I saw the cover of Watson and Holmes: A Scandal in Harlem and immediately wanted to read it. I am perpetually obsessed with almost every reimagining of Sherlock Holmes I find. And the fact Watson and Holmes is both noir and has black protagonists? I was so excited going into this.
| Title: Watson and Holmes: A Scandal In Harlem | Writers: Brandon Easton, Hannibal Tabu, Karl Bollers, Greg A. Elysée, Lynday Fay, and Steven Grant |
| Release Date: January 9, 2024 | Artists: N. Steven Harris, Eli Powell, and Dennis Calero |
| Publisher: Fairsquare Comics, LLC | Genre: Mystery / Crime / Anthology |
Synopsis
A silent epidemic of stolen lives.
In the streets of Harlem, black men are going missing, queer minors are being trafficked, dreams are being broken, the mafia is running amuck, and brand culture and social media are killing people.
When the dirtiest of vices are ripe in back alleys and street corners, the nastiest of humanity’s underbelly is put on display. With the police buried in cases and the community quickly losing faith, there is only one duo determined enough to bring light to injustice.
This anthology, curated from the finest African American talents in the industry, takes the classic detective team created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and brings them into the modern age. In the 21st Century where people are in desperate need of answers, JON WATSON and SHERLOCK HOLMES return with five new incredible tales.
Featuring stories from BRANDON EASTON (Transformers), N. STEVEN HARRIS (Michael Cray), HANNIBAL TABU (MPLS Sound), KARL BOLLERS (Marvel’s Machine Man, Cable), GREG A. ELYSÉE (Is’Nana the Were Spider) as well as true Holmesian creators like LYNDSAY FAYE, STEVEN GRANT, ELI POWELL, and DENNIS CALERO.
WATSON & HOLMES is part the NOIR IS THE NEW BLACK hit collection.
Review:
Watson and Holmes: A Scandal in Harlem is an anthology of stories following a reimagined Holmes and Watson. This version of Holmes and Watson are black men living in New York and solving crimes. Though this is the second volume in the Watson and Holmes series, I don’t think you need to read them in order, especially if you know a bit about Sherlock and Watson from popular culture.
The strongest story in this anthology for me, by far, was the first one, written by Brandon M. Easton. Easton’s story focuses on sex trafficking, sexuality, and the expectations placed on minorities in positions of power. I really enjoyed his story and felt Holmes and Watson were able to shine and do their thing in the best way. Given the sensitive subject matter, I appreciated the letter from Easton explaining his connection to his chosen themes.
I wish I could say the rest of the anthology worked that well for me. Unfortunately, most of the remaining stories in the Watson and Holmes: A Scandal in Harlem anthology did not ultimately work for me. Outside of the first story, which I found poignant and interesting, the stories mostly bled together.
Final Thoughts:
I really wanted to love this reimagining of Sherlock and Watson. While it wasn’t my perfect read, I will continue to look for more works by Brandon Easton.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy. All the above thoughts are my own.
#COYER
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