Sherlock Holmes: Year One Vol. 1

Sherlock Holmes: First Years #Graphic Novel 1

by Scott Beatty, Daniel Indro (Artist)

Collecting the 6-issue series in one volume, plus bonus material and a complete cover gallery.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's dauntless detective returns in an all-new series of adventures exploring the sleuth's untold origins! Join Dr. John Watson as he meets young Sherlock Holmes in a fateful encounter that will forever shape both men's destinies! Mysteries and murders most foul abound as we discover clues that reveal just how Holmes became the world's most famous detective.

Genres: Mystery, Graphic Novels, Comics, Historical Fiction, Crime, Graphic Novels Comics, Historical

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 18, 2011

About the author

Scott Matthew Beatty is a comic books writer.

Reviews

[Sean Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine a Victorian-set When Harry Met Sally with two dudes in the lead roles, a bit of mystery and mayhem, and more realistic fake orgasms in the middle of Ye Olde Tea Shoppe and you’ve got a good idea about what it’s like to read Sherlock Holmes: Year One.

Okay, so, that’s not true at all (except for the orgasms part*): in short, this is a solid if unspectacular reimagining of the first case Sherlock and Watson work together, which features a buff and somewhat debonair Sherlock, a sharp and incisive Watson, and some pretty artwork. If you’re an obsessed Sherlock Holmes aficionado like myself, you’ll be entertained. If not, there are other pastiches more worthy of your reading time.

*It was really more of a fine dining establishment than a tea shoppe**

**It wasn’t really either because there were no fake orgasms in the book at all; all orgasms that transpired were real***

***No orgasms, real or fake, actually transpired in this book, save for those experienced by the reviewer****

****The reviewer, sadly, did not experience any orgasms, real or fake, during the reading of this book*****

*****This book would have been better with orgasms

[rachel, x · Rating 2 out of 5]

Graphic novels always seem to be a hit or miss for me. Sherlock Holmes: Year One should have been a hit - I mean, baby Watson, honesty - but it was most decisively a miss. The mystery was intriguing but the characters were so lacking, I found it hard to be all that engaged. Both Sherlock and John spoke like you would expect but their strangely bland personalities failed to bring them to life. Their partnership had no development and their usual dynamics were absent. While I appreciate including some familiar faces, Irene Adler was a strange addition to the story; her engagement to Sherlock made zero sense in the narrative and her lack of agency frustrated me.

Maybe this graphic novel could have been more memorable if the art style had been particularly well done. The drab colour scheme and the weird shading on the character’s faces - which made it difficult to distinguish who was who - extinguished any chance of that.

Overall? I love BBC Sherlock and Elementary but this was my cup of tea. The series isn’t calling to me so I won’t continue on but ~hopefully~ 2018 is the year I finally read some the original Sherlock stories.

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[Ken W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun!

This was like a Sherlock Holmes prequel. The earliest adventures of Sherlock and Watson! It was fun. And the first meeting of Sherlock and Moriarty. Five stars!

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

It starts ok, and has a nice historical hook, but it's more of a Riddler-from-Batman plot than a Holmes one, and with a dozen promised victims it feels rushed in only 6 issues, since half a dozen of them are crammed into a pair of issues at the end.

[Luca Ambrosino · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★½ ⇨ 7½

[Maxine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes: Year One brings together a series of adventures in which the, then, young and relatively unknown detective meets Dr John Watson who, in keeping with the original stories, is the narrator of these tales. As a Holmes fan, it looked like something I would really enjoy. Unfortunately, I didn't like it as much as I had hoped.

The first story The Butlers Did It pretty much lacked any trace of the brilliance of the original Sherlock Holmes. The Twelve Caesars, however, which actually makes up most of this graphic novel was quite entertaining and very smart. The problem, however, with using a well-loved character in a book is the fact that fans tend to know this character inside and out and expect him to act in a certain way even in a new and unfamiliar tale. The thing about Sherlock Holmes that made him so beloved is his cerebral musings, his obsession with detail, and his ability to pull the solution out of his...er, out of thin air while others can't even figure out what the original problem is.

In these stories, there is plenty of action but this cerebral aspect is missing. I know, Sherlock was also a man of action but that was usually secondary - he solved a mystery, then he set out to get the proof. In this case, there are two seemingly separate tales and I kept expecting them to come together when Holmes gives the reader that 'ah hah' moment and we wonder why we hadn't seen it for ourselves. Instead, it is Sherlock who has the 'ah hah' moment as the solution to one mystery leads him to the answer to the other - an answer the least discerning reader will have already sussed out.

