Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 4

憂国のモリアーティ [Yūkoku no Moriarty] #4

by Ryōsuke Takeuchi, Hikaru Miyoshi (Illustrator), Arthur Conan Doyle (Draft Writer)

Before he was Sherlock’s rival, Moriarty fought against the unfair class caste system in London by making sure corrupt nobility got their comeuppance. But even the most well-intentioned plans can spin out of control—will Moriarty’s dream of a more just and equal world turn him into a hero…or a monster?

Mycroft Holmes gives MI6 a top secret mission to put an end to the Third Anglo-Afghan War. William believes Colonel Moran, who once fought in the war, is the right man for the job and asks Albert to recruit the colonel. But will old memories from Moran’s past hinder his efforts to assist the mission? Meanwhile, more dark figures lurk in London’s nobility, spreading further chaos in the country…

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

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2017

About the author

Ryōsuke TAKEUCHI (竹内良輔, Chinese: 竹內良輔) is a Japanese author.

Reviews

[Josu Diamond · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ayyyyy, no sé.

Leer esta serie es un poco montaña rusa de emociones, porque unos volúmenes me entusiasman y otros son como que me dejan fifty-fifty. Para que os hagáis una idea, cada entrega tiene unos 4 capítulos. Pues en este caso los tres primeros bastante meh, siendo el último el que más me ha parecido interesante. Como siempre, dejando los buenos cliffhangers para el final.

Los personajes continúan en su camino hacia una dinámica interesante, pero siento que aún estamos viendo el inicio de un grupo que puede ir hacia un buen fin. De hecho, aquí vemos la introducción de un nuevo personaje, que sinceramente ya era hora de introducir alguno así: una mujer. Porque es un poco campo de nabos toda la situación...

Una cosa que no me gusta es que hay una mezcla entre buenos giros y malos. Por poner un ejemplo de este volumen: el 'gran giro' de los tres primeros capítulos no es un giro como tal, porque en cuanto te sorprendes como lector al verlo, te lo explican corriendo para que lo entiendas. Honestamente, me quedo... En plan, entonces ¿por qué plantear un giro que me planteas como WOOOOW y luego es tan sencillo que en dos viñetas lo has explicado? Pero por otro lado, el capítulo cuatro tiene muchos ingredientes "Agatha-Christie-nianos" y un giro que sí que va a merecer la pena, o eso al menos parece. Así que como os digo, es una mezcla extraña.

Vamos, que me esta serie me gusta pero no me termina de convencer por algunas cosillas de vez en cuando. Eso sí, es entretenida y el trabajo de documentación histórica está muy bien hecho. ¡Se aprende bastante sobre la sociedad victoriana!

[Maun° · Rating 4 out of 5]

" catch me if you can, Mr. Holmes "
This will never not make me squeal ksksks

[Almeyda · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAPTAIN SEBASTIAN MORAN MY LOVE

[ada ✮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

he literally blushed when he saw william in the train u cannot tell me otherwise

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW// murder, brief scene of a dead animal, brief mention of drug addiction

Note: I didn't read the bonus chapters as they're not on the ShonenJump app.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the war side story and all of the infodumping about it, but I really enjoyed seeing a lot more of Moran in this volume. He’s definitely one of my favorites in this series.

[leo. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Catch me if you can, Mr. Holmes.” PEOPLE DIED. It’s me, I’m people

[b. ♡]

everybody is sexy and unhinged and i’m here for it

[Gem (The Creepy Geek) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is fast becoming my favourite manga and this volume gave me so much of my fave Sebastian Moran!

[Christina Pilkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

My favorite part of this volume? Learning about Moran's past. I was surprised at how dark the story was. His whole backstory wasn't part of the anime, so it was new info for me.

Continuing to really enjoy this series!

[Zoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The old chains entangling his heart are finally gone. At last, Moran is entirely mine. He wants this, too. Together, let’s go deeper into the darkness, Moran.” -William

In order to fully ingratiate Moran into the mission, William had to address and defeat the demons of his past. Moriarty’s level of control over his team is truly masterful, especially since they’re aware of his machinations and choose to follow him anyway.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

MORAN DIDN'T DESERVE ANY OF THAT 😭😭😭😭

[Bella Azam · Rating 4 out of 5]

First half or what I would say 3/4 of the volume revolved on Moran's involvement in an assasination and we get his backstory so we understand him more as a character. I like his dynamics with Moniepenny, a female agent and how they worked together to make sure their mission is achieved. But i do find certain dialogues are too wordy and long so my reading felt a bit dull compared to Volume 3 which I like very much.

