Sherlock: The Great Game

A bored Sherlock finds his interest piqued not by a matter of national security for Mycroft but by a mysterious bomber using hostages to deliver puzzles by phone. Sherlock may have met his match in his elusive opponent: someone willing to risk human lives and millions of dollars in order to prove himself Sherlock’s equal.

The finale of Sherlock‘s epic first season makes the transition to manga with gusto in Sherlock: The Great Game. Although some of the more visual elements of the show — appearing and disappearing text, deft transitions, etc. — are lost in translation, the key elements are in fine form. The emotional beats, the relationships between characters, and the moments of smugness, surprise, and suspense are captured brilliantly.

The black and white art style is mostly effective, with clean lines making Sherlock’s jagged personality even edgier, and never failing to darken the appropriate scenes. (The rendering of the apartment in the first puzzle is particularly effective.) Unfortunately, Watson and Lestrade are a little hard to tell apart, which can cause some confusion. (Especially for readers new to manga and already focused on trying to read right to left.)

Sherlock: The Great Game is a marvelous translation and one heck of a cliffhanger story.