My dear Moriarty......
The second installment of what happened to Moriarty after he fell into the Reinbach continues with it's protagonist fleeing with a boy from the villain of this piece, a Baron who seems to possess supernatural abilities.
The art continues to be beautiful and detailed, but the story in itself seems to be lost trying to navigate what genre it's trying to keep itself to.
SPOILERS FOLLOW.............
Moriarty escapes with the boy Uzo from the police, who now suspect him of murdering Uzo's mother.
Having given the dying woman his word that he will protect him, Moriarty is also intrigued by the mystery presented by this town and it's domineering overlord, the Baron.
They take refuge at a townsman's home and Moriarty uses his powers of observations to deduce things, using which he blackmails them into letting them stay there. He makes some curious (and far-fetched) deductions, but the beauty of the explanation is absent here. Moriarty just says he knows and that is it. One of the highlights of Doyle's stories was the common place reasoning (no matter how contrived) and it is missing here.
Elsewhere, the Baron continues his experiments with alchemy and pseudo-science on rats, showing all signs of a mad scientist (complete with weak willed assistant).
Moriarty decides to force the Baron's hand by launching attacks on the Baron's gangs, creating the rumor of a new gang in town by scribbling 'Wolf Pack' on the walls near the attacks.
We get a peak into the Baron's private life as he tries to elicit the response of a blond woman whom he seemingly is keeping captive against her will (through his words imply that they are wedded).
As the Baron decides to replinish his stock of hired help, Moriarty decides to dress up and infiltrate the organization. He is selected by the Baron's man.
In between, we see Moriarty 'teaching' Uzo the tools of the trade. First, he uses Uzo's inborn need for revenge into getting his help. In turn, Uzo tells him what the Baron wants and it's relatively mundane - apparently, his father helped fashion a key to a chest that held untold reaches and it is now in his grasp. Though the chest is in the Baron's hands, the key is the only thing that stands between him and the contents.
Yawn.
What is more interesting is how Moriarty manipulates Uzo into helping him. This character development sheds much light on both Moriarty and a slowly darkening Uzo.
SPOILERS END...............
As Moriarty tries to solve the puzzle of what is it that the Baron really wants, we get some Sherlockian traits exhibited but not explained (c'mon, that was the fun part!) and a villain who seems to be less mysterious and more outlandish by the minute.
The boy Uzo is a good foil for Moriarty though. His innocence contrasts well with Moriarty's world weary outlook. It will be interesting to see how Moriarty channels the boy's need for vengeance into something more base.
But Moriarty is the attraction here. He grapples with moral situations and we get some insight into how he became a criminal mastermind. His ability to weed out pressure points and manipulate people by subverting Sherlock's abilities is expertly done.
And I must stress, the art is wonderful and both the dreary town and the inhabitants are shown beautifully, easily making us intimate with their fears and aspirations.
So, I give it 6.0 out of 10
+We get a good look at classic Moriarty
+Great art
+Uzo is a good foil
-The story fails to find a settled voice
-Much is deduced but not explained
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