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Sherlock Holmes: Dynamite Comics #2
Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon
The legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and his trusted associate Dr. Watson investigate one of the strangest cases in their career! With mauled bodies appearing on the streets of Liverpool, rumors circulate that the culprit might be an inhuman monster known as Spring Heeled Jack. Determined to solve the case and debunk the city's superstitions, Holmes delves into the criminal underworld, piecing together an intricate and deadly puzzle. What have crime lord Mr. Drummond, a vicious dogfighting ring, and a museum's Aboriginal artifact exhibit to do with the Liverpool demon's rampage? Meanwhile, Dr. Watson witnesses the creature with his own eyes, and sets out alone in pursuit. Will Holmes be able to save his dear friend from the subterranean perils beneath Liverpool?
120 pages, Paperback
First published October 22, 2013
4 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Leah Moore
236 books90 followersLEAH MOORE is an author born in Northampton, England in 1978.
Leah's comic writing career began in 2002 with stories for America's Best Comics. Most recently her solo comics scripting has appeared as part of Dynamite Entertainment's Gail Simone masterminded crossover series Swords of Sorrow (2015, with Francesco Manna).
In 2006 Leah wrote the story and copy to accompany The Royal Mail's 40th anniversary Christmas Stamps. She has written columns and articles for The Big Issue, Lifetime TV online, and Comic Heroes Magazine.
In 2013 Leah was the Project Manager of digital comics reading platform Electricomics. She was also the contributing editor of Electricomics flagship release, co-writing the sci-fi story Sway, with art by Nicola Scott.
Leah and her husband, John Reppion, have been scripting comics together since 2003, writing for the likes of 2000 AD, Channel 4 Education, Dark Horse, DC Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Electricomics, IDW, and Self Made Hero.
They have written established characters such as Doctor Who (The Whispering Gallery, 2008 with Ben Templesmith) and Sherlock Holmes (The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, 2009 with Aaron Campbell, and The Liverpool Demon, 2012 with Matt Triano), as well as creating their own including Brit-Cit Psi Division, Judge Lillian Storm (Storm Warning, 2015 with Tom Foster).
Together they have faithfully adapted notable works by Lewis Carroll (The Complete Alice, 2010), H. P. Lovecraft (The Shadow Over Innsmouth, 2012), Bram Stoker (The Complete Dracula, 2009), and M. R. James (Ghost Stories of an Antiquary Vol 1, and 2) into comics and graphic novels.
Most recently she wrote an adaptation of The Doors Morrison Hotel album , and Motley Crue, The Dirt Declassified, for Z2 comics, as well as stories for their Joan Jett Anthology and the Tori Amos Little Earthquakes Anthology. She is currently working on The Tarot Circle for Liminal 11, as well as several other books yet to be announced.
Leah's comic writing career began in 2002 with stories for America's Best Comics. Most recently her solo comics scripting has appeared as part of Dynamite Entertainment's Gail Simone masterminded crossover series Swords of Sorrow (2015, with Francesco Manna).
In 2006 Leah wrote the story and copy to accompany The Royal Mail's 40th anniversary Christmas Stamps. She has written columns and articles for The Big Issue, Lifetime TV online, and Comic Heroes Magazine.
In 2013 Leah was the Project Manager of digital comics reading platform Electricomics. She was also the contributing editor of Electricomics flagship release, co-writing the sci-fi story Sway, with art by Nicola Scott.
Leah and her husband, John Reppion, have been scripting comics together since 2003, writing for the likes of 2000 AD, Channel 4 Education, Dark Horse, DC Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Electricomics, IDW, and Self Made Hero.
They have written established characters such as Doctor Who (The Whispering Gallery, 2008 with Ben Templesmith) and Sherlock Holmes (The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, 2009 with Aaron Campbell, and The Liverpool Demon, 2012 with Matt Triano), as well as creating their own including Brit-Cit Psi Division, Judge Lillian Storm (Storm Warning, 2015 with Tom Foster).
Together they have faithfully adapted notable works by Lewis Carroll (The Complete Alice, 2010), H. P. Lovecraft (The Shadow Over Innsmouth, 2012), Bram Stoker (The Complete Dracula, 2009), and M. R. James (Ghost Stories of an Antiquary Vol 1, and 2) into comics and graphic novels.
