This was a fun jaunt into an apparent backstory for Moriarty, and the suspense/adventure plot held up fairly well, but it’s not exactly the kind of story I would aspect from a future criminal mastermind. It read too much like a standard espionage plot to stand out.

I'm here for this Sherlock retelling! It was fascinating. I couldn't stop reading. The characters are intriguing and I love the reimagining of this classic tale. A new manga I can't wait to recommend.

An interesting look at the youth of the world renowned adversary of Sherlock Holmes. The back story lends an empathetic twist to a character we have all loved to hate. In fact you might just find yourself rooting for him.

If you're a fan of Sherlock then Moriarty The Patriot is right up your alley. A very fun read with some great artwork and also now an anime. This manga takes the world from Moriarty perspective and gives you some cool backstory that makes you love the character.

I feel like this is the series Death Note fans have been waiting for. The characters skewed sense of justice reminds me so much of Light Yagami, but is also unique in his own right. After just one volume I'm not totally sure how I feel about the story. It's definitely attention grabbing, and I'll be picking up the next few volumes before I can come to a real conclusion.

The Moriarty brothers do indeed plot and carry out perfect crimes: murders, arson, and more. But each is connected to an injustice perpetrated against the lower class by the upper class. Does that make the crimes excusable? Will it make Moriarty’s later actions excusable when he goes toe-to-toe with the world’s greatest detective? Again… that’s up to the reader.

Volume 1 of Moriarty the Patriot hits the ground running, never shy about its theme or intent. While it does play fast and loose with the Holmes canon, it’s in good company there: most modern stories do. Whether you’re approaching it as a Sherlock Holmes fan or a mystery fan, it still offers up engaging stories. Except instead of reading on to discover who committed the latest crime, you’re reading on to find out what exactly the brothers James Moriarty will do — and why.

Moriarty the Patriot Volume 1 by Ryōsuke Takeuchi and Hikaru Miyoshi (Inspo from Arthur Conan Doyle with Sherlock and Moriarty)

2.5 stars

Moriarty finds himself trapped into a family that treats him and his brother horribly. They hate the wealthy and want to tear down the caste system in Britain. They will do anything to do so. Murder, revenge, and plots of intrigue commence. This should have been a wild romp that I loved, but it was pretty boring. I hated my time reading it and if it wasn't for the very beginning concept with the first moment Moriarty takes revenge on the rich I would have DNFed it. I didn't and I kind of wish that I had because this manga didn't do anything for me. I didn't hate it and the concept was interesting, but the storyline did not invest me or keep me interested in the characters. I will not be continuing on with this series. I recommend this for hardcore Sherlock fans or people who love "eat the rich" concepts. Take a bite!


Whimsical Writing Scale: 2

Character Scale: 3

Art Scale: 3

Plotastic Scale: 2.5

Cover Thoughts: Feels like a trigger warning instead of tongue in cheek.

Thank you, Netgalley and Viz Media, for providing me with a copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

My review for Booklist is here: https://www.booklistonline.com/Moriarty-the-Patriot-v-1-Hikaru-Miyoshi/pid=9741620

And the review was cross-posted to Smithsonian BookDragon here: http://smithsonianapa.org/bookdragon/moriarty-the-patriot-vol-1-by-ryosuke-takeuchi-illustrated-by-hikaru-miyoshi-in-booklist/

A manga telling the story behind Moriarty and the relationship between him and Moriarty? Sign me up! This first volume sets the stage to introduce us to the person who would become THE Moriarty. Jumping into this work, I was immediately struck by the class discussions and how the Moriarty brothers decided it would be their life lesson to teach the noble class to not be so focused on their money. Each story was strong and kept me turning the pages. Readers who enjoyed Deathnote will absolutely enjoy this title since there is that discussion of who lives, who dies, and what is good or evil? Throw in a little discussion about classes and you have an excellent manga. Must read!

This was a fun look at a seldom understood character in a favorite series. I enjoyed finding out what made this character tick.

I really enjoyed this alternate perspective of Sherlock's nemesis Professor Moriarty. The art is beautiful and the character design is stunning. The story is well crafted and does an excellent job placing William, Louis, and Albert in the gray area between justice and mayhem. The first volume sets up the gentleman's roles nicely and although we know Moriarty's future, it is interesting to see what motivates and ultimately sends him on a collision course with Sherlock Holmes.

Very deep and interesting story. Not really my kind of graphic novel to enjoy, but I can see this being very popular. Beautiful male anime characters with a very dark, class repression theme. I might read the second one, but am not sure. I would recommend the library have a copy for sure!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC to review!
Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1 by Ryosuke Takeuchi. #MoriartythePatriotVol1 #NetGalley

Really enjoyed the set up for this series! Curious to continue it after a few more volumes come out.

