Moriarty #9
Publisher: Image
Writer: Daniel Corey
Artist: Anthony Diecidue
In this issue, we see the end of the story called “The Lazarus Tree”! After we saw the events unfold last issue, we now see Moriarty and Blair (the cop that found out Moriarty’s true identity) as they paddle down river in search of this well hidden tree of life. Well, they don’t get too far when they’re captured by the local savages and taken to their village. The village is actually very close to the tree, but before Moriarty can even think about that, he and the villagers are under attack. That same sniper from before has them dead in his sights, but Professor James Moriarty won’t be taken down that easily. He quickly lunges out of the way, and grabs Blair, as well. He tells the village chief that he’ll take down the shooter, but then he wants to be shown the location of the tree. You see, Moriarty has brought along a corpse, and he wants to reanimate his friend Morely, at any cost.
Daniel Corey has not only done a good job with this book, but also in making me a fan of this title. I was a little skeptical at first, especially when I realized Holmes wasn’t going to be a major player in the series. Not long after reading the first Tpb (trade paperback), I was hooked. This particular story line, The Lazarus Tree, took many twists and turns, and always kept me guessing. I think that was the most exciting part of the book, the anticipation of what was going to happen next. The way this issue ended, I think that the future for the series is very bright. You still have some lingering effects from the first arc, and this last one opened up a whole can of worms, as well.
The artist, Anthony Diecidue, didn’t really impress me at first, but his work definitely grew on me. I read the first arc in trade, and then the last one in singles, so I don’t know if somehow that had anything to do with it or not, but by the end of this issue, I was really digging the handle he had on things. I mean, when I look back at it, he hit Professor Moriarty right on the money with his rendition. He was strong, intelligent, and even afraid at times. All this blended together to make the perfect protagonist. His artwork really sealed the deal for me. Rating 4/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