Most recently she wrote an adaptation of The Doors Morrison Hotel album , and Motley Crue, The Dirt Declassified, for Z2 comics, as well as stories for their Joan Jett Anthology and the Tori Amos Little Earthquakes Anthology. She is currently working on The Tarot Circle for Liminal 11, as well as several other books yet to be announced.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 13, 2016
Having recently rewatched the brilliant Sherlock episode “The Abominable Bride” (tiny orgasm from watching the best recent incarnation of Sherlock Holmes being set in the proper time and place? Check), I found myself in dire need of a Holmes fix, ideally one that included an immersive visual element. So, I started scouring the interwebs and purchased every Holmes graphic novel I could find that I didn’t already own and decided to start with this one.
If “The Abominable Bride” is visual perfection, note-perfect with respect to characterization, and the ideal mix of intriguing mystery with just a hint of the (later to be debunked) supernatural, the Liverpool Demon is…
Meh. Visually muddled, indifferently characterized (not to mention overly dialected), and, while theoretically a similar mix of mystery and apparent supernatural shenanigans (which always tend to be the best Sherlock stories—Hound of the Baskervilles, right?), it really comes off more like a particularly violent episode of Scooby-Doo.
In terms of scratching my Sherlock itch, it’s the literary equivalent of a particularly coarse patch of sandpaper when what I really want is one of those self-back-scratcher things (or, really, someone else to just scratch my back for me).
We’ll call it 2.5 stars.
(It’s funny…as a would-be storyteller, there are many characters I’d step on your mother’s throat to get a chance to write (what? I’m not stepping on my own mom’s throat; she’s a lovely woman), but Sherlock Holmes isn’t one of them. It’s too intimidating, and there’s just too much non-canonical material out there to even know where to begin to add a unique take. I’m not saying I’d turn it down if the estate of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle called me, mind you (like any good Baker Street Irregular, I would answer the call—I just wouldn’t raise my hand to volunteer).)
If “The Abominable Bride” is visual perfection, note-perfect with respect to characterization, and the ideal mix of intriguing mystery with just a hint of the (later to be debunked) supernatural, the Liverpool Demon is…
Meh. Visually muddled, indifferently characterized (not to mention overly dialected), and, while theoretically a similar mix of mystery and apparent supernatural shenanigans (which always tend to be the best Sherlock stories—Hound of the Baskervilles, right?), it really comes off more like a particularly violent episode of Scooby-Doo.
In terms of scratching my Sherlock itch, it’s the literary equivalent of a particularly coarse patch of sandpaper when what I really want is one of those self-back-scratcher things (or, really, someone else to just scratch my back for me).
We’ll call it 2.5 stars.
(It’s funny…as a would-be storyteller, there are many characters I’d step on your mother’s throat to get a chance to write (what? I’m not stepping on my own mom’s throat; she’s a lovely woman), but Sherlock Holmes isn’t one of them. It’s too intimidating, and there’s just too much non-canonical material out there to even know where to begin to add a unique take. I’m not saying I’d turn it down if the estate of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle called me, mind you (like any good Baker Street Irregular, I would answer the call—I just wouldn’t raise my hand to volunteer).)
November 21, 2023
Exciting!
I'm loving this Sherlock Holmes graphic novel series! Super fun! Both the artwork and the stories are excellent! Highly recommended! 5 stars!
I'm loving this Sherlock Holmes graphic novel series! Super fun! Both the artwork and the stories are excellent! Highly recommended! 5 stars!
September 25, 2013
I’m not sure what all to say except that I am really disappointed. I was fortunate enough to find this on Netgalley as an advanced reader edition. I loved the first book in the Sherlock Holmes graphic novels, so I figured this would be awesome to read. I was a bit wrong.
The story wasn’t that great. Not that the writing was terrible, but the plot was dull, and there was a lot of awkward feeling dialog. I realize that certain characters had a cockney accent, and it is really hard to write how the words sound when spoken, but at times the whole sentence just felt like it should have been something else. There was so much potential in this story line that was never met.