This is an interesting adaption based on the character of Professor Moriarty from Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. In this version, William James and his younger brother, Louis, orphans of working class parents, have been adopted by a noble family, the Moriartys. The family did this for one reason: to satisfy the unspoken but expected "noblesse oblige" responsibility that all nobles have, to help those less fortunate than themselves. The boys are treated poorly by everyone, constantly reminded that as working class people, they don't deserve the lifestyle they're being provided. The only exception is the eldest Moriarty son, Albert, who is friendly with them and treats them as equals. The three young men share a hatred of nobles, which takes a dark turn when they decide to rid the world of nobility, started with the Moriarty family! Things get a little murdery after that, plus we get the set-up of the story and characters to get us ready for the rest of the series. A good start to what looks to be an intriguing series, with a dark twist to it that will get darker and twistier as the story progresses. The art is lovely to look at, and adds to the moodiness of the tale. Even if you're not familiar with the Sherlock Holmes stories, this is a very enjoyable read!

#MoriartythePatriotVol1 #NetGalley

I wasn't quite sure what to expect going in to a series that follows a character typically known as a villain, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoy seeing Takeuchi's version of Moriarty's back story. I love that Moriarty has been painted as an anti-hero! Highly suggested for manga collections with slightly older teen readers. Moriarty the Patriot now has an anime adaptation as well, which is sure to increase interest in this title.

This is definitely darker than the anime!!! I am invested in the Moriarty, his brothers and friends. He is a sick, twisted man, but he helps those he don't get the help they need. So LOVING the manga and the anime!!

As a massive fan of the Sherlock Holmes Canon I really wanted to enjoy this story, but I was left feeling disappointed.

I felt like too much of the back story was not explained in the beginning for me to be able to recognize characters, either familiar or unfamiliar. This made the story confusing and difficult to understand. Overall I was just left feeling disappointed and dissatisfied so I did not finish.

Perhaps all would be made.clear if I persevered but I couldn't continue.

Thank you to Viz Media and NetGalley for the ARC!

Moriarty the Patriot is a re-imagining of the famous nemesis of Sherlock Holmes. Delving into his backstory, this interpretation shows him as committing crimes directed at the selfishness and abuse of the noble class. Each chapter is a new "case" against the nobility that are guilty of murder, abuse, assault, and other crimes. In doing so, this Moriarty hopes to create social class equality.

While Moriarty is often depicted as having little motivation besides challenging Sherlock, this was a really fun and twisted interpretation, and helps to give the character an interesting depth and an anti-hero angle, that should be fun for many Sherlock fans.

Art style was wonderful, and while the 1st volume is more 1 chapter=1 case, I am curious to see if there will be more overarching arcs, for future volumes. Definitely will be on the lookout for volume 2!

In the late 19th century, the British Empire has colonized almost the entire world. Due to the strict hierarchical system, people from the lower class have difficulty in rising up to the top, where corrupted nobles rule over them.

William James Moriarty, the second son of the Moriarty household, is a young mathematics professor who displayed vast intellect ever since he was a child. He lives in a countryside manor along with his brothers Albert and Louis. Unlike any other nobles, William and his brothers have an objective to rebuild the world from the destruction of the corrupted system they are living in. Thus, outside of the academy, William works as a private consultant to solve anyone’s problems.

Yuukoku no Moriarty (Moriarty the Patriot) is a spinoff of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original work by focusing on William James Moriarty as the main antagonist.

This story follows the young life of James Moriarty, the acclaimed nemesis of Sherlock Holmes. This James is loosely based on the Professor of Doyle's works - he's a math professor, and he is a mastermind of crime. As a child, James and his younger brother, Louis, were adopted by the wealthy Moriarty family, but the parents and youngest Moriarty brother never treat them like equals. The eldest Moriarty, Albert, first met James and Louis at the orphanage, and want nothing more than to be a true family.

Now a young man, James has a Crime Consulting Agency where he uses his intellect to punish the nobles of England who are abusing those of lower status. His ultimate goal is to make-over the British Empire and the world into a casteless system where all can be on equal footing. Along with his brothers, Moriarty breaks down the nobility one mysterious case at a time.
This is a really interesting look into the origins of Moriarty. It is common knowledge that Moriarty is Sherlock's arch enemy, but the criminal mastermind only appears in two stories, and is mentioned in four others. For as ubiquitous as the pairing is, little is known of Moriarty, and he is in very little of Doyle's stories. Takeuchi has taken the pieces that are known and crafted an entire life for Moriarty that is intriguing, especially for fans of righteous vengeance stories like Venom or Punisher. Miyoshi's illustrations beautifully depict the lavish aristocratic life of the Victorian Era, although a few of the noble youth at Moriarty's university look very similar to each other.

VIZ rates this as Teen Plus for "realistic violence, drug use, and criminal activity." The violence at the beginning of the volume would definitely make this a title I would reserve for older high school audiences.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 11-12

This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Edelweiss This graphic novel will be on sale October 6, 2020.