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Sherlock Holmes et les Vampires de Londres #1-2
Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London
Sherlock Holmes died fighting Professor Moriarty in the Reichenbach Falls. At least, that's what the press claims. However, Holmes is alive and well and taking advantage of his presumed death to travel the globe. Unfortunately, Holmes's plans are thwarted when a plague of vampirism haunts Britain.
This book collects Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London Volumes 1 and 2, originally created by French publisher Soleil.
This book collects Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London Volumes 1 and 2, originally created by French publisher Soleil.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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388 people want to read
About the author
Sylvain Cordurié
120 books13 followersSylvain Cordurié is a French comic book writer who usually works in the science fiction and fantasy genres.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 68 reviews
January 23, 2018
Thankfully, they kept it short. So Why does it suck?
(1) Remember Abraham Lincoln, the vampire hunter? Didn't work well, did it? (If it worked for you, check this book out).
(2) The Queen of England is weirdly chill about Vampires.
(3) The introduction of Vampires and the reaction, or lack of reaction from Holmes brothers.
(4) While boasting an unpredictable territory, the story is painfully predictable, especially towards the end.
In my opinion, art is the only redeeming quality here.
(1) Remember Abraham Lincoln, the vampire hunter? Didn't work well, did it? (If it worked for you, check this book out).
(2) The Queen of England is weirdly chill about Vampires.
(3) The introduction of Vampires and the reaction, or lack of reaction from Holmes brothers.
(4) While boasting an unpredictable territory, the story is painfully predictable, especially towards the end.
In my opinion, art is the only redeeming quality here.
December 30, 2016
In the canonical Sherlock Holmes stories, Holmes and Watson have the occasional dalliance with the supernatural, but they never really get past first base with it (unlike, say, Ray Stantz in Ghostbusters, who, we presume, rounded third with that ethereal lady floating above him during a montage, but that’s neither here nor there…still, one imagines the cleanup after that encounter was a rather sticky business).
In the vast body of Holmesian pastiches, however, direct engagement with the supernatural is almost de rigueur, which makes sense when one considers the Victorian origin of Dracula, Frankenstein, Jekyll & Hyde, Jack the Ripper, and other tales of the macabre. The foggy, gaslit streets of London make for the perfect backdrop against which to pit our ace sleuth and his man Friday against an array of otherworldly forces, and Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London does this as well as most, due in large part to the incredible art.
The story itself, a post-Reichenbach affair wherein our man Holmes maintains the charade of being deceased (without Watson’s knowledge), is solidly done, with Holmes matching wits against a sect of London vampires led by a vicious Duke. It’s the art, however, that elevates this from a serviceable tale to an atmospheric tour-de-force that will lift you bodily from your chair and fling you back across the decades to land in a time and place that, if not entirely historical, couldn’t feel more perfect.
I will now return forthwith to my place of origin, or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension. Or, at least, to the place where Ray met that ghost.
(Also, let’s add Laci to the list of artists who need to be working on a graphic novel adaptation of The Camelot Shadow.)
In the vast body of Holmesian pastiches, however, direct engagement with the supernatural is almost de rigueur, which makes sense when one considers the Victorian origin of Dracula, Frankenstein, Jekyll & Hyde, Jack the Ripper, and other tales of the macabre. The foggy, gaslit streets of London make for the perfect backdrop against which to pit our ace sleuth and his man Friday against an array of otherworldly forces, and Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London does this as well as most, due in large part to the incredible art.
The story itself, a post-Reichenbach affair wherein our man Holmes maintains the charade of being deceased (without Watson’s knowledge), is solidly done, with Holmes matching wits against a sect of London vampires led by a vicious Duke. It’s the art, however, that elevates this from a serviceable tale to an atmospheric tour-de-force that will lift you bodily from your chair and fling you back across the decades to land in a time and place that, if not entirely historical, couldn’t feel more perfect.
I will now return forthwith to my place of origin, or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension. Or, at least, to the place where Ray met that ghost.
(Also, let’s add Laci to the list of artists who need to be working on a graphic novel adaptation of The Camelot Shadow.)
April 6, 2014
A graphic novel featuring Sherlock Holmes up against vampires should be a treat to read, but this book makes the cardinal sin of being simply boring.
