Review of "A Study in Emerald," a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman et al.

Review of

A Study in Emerald, a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman et al. ISBN 9781506703930

Five out of five stars

 The base premise of this story is old, the timeframe is London of the late nineteenth century and the main character is the great detective Sherlock Holmes. Holmes’ companion in this case is a veteran of the British campaign in Afghanistan and while there he encountered a bizarre multi-legged creature where one touch severely damages his shoulder.

 There is a brutal murder and Lestrade’s job is in jeopardy and his only hope is the deductive skill of Holmes. What makes this version most unusual is that the Queen and other royalty of the Empire are not humans, but multi-tentacle creatures with emerald-colored blood. One of the members of the royal family has been murdered, his emerald blood is all over the floor, hence the title.

 Holmes is of course the best at identifying the subtlest of clues and putting them all together in order to surmise what happened. It does not take long for him to acquire the tracks of the murderers, yet they prove to be wily adversaries and manage to escape before the noose can be tightened.

 While the stories of the original Holmes are all excellent, after you have read them and their variants several times, a similarity sets in. This book takes the familiar and interjects an enjoyable level of originality into what would otherwise be just another story of the great detective Sherlock Holmes.