Moriarty #5
Publisher: Image
Writer: Daniel Corey
Artist: Anthony Diecidue
In issue #5, we see Moriarty having a flashback of sorts (a dream?), that is basically the after-effects of his looking into the Cyclops Eye (Moriarty vol. 1-The Dark Chamber, Tpb). He comes to the realization that Sherlock Holmes is still alive, and that he needs to find an old friend, Eustis Morely, in Burma. Why does he need to find this friend, you ask? Well, he believes this friend and a certain tree can extend his life past the point of death (he thinks he’s seen his own death by looking into the Eye, again volume 1). He boards a ship and uses his intelligence to win some traveling money from a few of the workers on the vessel. One sailor demands his money back, but gets his nose broken and two fingers sliced off instead. Once he arrives in Burma, he’s greeted by one of the local British policeman. Moriarty is under the guise of a member of the East India Trading Company, so the locals believe he is a man of high authority. He means to find his old friend, Morely, but there is one problem. The locals say he went off into the jungle one day, and never returned.
This was a good issue starting off the new story line “The Lazarus Project.” It seems that Daniel Corey is really trying to weave a lot of things together to start off with this new direction, but it isn’t too much to handle over the course of the book. Diecidue’s artwork is a good fit for this book, but not a style I typically care for myself. He keeps things looking like I imagine they did at that time and in that setting. A little too rough for my tastes, but again, it’s a good look for this title. Rating 3.5/5
Moriarty #6
Publisher: Image
Writer: Daniel Corey
Artist: Anthony Diecidue
As Moriarty is about to be roughed up by U Suu Kyin, the town official, and his minions, he decides to turn the tables on these brutes. Just as he disables them, Officer Blair comes to the door. He and Moriarty then proceed to the morgue where they examine the bodies of the recently deceased in the area. Moriarty uses his expertise in the medical field to show the officer that a marksman of a high degree killed these men from a long distance. They both then depart on a mission into the jungle, where Morely was last seen. Once there, they find more dead villagers. As they investigate, shots abruptly ring out and they dive for cover. The police shoot the assassin, and he dies before Moriarty can wring any information out of him. He does manage to ask the man if he’s seen another gentleman by the name of Moran. Officer Blair then gets livid with Moriarty (or Latimore, as he knows him), and demands that he tell him all he knows of this investigation. Just as it appears that Moriarty might answer, another policeman runs into the group to tell Blair that a riot has broken out in the town. This leaves Blair and Moriarty at a crossroads, and a confrontation might be just around the corner.
This issue was a great follow up to the last one in this new arc. I really like the fact that Moriarty is “undercover” while in Burma. There does seem to be one local that knows his true identity, but I’ll leave that and another surprise inside the issue for you to read yourself. As before, the artwork is good and is growing on me a little with each passing issue. Maybe in the next few issues Diecidue will win me over. The cover is pretty funky, too, but again, it totally fits with the dark and crazy tone of this book. Rating 3.5/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
