The plot is interesting, although it’s way to fast paced to be immersive. I understand this may be because this is a graphic novel. The plot is also way to convenient for there to be any real stakes. The climax is practically non existent because of the fast paced nature of the book. It’s just one action after the other, and we never really get a break to process what is going on.
When it comes to the mystery aspect, there is really no suspense because of the pacing.
The characters are reasonably layered and their motivations are relatively clear, although Sherlock Holmes is constantly misrepresented all throughout the book. He is way to naïve, and to be frank, stupid in some cases to truly give us the same feeling as Doyle’s Sherlock. As an avid fan of Doyle’s work, this can be really frustrating because he is very important to the plot, but his actions just don’t make sense with the Sherlock Holmes we know and love.
The relationships between Enola and her mother and Enola and her siblings are explored a little bit, but you’re left asking for more.
On the bright side, the illustrations are absolutely stunning, and are well worth the mediocre storyline. I also really enjoyed Enola’s notebook included in the back, as it gives us a little more insight into her reasoning.
That is something that Doyle’s books don’t do, explain the reasoning as we go. Blasco does a great job at explaining Enola’s reasoning, which, although maybe removes any suspense left from the fast paced nature of the storyline, is way more interesting for the viewer.