Author: Ryosuke Takeuchi
Artist: Hikaru Miyoshi
Idea: Arthur Conan Doyle
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Released: October 6^th, 2020
Received: NetGalley

I received a copy of Moriarty the Patriot Vol. 1 in exchange for a fair and honest review.

We’ve seen all of the countless takes of the great Sherlock Holmes. Both in the movies, and on television. Now it’s time for us to take a closer look at his greatest rival, Moriarty.

Moriarty the Patriot Vol. 1 follows the one and only Moriarty, though in manga format. This his story, before he ever came up against the in/famous Sherlock Holmes. His childhood, his hopes, his dreams. It’s all there, and then some.

Written by Ryosuke Takeuchi, with artwork by Hikaru Miyoshi, this manga is about to take the writing of Arthur Conan Doyle in a whole new direction.

First, I just want to say that I absolutely adore the idea of focusing entirely on Moriarty. I’ve always felt like he was a character that got overshadowed by Holmes. And yes, I am saying that knowing full well that he is considered to be the primary antagonist by many.

They say that a series is made or broken by it’s villains. That is certainly true of Moriarty. He’s a villain worth keeping an eye on. Seriously, don’t take your eyes off of him. It’s not a safe or smart idea.

Moriarty the Patriot Vol. 1 was an interesting start to this series. I knew that it was going to tell his origin story, and yet I was still surprised by how young Moriarty is at the start of it all. Weird, I know. But I was.

It was truly fascinating to see how whole backstories laid out like that. They did an excellent job of making it all feel personal. Again, this went a long way in establishing his character, and the threat that he would later become.

I’m looking forward to seeing how Moriarty’s character develops over time into the character that any Sherlock fan would happily point out. It’s going to be an interesting journey, at least, I hope it will be!