The first volume in the Moriarty the Patriot manga series lays out an origin story for Moriarty, the arch nemesis of Sherlock Holmes, and that origin paints the evil mastermind in a much more sympathetic light. Far from the evil villain that Sherlock fans love to loathe, this Moriarty is amoral, yet lives by a code. He’s methodical and ruthless, but his goals are centered on bringing positive change to the world, even if that positive change is built on a foundation of illegal and immoral actions taken out of necessity. The illustrations in this comic are very well-drawn, with some blood, along with implied violence to avoid wallowing in excessive gore. Fans of Sherlock Holmes, and readers who love a good antihero, will enjoy this book.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 7 mild obscenities. Note: A few uses of the British “bloody” are not tallied.

Violence/Gore: A verbal threat; report of a suicide; report of a character worked to death; report of a child whipped; a bar fight; a character shoots at another; a woman slaps a child; a woman whips a child as punishment; a character injures himself intentionally; a building is burned; a murder (not graphic); characters fall to their deaths a few times; a murder without blood shown; a fight with gory injury (illustrated).

Sex/Nudity: It’s implied that a couple had sex a few times; mention that a man has a mistress.

Mature Content:

Suicide (carried out); unplanned pregnancy; murder; arson; gambling; discrimination based on social class; some characters are orphans; thievery; murder; death (child).

Drug/Alcohol Use:

Opium is mentioned in a news article; opium is found in a dorm room; adults drink alcohol.