One thing I must add, though - I really liked the graphics. They made up for any shortcomings I found in the stories. The cover gallery at the end, alone, was worth the price.

So my recommendation - if you are a die-hard Holmes fan, you might want to give this a pass. But, if you just want a graphic novel with a pretty decent (and smart) story, lots of action and some gorgeous graphics, you could do a lot worse than this one.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fairly straightforward, which might make it good for people simply dipping their toes into Sherlock Holmes fandom. I do think that this volume is missing something that the original stories had. The ending is pretty much the beginning of A Study in Scarlet.

[Shirley Eiswerth (Quackenbush) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great art work, it was like a compacted Sherlock story, but the art was great!

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My, my. I never thought it's going to be an all-star affair.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Watson meets Holmes, a university student. Both are helping the Detective Inspector solve a heinous crime. This narrative mainly has to do with the main crime, but also tells us a bit about Watson and Holmes and introduces Lestrade and Holmes big nemesis.

I admit this was an interesting tale, if a bit gruesome. However, it was very uneven in its writing. I think the writing of it could have been improved.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Twelve Caesars is a really good story, with some nice twists. The characters of Holmes and Watson are slowly starting to get to know one another, and there's some nice bits where Holmes is at university. A surprisingly good read.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book takes liberties with what most people would think of as Sherlock Holmes' background, this take on Sherlock and Watson was fun in the same manner that the current movies are fun - action, emotion, and feats of deduction all mixed together.

[Francine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if it's the character design or the colouring, but I sometimes lost track of who's who because they all sorta look alike; Sherlock especially looks quite generic. Regardless, as a fan of the subject matter I had a good time with this.

[Noora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really? Irene Adler engaged to Sherlock Holmes? Yeah, no. I was already iffy on the characterizations in this. But I guess other than that the story was fine.

[S.M.M. Lindström · Rating 2 out of 5]

An alternate take on how a much younger Doctor John Watson and Sherlock Holmes might have met.

I am almost upset at how much I didn't enjoy this comic, because I got it from a friend who knows I enjoy Sherlock Holmes stories and he was so happy to have found me a fitting gift. Very irksome.

Why didn't I enjoy this comic? Because it might have the names and setting of a Sherlock Holmes story, but there the similarities end and the tired "modernized Sherlock" cliches start raining down like hail cast down to earth by an angry god. We've got:
- Sherlock Holmes in a relationship with Irene Adler (despite her original plot being that she had another guy she was very in love with and went off to marry, and then never showing up in another story ever again).
- Very little mystery solving. Just a lot of murder, a clear indication they're all connected ('cause "new" Sherlock never solves simple, isolated cases no more) and very few clues that you as a reader can try to follow along with.
- Waaaay more action scenes. Canon Holmes isn't exactly a behind-the-desk sitter, but "new" Holmes picks fights left and right. Much less mystery, much more jumping from buildings and punching people.
- Moriarty being a serial killer who wants to take over the world. This time with Greek fire. Sure. Why not. This is already nonsensical enough.

Basically, this is a comic about a lot of people getting murdered in brutal ways, sometimes briefly interrupted by young!Holmes and Watson commenting on it, and then Holmes punches someone. If that's your thing, buy this comic! If not, give it a miss.

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story follows mostly a single case of a serial killer who reenacts the deaths of the 12 Caesars. Present day events alternate seemlessly with events from Holmes's youth, revealing aspects that weren't covered by Arthur Conan Doyle. The feel of the story is similar to probably the less popular original Holmes stories, so the overall ratings reflect this, but it's still a solid story. Watson's monologue in particular is well written and feels genuine. In the end Holmes manages to bring to light the closely guarded secret that led to the murders and foils a plot that was intended to bring London to its knees.

The maids and manservants' plans to steal their masters' riches is foiled by Holmes when he infiltrates their number. The serial killer case seems separate and leads Holmes to a confrontation with his archnemesis, professor Moriarty. He is apparently the heir to the Domitian line of ancient Rome. His goal is to instill terror in London so he can assume control. Holmes ruins his plans and Moriarty escapes.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art just doesn't look right- it's like a computerized Jae Lee and the coloring is too focused on dirty darkness so the whole thing looks like a stylized turd. Being inside a magestic and appropriately atmospheric Francavilla cover makes Indro/Avina's slop look even worse by comparison.

The frequent use of Sherlock's catch-phrases is nauseating- it's forced and sometimes nonsensical.

