Watson and Holmes : a study in black /

Britain becomes America, Baker Street becomes Harlem, and whatever remains must be the truth. That's the subtext of Watson and Holmes: A Study in Black, as the classic pair Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are reimagined as black men in modern-day New York City. Dr. Watson, an Afghanistan War vet, meets local PI Sherlock in his inner-city clinic, and the legendary duo is formed to solve the case of a missing girl. The new spin on an old canon makes room for interesting interactions with technology, race, prejudice, and modern crime. Bollers' dialogue can feel a bit forced when he tries to include classic Sherlock lines, but the story moves at a compelling pace over the course of the arc. Leonardi (Spider-Man: 2099, 2013) pencils the story like he is sketching for fun, and his playfulness with character sizes and anatomy is well done on several levels. Fans of the atmosphere of Spider-Man: 2099 or the plots of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle should sink down in a leather chair and enjoy.--Spanner, Ben Copyright 2014 Booklist

In recent video rebirths of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson, from the United States and the UK, the detective remains British. How better to make him truly American than to conjure him and his partner as African Americans from Harlem? Here, former parajumper medic "Jon" Watson, a hulking Afghanistan war vet, takes top billing; with his clinical and military skills, he complements his partner perfectly. Holmes, for his part, sports dreadlocks, a fedora, brilliant deduction ability (of course), and a photographic memory. He's also an ex-computer programmer and is socially sensitive. In another remix, Inspector Lestrade becomes female: here the character appears as NYPD's Lt. Leslie Stroud, who treats Holmes with grudging respect enlivened by flashes of humor. Mrs. Hudson (who runs a "vintage books and vinyl" shop), Mycroft, and the Irregulars also appear. The plot? A trauma patient in Watson's ER, a young female hostage, and several brutal murders send the duo off on a trail complicated by gunplay and computer techno-nerderie. -VERDICT This new vision works brilliantly, enhanced by dead-on art, fine writing, and moody coloring. Holmes fans and urban fiction buffs, mid-teen and up, should love it. Owing to a related Kickstarter campaign that raised double the target fundraising, additional volumes are planned.-M.C. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.