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.

Wow, this story was really compelling after the first chapter. The first chapter was a little hard to follow because all of the young boys looked the same and it was hard to tell them apart and what was really going on. After the first chapter the initial set up was done and I was able to enjoy it more. The three Moriarty brothers are on a mission to destroy classist society. They aim to use their cleverness to do so though. I read an e-arc of this from NetGalley to get an idea if this manga would be good for my YA collection and I think it will fit in nicely. I was a little sad to see that Sherlock isn't a character, hopefully he will appear later but I enjoyed the characters that were introduced in this first volume.

For most fans of literature in general and Sherlock Holmes specifically, Moriarty is a mostly known quantity. So the idea of a story that looks into his origins and imagines where Holmes’ nemesis comes from is intriguing. And as far as Ryosuke Takeuchi’s first volume of Morirarty the Patriot goes, we are headed into a solid place. The first half of this volume is focused mainly on setting up characters and giving us a bit of depth, but it doesn’t take long to get at the heart of what this series is going for: Moriarty’s intelligence and ability to pull of anything from helping grow plants to murder and who the people are that Moriarty and his growing band of compatriots are targeting. The second half of the volume is primary focused on setting up Moriarty’s beliefs and the structure of how his “consulting” work goes. I don’t think it is a spoiler since it is communicated pretty much from the first page, but we are eating the rich here. And I am there for it. The first villains that we do run into are a bit over the top. There really isn’t much subtlety to their characterization. They are stock unredeemable bad guys. But this does allow for more depth and characterization of our title character. I feel confident that we will begin running into more complex motivations and characterizations of villains going forward to help build Moriarty as a character and I’m looking forward to that. 

It is always a big ask for any manga or comic series to make the first volume of a new story something that can stand on its own, but also help propel the reader into picking up subsequent volumes. But it is something the Takeuchi has done effectively here.

Thanks to Netgalley and Viz for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting take on the Sherlock Holmes universe, in which (at least so far) Sherlock does not appear at all. The manga is an attempt to explain how Moriarty became a "consulting criminal" and tried to paint his life of crime in a positive light, as he is, here, a sort of Robin Hood - though he is not robbing from the rich, he's just killing them.

Prose (Story): In 19th-century Britain class division has never been more pronounced, with nobles making money from and feeding off of the working class to maintain their lifestyle, while treating those who work to the death for them worse than animals. But for once, a noble is noticing the injustices of his class; first-born son Albert James Moriarty is disgusted with his nobility - even more with his own family's penchant for greed, and cruelty for the sake of fun - and when he talks his parents into adopting a pair of orphan brothers, noticing the more-than-unique level of intelligence of one of them who shares Albert's hatred of the rich and desire to level the playing field of the rich and the poor, a plan is set in motion. A plan that includes the destruction of Albert's own family ... and gives rise to the birth of the manipulative and highly-intelligent sociopath who would eventually become the arch-enemy of none other than the one and only Sherlock Holmes.

Don's (Review): A beautifully-illustrated manga tracing the rise of a young orphan with a hatred for nobles and desire for equality for all, who would become a professor while still in his teens and a Crime Consultant not above murder (execution?) of members of the piggish upper class as a means to an end. Just the start of a new series, readers are treated to Professor Moriarty as a young boy, manipulating a young noble tired of his life into aiding in the slaughter of his entire family, only to claim the orphaned Moriarty and his brother as his own blood to authorities afterward, securing their futures. It's only the beginning of the now-Moriarty brothers rise to destroying the rich and elevating the poor, and while this volume feels as if it only gives readers a bare-bones beginner's view of what our young professor is capable of doing - in terms of serving his country and making a better future, no matter how - the underlying genesis of the mad genius he would become before coming across Sherlock Holmes is there. Side characters and other villains - including Sebastian Moran - add dimension to the story, and by the end as a reader you really have a flavor for just how creepy one skinny like blond guy can be - and why he commands respect and fear from those who serve him. Wonderfully done, darkly funny at times, violent and edgy, and a delicious treat for anyone who ever wanted to see the one-percenters get what they deserve - even in 19th-century England. 4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

I love reimaginings of popular literary characters, especially ones as rich and nuanced as Moriarty. Stories that speak about class divisions, family structure, and the power of individual will always fascinate me. Moriarty as the underdog certainly was a new take on the character, though I admit at times the characterizations seemed a little one-sided and overbearing.

The artwork was lovely and the story interesting. I can't wait to see what comes next! Hopefully we will get the rest of the volumes in translation.

Everyone knows who Sherlock Holmes is. You have to be living under a rock to not know who he is, but when it comes to his equally infamous nemesis James Moriarty, there isn’t that much we know of him.

I was a bit hesitant to read this, because I adore the Sherlock Holmes stories, and with how popular Holmes retellings have become in the last few years, there is so much that from the original stories that has been changed or been lost to cultural osmosis. Just look at how much modern depictions of Irene Adler differs from her original progenitor. Original Irene was the only person who was able to outsmart Sherlock Holmes and he admired that so much he kept her portrait. Modern day Irene is always a love interest or the figure of sexual obsession. I don’t love it, but it is what it is and I can’t change that. 

I was nervous about how Moriarty would be portrayed, because despite his popularity he doesn’t appear that much in the Holmes mythos. He only ever appears in one story, and he’s only mentioned a handful of times, and Doyle only used him as a narrative device to finally kill off Sherlock Holmes, so it was inevitable that his role would be expanded upon. And this can work. I’ve got some great Moriarty’s that needed expanding to become better characters, but this reimagining didn’t work for me.

Despite this being a backstory of Moriarty, how he became a criminal before he met Holmes, I just didn’t buy the setup. It was too over the top and melodramatic for me to believe. Making him a villain but for the justice of the lower classes didn’t really convince me all that much, but I like that he was still evil. It would’ve been too easy to switch it up, but then that would go against who Moriarty is, but making him a Robin Hood figure who helps the poor to spite the rich felt like trying to compromise on his villainy to make us root for him. Which is odd, since I think it would’ve benefited more if they went all the way and stuck it with him being a self-serving villain.

I wasn’t that invested in the cases he was involved in. I felt like there were a lot of leaps in logic that I didn’t buy. It might work for some, but you do have to suspend your disbelief most of the time.

The art style is really good, but also suffers from everyone looking too similar. If you changed the hairstyles and put them on different characters then you are not going to tell anyone apart.

Despite my criticism, this is a good manga series. It wasn’t for me. You do follow the origins of an interesting villain and you get the promise of an exciting story, and I have a feeling it’s going to take some very interesting directions. I would recommend this, and you don’t have to be a Holmes enthusiast to enjoy it.