The last chapter has some pages that rate as the worst coloring mess in choice AND combination that I've ever cringed upon in the digital era. The green, blue and gold on the third to last page (in front of 221B Baker Street) are so ugly that they deserve a yearly award!

[Christa Saccullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I normally don't read graphic novels. My imagination is pretty graphic itself. But I really enjoyed this!
If you've read the original stories, there are some fun gems in this one. The story stands on it's own, but pays excellent homage to the originals. At least Watson isn't portrayed as a buffoon.
I really liked the whole Roman connection. That was kinda cool and really added a mystery aura.
Don't read this with the originals in mind. This is it's own story and nicely draws on original content to neatly blend it altogether. I think I might collect these...

Christa

[Rubin Carpenter · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Sherlock that is mostly Schlock
Many attempts have been made to give an origin to Sherlock Holmes the premise of this story is quite an interesting concept
the method and reasoning of the murders quite good
but the story is amateur in its telling
The art is quite plain and the dialogue is generic
too bad
A sad and bad read

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts of this were great, but other parts (like the villain reveal, which I thought did not fit with other future, to this story, stories) were kinda terrible. I would love to read more, but would be doubtful it could be as good as this.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay is the best I can say about this one.

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story with ties to ACD canon, and it's own take. The bad guy was a tad obvious of this would have been a 5-star.

The art worked too.

[TBRpile yuju · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story tries to fill in some of the holes of the early days of Holmes's career.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Blood & gore depiction
Dead bodies
Murder
Torture
Kidnapping

[s.j.hannaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vol. 1

A great re imagining of Sherlock Holmes, looking forward to more in this series, hopefully they’re just as good as this one ?

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this. It has it's own take on some traditional elements of the story, but overall I thought it was well done and I enjoyed reading it.

[Chris Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice comics version presenting a new story about one of Holmes' earliest cases. The usual suspects are there. The art is nicely rendered. A good read for fans of Holmes or graphic novels.

[Carl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scott Beatty’s “Sherlock Holmes: Year One” creates a series of adventures in which Holmes and Watson meet and slowly become friends. I am reviewing the Kindle edition, not the Graphic Novel, which would most likely be better than some of the plot and dialogue provided for the Kindle. As a Holmes fan, I am always looking for a new adventure for my hero, so I purchased this Kindle edition. The cost for the Kindle is under a dollar, so with that in mind, the story is worth it. However, it certainly is not one of the better contemporary Holmes stories.

The first story “The Butlers Did It” (yes, I held my breath with that title) was somewhat disjointed and lacks the real brilliance of Doyle or even the better pastiche writers of today. The other story, “The Twelve Caesars,” on the other hand, was far cleverer and thought provoking. In fact the character of Holmes himself displayed a greater sense of the normal cerebral detective than in the first story. Here he deeply displayed his obsession with detail, while blending his predictions of murders yet to come based on his historical knowledge of the “Twelve Caesars,” while others were in the dark. However, at one point, Holmes really seriously assaulted some thug-type characters who had really done nothing to deserve it; that was vastly out of character for Holmes.

The fact that this does exist as a Graphic novel helps explain some of the lack of smooth movement from point to point or in dialogue that would have been more natural in a Graphic novel. This may also explain a few of my other complaints. First, some of the diction and dialogue was a bit too contemporary, and some dialogue felt like it was more American slang which jarred at times with the stronger 19th Century English. Additionally, the fact that it may have come from a Graphic novel may also explain why I felt that it was too straightforward, too “Joe Friday” matter-of-fact dialogue than the smooth credible diction of contemporaries as Laurie King, Nick Meyer or even Larry Millett. The phrase “bread and butter” was used on several occasions and just seemed out of place. In general, this was most likely a better “Graphic Novel” than a Kindle novel; however, who can complain with the price under a dollar!

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

The title really tells it all - change the name of the character to Bruce Wayne and age Robin to a middle aged man and you get the idea of how this is written. None of the original Sherlock Holmes aesthetic remains - this is a straight 'bam' 'kow' action fest where Sherlock Holmes fights his way through crime.

And that's the problem - it was the way Holmes was written and the milieu that have made the character so endearing. But putting Holmes into modern sensibilities in a thinly disguised Dark Knight character back in Victorian London just didn't work. It's not a bad novel by any regards. The art is solid and the writing professional. All the same, it lacks the soul of Sherlock Holmes.

I'm not a big Holmes fan and have never read any of the Doyle books. But even I could tell that this is anything but a Sherlock Holmes novel. It's a typical super hero fights his way through bad guys novel.