The second case we got to see Sherlock again and I remembered the train scene from the anime. Its the beginning so I'm intrigued

[Izabella 🪐 · Rating 5 out of 5]

[The Man with the Golden Army]
Sebastian Moran being the star of this volume is everything.

[The Two Detectives]
“Catch me if you can, Mr. Holmes”

How did Sherlock not fold on the spot? I swear, these two have so much tension and chemistry. They got me squealing, kicking my feet, and blushing.

[Catalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Catch me if you can, Mr. Holmes” Amazing. Also, Moran is so cool, it was nice to see more of him.

[Nilo0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

وااای چقدر قشنگ بود. این جلد خیلی دقیق و قشنگ بود. شاید به‌خاطر اینکه در سه قسمت طولانی به یک موضوع پرداخته بود و به‌خوبی به عمق ماجرا پرداخته بود.
مناقشه و جنگ بین هندوستان (بریتانیا) و افغانستان (روسیه) که با کشته شدن سربازی از MI6 متوجه می‌شن که کسی پشت پرده جنگ هست که با رسوندن تسلیحات به افغانستان، مانع به پابان رسیدن جنگ می‌شه. به این بهونه که جنگ به خاک اروپا و انگلیس نرسه.
چقدر این موضوع در این دوران جنگ امروزی واسع‌م ملموس بود و پشت پرده کثیف سیاست جنگی رو نشون داده بود. خیلی دوسش داشتم.

[Hanie Noor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it! I will never shut up on the Conan Doyle's reference in this manga T.T

We have our blind German weapon engineer in here <3 we can see our characters came to life (p/s: I don't watch the tv adaptation so this brings all the feels for me).

I feel like I've always in awe of the characters--their specialties etc.--and Moran's one of the. Getting to know his back story made me look at him differently (cause he's kinda the trash type lol). I did not expect him to come from nobles--the puzzle fits tho. Plus, we LOVE our miss moniepenny in here.

everything's well played every single time.

[morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Catch me if you can, Mister Holmes" kzjfkzkfkke

[neya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5/5
Te pół gwiazdki więcej za dodatek ze świątecznymi sweterkami XD

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The focus was on Moran this time and introduces more of MI6 including Que and Monipeny. A dash of Sherlock in there too

[Chelsea Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 Stars: ‘Moriarty the Patriot’ (Book #4 of ‘Moriarty’) by Ryōsuke Takeuchi.
→ Age Range: Young Adult.
→ Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction.
→ Trigger Warnings: War, Poaching, Gun Violence.

In-depth Rating:
→ Plot: ★★★★★
→ Character Development: ★★★★★
→ Setting: ★★★★★
→ Entertainment Level: ★★★★★
→ Writing: ★★★★★

General Comments: Spy vs. Spy; James Bond meets Sherlock Holmes. MI6 aim to end the Third Anglo-Afghan War; Colonel Moran, who once fought in the war, is centralised. The character development of the wide cast is approached in an intricate and beautiful way, adding value and moral to the dark figures in the ‘Lord of Crimes’. The artwork continues to excel, reflecting British etiquette.

Favourite Quote: ‘Catch me if you can Mr Holmes.’

Time Read: One Day.
→ Audiobook: No.
→ Audiobook Narrator: -

[༻⛧ felix ⛧༺ · Rating 5 out of 5]

꒰➸ ࿐୭̥⋆*｡　Catch me if you can, Mr. Holmes.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if you've seen the anime, this manga volume makes a good case for reading the books as well, because it brings us the second storyline in a row that was skipped over by the adaptation. This one is arguably a bit more important than the last (although I may still debate that; Louis is criminally underdeveloped) as it deals with both Sebastian Moran's past and the war in Afghanistan, which also informs John Watson as a character. (And has some alarming parallels to today. What was that about he who doesn't read history...?) It also leans into the MI6 subplot, which is both a bit silly and an awful lot of fun; Moniepenny is a decent addition to a cast largely lacking in female characters.

Moran's past is important in that it gives us a much firmer grasp of who he is as a person. His callous exterior is, it is implied, largely a cover for the hurt and anger he's carrying around, and in order to make full use of him, William needs that anger to be tempered by a shot of revenge. But Moran also deserves to be able to come to terms with the horrible things that happened during his deployment, and there's some debate to be had as to whether that factored into William's plans. The Lord of Crime needs to remain an enigma to be successful, but at times I think he might even be one to himself.