Sherlock Holmes just wasn’t the character I know him to be in this book. Now I do tend to get extra picky when it comes to Holmes being written by anyone who isn’t Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but if I want new Holmes stories I have to play nice and go in with an open mind. Holmes just felt flat in this book, and his amazing deductions just seemed missing. I would think that it would be hard to write a Sherlock Holmes story in comic form. You have pictures to tell the story, and that story needs to fit in a smaller medium. Volume one was just so much better.
The last thing I will say made it hard to like this book. The artwork was terrible. There were so many pages that had characters without faces. Not that they were in shadow and hidden, they just didn’t have faces. Now to be fair I have an advanced e-reader copy, and it might not have downloaded properly, but I was not impressed. For me the story can be amazing and horrible artwork can ruin a book for me. In this case the story wasn’t that great, and the artwork was terrible. I’m not going to say I hated this book, because it could have been worse. I’m going to have to give this 2 out of 5 stars.
The story wasn’t that great. Not that the writing was terrible, but the plot was dull, and there was a lot of awkward feeling dialog. I realize that certain characters had a cockney accent, and it is really hard to write how the words sound when spoken, but at times the whole sentence just felt like it should have been something else. There was so much potential in this story line that was never met.
Sherlock Holmes just wasn’t the character I know him to be in this book. Now I do tend to get extra picky when it comes to Holmes being written by anyone who isn’t Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but if I want new Holmes stories I have to play nice and go in with an open mind. Holmes just felt flat in this book, and his amazing deductions just seemed missing. I would think that it would be hard to write a Sherlock Holmes story in comic form. You have pictures to tell the story, and that story needs to fit in a smaller medium. Volume one was just so much better.
The last thing I will say made it hard to like this book. The artwork was terrible. There were so many pages that had characters without faces. Not that they were in shadow and hidden, they just didn’t have faces. Now to be fair I have an advanced e-reader copy, and it might not have downloaded properly, but I was not impressed. For me the story can be amazing and horrible artwork can ruin a book for me. In this case the story wasn’t that great, and the artwork was terrible. I’m not going to say I hated this book, because it could have been worse. I’m going to have to give this 2 out of 5 stars.
November 17, 2020
طراحیش واضحتر و خوشرنگولعابتر بود. منتها داستان قبلیه رو بیشتر دوست داشتم.
September 13, 2013
Adapting Sherlock Holmes is tough. He has become an important, popular sub-genre of the detective tale, and between Arthur Conan Doyle's original canon, other authors' additions, and countless depictions from past television and film adaptations -- such as turns as the consulting detective by Basil Rathbone, Robert Downey Jr., and Benedict Cumberbatch, among many others -- there are many tropes and traditions to follow, or intentionally diverge from. These decisions are what lead to the success and/or failure of anyone adding to the Holmes mythology.
So who better to bring Holmes to the graphic novel medium than Leah Moore, the daughter of Alan Moore, one of the founding fathers of the graphic novel. And while this attempt was not perfect -- with the story being difficult to follow at points, the artist's struggle with drawing Holmes consistently, and an overall darkness to the art that made things occasionally difficult to see -- the case itself was worthy of Holmes' talents, and its conclusion wrapped up as well as any of his previous exploits. There was, for better or worse, a lot more action and violence found here than in a typical Holmes tale. The Liverpool Demon was also worked into the original canon using breadcrumbs from Watson about exploits never originally explored, a nice touch to those purists among the detective's fans.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
So who better to bring Holmes to the graphic novel medium than Leah Moore, the daughter of Alan Moore, one of the founding fathers of the graphic novel. And while this attempt was not perfect -- with the story being difficult to follow at points, the artist's struggle with drawing Holmes consistently, and an overall darkness to the art that made things occasionally difficult to see -- the case itself was worthy of Holmes' talents, and its conclusion wrapped up as well as any of his previous exploits. There was, for better or worse, a lot more action and violence found here than in a typical Holmes tale. The Liverpool Demon was also worked into the original canon using breadcrumbs from Watson about exploits never originally explored, a nice touch to those purists among the detective's fans.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
October 3, 2018
The case takes a long time before truly beginning, since there are some distractions along the way. While this doesn't help the initial flow, it does provide a good atmosphere for that turn of the century feel. Those guys had a lot more time on their hands without TVs and smartphones. When it does start, it's a whirlwind of violence, investigations and deductions that truly feel like one of original Holmes stories. The dialects seem to be spot on too - my American English is struggling, so they must be.
