not get to call me sick. Not YOU! Do you

have ANY IDEA what it means that i have’nt killed you YET!?

Beautiful, is’nt she?

You inspired THIS! You made

me take action, made me realize what i could do to avoid the pain. So you do not get to call me a sick anything, especially not

infront of her.

4

We’ve been on this

case for so LONG Hank, lets atleast

TRY and see it to its fifififfiinish before you drink your way to an early

death.

We got another

one.It’s my day off.

Age?

Oh right. So you were saying we had another kidnapping?

The girl just hit puberty.

Well atleast she avoids

THAT travesty.

Ever the PARENT Manny.

I did. Another girl.

Taken from her home in broad daylight.

Nice place.

TOMORROW is your day

off. Today is just you feeling sorry

for yourself.

5

You a philosopher now Eddy?

You’re a PSYCHOPATH Eddy. It’s that easy, there is no mystery.

NOTHING’S that easy hank.

There are no GOOD people or BAD people. There are only PEOPLE

with reasons.

No one wakes up one day

with the urge to kill.

Psychopaths do not just HAPPEN. They are CREATED.

as i was.

If a psychopath is what I AM, it is

not the WHY.

I don’t do

this because i’m a psychopath. Just like

you did’nt beat up drug dealers just because you were

a cop.

I DO it, because the alternative...

IS THIS!

i thought You were a DETECTIVE

hank. i expected you to be more curious about your

current predicament.

“You’re PATHETIC Hank.”

6

Ok. I’ll bite, why STAGE the illusion

of a struggle?

It’s like you said.

It HAS to be someone they knew and TRUSTED. That’s a trail that we

can follow. I’ll start looking for

an INSIDIOUS nun.

We actually met before.

worked a case together a couple of years ago. Was even invited to his house

once for dinner.

And here i thought I

was his only friend.

this is just another dud Manny,

no evidence to speak of. Really?

Take a look around.

What do you see?

NOTHING, it’s completely untouched.

The PREVIOUS

crime scenes had CLEAR signs of

struggle.

Which could mean

that they were MEANT to look

that way.

And then COMPLETELY changed it

around to give us a ffiifighting

CHANCE?

Someone HEARD the

girl scream. maybe our perp SCREWED up and

had to hurry.

No sign of a struggle, just

an EMPTY apartment.

Do you even try

to solve cases anymore Hank?

Hank, meet EDDY.

He was the ffiirst detective at the

scene.

According to the FIRST

DETECTIVE on the scene an old women on the street had heard a scream

from the building.

So the perp either

SNUCK up on her or was someone she TRUSTED.

our kidnapper is

either the girls relative, a sweet old

nun or a fucking ninja. GREAT.

7

I do this because the only other alternative

that i know of is sitting infront of me. I said earlier that you inspired me, and you did. I CHOOSE not to be you,

Hank.

You’re just a PSYCHO Eddy.

Just someone who could’nt handle

LIFE so you take it out on the world.

Atleast I don’t take others with

me, it’s my HELL, my OWN, no one else belongs there.

Why not?! Everyone NEEDS to FEEL

what we feel, needs to UNDERSTAND how this world

works!

And YOURS are?

Everyone has excuses eddy, yours are no more VALID

than any other PSYCHOS.

He calms down as fast he gets riled up. Unstable, unhinged.

and when that fails to deliver

just DRINK myself into a STUPOR?!

So i should act like you

INSTEAD?! Beat up every single criminal i can

ffiind.

8

see you after the weekend

Manny.

We just got our FIRST break in this case and

you’re LEAVING?

I’d LOVE to stay Manny,

but i have a VERY important meeting

with my couch.

I won’t ffiifight you

Manny, not TODAY of all days. But you can’t

make me go with you either, you’ll solve this by yourself,

or you won’t. Tomorrow IS happening either way, nothing i can do about

that.

Don’t go Hank! I have a good feeling about this, if we just follow up on my theory we will ffiind SOMEONE who knows

all the victims!

Good luck with that.

I’m so SICK

of your self pity Hank, get over it and do your fucking JOB.

9

10

Just leave her alone EDDY!

You’re right.

You’re right eddy. I dealt with my

PAIN in a totally FUCKED up way. and

it cost me alot.

I alienated people and i turned to VIOLENCE.

i’m a fucking HYPOCRITE.

But for gods sake

Eddy, let the girl go. WE’RE the ones who are screwed up. She’s got NOTHING to do with

it.

You’re absolutely right, she’s got NOTHING to do

with this. i should just let her go.

I should just let her go of her MISERY

release her from this pathetic world before she’s TAINTED by it.

11

What did you THINK was gonna happen Hank? Did you be-lieve that you got THROUGH to me? Dont you think I

know exactly who i AM?

I know EXACTLYhow fucked up i am and i have accepted it, I embraced it even.

I got no problem with being a

“fucking psychopath”. I am way past the point of no return. How about you Hank? how do you like your current “sunny

disposition” on life?

Say it Hank, stop running from the truth!

I... I don’t WANT to

get better.

FINALLY.

I... I’m not sure what

you...

Don’t worry. I told you i would help you get that VICIOUS

hank back.

12

Hank, is that you?

You’re home early honey, how was work?

I’d like to tell you how BEAUTIFUL she was.

How her hair danced in the wind.

How her face, fairer than any on this planet, made men topple around her.

I would love to tell you her quirks, her virtues, her defects.

