Honour Among Punks: The Complete Baker Street Graphic Novel | |||||
Guy Davis and Gary Reed | |||||
ibooks, 368 pages | |||||
A review by Cindy Lynn Speer
The idea behind Baker Street is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche set in a world where WWI wasn't as devastating,
where WWII never happened. The Victorian Age hasn't really died, and the technology isn't really up to the our present day
standards. Most of all, the punk and gothic movement are in full swing, creating a subculture that
clashes against the Victorian world they all live in, and Baker Street is in the centre of it. Medical student Susan Predergrast
isn't quite ready for this world. A clean-cut girl from the Midwest, she'd never have taken an apartment with a pair of punker girls
if the offer wasn't good. Free food and board, if she'll keep house. At first this almost puts her into a Mrs. Hudson position, but
soon we learn that she's really a less daffy Dr. Watson, playing to her new roommate and employer Sharon Ford's less acerbic
Holmes. An ex-cop whose irreverent attitude helped get her kicked off the force, Sharon is not about to let a mystery pass her by,
especially if in solving it she'll help keep the peace between the volatile punks and goths. Rounding out the trio is Sam, whose
grouchy I-don't-give-a-toss attitude, coupled with her growing jealousy/dislike of Sharon's work makes her hard to live with, even
though Sue can't help but like her. It's no wonder, for despite her anger, and the secret she hides, she's capable of moments of
incredible thoughtfulness.
The first arc is "Honour Among Punks". In it, Sharon's ex-partner Pinner brings her a case where some valuable pieces of jade
have been stolen, during a riot between the punks and the goths. Are the two things connected? Sharon thinks so and suspects
that Lady Gothik's new boyfriend may know more that he's telling. The second arc is the ripper-esque "The Children of the Night", where
Sharon is determined to discover who is murdering and mutilating men. Since the first two victims were all convicted rapists let out
early, is it a feminist organization determined to get their own kind of justice? Or is there a deeper, sadder motive? Then there
is "Elementary My Dear", a charming tale where our trio runs into Holmes and Watson at a pawn shoppe, and "A Case of the Blues," a
touching story about Christmas Cheer.
Honour Among Punks: The Complete Baker Street Graphic Novel is a fascinating take on the Sherlock
Holmes mythos. Not just cool, it is extremely well done. Guy Davis and Gary Reed are smart.
While Sharon and Sherlock have a lot in common -- brilliant people with a troubled past-- they are still very different. They also
pick just the right elements from Doyle's world to place in theirs. The biggest, meanest club is a place called the Baskervilles,
the gang that helps out Sharon are called the Irregulars. They live above a nifty book store run by a Mr. Hudson at 221 Baker
Street. Sharon often employs disguises, and has a gorgeous tartan cloak/coat. These touches added into this very different world
make the connections between the Doyle stories and these perfect, giving just the right feel while creating totally new and engaging
stories. I enjoyed them highly. The plotting of the mysteries were deft and hard to guess, the prose often quite moving. The art,
done all by Guy Davis (who illustrated the Sandman Mystery Theatre) is evocative and clever. What really hit me is how
different his art was, how his style changed from the first arc to the second. He captures the ambiance perfectly, creating a richly
textured world that is equal parts Jack the Ripper's fog drenched London and loud, dark, goth punk sensibility.
If you like mysteries, if you like Sherlock Holmes type tales, you'll find yourself fascinated by this interpretation.
Cindy Lynn Speer loves books so much that she's designed most of her life around them, both as a librarian and a writer. Her books aren't due out anywhere soon, but she's trying. You can find her site at www.apenandfire.com. |
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