The case features Spring-Heeled Jack, believed to be a murderer with a monstruous body by some, or a ghost, even a demon, by others. Holmes doesn't believe the supernatural has any place here, but his investigation meets opponents in most people he inquires. The bodies have large scratch marks on them, enforcing the witnesses to believe a demon is loose in the city. This only encourages Holmes's passion to get to the bottom of the mystery and explain it in a fully logical fashion.
The case features Spring-Heeled Jack, believed to be a murderer with a monstruous body by some, or a ghost, even a demon, by others. Holmes doesn't believe the supernatural has any place here, but his investigation meets opponents in most people he inquires. The bodies have large scratch marks on them, enforcing the witnesses to believe a demon is loose in the city. This only encourages Holmes's passion to get to the bottom of the mystery and explain it in a fully logical fashion.
May 3, 2021
Untranslated foreign phrases used repeatedly in multiple volumes is a huge turnoff. Dark, muddy art and a fairly uninteresting story don't help either.
October 12, 2020
Not bad. A new case of the great detective but in the comic book format this time..
October 14, 2013
The art in this series is perfect for the period. Everything is done in shades of brown, the only blacks are the inking. When there is a real colour, a vivid red for blood or a magical green glow it stands out and wants to be noticed. When we think of historical pieces, films or big budget TV shows or even portraits from the period, we are shown only the rich and powerful, those who could afford expensive cloth and more importantly, expensive dyes. Until the age in which we live, brown has to be the most common colour the human eye has ever seen. Dirt is brown, bare cloth is brown, wood is brown and all of that is captured in the art of this comic. Even the fancy writing that makes up the title page of the comic is a brown/gold wooden effect.
This comic does a ‘cold’ opening very well. I expect they feel they can do this because Sherlock Holmes is such a well known name that most people will not need a slow introduction. I have to admit this is slightly misleading as there are a couple of pages of text backstory before hand, but even still the action is in full flow by page 4. Mr Holmes does not disappoint as he collars his man, and his supposed female accomplice within the first six pages. I was disappointed early on by the lack of Mr. Holmes deductive skills, he seemed to be taken unaware, but later in the first issue he fills two full pages with his ‘showing off’ and it was thoroughly entertaining.
It is very much in the vein of the Hound of the Baskervilles as this comic centres around a semi-mythic creature, Spring Heeled Jack, a creature said to jump from the roofs in Victorian England and attack its prey on the ground with vicious claws. I do not feel I am giving too much away to say that the supernatural explanation is not the one which Holmes favours. His investigations lead him from Inspector to Vicar, museum to morgue and the bodies keep piling up, slashed to the bone across their backs.
I have read through so awful dross purely because I liked the art, and yet I cannot stomach what is supposedly the best of the current Marvel titles because I utterly hate the artwork. This story is full of the trappings of a true Sherlock Holmes novel in that it is full of coincidences and of examples of Holmes retrospective brilliance, where he returns to a crime scene only to ‘claim’ that something he had apparently missed had been done so intentionally to throw others off the trail. I have not read all the Sherlock Holmes novels and if the foreword had not told me this was an original story, I would have thought it had flowed from Conan Doyle’s pen; I cannot think of higher praise for a book like this.
This comic does a ‘cold’ opening very well. I expect they feel they can do this because Sherlock Holmes is such a well known name that most people will not need a slow introduction. I have to admit this is slightly misleading as there are a couple of pages of text backstory before hand, but even still the action is in full flow by page 4. Mr Holmes does not disappoint as he collars his man, and his supposed female accomplice within the first six pages. I was disappointed early on by the lack of Mr. Holmes deductive skills, he seemed to be taken unaware, but later in the first issue he fills two full pages with his ‘showing off’ and it was thoroughly entertaining.
