MANGA REVIEW | "Moriarty the Patriot" - Volume Fourteen
Once again, I find myself asking the same question I did with the tenth volume of Fist of the North Star: Where do we go from here? Only this time, it’s with the fourteenth volume of Moriarty the Patriot. After the many meetups, the clues, and the mysteries connected to the Lord of Crime, the face-off between Sherlock Holmes and William James Moriarty has arrived. But the detective has a question for Moriarty: is death the only solution?
This is the conundrum that most of the key players of Moriarty the Patriot are facing. Sherlock, Watson, Mycroft, Louis, and the rest seem to want to save Moriarty from dying in front of all to see. They know he’s a criminal and has done some terrible things, but even the most noble of people close to both hero and villain know that the crimes have brought more positivity out of the aftermaths. And yet, this is the only way out that the Lord of Crime can see.
Before the climax of “The Final Problem” can be reached, there is a lot of talking between Holmes and the rest of the characters. Mycroft, Louis, Fred, and even Moriarty himself have a heartfelt chat about the current stakes. And despite Moriarty aiming to become a martyr, everyone else — Holmes included — wishes for a different outcome: the saving of Moriarty. But such a task becomes slightly difficult when London begins to burn.
It’s here in Moriarty the Patriot when the moment the Lord of Crime has waited for finally occurs. Homes belonging to noblemen and commoner are engulfed in flames. And one-by-one, both sides help one another. At this very moment, it’s no longer two different groups of people aiding each other; it’s all of Britain united to shoulder the cause! As the flames die down, the main stage comes to life, with Moriarty and Holmes its two only players.
Those who have read the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books can put two & two together to guess what happens next. But the difference here is the dialogue between detective and Lord of Crime. After all, even with them being adversaries, Moriarty and Holmes still enjoyed their time together. Why end things here when both can use their minds to create more good in the world? But in those last moments, those ideas seem to loosen their grip and drop below.
As such, the fourteenth volume of Moriarty the Patriot ends with a big question mark. A huge chunk of Doyle’s works have been fully adapted, and the story seems to be over. But as of this publication, Moriarty the Patriot is still ongoing. Does the rest of the manga enter the realm of fan fiction, or do some other pieces of Doyle’s get the Sherlock treatment? We’ll know soon enough, but until then, consider this case in the book of Moriarty the Patriot successfully closed!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
