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Tripwire’s Contributing Writer Reviews Sherlock Holmes And The Empire Builders The Collection
Sherlock Holmes As Never Seen Before
Tripwire’s contributing writer Ernie Estrella reviews Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: Gene Genie The Collection, coming in April
Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: Gene Genie The Collection
Writer: Joel Meadows
Artist: Andy Bennett
Tripwire Comics Presents/Mad Cave Studios
Since becoming public domain, we’ve seen an explosion of Sherlock Holmes variations in popular culture. Books, television, movies and comics have all taken their unique swings. Holmes has proven to be a truly elastic character with key components that can be toyed with and yet they’ve all had varying degrees of success. Others have been big misses. Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: Gene Genie The Complete Collection is a standout that should entertain fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and multiple genres.
We are introduced to a grizzled Holmes, whose bones are stiff and his hair is grown and strewn about. He is pensive over his long storied career and how his longtime relationships got away from him. This is a man on the downward trajectory of his vocation, his bearings loosened and he is seen as an underdog in this story instead of know-it-all. Also different, Dr. John Watson left his side to team with Crick to crack the mystery of the DNA helix to assist a powerful man become a diabolical force in England.
The supporting cast of the Empire Builders features a ensemble of characters that are vivid and unique. Oswald Mosley is a worthy adversary, the Prime Minister, whose ambition and evil knows no boundaries and his army of moustached henchmen. Then there’s Franklyn Miller, of the London Mohock gang, an unlikely wild card and strange ally for Holmes. Chapter 2 introduces Watson’s wife and son who factor heavily into the plot as well in what is less of a mystery, than it is an adventure-thriller. And yes, Holmes can stretch into that space too.
Meadows’ Holmes has been a pet project for a lengthy time, a seed that was planted nearly 25 years ago. Through crowd-funding ventures and a new deal with Mad Cave Studios, the Empire Builders: Gene Genie has found its way to a broader audience. But readers will be able to tell the passion for Doyle’s canon and the familiar ingredients is strong in Meadows’ cooking. Still, he brings a different flavour profile to Holmes, one that is savoury but exotic, traditional yet bold. There are wonderful risks taken, like adding just enough science fiction to the pot and the result is a memorable departure in the pantheon of Holmes lore.
The star of the show is artist Andy Bennett. His art is a superb visual component, that’s got noir elements, but expert pacing, shown in pages that feature no dialogue. Just beautiful black and white art. Bennett is an expert in building the suspense which this series is full of and many times I found myself lost, transported to the foggy streets of London, which I feel are accurately portrayed, sometimes with highly detailed street scenes, dark alleyways to ornate palaces. At the most impactful moments, Bennett breaks the panels to the gutters for a bit of splash, connecting the punches when they’re thrown.
There’s a wealth of added prose and extras in the back of the book that give further commentary and background on the development of Meadows and Bennett’s characters and story. Meadows is especially generous with his long and storied process, showing that every story, told or untold has its twists. If you fancy a long afternoon read with a hot pot of tea, give this version of Holmes a try. These are two storytellers, in sync, featuring an old familiar friend, and some wicked, dastardly troublemakers.
Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: Gene Genie The Collection is available to order from Simon & Schuster now
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