It is very much in the vein of the Hound of the Baskervilles as this comic centres around a semi-mythic creature, Spring Heeled Jack, a creature said to jump from the roofs in Victorian England and attack its prey on the ground with vicious claws. I do not feel I am giving too much away to say that the supernatural explanation is not the one which Holmes favours. His investigations lead him from Inspector to Vicar, museum to morgue and the bodies keep piling up, slashed to the bone across their backs.
I have read through so awful dross purely because I liked the art, and yet I cannot stomach what is supposedly the best of the current Marvel titles because I utterly hate the artwork. This story is full of the trappings of a true Sherlock Holmes novel in that it is full of coincidences and of examples of Holmes retrospective brilliance, where he returns to a crime scene only to ‘claim’ that something he had apparently missed had been done so intentionally to throw others off the trail. I have not read all the Sherlock Holmes novels and if the foreword had not told me this was an original story, I would have thought it had flowed from Conan Doyle’s pen; I cannot think of higher praise for a book like this.
October 14, 2021
Μεγάλη οπαδός του Σέρλοκ, θα έλεγα έχω καταπιαστεί με σχεδόν όλες τις σειρές, ταινιες, ή βιβλία που εχουν βγεί. Το κόμικ παραπάνω δεν έπεισε, δυστυχώς. Ήταν η μέτρια προσαρμογή/ επιμέλεια; Ήταν ο λίγο αδιάφορος Σέρλοκ και ο ανύπαρκτος Δρ Γουάτσον; Για μένα 2,5 αστέρια.
October 16, 2025
Not as good as the first book in the series, but still an enjoyable read if slightly gritty-feeling for my own (admittedly unrefined) Sherlock Holmes tastes. The artwork is mostly good, although at times was a little muddy and confusing.
May 15, 2017
Lots of gritty goodness
June 29, 2022
Not bad
Not my favorite, but still a good read.
I liked the art better in the previous books, though.
In this story, Holmes and Watson are caught up in local drama as unexplainable deaths begin to occur. Inspired by The Hound of Baskerville.
Christa
Not my favorite, but still a good read.
I liked the art better in the previous books, though.
In this story, Holmes and Watson are caught up in local drama as unexplainable deaths begin to occur. Inspired by The Hound of Baskerville.
Christa
November 27, 2024
Further adventures of Holmes & Watson
These stories are a great read, this one takes our intrepid duo out of London & into the Underworld of Liverpool …
These stories are a great read, this one takes our intrepid duo out of London & into the Underworld of Liverpool …
January 8, 2025
The most uninteresting Sherlock Holmes thing ever.
August 10, 2025
An absolutely fantastic and original SH story that felt like ACD himself penned it. The art was amazing. Inspector Thornton has joined my list of favorite Holmes characters.
October 7, 2013
I am a big Holmes fan, so I was very curious to see how well done this book was. As the author explains in the afterword, many of the details of the story were based on real incidents in 1888 Liverpool. There were gangs who extorted protection money, there were zoos and animal exhibits, there were dogs and other animals used in pit fighting, and it was a very busy harbor town with ships arriving from all over the world. The idea of having Holmes investigate what the locals believe to be a demon fits with the mysteries penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about the great detective. Several times in those stories Holmes and Watson encounter people who believe that spirits or supernatural creatures (like the Hound of the Baskervilles) exist. The prickly attitude of the police chief also gives the tale a sense of rightness, since inspectors in London often felt intimidated by or jealous of Holmes and resented his involvement in their cases.
In the case of the Liverpool Demon, several people are attacked and their killer leaves unusual slashing marks on the bodies. Those marks and sightings of a giant flying creature seem to be evidence of a demon that the locals call Springheeled Jack. Newspapers of the time actually have stories about him and his alleged attacks in the area. The search for clues, and the real culprit, takes Holmes and Watson to a church, a museum, underground tunnels and many other spots in Liverpool - even a cemetery.
Readers who enjoy Holmes and other good mystery stories will enjoy this addition to the legendary case book kept by Dr. Watson. This is the second Holmes & Watson adventure by this author and I hope there will be more.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
In the case of the Liverpool Demon, several people are attacked and their killer leaves unusual slashing marks on the bodies. Those marks and sightings of a giant flying creature seem to be evidence of a demon that the locals call Springheeled Jack. Newspapers of the time actually have stories about him and his alleged attacks in the area. The search for clues, and the real culprit, takes Holmes and Watson to a church, a museum, underground tunnels and many other spots in Liverpool - even a cemetery.
