Book-It 'o11! Book #65
The Fifty Books Challenge, year three! (Years one and two, just in case you're curious.) This was a library request.
Title: The Sign of the Four (Illustrated Classics): A Sherlock Holmes Graphic Novel by Ian Edginton and I.N.J. Culbard, adapted from the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle
Details: Copyright 2010, Sterling Publishing Company
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover): ""In God's name, what does it mean?"
When Miss Mary Morstan calls on 221B Baker Street, the "utterly inexplicable" story she tells stirs the heart of Dr. John Watson-- and rouses his friend Sherlock Holmes from his self-induced lethargy. For who else but London's only official consulting detective could possibly solve the mystery of the disappearing Army officer, the one-legged man, his barefoot accomplice, the missing treasure chest, and... the "sign of the four"?
"It means murder...""
Why I Wanted to Read It: In my fevered search for more graphic novels from my local library, this was yet another stumble-upon.
How I Liked It: Having read another story in this collection, I was interested to see how this one would compare. Unfortunately, it comes out the lesser.
This is another one of the Sherlock Holmes stories in which I haven't read the original, so I'm biased to judge the adaption.
But from what snippets we get in this version, it suggests that The Sign of the Four was a much richer book than what we're getting here. The plot feels unnecessarily condensed, with what feels like key elements left out. The suspense never builds as it should and it feels like as the plot expands, it doesn't thicken, it gets needlessly complex.
But the art is worth mentioning. While Sherlock Holmes still has a chin that recalls the Victorian illustrations of the crescent moon and some of the characters in this volume are flat out cartoony, the setting, pacing of the panels, and subtly in the characters' expression help tilt the book toward the positive. We're greeted with a slow, dialog-free scene in which Holmes dispenses his cocaine and from there the book is peppered with unusual shots from various angles. We look up the nostrils of Holmes's favorite bloodhound as he trolls the streets when in the panel just before, Holmes (and the dog) are a foggy form far ahead of the viewer.
Art and narration surprisingly rarely go hand and hand and this book is no exception. But sadly even the superior work of much of the art, it can't save the shoddy overall narrative.
Notable: As I'm sure Holmes scholars and aficionados have noted, Holmes regular drug use is a testament of the period's laws and prevailing attitudes. While Holmes indulges himself with cocaine and morphine (both legal to possess at the time), he is still obviously a respected figure as well as an extremely productive one. He holds a job and a dapper appearance as well as a superior mind. He is not depicted as on the dangers of anything, save for his own curiosity and devotion to science, observation, and crime solving.
It's worth noting that had Holmes's story been depicted with his indulgence in wine (in the same fashion in which he uses cocaine and morphine: as an occasional tool in stress-relief) rather than cocaine and morphine, by today's standards it'd not only be understandable, it'd be relatable. But place said wine-consumption in, say, the Prohibition era and Holmes looks like an addict.
It's just interesting to note what comes in and out of fashion.
Title: The Sign of the Four (Illustrated Classics): A Sherlock Holmes Graphic Novel by Ian Edginton and I.N.J. Culbard, adapted from the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle
Details: Copyright 2010, Sterling Publishing Company
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover): ""In God's name, what does it mean?"
When Miss Mary Morstan calls on 221B Baker Street, the "utterly inexplicable" story she tells stirs the heart of Dr. John Watson-- and rouses his friend Sherlock Holmes from his self-induced lethargy. For who else but London's only official consulting detective could possibly solve the mystery of the disappearing Army officer, the one-legged man, his barefoot accomplice, the missing treasure chest, and... the "sign of the four"?
"It means murder...""
Why I Wanted to Read It: In my fevered search for more graphic novels from my local library, this was yet another stumble-upon.
How I Liked It: Having read another story in this collection, I was interested to see how this one would compare. Unfortunately, it comes out the lesser.
This is another one of the Sherlock Holmes stories in which I haven't read the original, so I'm biased to judge the adaption.
But from what snippets we get in this version, it suggests that The Sign of the Four was a much richer book than what we're getting here. The plot feels unnecessarily condensed, with what feels like key elements left out. The suspense never builds as it should and it feels like as the plot expands, it doesn't thicken, it gets needlessly complex.
But the art is worth mentioning. While Sherlock Holmes still has a chin that recalls the Victorian illustrations of the crescent moon and some of the characters in this volume are flat out cartoony, the setting, pacing of the panels, and subtly in the characters' expression help tilt the book toward the positive. We're greeted with a slow, dialog-free scene in which Holmes dispenses his cocaine and from there the book is peppered with unusual shots from various angles. We look up the nostrils of Holmes's favorite bloodhound as he trolls the streets when in the panel just before, Holmes (and the dog) are a foggy form far ahead of the viewer.
Art and narration surprisingly rarely go hand and hand and this book is no exception. But sadly even the superior work of much of the art, it can't save the shoddy overall narrative.
Notable: As I'm sure Holmes scholars and aficionados have noted, Holmes regular drug use is a testament of the period's laws and prevailing attitudes. While Holmes indulges himself with cocaine and morphine (both legal to possess at the time), he is still obviously a respected figure as well as an extremely productive one. He holds a job and a dapper appearance as well as a superior mind. He is not depicted as on the dangers of anything, save for his own curiosity and devotion to science, observation, and crime solving.
It's worth noting that had Holmes's story been depicted with his indulgence in wine (in the same fashion in which he uses cocaine and morphine: as an occasional tool in stress-relief) rather than cocaine and morphine, by today's standards it'd not only be understandable, it'd be relatable. But place said wine-consumption in, say, the Prohibition era and Holmes looks like an addict.
It's just interesting to note what comes in and out of fashion.