Thursday 12 June 2014

Blitz Review: Sherlock Holmes Moriarty Lives #4- Manly stuff


Writer: David Liss
Artist: Carlos Furuzono
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Released: 11th June 2014

I need to finish my day on a note of positively, as all I’ve been doing all day is slating comic books for their feminist liberal agendas. I really don’t like to slag comic book off. It’s not fun to read bad comics. It’s bloody irritating. I am after all paying for the books that I dislike, so when I read them I’m doubly annoyed. Annoyed with the comics for being bad, and annoyed with myself that I’ve actually paid money for them. Bearing all of this in mind, here’s a quick review of a comic book that I actually liked.

Moriarty Lives #4 is a simple tale of how Sherlock Holmes’s arch nemesis survived the fall from the Reichenbach falls, dragged his wet carcass to the nearest village, and with barely a penny in his pocket, and with no contacts in town, used his manipulative ways to re-establish himself under a new identity. So far the book has been interesting because it’s almost like reading a personal self-help book from Moriarty himself, where he shows you how to manipulate people into gaining social status, and thus power for yourself within the societal framework that we are all living in. His lessons have been about brutality, deception and ruthlessness, and his main focus of attention has been a young boy named Udo who has been hanging on his every word.

What I really liked about issue #4 of Moriarty Lives is that Udo is not driven by selfish egotism like his mentor. His teacher might be an immoral monster, but that doesn’t mean that he will be one as well. I love how this story is playing out, and I love how things are not happening the way I had envisioned. Plans are made, but things go wrong, and the ending of this issue has a fantastic cliffhanger that already has me eagerly awaiting next month’s conclusion. I also love how men are acting like men, and taking charge of their own destinies. You don’t always get that in comics these days, and it’s so refreshing to see it outside of a Conan the Barbarian book.

If you haven’t already been following this series then it’s probably best for you to wait for the tpb, as next month’s issue is the final one of the run. This book has been a lot better than I thought it would be. A Sherlock Holmes book that doesn’t have Sherlock Holmes in it and it’s a really good one as well. It’s simple really. Have strong characters, tell a good story, and keep the feminist liberal nonsense out of it. That’s all I want in my comics, and a great Francesco Francavilla front cover and competent and atmospheric artwork throughout compliment the package perfectly. Rating: 8.5/10

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