Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Pink #6
The story finale is here! Throughout the series, we get the distinct impression that Sherlock knows who the killer is, as with any good Sherlock Holmes story. And now it’s revealed in this issue based on the pilot for the Benedict Cumberbatch TV series. For those who’ve never read the original story (A Study in Scarlet) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or seen this adaptation, I’ll try to proceed without giving away too much. It’s a fine adaptation of a well-known story. And I do believe that this is the only time the story has been adapted to comic book format which makes it essential for any Sherlock Holmes fan. It’s great fun and I hope to see more of Sherlock Holmes in comic book format.
The Creative Team:
Moffat continues to prove adept at turning his screenplays into comic books. The suspense is still high in this issue as we finally find out whodunit. Holmes is having fun as he interrogates the killer, but not too much fun as he realizes that the killer doesn’t care anymore since he has no future. Holmes could be next on his hit list. We’re finally discover the killer’s motivation as he does have a method to his madness. I really enjoyed the kind of chess game that the characters seem to be playing with each other. Holmes delivers the speech that puts the character into check mate as he deduces the facts about his misbegotten life and the killer has no choice but to accept that he’s been found out. Brilliant as always.
Jay continues his winning streak. The whole series has been in black and white and that’s not as easy to do as you might think. The imagery is strong and Jay always makes good use of angles in showing us what’s going on. His panels are a sheer delight as we follow the story to its dramatic conclusion. One of the high points is seeing how the killer tenses up as Holmes continues to press him for a name behind who is ultimately responsible for his involvement in the crimes.
The Cover:
The best cover in this series. I enjoy how Jay shows us Sherlock in thought, with his hands covering his nose. Inside his head, we can see the gears churning as Holmes, once again, deduces another crime caper and figures out whodunit. It’s a great image of our super sleuth as he deduces the answer.
In Conclusion:
Once you read the entire story from the first issue on, you realize just how good this title was adapted from its Television source. Moffat and Jay make a good creative team. The Sherlock Holmes fan shouldn’t be surprised at the ultimate revelation of who the person behind the Killers crimes actually is, and yet, as presented here, it still resonates as surprising. A great read and the end reveals that there will be more adaptations to come. This reviewer is looking forward to seeing more from the creative team.
Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Pink #6
Writer: Steven Moffat
Art: Jay
Letters: Amoona Saohin
Publisher: Titan Comics
Publication date: December 2016
About the Author
Kevin Given Kevin Given has studied with "Longridge Writers Group" and "Writer's Boot Camp" a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the "Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter" franchise which includes 2 novels and 8 comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of "Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter" #1 and "Files of Karl Vincent" #1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series "Dracula Rising" (working title) and developing "Foul Blood" into comic book form.
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