A lot of it has to do with the artwork, I suspect. The artist tries to cram too many panels onto many of the pages, which reduces the quality of the art to the point that much of the story is incomprehensible. Added to this is the muddy quality and limited colour palette of many of the panels, and you just can't see what is going on a lot of the time. The writer must share some of the blame though, for putting so much text into those already too small panels. Much of that text is musings from Sherlock Holmes himself rather than conversation, which also strips the story of some of its mystery. The reason that John Watson writes the Holmes cases up is that Holmes himself refuses to do so. By doing this, Arthur Conan Doyle maintained much of the central mystery of who Sherlock Holmes really is. However, by being privy to so many of Holmes thoughts in this book makes him less of the mysterious superman he needs to be to solve the case and have us all wonder about how he did it.
I have no idea if this is a one-off or part of an ongoing series, but it needs to be a lot better to hold my attention. The New Deadwardians did a much better job and I would recommend reading that story instead.
A lot of it has to do with the artwork, I suspect. The artist tries to cram too many panels onto many of the pages, which reduces the quality of the art to the point that much of the story is incomprehensible. Added to this is the muddy quality and limited colour palette of many of the panels, and you just can't see what is going on a lot of the time. The writer must share some of the blame though, for putting so much text into those already too small panels. Much of that text is musings from Sherlock Holmes himself rather than conversation, which also strips the story of some of its mystery. The reason that John Watson writes the Holmes cases up is that Holmes himself refuses to do so. By doing this, Arthur Conan Doyle maintained much of the central mystery of who Sherlock Holmes really is. However, by being privy to so many of Holmes thoughts in this book makes him less of the mysterious superman he needs to be to solve the case and have us all wonder about how he did it.
I have no idea if this is a one-off or part of an ongoing series, but it needs to be a lot better to hold my attention. The New Deadwardians did a much better job and I would recommend reading that story instead.
July 13, 2018
El cómic comienza en Londres, en 1891, con Holmes contándonos que en realidad no murió en las Cataratas de Reichenbach, pero que debe mantenerse oculto por el bien de su amigo Watson y su esposa Mary, ya que los secuaces de Moriarty andan tras él. Pero la historia no va de esto. Se están produciendo brutales crímenes de nobles londinenses y todo apunta a un vampiro.
Es un pastiche holmesiano muy pulp, donde lo que más me ha gustado ha sido el detallado dibujo. La tramas, floja.
Es un pastiche holmesiano muy pulp, donde lo que más me ha gustado ha sido el detallado dibujo. La tramas, floja.
July 9, 2021
Nie, po prostu nie. Czemu tutaj są wampiry, serio, to miał być kryminał. Rozwiązanie, kompletnie nie zaskakujące, wŕęcz tak przewidywalne, że masakra. Samo śledztwo, jakby nawet tego śledztwem nazwać zbytnio nie mogę, bo najpierw nasz Sherlock poszedł znalazł jakaś dzidę, a potem morderca (ktoregk tożsamosć znamy od samego początku) po prostu do niego przychodzi.
May 8, 2019
I was all on board for reading of Sherlock's adventures and efforts in tracking down this seemingly supernatural killer, learning more of them as he proceeds, realizing that the world may not be such a rational place as he thought it was...
...and then in his first encounter he immediately exclaims "Vampires!", and I knew what I was really in for. A farce.
He also really needs Watson to be around for him to be clever at. He's so much less interesting on his own, actually narrating himself for that matter. The comic so loses a great chunk of the appeal of the original stories.
All in all, this comic was a vast missed opportunity. It actually makes me a little bit sad, thinking of what could have been.
...and then in his first encounter he immediately exclaims "Vampires!", and I knew what I was really in for. A farce.
He also really needs Watson to be around for him to be clever at. He's so much less interesting on his own, actually narrating himself for that matter. The comic so loses a great chunk of the appeal of the original stories.
All in all, this comic was a vast missed opportunity. It actually makes me a little bit sad, thinking of what could have been.
October 1, 2019
¿Es posible combinar dos elementos trillados y armar con ellos una historia original? Supongo que sí, pero no es el caso de este cómic. Los elementos del canon sherlockiano están ahí (excepto Watson, ¿a quién se le ocurre omitir a Watson?), y los vampiros aparecen, pero nunca se consigue la sinergia necesaria entre estos dos elementos como para que la historia despegue. Como devoto de Sherlock Holmes, no creo que esté mal juntarlo con elementos sobrenaturales, pero el maridaje requiere una reflexión más profunda que la que esta historia le dedica.
March 13, 2024
2.5 stars.