ALL the things that, together, made her PERFECT in my eyes.

13

Hank, why are you ignoring

me?

Where are you going honey?

Stop ignoring me you

useless piece of trash!

You’re PATHETIC Hank

Evans.

In the end it would’nt do her JUSTICE.

I would only create an inferior image of her.

A shadow.

Know only THIS.She was mine, and i was hers. COMPLETELY.

And i FAILED her.

Are you going to drink in the bathroom again

Hank!?

It was all your fault

Hank!

“Go home to your wife Hank. She needs you.”

14

“Your wife’s had a misscarriage Mr. Evans.”

Hank, PLEASE

stop this.

“It looks like a burglary Mr. Evans. She had a quick death.”

“We’re truly sorry.”

15

I want you to get ANGRY Hank. Like you used to get.

I AM angry. I’m fucking furious!

Yet you do nothing Hank. NOTHING to improve your

situation. Nothing to DRAG yourself out of this pit of DESPAIR

you’re burying yourself in.

What do you want of me? I’m fucking stuck over

here!

Exactly Hank. You’re STUCK You think you have nothing to live for.

you put restrictions on yourself. You’ve gotten out of situations like

this before.

You keep making up REASONS to

not help yourself, to not help this

girl.

That’s different, i

had MANNY to help me!

I’ve always had Manny...

the great detective

ffiinally gets it.

16

17

I got a lead on the...

I’m SERIOUS Hank. Eddy FOUND something, a social worker who knew

the victims...

Sorry, was’nt listening, busy picking out

ffllower arrangements for your funeral. I’m

thinking tulips.

Hank, be serious. there are kids in trouble. I don’t

care.

What?

THen leave manny. I don’t NEED you. I never needed

you!

I just want it to END Manny.

ALL of it!

Finish that sentence and there will be a new GRAVESTONE on

this lot.

I don’t fucking care anymore! Haven’t you got that yet? I can BARELY hang on and i don’t have anything

left in me to WASTE on other people.

That’s it Hank. I can’t keep being your crutch if you don’t have the guts to try and stand

up anymore.

18

“Well son, then you ffiind the MOTIVATION...”

“And you EXTEND that reach.”

My dad was a drunk and seldom lead by example.

He was still my dad though, so i humored him and asked; “what if heaven is out of your REACH?”.

You’re PATHETIC Hank. You lie

there and take it, the same way you have for years.

If you won’t play with me I know SOMEONE who

might.

One of his favourite lessons seem STRANGELY relevant right about now.

My father used to give these spontaneous lessons of PHILOSoPHY.

“Son, never get so comfortable in your own personal hell that you refuse to REACH for heaven.”

If he was sober enough he’d answer me inbetween drinks.

19

I thought he would

NEVER leave

We will do WONDERS for each other.

20

You MADE your

choice.

And now i’m making MINE.

Finally...

You talk too much Eddy. You are NOT the VICTIM here.

You are not just a PRODUCT of your

environment. You are not someone without

a CHOICE.

21

doctors say she only have MINOR

injuries. The mental stuff may be more SEVERE, but she seems

strong, stronger than I was.

And how are YOU feeling?

Oh you know. nothing

phases me Manny.

I’m sorry Manny, for

EVERYTHING.

Just glad to have you BACK.

Sure, just don’t expect me to put out on the ffiirst date.

Crap, you really ARE

back.

So the tip i got from Eddy turned out to be a dead end.

Gotta work on those detective skills Manny. I

caught the bad guy ALL by myself.

Uhu? And how’s the

kid?

Glad to BE back.

Wanna get something to eat? I could

REALLY go for a steak.

22

We all handle despair in different ways.

Some of us drown in it, some of us run away from it.

Just don’t let it deffiine you. Remember the good times.

Live for what once was, never die for what could have been.

Always try and reach for heaven.

No matter the reason you’re in hell in the ffiirst place.

23

THANKS TOPIRIJO ELOVAARA for providing

guidance and early feedback.

PATRIK THORSSON for pointers on layout and lettering

WILLIAM LARSSON for providing a fun and happy work environment

SOPHIA JOHANSSON for feedback on art and illustrations

MIKE MIGNOLIA for constant inspiration

PAULINA ODEHOLM, CHRISTIAN

FERNLUND, JIMMIE DIEP OLSSON and all of PINGISKARTELLEN for

entertainment and fun.

And

everyone on Blekinge Tekniska Högskola who made it our home.

This comic was made as research for a thesis in nonlinear storytelling at

Blekinge Tekniska Högskola. The structure of the story was

infflluenced by the following movies.“Alejandro González Iñárritu”

and “Guillermo Arriagas”

“21 Grams”as well as “Orson Welles”

“Citizen Kane”

For Knowledge about narrative structure we often turned to Seymour

Chatmans “Story and Discourse: Narrative structure in ffiiction and

ffiilm”.

This comic was not made for proffiit and all characters and story is the

intelluctual property of writer Jesper Vighagen and artist Anders Hallgren.

CONTACT USIf anyone would like to get in touch with any of the creators we can be reached on the following e-mails.

[email protected] [email protected]

The font used in all speech bubbles and captions in this comic is not the property of the creators of the comic Jesper Vighagen and Anders Hallgren.

The font is by “pixel sagas” and is for personal use only. It can be found on: www.dafont.com http://www.dafont.com/comic-book.font

Thank you For Reading.