Neil Gaiman wrote a comic that combines “Sherlock Holmes†and “Cthulhu.†Read that last sentence again. While combining anything has had various results, if anyone can make something awesome using those two genres it’s Neil Gaiman. And he succeeded immensely with “A Study in Emerald†with art by Rafael Albuquerque.
In Victoria, England, an unnamed detective and his unnamed assistant investigate the murder of a royal. It seems like any normal “Sherlock Holmes†story until you find out that this royal was an ancient one.
What strikes the reader the most is how accepting every character is about how the royals are ancient ones. Normally, that would be cause for some concern, but not here. We do get a reason why for this and why the person murdered the royal and it will leave you gobsmacked. That reason is the best reason you’ll ever come across in these stories.
Another strength of the story is how it’s actually written like Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote it. It flows with the same subtlety as Doyle’s story and the narrator reads like it’s Watson writing these entries. Gaiman understands what a real “Sherlock Holmes†story is supposed to read and flow like. Adding “Cthulhu†was just a bonus.
Albuquerque manages to recreate Victorian Era London to amazing lengths. The streets look what you’d expect to the point where you can smell it. The character designs are fine. Nothing too terrible about them. The best designs are the ancient ones. While readers are familiar with their designs to the point where they’re no longer scary, here once you know who these characters are supposed to be and how they’re viewed is the true horror.
Neil Gaiman has created a comic that combines “Sherlock Holmes†and “Cthulhu†in an awesome way. It reads like a “Sherlock Holmes†story with some amazing world building and some decent art.
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