The art is good, but the characters were sometimes difficult to differentiate (Sherlock does wear disguises, so...)
The story takes place during the few years that Sherlock is presumed dead. It's decent for a brief story. I had to look up who "Mary" was, because I am not familiar enough with Holmes characters to know that was Watson's wife.
The art is good, but the characters were sometimes difficult to differentiate (Sherlock does wear disguises, so...)
The story takes place during the few years that Sherlock is presumed dead. It's decent for a brief story. I had to look up who "Mary" was, because I am not familiar enough with Holmes characters to know that was Watson's wife.
October 6, 2021
Its an enjoyable Sherlock Holmes /Vampire story. A solid read for October.
May 10, 2023
It was weird reading a supernatural Sherlock Holmes story, but I enjoyed it nonetheless, it was really well told and the art is incredible.
June 5, 2025
I like bad stuff but this was bad bad.
January 25, 2026
slecht Nederlands, lijkt op vertaling via Google translate. De tekeningen zijn wel mooi
January 4, 2014
Thanks to Netgalley and Diamond Books Distributing for sending me an ARC of this book!
This is an interesting (and welcome) addition to Sherlock Holmes lore. I’ve read other books where Sherlock and Watson have encountered vampires, but those books were done from Watson’s point of view. It was refreshing to have the chance to be inside Sherlock’s head and experience the story from his point of view.
After Sherlock’s supposed death at the Reichenbach Falls, the famous detective has remained in hiding. He is, however, tracked down by a Master Vampire of London who needs his help in catching a rogue vampire killing relatives of Queen Victoria. The narrative follows Sherlock as he gathers information on the vampire, who has a connection to Sherlock’s past. There is also a vampire doppelganger of Irene Adler who assists Sherlock.
While I found the story interesting, I felt removed from the narrative. This could be a function of its structure (Sherlock is writing down the tale after it is over) but it felt much more passive than the original novels. The artwork was detailed and not too dark. There was contrast which made the violence (immolation, staking, heads being ripped off) stand out without being too “cartoon-y”. A few times, I did have to take closer looks at the panels in order to try and distinguish which character was meant to be Sherlock and which character was his source. At times, Sherlock was indistinct from the other characters, and I do not think that was because he was in disguise.
All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in Sherlock Holmes or vampires. There are some interesting takes on vampire lore, including ways to kill vampires that don’t involve weapons. Readers shouldn’t be worried about being aware of other Sherlock Holmes novels – there are some surprises for readers who are familiar with the novels – since the story still make sense without that knowledge.
This is an interesting (and welcome) addition to Sherlock Holmes lore. I’ve read other books where Sherlock and Watson have encountered vampires, but those books were done from Watson’s point of view. It was refreshing to have the chance to be inside Sherlock’s head and experience the story from his point of view.
After Sherlock’s supposed death at the Reichenbach Falls, the famous detective has remained in hiding. He is, however, tracked down by a Master Vampire of London who needs his help in catching a rogue vampire killing relatives of Queen Victoria. The narrative follows Sherlock as he gathers information on the vampire, who has a connection to Sherlock’s past. There is also a vampire doppelganger of Irene Adler who assists Sherlock.
While I found the story interesting, I felt removed from the narrative. This could be a function of its structure (Sherlock is writing down the tale after it is over) but it felt much more passive than the original novels. The artwork was detailed and not too dark. There was contrast which made the violence (immolation, staking, heads being ripped off) stand out without being too “cartoon-y”. A few times, I did have to take closer looks at the panels in order to try and distinguish which character was meant to be Sherlock and which character was his source. At times, Sherlock was indistinct from the other characters, and I do not think that was because he was in disguise.
All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in Sherlock Holmes or vampires. There are some interesting takes on vampire lore, including ways to kill vampires that don’t involve weapons. Readers shouldn’t be worried about being aware of other Sherlock Holmes novels – there are some surprises for readers who are familiar with the novels – since the story still make sense without that knowledge.
February 13, 2014
SLJ review:
CORDURIÉ, Sylvain. Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London. tr. from French. illus. by Laci and Axel Gonzalbo. 96p. Dark Horse. Feb. 2014. pap. $17.99. ISBN 9781616552664.
