Sherlock Holmes: Doctor Jekyll & Mr. Holmes

The Caliber Press Cover.
Same as Tome, except for the different logo.

  The evil Mr. Hyde is terrorizing the streets of Victorian London. On the case is the brilliant detective, Sherlock Holmes and his loyal companion, Watson. In this fantastic crossover comic thriller from Time Press, we see what might have happened if Robert Louis Stevenson collaborated with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  

   This one-shot from 1998 is Gothic storytelling at its very best. The writing of scripter Steve Jones was so perfect that I felt like I was reading something actually written by the original authors.

    I had gotten this book's in a grab bag a few months ago, holding on to it as a Halloween read. The decision was well worth the wait. The artwork by was similar to the Gothic illustrations of Sidney Paget, whose work chronicled the adventures of Holmes in the pages of the Strand Magazine. The whole package made for a delightfully spooky read.

   If this is what Tome Press' other Sherlock are like- then count me a new fan. Over the past couple of years, my love of Holmes has grown exponentially. The BBC series SHERLOCK has helped, but it's rare little treasures such as Doctor Jekyll & Mr. Holmes that has colored me Sherlocked!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

(Addendum: In 1979-80, Loren Estleman wrote the novel 'Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Holmes.' The novel was crafted as an lost manuscript by Dr. John Watson, but kept in a security box, unpublished, due to the sensational events the journal contained. Whether this comic was written as an adaptation of Estleman's book is unclear. On the credits page, Steve Jones gives thanks Doyle and Stevenson for their creations but no credit is given to Estleman. Also, the novel was written from Watson's perspective as this comic was scripted as a letter from Holmes to his biographer. 

    In 2010, Titan Books reissued Estleman's novel to much success. Whether the novel inspired this one-shot or the publication of this comic inspired Titan to re-release the novel is a mystery worthy of Holmes and Watson's attention.)