Readers who enjoy Holmes and other good mystery stories will enjoy this addition to the legendary case book kept by Dr. Watson. This is the second Holmes & Watson adventure by this author and I hope there will be more.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
March 25, 2014
Sherlock Holmes and the Liverpool Demon is another in a long line of Sherlock Holmes tributes. The story here, according to the excellent introduction by noted Holmes scholar Leslie S. Klinger takes place around the time of The Sign Of The Four, which places Holmes and Watson in Liverpool. Actually, it's a bit sad when the introduction is more memorable than the story to follow.
Holmes and Watson are in Liverpool finishing up a case, when they get wrapped up in another one. This one may involve supernatural figure Spring heeled Jack, or some large creature. The locals are superstitious, the local police are somewhat indifferent to Holmes' methods, and Holmes is simply intent on finding the answer.
From a Sherlock Holmes perspective, they got the details right. The art is good. It's dark and dingy. I just found the story only mildly interesting, and the solution was not really one worthy of Sherlock Holmes. Also, the locals speak with what I assume is a Liverpool accent, and it was just difficult to read. If I'd heard it, it might not have bothered me, but in written form, it just didn't work for me. Which is too bad.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Holmes and Watson are in Liverpool finishing up a case, when they get wrapped up in another one. This one may involve supernatural figure Spring heeled Jack, or some large creature. The locals are superstitious, the local police are somewhat indifferent to Holmes' methods, and Holmes is simply intent on finding the answer.
From a Sherlock Holmes perspective, they got the details right. The art is good. It's dark and dingy. I just found the story only mildly interesting, and the solution was not really one worthy of Sherlock Holmes. Also, the locals speak with what I assume is a Liverpool accent, and it was just difficult to read. If I'd heard it, it might not have bothered me, but in written form, it just didn't work for me. Which is too bad.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
September 14, 2016
A very, very difficult task to accomplish
to create a Holmes story that is clever and
in the proper character with out being completely
larcenous of Conan Doyle.
This book manages it with quite a deft hand
to create a Holmes story that is clever and
in the proper character with out being completely
larcenous of Conan Doyle.
This book manages it with quite a deft hand
September 22, 2013
Sherlock Holmes is such a well known and frequently written about character that it is really hard to write something original about him - yet this book manages to be original.
Not only is the Sherlock Holmes story turned into a graphic novel, but it's a well done graphic novel. The story itself is interesting enough to draw the reader in without being too over the top in trying to create a great Holmes story. While parts of the story seemed to get a little confusing at times, I just attributed that to my infrequent reading of graphic novels and the fact that I'm not extremely confident in reading them. For anyone who is used to the comic format - the story should flow smoothly.
I also really enjoyed the illustrations in this book. They're well drawn and really fit within the period that the story is supposed to take place in. I found that there were a few times I forgot to read the text boxes because I was so focused on the pictures...
Although it's hard to create something original with Sherlock Holmes, this book manages to do just that fairly well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys graphic novels or Sherlock Holmes.
Received for review purposes via NetGalley.
Not only is the Sherlock Holmes story turned into a graphic novel, but it's a well done graphic novel. The story itself is interesting enough to draw the reader in without being too over the top in trying to create a great Holmes story. While parts of the story seemed to get a little confusing at times, I just attributed that to my infrequent reading of graphic novels and the fact that I'm not extremely confident in reading them. For anyone who is used to the comic format - the story should flow smoothly.
I also really enjoyed the illustrations in this book. They're well drawn and really fit within the period that the story is supposed to take place in. I found that there were a few times I forgot to read the text boxes because I was so focused on the pictures...
Although it's hard to create something original with Sherlock Holmes, this book manages to do just that fairly well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys graphic novels or Sherlock Holmes.
Received for review purposes via NetGalley.
August 3, 2016
I received a copy of this graphic novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I found this graphic novel to be fairly lackluster. I tried to be interested, but the majority of the plot felt flat and boring. I didn't like the style of the illustrations, the choice in lighting and, for the most part, I found the dialogue to be boring.