Adult/High School–In this relentlessly silly but thoroughly fun mash-up, Sherlock Holmes finds himself in a triangular face-off against a group of semi-officially sanctioned vampires on the one hand and a rogue, apparently psychotic vampire on the other. The vampire clan, led by Selymes, has deep ties to the British government, reaching all the way to Queen Victoria, but those ties are threatened by the activities of a vampire named Owen Chanes, who has been on a feeding frenzy of low-level government operatives. So Selymes hires Sherlock to hunt down Chanes, using Watson and his wife, Mary, as hostages, but in typical Holmesian fashion, Sherlock seeks a way to play the vampires off each other and win the day for the humans. Cordurié and Laci give readers several strong reasons to suspend their disbelief: Laci’s incredibly detailed, gritty illustrations of Victorian London, featuring a Sherlock with a much more hardened, lined, and frankly old face than we’ve come to expect; Cordurié’s wry humor, as when Sherlock abruptly pivots from disbelief to belief in vampires without a backward glance; and a fun, fast-moving plot that leaves little time for second guessing. This graphic novel is probably more for Holmes aficionados than for vampire fans, but teen lovers of both will be especially pleased.–Mark Flowers, John F. Kennedy Library, Vallejo, CA
CORDURIÉ, Sylvain. Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London. tr. from French. illus. by Laci and Axel Gonzalbo. 96p. Dark Horse. Feb. 2014. pap. $17.99. ISBN 9781616552664.
Adult/High School–In this relentlessly silly but thoroughly fun mash-up, Sherlock Holmes finds himself in a triangular face-off against a group of semi-officially sanctioned vampires on the one hand and a rogue, apparently psychotic vampire on the other. The vampire clan, led by Selymes, has deep ties to the British government, reaching all the way to Queen Victoria, but those ties are threatened by the activities of a vampire named Owen Chanes, who has been on a feeding frenzy of low-level government operatives. So Selymes hires Sherlock to hunt down Chanes, using Watson and his wife, Mary, as hostages, but in typical Holmesian fashion, Sherlock seeks a way to play the vampires off each other and win the day for the humans. Cordurié and Laci give readers several strong reasons to suspend their disbelief: Laci’s incredibly detailed, gritty illustrations of Victorian London, featuring a Sherlock with a much more hardened, lined, and frankly old face than we’ve come to expect; Cordurié’s wry humor, as when Sherlock abruptly pivots from disbelief to belief in vampires without a backward glance; and a fun, fast-moving plot that leaves little time for second guessing. This graphic novel is probably more for Holmes aficionados than for vampire fans, but teen lovers of both will be especially pleased.–Mark Flowers, John F. Kennedy Library, Vallejo, CA
March 1, 2014
Holmes, still believed dead by the masses after Reichenbach, is enlisted by vampires to track down one of their own who has gone rogue. In short, it's largely the plot of Blade 2 with Sherlock Holmes in the lead role. As dismissive and derivative as that might sound, it's actually an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable read. Some awkward sentences here and there, likely a result of translation, but characterization is solid. The art is stunningly detailed, realistically rendered and beautiful throughout the book. I would rate this as one of the very best Sherlock Holmes comic books of recent years, sitting alongside the wonderful Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes Vs Zombies, but of course, if you don't care for stories that mix Holmes with the supernatural, your opinion will differ. Happily I love this sort of thing, especially when as well done as it was in this book.
January 7, 2014
This graphic novel has Sherlock Holmes taking on a case under duress. A vampire leader has found that Sherlock has faked his death and wants him to track down and kill a vampire that is going on a rampage killing various important people in the British Empire. He does this in order to protect Watson and his wife who neither know that Sherlock survived the falls. The story didn't feel much like a Sherlock story and I was disappointed in it. There is treaty between the British Empire and the vampires but you never get the whys or hows it came about. And the ending left lots of room for more stories but I don't think I will bother reading any more in this series.
Digital review provided by the publisher through NetGalley
Digital review provided by the publisher through NetGalley
September 29, 2018
DNF'd around 25% through. It was not making good use of the graphic novel format as most of the text was for the narrative, this Sherlock looks much more bland than any version I've seen, also the fact that the supernatural is occurring is glossed over in a single line. All his study is completely glossed over. The villains aren't scary. Sherlock is typically a very intriguing character...here he's just an annoying Mary Sue who will always be and always appear one step ahead of everyone else. And that's so boring.
February 5, 2014
I think my lack of prior knowledge might have worked against me here, but I'm not sure if it was that or the plot was just confusing. Art is detailed but overwhelmingly dull in color, and the majority of the comic is told through Sherlock's inner monologue/a letter to Watson. Not even the vampires could save this.
