I ADORE the Moriarty the Patriot series so much! Having seen the anime and read the first two volumes, what more can I not love. Moriarty and his band are such villainous yet helpful people. Sherlock is still so comical. The action, gore, drama are just so gripping. I need more!

Weirdly, for a series that is a spin on the Sherlock Holmes universe, Sherlock is the least interesting part of this series. So it's a shame that the first story is so focused on Holmes. He's just not very interesting here - a brash, extroverted version of the character that just feels more annoying than awe inspiring. A misanthropic Holmes can be interesting. A dudebro Holmes isn't that interesting.

The second story, a riff on the Hound of the Baskervilles, is more interesting since it focuses on Moriarty's inner circle and the ways they are growing and learning about exactly what Moriarty wants of them and wants to do to English society.

The long term theme of this series (power corrupts!) is interesting, given it's about Moriarty. Will be interested to see whether this remains a heroic "eat the rich" story or if it evolves into a tragedy.

William and his clan of super criminals continue to consult and carry out crimes against nobles who are able to get away with ghastly crimes themselves. In Volume Two, we met Sherlock and Dr. Watson, and Volume Three features them pretty prominently as Sherlock solves a murder for which he is being framed. Next, the Moriarty gang goes up against the Baskervilles, who are continuing the tradition of hunting humans - except they are exclusively carrying out hunts against children. Fred and Louis disagree about how to handle the crime, but in the end, the entire gang must work together to stop this terrible crime for continuing.

I was personally upset by how much of this volume focused on Sherlock, and I actually had to put it down and walk away for a while. It all makes sense in the end why they were focusing on Sherlock, but hopefully he will be in the series less than he was in the last two volumes. He has plenty of books and other things about him! I’m here for the Moriartys! This series is continuing in its violent, bloody scenes, but this volume sort of doubles down on everything with its focus on violence against children. The actual killing blows of children happen off page (in contrast to the adults where we see every kill), but the maiming of the children happens on page, which might be disturbing for some readers.

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

Moriarty the Patriot is an interesting manga; although the characters have flaws (personality wise) it is interesting to see/ read why they do what they do. This manga makes you questions things and really lets you see how a person with good intentions can turn evil.

A rivalry for the ages and a test of wit.

This latest volume of features two stories, "A Study in S" acts 2 and 3, and "The Hunting of the Baskervilles" acts 1 and 2. In the first story, we see Moriarty test Sherlock's wit and commitment to solving crimes. In the second story, readers revisit a previous case with twisted killers. The first story mainly focuses on Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson. Readers get to see the dysfunctional Scotland Yard and more corrupt nobles. The second story see's Moriarty and his entire crew in action.

The balance in plots between the stories was great and gave readers a nice variety. More is revealed about the characters and their motivations. The illustrations capture the gore and horror of the crimes committed. The plots are very dark, focusing on terrible crimes. The dialogue is revealing of characters' motivations and feelings towards others. This was a great volume with good storytelling!

Looking forward to volume 4.

This is the first volume in this series I have read and as a result I believe it took me a while to understand which characters related to which drawing on the page. The stories were modern versions of "A study in scarlet" and "The hounds of the Baskervilles". These were both well produced and linked together. There is an element of violence in the books, but this is not over done. These will be a useful addition to a graphic/manga book collection which in the school setting 11 year olds and above will enjoy.

I’ve been taking in a lot of Sherlockian content. From the manga from Titan, Enola Holmes, and The Irregulars, I’ve had Sherlock and his world, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, on the brain. But nothing has lived rent-free like Moriarty the Patriot, which features storyboards by Ryosuke Takeuchi and art by Hikaru Miyoshi. Published in English by VIZ Media via the publisher’s Shonen Jump Imprint, Moriarty the Patriot Volume 3 is translated to English by (‘・∀・`)サァ? and features touch-up art and lettering by Annaliese “Ace” Christman.

Moriarty the Patriot is a new story based in Doyle’s Sherlockian world but focused on Moriarty, Sherlock’s greatest rival. Last volume, Moriarty found himself in Sherlock’s crosshairs after executing a noble who hunted poor people. With Sherlock’s interest piqued and Moriarty curious to see if he can bring the detective into his fold, Moriarty the Patriot Volume 3 picks up with a test. One made to see if Sherlock is up to snuff for Moriarty and his group.

Moriarty the Patriot Volume 3 opens with Sherlock being arrested for a murder he didn’t commit in a plot orchestrated by none other than Moriarty – as we saw alluded to in the last volume. He soon escapes police custody and sets out to clear his name, discovering that the Count that was murdered is far from an innocent man. In these first two chapters, named “A Study in S,” act 2 and 3, we get to see who Sherlock is when written by Takeuchi.

In this section of the volume, we see Sherlock work under pressure and be pushed to the edge of his curiosity. Does he choose to take a life to solve a mystery? Of course, not, he opts to solve it himself, and he finds himself pulled closer to the man who planned his demise.



But the back half of Moriarty the Patriot Volume 3 focuses directly on Moriarty, his push to punish the nobles, and is the most violent section of the series yet. While these last two chapters, “The Hunting of the Baskervilles” Act 1 and 2 up the violence, it also takes the time to ground the story in Moriarty’s goal to take down and punish the nobles of England and his relationship with his brother Louis. While also investigating the fact that Moriarty and his brother are now nobles themselves.

While the emotional notes in the back half of Moriarty the Patriot Volume 3 hit, it’s not an easy read and should be entered with caution. Especially with Miyoshi’s art which makes gorgeously attractive characters but their ability to draw violence is equally as well done, which makes it hard to read. In this portion, Moriarty and his team hunt nobles who have taken up hunting humans, more specifically children. This element of the volume is frustrating because of how graphic the violence is. While there has been violence in the series so far, this feels like too much. Now, there is catharsis, but it’s hard-won.