The thing is, it was clear that the author put effort into fitting this graphic novel into the classic canon. Both research and commentary were provided to the reader, and I felt that I should have a greater appreciation for the work than I did.
However, I didn't. I would only recommend this to very devoted fans of Holmes and those who know that they like the style employed. I've enjoyed other graphic novels that Moore has worked on, so I think maybe this one was a lack of true appreciation for the subject (I can take or leave Holmes) and that I generally prefer a softer illustration style.
I found this graphic novel to be fairly lackluster. I tried to be interested, but the majority of the plot felt flat and boring. I didn't like the style of the illustrations, the choice in lighting and, for the most part, I found the dialogue to be boring.
The thing is, it was clear that the author put effort into fitting this graphic novel into the classic canon. Both research and commentary were provided to the reader, and I felt that I should have a greater appreciation for the work than I did.
However, I didn't. I would only recommend this to very devoted fans of Holmes and those who know that they like the style employed. I've enjoyed other graphic novels that Moore has worked on, so I think maybe this one was a lack of true appreciation for the subject (I can take or leave Holmes) and that I generally prefer a softer illustration style.
October 5, 2015
So the giant rat of Sumatra has been done a hundred times by a hundred different writers. Everyone's all, "Oh, giant rat of Sumatra, yawn." But this particular "rat" is clever and unique. I didn't realize it was the rat story until the Matilda Briggs was mentioned, and then the pieces quickly fell into place. I love the line "harmless Sumatran fish-eater." I cracked up. The artwork is mostly very pretty, especially the art of the animals.
A couple of nit-picky things: Some of the panels are VERY busy and dark, and I had to really study them to make sense of what was going on. Also, some of the characters look really similar to each other, so that was confusing.
A couple of nit-picky things: Some of the panels are VERY busy and dark, and I had to really study them to make sense of what was going on. Also, some of the characters look really similar to each other, so that was confusing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2014
In essence, this concludes the various thread that were left after "The Trial of Sherlock Holmes". Much more action in this one.
I had bought all three Dynamite Sherlock Holmes issues at one time. To be honest, if I hadn't , I wouldn't have bought more than one max. I prefer my artwork to be cleaner, to be able to tell characters apart. I can see the quality of the work, it is just in a style that doesn't appeal to me. 3 out of 5.
I had bought all three Dynamite Sherlock Holmes issues at one time. To be honest, if I hadn't , I wouldn't have bought more than one max. I prefer my artwork to be cleaner, to be able to tell characters apart. I can see the quality of the work, it is just in a style that doesn't appeal to me. 3 out of 5.
July 20, 2014
This is what a pastiche should be! A compact, fast-paced adventure which is gritty, based stubbornly on the grim realities of fin-de-siècle England, true in characterisation of the dynamic duo, full of brilliant sketch-work (a little over-stylised at times, but vastly better than some of the horrific drawings that I have encountered in some other graphic novels recently), and eminently gothic! Brilliant work. Recommended.
October 9, 2013
Leah Moore provides an interesting addition to the Holmes-Watson saga with The Liverpool Demon. Holmes and Watson are in Liverpool when a murder catches Holmes eye. Of course he involves himself and Watson in solving the case. The tale is well told, the art is appropriate for the time period, but I found the visage of Holmes irritating/off-putting. But overall, a very well-done tale.
January 23, 2014
Holmes is a hot property these days, but mostly in a modernized form. Moore and Reppion keep him in his native Victorian Britain, which I like. They also try to keep it as historically realistic as they can, which I also like. Overall this is well done, with mostly accurate language and very nicely darkened art (much of the story is either nighttime or underground). I like it.
June 13, 2013
Extremely high quality illustrations that were very appropriate to the era and the Sherlock Holmes canon, and a narrative with multiple facets that warrant repeat readings.
January 24, 2015
Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon
Moore, Leah *
the pictures are a little dark... The demon of Liverpool is an artistic adventure of dispelling myth and searching for facts...
Moore, Leah *
the pictures are a little dark... The demon of Liverpool is an artistic adventure of dispelling myth and searching for facts...
March 20, 2014
I hoped for a real demon. A lot of the irish slang got lost on me.
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