Steve Emecz's Blog: Musings of a Sherlockian Publisher - Posts Tagged "sherlock-holmes-graphic-novel"

"Advance Review: A Scandal in Bohemia by Petr Kopl

Strange, eh? The book isn’t even out yet. But I am one of the privileged few to see it (thank you, Steve Emecz and Petr Kopl), and I couldn’t be happier. The funding of this comic book on Kickstarter has gathered well over thrice the amount aimed at. There’s still time left, so it will probably cross four times the required amount. If you haven’t booked your copy yet - do so right away here; I have a feeling all places stocking it would put up “sold out” boards within days of its release, and Steve will have to run to the press again to get the reprints out.

Anyhow - back to the matter at hand - the review. I have been wondering for a week now - what can I possibly say about this graphic novel that would do justice to the brilliance of its artwork, the cleverness of its adaptation and the sheer genius of the man behind it? The conclusion - anything I say will be inadequate. Anything anyone ever says will be inadequate - for there are no words in in the languages I know to measure or capture the “superlative” quotient of this book. I could start rattling off in alphabetical order - astounding, bedazzling, charming, delightful, elegant, fantastic, glamorous, humorous, impeccable, jolly, kaleidoscopic, lovely, magnificent, neat, outstanding, perspicacious, quick-witted, radiant, sophisticated, thoughtful, unique, vivid, witty, xtra-ordinary (well, I can’t think of another with x), youthful and zany. No, it’s not enough. It’s not even close. You cannot measure the immeasurable. You can only revel in its glory.

Surprisingly true to the canon (yes, true enough to satisfy even the most rigid of purists), the adaptation captures the spirit of every character so well, you would be drawn into the plot, whether you want to or not. Even if you know the canon by heart, you are in for a surprise - Petr seamlessly weaves two tales into this one (A Scandal in Bohemia and The Adventure of the Speckled Band) - with interesting results. Ingeniously placed cameos by well-known (and well-loved) literary characters as well as original Petr Kopl characters are a delight. Sherlock Holmes is a deadly combination of genius, sassy and adorable, Dr Watson is at his most virtuous and Irene Adler is drop-dead gorgeous (and smart).

I don’t speak Czech, so I honestly can’t say if anything has been lost in translation. From what I can see, the translators have done an amazing job - the dialogues are witty and amusing, and remarkably true to the canon. When I read the Czech version months ago, it was thanks to Google Translate - a bit tedious, but all right to get the gist - obviously, I missed the clever quips that the English version has now captured. I am very, very impressed. In any case, offers of translations in other languages have started flowing in (and this, before the book is out - can you imagine what it’s going to be like when it is actually out?) - so if you speak neither Czech nor English, do not fret. Go ahead and take a look…and then ask Steve if your language is on his list yet.

You can’t afford to miss this. Still need more reason? Here are a few:

To the Sherlockians out there, I say - this is the most gorgeous and intelligent adaptation of “A Scandal in Bohemia” I have ever seen. If Sir Arthur could see it, he would be overwhelmed. This is a must-have for the collection of every Sherlockian in the world.

To the comic-lovers out there, I say - the artwork is immaculate. Rarely would come across such a talented artist. Every panel, every stroke is perfect. You will not be able to take your eyes off, I can guarantee.

To those fond of English literature, I say - the quirky and delightfully twisted literary references will leave you breathless. The more you read, the more you shall spot, and the cleverer you shall feel.

To the brainiacs, puzzle-lovers and armchair-detectives out there, I say - think yourself smart? Think again…unless you have been able to pick up every single clue Petr has surreptitiously hidden away in plain sight.
In the end, at the risk of sounding like a teenage-boy-band, I’ll say no matter who you are, what you do or where you’re from, “A Scandal in Bohemia” will leave you stunned, impressed and hungering for the next book. I am rubbing my hands in anticipation…are you?
And last, but not the least, I have to thank Ales Kolodrubec, the President of Česká společnost Sherlocka Holmese (the Czech Sherlock Holmes Society), for giving me the opportunity to take a look at Petr’s work. Ales, you are a true Sherlockian!”

"Petr Kopl’s SHERLOCK HOLMES: A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA is an imaginative comic-book adaptation of more thanv one story, with spectacular full-color artwork and a preface by Ales Kolo-drubec. First published in Czech and now translated into English, it’s a welcome sample of Kopl’s ‘Victoria Regina’ series. He has an interestingvweb-site at <www.petrkopl.cz> (if your computer runs Google Translate you can pretend you’re fluent in Czech)”

Peter Blau, September 2014.

Scandal In Bohemia is available from this week through all good bookstores including Book Depository (free shipping worldwide), Amazon USA , and Amazon UK .

“This is a different book than most English speaking Sherlockians are accustomed to. First, it has been translated from Czech. Next, it is a graphic version of SCAN, but it also includes SPEC as if it occurred intertwined with events in SCAN. Finally, it also includes additional material. In most cases, the additional material comes as a bit of a surprise. The appearances of Dorian Grey and Mr. Hyde in SCAN may give some indication of the things in store for the reader.