May 29, 2015
Giving it one star for the artwork alone.
August 12, 2015
Accepting as fact vampires are real with no background or explanation is a bit of a stretch when borrowing such a logical and grounded character as Sherlock Holmes.
July 2, 2017
Η υπόθεση ακολουθεί τον Σέρλοκ Χολμς μήνες μετά την εξαφάνιση του στους καταρράκτες του Ράιχενμπαχ και συγκεκριμένα τον Ιούλιο του 1891. Η υπόθεση είναι σε μορφή flashback όπου το τέλος είναι η αρχή και ο Χολμς σε ένα απομνημόνευμα που προορίζεται για τον Γουάτσον εξιστορεί την περιπέτεια του. Ποία είναι αυτή; Μα η εμφάνιση βρικολάκων στο Λονδίνο. Ο Χολμς εμπλέκεται στην υπόθεση προσπαθώντας να συλλάβει έναν εξαιρετικά επικίνδυνο βρικόλακα που απειλεί τόσο την κοινωνία όσο και τις σχέσεις του στέμματος με την διοίκηση των βρικολάκων. Μιας και ο Χολμς δουλεύει ιγκόγκνιτο στο Λονδίνο και ο Γουάτσον ακόμα τον θεωρεί νεκρό, τον κολαούζο του δεν τον βλέπουμε παρά ελάχιστα στο κόμικ.
Το σενάριο την παλεύει (πάλι εντός πλαισίου βέβαια) και το σχέδιο είναι καλό προς αρκετά καλό ειδικά στα τοπία. Ο χρωματισμός κάνει πολλές διακυμάνσεις μιας και σε κάποια καρέ είναι φοβερός και σε κάποια άλλα παιδικός και εκτός κλίματος. Πάντως σε κάποιον που άρεσε το Society, σίγουρα θα γουστάρει και αυτό. Γενικά ρολάρει όμορφα.
Το σενάριο την παλεύει (πάλι εντός πλαισίου βέβαια) και το σχέδιο είναι καλό προς αρκετά καλό ειδικά στα τοπία. Ο χρωματισμός κάνει πολλές διακυμάνσεις μιας και σε κάποια καρέ είναι φοβερός και σε κάποια άλλα παιδικός και εκτός κλίματος. Πάντως σε κάποιον που άρεσε το Society, σίγουρα θα γουστάρει και αυτό. Γενικά ρολάρει όμορφα.
June 18, 2023
I borrowed this from my local library because I was sceptical as soon as I saw the cover of the graphic novel. I was right. Sherlock Holmes as a confused and incompetent detective? A completely fantastical and illogical setting for the world's most rational detective? It just doesn't work. I like the artwork and the general idea of the graphic novel, but it doesn't have any Sherlock Holmes' spirit in it. It might have been any other character in his place, it wouldn't matter.
April 11, 2025
The art is incredible, but the story can sometimes be a little confusing and at times difficult to understand.
Some of the dialogue seemed to be written at first in modern speech, then retrofitted with a few archaic words to try to make it seem like it was something from back in the day. But the overall effect was that it makes the reader pause and takes you out of the story immersion because it doesn’t seem quite right for the time period in which it’s set.
Some of the dialogue seemed to be written at first in modern speech, then retrofitted with a few archaic words to try to make it seem like it was something from back in the day. But the overall effect was that it makes the reader pause and takes you out of the story immersion because it doesn’t seem quite right for the time period in which it’s set.
July 25, 2017
3.5
Many SH Meets vampire takes out there. This is a solid offering with nice art.
Many SH Meets vampire takes out there. This is a solid offering with nice art.
January 10, 2018
Rating: 3
December 19, 2017
So completely ridiculous...
November 26, 2018
Bellissimo fumetto
mi sono piaciuti la storia i disegni Sherlock e i VAMPIRII
lo consiglio agli amanti di Holmes e i vampiri
non vedo l'ora di inizare sherlock vs. Lovecraft
mi sono piaciuti la storia i disegni Sherlock e i VAMPIRII
lo consiglio agli amanti di Holmes e i vampiri
non vedo l'ora di inizare sherlock vs. Lovecraft
January 14, 2022
Nice but too short
June 3, 2020
Fun graphic novel featuring the Great Detective in London. I enjoyed this a lot.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 68 reviews