MANGA REVIEW | "Moriarty the Patriot" - Volume Eleven
There’s good news and bad news that comes with the eleventh volume of Moriarty the Patriot. The bad news is that the manga’s namesake doesn’t show up in the story, nor do any of his comrades. However, the good news is that the volume’s story, “The Sign of Mary”, showcases Sherlock Holmes and John Watson at their very best. And it all begins with some engagement news!
Holmes is left flabbergasted that Watson is ready to settle down. The lucky fiancée, Mary Morstan, winds up being a mutual friend of a past client. However, what looks like a sign of jealousy from Holmes is instead an inkling that something’s off with Mary. Sure enough, his intuition is spot-on, leading towards a mystery involving Mary’s missing father.
On top of the missing father, six pearls were sent to Mary under mysterious circumstances. She had no idea who the sender is, nor why she would get these pearls in the first place. But it all leads toward a mutual friend of Mary’s father, linking them to a mighty treasure from India and a four-crossed calling card. And before you know it, the scent of murder hits the air!
While William and his gang take a back seat in this volume, this volume of Moriarty the Patriot is ripe with the Lord of Crime’s style. As Holmes, Watson, and Mary dive deeper into the mystery, far more players take the stage in this wild crime. One of these players is a peg-legged person-of-interest, who actions result in a couple of more bodies added to the pile. But as usual, the actual police start putting the blame on the wrong people, and it’s up to Holmes and Watson to clear their names.
It all leads towards one of the more exciting climaxes in a Sherlock Holmes narrative. Although there’s been many a more bloody fight in Moriarty the Patriot, there’s a nice air of tension that’s placed in a chase between two ships passing in the night. Unfortunately, just as the case seems closed, something else appears to be bothering Mary. And the source of that bother, well, perhaps it’s best you read it for yourself.
Moriarty the Patriot may be Moriarty-less in Volume Eleven, but it still showcases the excitement of a grand Sherlock Holmes tale. It does a solid job with demonstrating not just Holmes & Watson’s skills, but also Mary Morstan’s, as well. One hopes that she may be a worthy asset to the crime-solving team, especially with how Ryosuke Takeuchi and Hikaru Miyoshi have playfully adapted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original works. If not, perhaps she’ll just simply be a good wife for Watson, although that depends on if Holmes fully approves of their union…
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
