I became aware of this graphic novel when it was released originally in France, around 15 years ago. I love Sherlock Holmes and I love vampires, so I was very interested in it… but I had no way of ordering it, plus my French at the time was mostly non-existent. Today it is simply horrible.
Just recently I learned that Dark Horse Comics had published it in English when I stumbled upon the book online. Something very rare these days: I started reading it the day it arrived by mail. And it is… good.
The plot takes place during the period when Holmes pretended to be dead after his confrontation with Professor Moriarty in Switzerland. Hiding in London, he not only finds out that vampires exist, but is also forcibly “hired” by their leader to search for a renegade bloodsucker (sorry, “an antisocial life fluid dependent”) that is killing important figures of British society for mysterious reasons.
Then we have some good action scenes, interesting developments of Holmes as a character, an investigation with curious details and many references to the universe created by Conan Doyle, since writer Sylvain Cordurié wants to show that he knows what he is talking about. The book feels like a Hammer movie, which is good, but it is missing moments that are really surprising and jaw-dropping to the reader, something that really elevates it above other pastiches.
The interior art, by Laci, is very good, creating very distinct characters and very detailed scenery in every panel. It must have been a lot of work. The beautiful colours are also worthy of note with their sobriety and the mood they help to achieve.
Maybe I was too eager to read it, after waiting so many years, and was left somewhat disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, it is a good horror adventure. I simply expected more.
Sherlock Holmes and The Vampires of London (2014, Dark Horse Comics)
By Sylvain Cordurié and Laci
96 pages
Rating: 7 nerds (out of 10) 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
