1st Impressions: WATSON AND HOLMES: A STUDY IN BLACK

WATSON AND HOLMES TPB #1: A Study In Black

Written by Karl Bollers
Art by Rick Leonardi, Larry Stroman, Paul Mendoza, GuruEFX, Archie Van Buren & Jay David Ramos

New Paradigm Studios

FLIPPING THROUGH:

 

                What starts with a baby found on the street leads to a murder mystery that has Jon Watson sucked into the world of detectives, drugs, snipers and more alongside private investigator Sherlock Holmes. And while this may sound like the normal Sherlock Holmes stories, this is a new take where Holmes and Watson are African American and living in New York City.

                What does Medical Intern Jon Watson do as he gets sucked into a case involving drugs, murder and more? Why does Holmes become obsessed with having all the answers? And what happens when what seems to be street drug dealers in New York City get targeted?

ART:

                I can say with no uncertainty that this book is some of Leonardi’s best work in his entire career. And considering Leonardi has drawn the X-Men in the past, that is saying a whole lot. There is a good amount of detail. The backgrounds and characters are detailed with thicker inks and some darker colors and tones. Yet, it works as the colors are very reminiscent of many of the color techniques used in the Milestone Media books from the 90s … and it works EXTREMELY well for this book. Leonardi pours his all in each page of the main story while Stroman does the same with the epilogue. The panel composition is great with some strong, dynamic panel work that pops out on you.

                Leonardi and Stroman do not have any problem showing you the grittiness of New York City but also its beauty as it captures it very well with different panels throughout the entire trade. Overall, this art team blew away with great visuals.

WRITING:

                Bollers gives us some solid writing for this new incarnation of Sherlock Holmes. While Holmes retains his sophistication and intellect from the novels, Bollers definitely blends him well within the confines of 21^st Century New York City. Bollers makes sure that Holmes and Watson really fit into their roles in New York City through their actions, the way they talk and more. Watson was given added depth by becoming a newly single father and does a great job of updating his military history to reflect recent events.

                There were a lot of characters that the duo meet but Bollers does a good job of making the two the driving force of the book while making the other characters they meet along the way interesting; such as Watson’s soon to be ex wife, the drug dealing Junior or, my personal favorite, Holmes’ brother, “Mike.”

                Bollers does a great job of providing great dialogue, good motivations and strong characterizations of people throughout the story. Each chapter felt like an episode of a 40 minute tv show more than a comic but it really works here. The dialogue was very real and I do like that there was a resolution but enough plot threads left over to do more with it. The pacing for the book was exquisite. And there is a real authenticity for this murder/mystery urban drama that just shines through as you read. Bollers is proving himself a master with this first trade.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

                This book left a strong impression. Great story. Beautiful, strong all. Rich colors. It really sucks you into the atmosphere and characters. This is a book you definitely don’t want to sleep on. Definitely one of the best comics I have read all year.

RATING:

                I give Watson and Holmes: A Study In Black trade paperback a 10 Out of 10! READ IT NOW!!

VALEN THE OUTCAST Review #1-3

Valen the Outcast #1-3 Review

by Darryll YTC Carter

Writter

Michael Alan Nelson

Artist

Matteo Scalera

Colors

Archie Van Buren

Letters

Ed Dukeshire

Publisher

Boom! Studios

         Over the weekend, your beloved CBC editor-in-chief dropped off some comics during a friendly Saturday gathering of Dungeons and Dragons. When he presented me with Valen the Outcast, I didn’t think much of it. The cover looked okay, I had never really read a Boom! Studios book before and the chick on the cover was hot. I didn’t know what to expect. But what I got was a delightful treat and a great read.

         Valen the Outcast is the story of well… Valen, former King of Oakhaven turned undead abomination and his quest to retrieve his soul from the evil and nefarious necromancer, Korrus Null. The exact details behind Valen’s rebirth into the ‘unlife’ have yet to be revealed by issue three. However, it is apparent that after a hard battle with the army of Korrus Null, Valen’s army was quelled and he was defeated and turned into an undead minion to under the necromancer’s control. Through, presumably (unless it is a hidden ploy at the hands of Null), the sheer force of will, Valen’s personality overpowered the spell over him. With the help from Zjanna and Cordovan, Valen makes sets out on a trek for Wraithendal and his soul.

        VTO follows the classic pattern of a hero who embarks on a journey and picks up companions on the way. These companions may hate him or feel indifferent toward him at first, but come the end game, they will be loyal in one manner or another. VTO actually reminds me of an rpg, roleplaying game. It has a D&D and Dragon Age feel to its atmosphere. It could be the medieval setting, in a fantasy world of swords and magic. But I think it really comes down to the characters.

         Valen is the leader and an ox of a man. He’s very tank like in appearance and personality. He prefers to attack things head on and would rather shrug off a blow then outright evade it. His undead disposition… gives him the ability to shrug off more than the average man. The only way to put him down permanently is to sever his head or pierce his heart. Combine that with the military mind of a warrior king and you get fine inventions like heart armor. Possibly my favorite part of the three books; Valen has a blacksmith forge him a device built to his specifications that he employs as a orb of armor for his heart. That’s just badass. Then you have Cordovan, who is a seedy, sly and witty drunkard. He is the rogue of the group, with connections to the shadier side of the world and excels with daggers and knives. Lastly, is Zjanna who I presumed was skilled in magic. She separates the link between Valen and Null, an act equivalent to taking the ring off Frodo’s finger, preventing Sauron from seeing him. Zjanna comes off more as a ranger like character, one skilled in the hunt, traps and tracking.

        So far the series has been awesome and it held my attention more than anything else I’ve read in the past two weeks. Accept maybe Suicide Squad. The art fits the tale and Scalera does a great job of capturing the scenery, the gore and the overall atmosphere of this world. But the real star here is the writing.  Valen the Outcast gets a 4 out of 5 and I look forward to following this series down the brimstone brick road.