
He is probably the first character who helped create thinking in literature around the concept of canon. He is one of the most widely-read (and widely interpreted) characters in existence. (Yes, there is a Holmes movie coming out this winter. No, I won't be seeing it. Next question?) But there have been two reinterpretations within the past few years that show that there is life in the Great Detective - and Dr. Watson - in the comic field.
Unfortunately...Victorian Undead isn't one of them.
It's not a bad comic - there's something about the match of the rational with the irrational, of the scientif

However, one book (which I picked up at this past summer's comic-con for a grand five dollars) that I have loved is Omaha Perez's collected indie Holmes: Haydn's Head series. As you can see, Holmes is modeled not after any actor or figure...but of Iggy Pop.
That's right, Mr. Iggy "streetwalkin' cheetah with a heart full of napalm
And that's a compliment - there's a real energy and willingness to push the boundary with Holmes' character. The art helps serve a story which has a unique energy all its own - it is hard to encompass plot points without spoiling: suffice it to say, this is a Holmes that Robert Downey, Jr. could never play - he is that debauched, that left-of-center, and quite frankly, seems to run amok, almost solving crimes in spite of himself.
Most Holmesian scholars will take umbrage at Perez's take, but that's not a bad thing - it means that Perez is taking the character in a decidedly different, fresh take. It's not your father's Sherlock Holmes, that's for sure.
I'll give Victorian Undead another issue or two before deciding to drop it - otherwise, I would recommend waiting for the trade. Until then, pick up and enjoy Holmes: Haydn's Head. Definitely worth purchasing.
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