SHERLOCK HOLMES #1, from Zenescope Entertainment on 9/20/23, brings the next generation of Holmes investigators to the fore to stop the forces of evil from recovering a powerful scepter.
The Details
- Written by: Joe Brusha
- Art by: Juan Francisco Mota, Gabriel Jardim
- Colors by: Leonardo Paciarotti
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Geebo Vigonte (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $8.99
- Release date: September 20, 2023
Is SHERLOCK HOLMES #1 Good?
Well, better late than never. SHERLOCK HOLMES #1 adds the Holmes legacy to the Grimm Universe when Spencer Holmes picks up where her father left off after an ancient monster schemes to recover a scepter to rule the world. Joe Brusha’s story gives the classic Holmes lore a superpowered twist and creates a character that adds much-needed detective prowess to Zenescope’s stable. Unfortunately, the timing is off.
Brusha’s script centers on Spencer Holmes, daughter of Stephen Holmes, and the latest generation in the fabled bloodlines of Sherlock Holmes. After a recent partnership with Henry Lovecraft, Spencer discovers her parents’ murder was connected to a powerful amulet capable of amplifying her powers of insight. When a long-lost uncle comes calling to help her find the amulet and the scepter from which it came, Spencer embarks on a journey of magic, monsters, and mystery.
The timing is unfortunate because the ending was supposed to tie into the events of GRIMM FAIRY TALES #75, which is the climactic finale of Zenescope’s Year of Lovecraft. Readers picking up this comic because they love Sherlock Holmes stories will have to go back a few weeks and search their LCS to find out what happens next (but has already happened).
What’s great about SHERLOCK HOLMES #1? If you’re looking for a new character with a creative origin story, this is as good as it gets. Brusha crafts a script with reasonably interesting characters, a wild adventure, urgency, and stakes.
What’s not so great about SHERLOCK HOLMES #1? Besides the unfortunate timing, the only other sticking point is the incredibly obvious development concerning Spencer’s uncle. Brusha makes a good run at keeping the uncle’s status uncertain, but you could smell it coming from a mile away, which leads you to wonder why somebody with Spencer’s powers of insight didn’t also see it coming.
How’s the art? Typically, oversized Zenescope issue has more than one artist on pencils/inks, as is the case here. More often than not the handoffs are obvious and inconsistent in terms of quality. Thankfully, you can tell where the handoffs occur, but the styles between Mota and Jardim are complementary enough that you don’t mind it, and the switches aren’t jarring. In all, the art is perfectly good.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s SHERLOCK HOLMES #1 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
After a brief prologue depicting the circumstances of her parent’s death, we begin with Spencer Holmes sitting with her new friend, Henry Lovecraft, to discuss her strange amulet and her blank memories. Henry gains Spencer’s permission to use his powers of suggestion to get Spencer to open up and remember everything that happened after her parents died.
Spencer was secretly adopted by loving parents who kept her hidden from the people who killed her parents. After Spencer’s eighteenth birthday, a man claiming to be Spencer’s long-lost uncle, Pritchard, arrives to help Spencer reclaim her family’s legacy and search for the amulet her father possessed and possibly died protecting.
Spencer reluctantly agrees to follow her uncle, and the two embark on a journey to Innsmouth to search for the missing amulet. We conclude the issue with Deep Ones, growing powers, traps, and betrayal.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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SHERLOCK HOLMES #1 introduces the readers to the next generation of Holmes detectives when Spencer Homes recalls how she received her family’s legacy just in time to join a battle to save the Earth. Brusha’s script creates a well-rounded origin for the next great detective, and her first adventure is certainly creative, but the publishing time is poor, and Spencer’s miraculous powers of deduction failed her when they were needed most.
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