REVIEW: ‘Moriarty: Clockwork Empire,’ Issue #1

Moriarty: Clockwork Empire #1 is the start of a new series published by Titan Comics, written by Fred Duval and Jean-Pierre Pécau, art by Stevan Subic, colors by Scarlett, and letters by Marc Bourbon-Crook. In a steampunk world with airships and automatons, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are approached by a client concerned about their friend, a certain Doctor Jekyll.

This is a plot collating many tendrils of classic stories and placing them into a new world. Still set in the Victorian era, with talks of wars in Africa and other historical references included, steampunk elements capture the imagination. Duval and Pécau brilliantly combine the worlds of Jekyll and Hyde with Sherlock, allowing both stories to remain integral to their standard themes whilst also being able to merge the two together. The iconic detective work of Holmes and Watson combined with the bestial mystery of Jekyll and Hyde is a beautiful mix.

But laced into that is a bigger tale. This is set up in the opening scene, one that creates a gorgeous atmosphere for the rest of the comic. But after that, it falls into the background, where it lingers, clearly waiting for an opportunity to strike again. This is a world that is starting small but definitely has the chance to grow into something bigger.

Moriarty: Clockwork Empire #1 brings in public domain characters with hundreds of years of publication history between them, and yet it uses each other to create something new. The dialogue is thick and full of exposition, but that is to be expected in a comic containing an orator like Holmes. There is a very classic feel to their conversations, full of eloquence. It is clear the partnership of Holmes and Watson has been ongoing for a while, knowing specificities about each other. There are the almost required references and stereotypes of a Holmes story mentioned, for example, cocaine use. If it wasn’t for the airships and other pieces of technology, this first issue would read as a normal Sherlock Holmes story.

The art is gorgeous. Subic builds the world superbly. London is gothic and mysterious, its age generating an enigmatic feel to the book. There are often these large panels showing spacious rooms filled with people. But the details are immaculate. Even from the other side of the room, the patterns on the far walls are jaw-dropping. The same can be attributed to the character models. In the first scene, the room is filled with stuffy aristocrats, decked out with brilliant facial hair and surrounded by excess.

Sometimes the sheer amount of detail can lead to real emotion being obscured, with heavy shadows or excessive lines blocking the eyes and mouth from truly depicting feeling. There are some pieces of exciting action in Moriarty: Clockwork Empire #1, with bodies clambering over each other and bursts of chaos. Much of the artwork, particularly when referring to Hyde, is leaning into horror, with a monstrous but not extreme transformation. 

The colors are a consistent but effective palette. Most of the pages are covered with a golden hue, illuminated through the candles and streetlights. But those yellow tones have a blue and black counterpart at night, which generates a beautiful contrast of shades throughout the comic and ensures one color doesn’t become too overpowering. The letters are easy to read, but perhaps the word balloons are sometimes too big and take up too much of the panels.

Moriarty: Clockwork Empire #1 blends the classics to craft something new. At its core, it is a loving callback to some of the greatest stories of old, including Sherlock Holmes and Jekyll and Hyde, within a slightly changed world. But it is clear that buried further is more than just homages. There’s a mystery to the tale that the opening issue only scratches the surface of. This large world is barely explored, with only the mainstays of culture being used to draw us into it. Some of the real surprises remain hidden, with this first chapter excellently piquing my interest.

Moriarty: Clockwork Empire #1 is available where comics are sold.