MYCROFT HOLMES and the APOCALYPSE HANDBOOK #1
Publisher: Titan
Writer(s): Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Raymond Obstfeld
Artist: Joshua Cassara
Colorist: Luis Guerrero
Cover: Joshua Cassara & Luis Guerrero
If the rest of the series is just as good or better than this first issue then we have nothing to worry about! Abdul-Jabbar and Obstfeld open with a field trip gone horribly bad as the British museum is brought down by a mysterious object and an even more mysterious figure wielding it’s power. From here we’re introduced to Mycroft who is a student at Cambridge University. There’s plenty of character building here as we see he’s an intelligent, direct, if not somewhat antagonistic individual that at times may border on being annoyingly overconfident. It’s also set up that his behavior is close to getting him kicked out of the prestigious school. Something his professor wouldn’t like more though their conflict runs even deeper which is revealed later.
Sherlock is also introduced here but the writers keep his presence to a minimum making sure that this remains Mycroft’s story. However they do highlight his impressive skills even at this young age as he engages his brother in some of the most polite sibling hazing I’ve ever seen. Soon after, the writers quickly speed things up with Mycroft’s kidnapping and moving the plot along quite well.
Casarra’s art is very impressive and captures the era perfectly. From the detail in architecture to the character designs every thing looks superb. Characters are quite expressive and give off a bit of who they are while syncing with the narrative. The action sequences flow pretty smoothly and we see another steam punk era weapon used against the young Holmes. This one was made even more impressive by Guerrero’s colors during the fight and helped amplify the surprise element.
This is quite a strong first issue that even delivers a slight twist at the end. So if you are just a fan of Holmes I’d highly recommend this issue. If you’re a fan of great stories with steampunk weapons, some mystery, and stellar artwork then Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook is for you too!
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