This book is the fourth in time-sequence of ten or eleven graphic novels produced by the author. I am not sure how many will be published in English nor in what sequence other items will appear. I’m also not sure how many involve Sherlock Holmes although I expect he will appear in at least five and, perhaps, in six. In any case, these books are not published for children. Adult subjects and illustrations appear and the graphics are well done and interesting. All-in-all, they are presented much better than most comic books I have seen.

Readers should be prepared to be surprised. The general story lines follow those in the Canonical Tales, but the difference is in the details. It is never quite clear, in this single installment, who bears which relation to whom. Irene Adler is certainly a major player, but who she works for and who is opposing her for which reasons are not at all clear. One almost gets the feeling that Sherlock is a bit-player in a play that stars others.

The artwork is quite individual and is very well-done. The story line is left open and presents more questions than answers. I sincerely hope that later additions to the series will provide a few answers and resolve some of the puzzles. The author’s “take” on Sherlock Holmes is certainly unique and this presentation of two of the Canonical short stories is both unique and fascinating. This is truly an interesting “read.”

A Scandal In Bohemia – A Sherlock Holmes Graphic Novel is available for order from all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository .

"The Hound of the Baskervilles , adapted and illustrated by Petr Kopl (MX Publishing; www.mxpublishing.co.uk; 12 December) is clever, funny, beautiful and brilliant. It’s the first in Mr Kopl’s Victoria Regina series ( A Scandal in Bohemia is the fourth). Don’t be surprised to find the narrative intersecting with the events of Dracula , The Lost World , Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde  and even Rossum’s Universal Robots , as well as other exploits of Holmes and Watson. Look closely at the illustrations and you’ll see all sorts of unexpected details — though you may be too engrossed in the story on first reading.”

The Hound of The Baskervilles – A Sherlock Holmes Graphic Novel is available from all good bookstores including   Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository .

"There are certain characters who Sherlock Holmes has run across a number of times: Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Arsene Lupin etc. However, there is one literary character with whom the great detective has seldom matched wits - Frankenstein and his Monster. This in retrospect, this makes some sense. Mary Shelly’s novel is not set in metropolitan London, and it set some seventy years before Holmes took up his magnifying glass and deerstalker. However, that doesn’t mean that some authors haven’t tried to combine this famed characters into one story. Luke Benjamin Kuhns’ Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein does just that. How does it fare? Let’s find out…

It is 1885 and a spat of grave robberies have startled London. Sherlock Holmes, in the midst of a bout of great ennui, is disinterested in case. That is until he’s approached by Inspector Bradstreet of Scotland Yard. It seems that at the scene of the latest grave robbery, a night watchman has been murdered. His curiosity sufficiently piqued, Holmes and Watson begin their investigation. The murdered man’s face betrays signs of tremendous horror, and upon further investigation Holmes discovers a giant footprint nearby. By the detective’s estimation, the man’s murderer was at least eight feet tall. Who is the murderer? What do they want with the bodies, and is there a connection with the infamous Dr. Frankenstein?

Despite the fact that this graphic novel shares a title with one of Hammer horror’s lesser-known works, it owes more to the style of the Universal horror films of the ‘30’s and ‘40’s. There’s a genuine sense of mystery, adventure and horror mixed into the plot. Plot tropes from Universal’s films are mixed in from the mad scientist and his lab. I won’t spoil the story, but one character who appeared in one of Universal’s most famed Frankenstein films turns in a wonderful appearance here. Despite its horror story trappings, author Luke Kuhns manages to weave an excellent Sherlockian plot and his presentation of the characters through dialogue is excellent. I am not very familiar with Kuhns’ writing, but this makes me interested to look into more.

As I mentioned above, this is a graphic novel. Illustrator Marcie Klinger did an excellent job in capturing the Gothic atmosphere of the story. The artwork is dark and evocative and very nicely detailed. However, I was rather surprised to find Sherlock Holmes dressed in a standard twentieth-century trench coat though!

Without giving away too much plot, Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein gets around the logistical problems of combining these two famous stories by acting as a sequel to Mary Shelly’s original. For fans of Frankenstein, some of the characters some of the original novel pop up in flashback and fill in some of the gaps. In this way, the story is able to work on its own without trying to limit itself to the confines of a previously-published work. I applaud the original story telling, especially since I had no idea what to expect going into the graphic novel.

In all, Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein is a very surprising work. Author Luke Kuhns is obviously well-versed in both his Sherlockian and horror film knowledge. With an interesting, original plot, and moody (though at times anachronistic) artwork, the graphic novel comes recommended from me. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.”

Reviewed by Nick Cardillo

Sherlock Holmes and The Horror of Frankenstein is available from all good bookstores including   Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository. In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).