[stemlii · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Catch me if you can, mister holmes" 😩😩😩😩💘

[Link · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delicious as expected
Sherlock and William
Sitting in a tree
K~I~S~S~I~N~G
First comes sniffing
Then comes crime
Then comes Sherlock definitely getting turned on because of William.
K~I~S~S~I~N~G

[zara · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 chapters of moran backstory and mission, the famous "catch me if you can, mr. holmes", honestly you couldn't ask for anything better

[Delia · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's so gay, omg

[romi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"catch me if you can, mr holmes." 🚬🚬🚬 este sí que es un buen bl gente recomendadísimo

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another noble is in need of punishment, but this one lives abroad, which puts it firmly in the purview of MI-6, conveniently run by the elder Moriarty. A shift in venue means a whole other series to liberally crib from as Moran finds his loyalty shaken, even as something is stirred within him. Later on, Sherlock Holmes is in need of some training.

This might be the most entertaining volume of Moriarty the Patriot yet for me, largely because the first multi-part storyline dispenses with the Sherlock Holmes references for a hot minute and also focuses on Moran, who I actually kind of like as a character since he’s a bit rougher around the edges than the Moriarty boys.

If this initial arc’s title (The Man With the Golden Army) doesn’t give it away, by the time we cut to MI-6’s cover at Universal Exports, the James Bond homages are flying fast and furious. It’s an interesting and not unwelcome twist on the story thus far and there are some expected and unexpected tips of the hat - Moran’s cover identity is a surprisingly deep cut from Goldeneye, which is just pushing 25 years from original release.

There’s more than a little fun to be had and while I wouldn’t necessarily call anything that involves bouncing heads and severed limbs ‘rollicking’, it does come close, including a cute turn by a Moneypenny (sp) who is far more active than her namesake. I also appreciate that they leave the door open with six individuals in Em’s employ, so a double oh seventh can make the scene later.

The villainous speech that winds this one up is absurdly over-the-top, which I’ll leave the reader to decide for themselves whether it’s intentionally referencing the maniacal lunacy of Bond villains or just the usual goofery that this series frequently gets up to. The benefit of history suggests that their plan is dumber than a sack of hammers, but it makes for a good read at least (and again, it’s no worse than, say, Moonraker).

To my immense shock, the return of Holmes as the volume winds up is a lot more fun than usual too. It’s hard to make Watson interesting, but they nearly manage it here by portraying him as egging Sherlock on partly because he needs material for his books.

This last bit is set on a train and I assure you that no mystery story set on a train needs much more of anything save being set on a train to hook my interest. Couple that with a neatly set-up locked room mystery and, well, that’s me sorted.

Actually, there’s also a hilariously brinkmanship filled diner car conversation between Sherlock and the Professor, where Moriarty Prime throws down such a good rebuttal to Holmes that it’s unquestionably the most I’ve ever liked his character.

The usual problems abound - everybody here looks like they have the same face and are swapping hairstyles (this does mean a one-man show of this manga should be conceivably performable though). The noble ‘villain’ who hates nobility thing is still not terribly interesting to me, usual excesses of depravity still here and all that - it’s not for nothing that it’s all really backburnered here and this wound up being my favourite volume to date.

4 stars, largely because this particular volume wears its influences on its sleeve and then goes across the jacket and down the other arm. It has a sense of fun beyond its predecessors and, more to the point, I had far more fun reading it.

[Adibah Atiqa (persephtiyareads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Chapter 12-14 (The Man with the Golden Army)]

“The fate of the world is not determined by a large battlefield, but by a small playing field”

I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! Moran’s backstory YASS and I also love how it deepen the crisis in ongoing plot also the dynamic between William and Moran.


“There are people who will profit from the war as long as it continues…”

The political play is CHEF’s KISS and I just love the each scenes are executed. Every panel, every frame is necessary and serves the story well. And the symbolism of chess game just make it ✨💯✨


“A few deaths, to protect countless lives of our countrymen”

I also adore the depiction of morally grey ideal as we compared ones with the General to William. It makes you ponder and whether all of what they’re fighting for is just or a selfish act while ironically both claimed as patriot.

[Chapter 15 (The Two Detectives Act 1)]

The portrayal of Sherlock-Watson’s dynamic is what I’ve been waiting for. I couldn’t wait to read where this one will lead us. I mean, I always view Watson as somewhat Sherlock’s living morale that he truly needed to stay sane and not dwell, crossing the blurry lines what’s right and wrong.


“Catch me if you can, Mr. Holmes”

And of course, OF COURSE THE ALIKE-MINDED TENSION WE ARE ROOTING FOR. If Watson is what could’ve saved Holmes than Liam is someone who’ll be Holmes’ ruination. But still, I always see Moriarty and Holmes dynamic as without one, you shall not be whole. It’s like how chess game need to be played bu white and black and when one perish, the other’s play will not be worth to move.

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story keeps on going strong, this volume was centered around Sebastian Moran backstory, I liked it! Moran and Moneypenny make such a good team together. The art is as pretty as always (and as gruesome as always when it has to be).