Moriarty the Patriot Volume 3 is a volume that dives into elements of the characters that we haven’t seen before, but it also pushes the boundary on violence in a way that makes it hard to read. But, I’m going to keep reading, for the characters and for the catharsis of reading someone take down the rich.

There's something fascinating about the way that this story is unfolding. In no small part that's due to the way that the other characters all view William Moriarty. That's really the focus of the second half of this volume, a loose adaptation of <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>, Conan Doyle's third Sherlock Holmes novel. The story develops both Fred and Louis more than they have been previously, but more importantly it looks at how both of those characters view William. Fred, when he discovers that the villain of the shipboard case's compatriots are still child-hunting, isn't sure William will want to go after them because they've already done that mission. Louis, meanwhile, is hurt that he isn't invited to participate in any of the cases and feels sidelined by his brother.

Both, as it turns out, are misjudging the man who is already at risk of becoming his own legend. Will is much more compassionate than either of them give him credit for. In fact, it's really <i>Louis</i> everyone should probably be afraid of, because he proves much more vicious than either of his older brothers. That's not entirely surprising - he is the one who burned his own face, after all - but not something Will understands in his drive to protect him. Fred, meanwhile, is implied to have come from a similar background to the two younger Moriartys, which stands to have a lot of influence on his role in the future.

This may be more of a 3.5, because it is a bit heavy-handed. But it's also weirdly fascinating, and one of my favorite Holmes spin-offs to date.

I love this series. As usual the art is beautiful. The volume is mostly focused on Sherlock and not so much the Moriarty clan. In volume 3 Moriarty is testing Sherlock to see if he is the foil and hero he needs to move his plans for a new world forward. Poor Watson is being spun around by Sherlock, and he is such a little puppy, I adore him. The last chapter was absolutely devastating for me to read, so if I ever reread this I will skip it because it breaks my heart. Other than that I highly recommend this continuation.

OK, I'm officially lost within the series and have lost interest in continuing with it. I could only get a third of the way through this and I just can't bring myself to continue. There is just too much talking and nothing is actually happening. I've been having trouble keeping track of what exactly the point of the story is and I am just not invested anymore. The first volume was really good but this one just does not resonate with me.

I think Moriarty the Patriot is becoming my favourite new Manga series. From all the new stories I’ve been reading this last year this series is at the top. By this point if you haven’t read the first two books, I think you’ll be lost so I would recommend starting back at Vol.1.

This book starts with the test case for Sherlock, the strings in the background pulled by Moriarty but for the actual story the whole chapter is Sherlock and Watson. A lot in this book is showing how Moriarty’s network is working and how his mission is on track. The retelling of The Hounds of Baskerville (not an easy read, very dark and haunting) is where the why is pulled back into the spotlight again.

I am looking forward to the next instalment.

This series is kind of starting to lose me. I'm finding it difficult to keep track of what's happening a And while Moriarty is morally gray and thus an interesting character, there no longer seems to be much to redeem him in the reader's eyes. I'll keep reading, but I hope Moriarty becomes more understandable again.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson return in manga form in Moriarty the Patriot Vol 3.

Holmes is arrested for murder! Sir Baskerville is playing the Most Dangerous Game! Moriarty is exposing the dark underside of the British nobility!

The two stories here are based loosely, very loosely, on the A Study in Scarlet and The Hound of the Baskervilles. These new versions of those classic mysteries cannot be solved by the reader. The clues are only described during Sherlock’s reveal at the end of the stories. The real mystery is whether this Robin Hood version of Moriarty is a hero or a villain? To be honest, I’m still not sure after reading three volumes of this series.

If you are a fan of Holmes but not obsessed by him, Moriarty the Patriot Vol 3 offers up a completely new look at the characters. 4 stars!

Thanks to VIZ Media and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Moriarty the Patriot Volume Three focuses half of its time on Sherlock Holmes and the other half on William Moriarty.

Moriarty the Patriot Volume Three
Written by: Ryosuke Takeuchi
Publisher: Shueisha Inc.
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: April 6, 2021

At the beginning of Volume Three, Sherlock Holmes is arrested for the murder of Count Drebber. Inspector Gregson, who has a grudge against Sherlock, wants to readily believe that the evidence (such as Sherlock’s name written in blood by the body, the murder weapon being similar to one that Sherlock owns, etc.) proves that Sherlock is the murderer. Fortunately, Sherlock has a friend in Lestrade, who allows Sherlock to accompany him to the murder scene. Conveniently, the body hasn’t been moved yet. Sherlock is quickly able to shoot down that he’s the murderer, and the way he did this really made me think of Conan Edogawa in Case Closed. I’m sure that the character of Sherlock Holmes played a major role for Gosho Aoyama’s development of Shinichi/Conan. With his deductions, Sherlock realizes that whoever put the murderer up to this crime is also trying to challenge Sherlock at the same time.

This storyline also introduces the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of street orphans that Sherlock uses as his eyes and ears to help track down information. The kids prove their worth when they figure out who the murderer is through clues that he leaves them in a note. From what’s revealed, the count was a garbage human being, and his actions caused tragedy for the murderer for which he wanted revenge. You have to kind of feel for the murderer, though, because he was ultimately a pawn used by Moriarty to expose how terrible the nobles are. It turns out the murderer doesn’t have much longer to live but it’s still sad to see how he was ultimately used by Moriarty to not only expose this noble’s actions, but to challenge Sherlock as well.

After Scotland Yard takes the credit for solving the murder mystery, Watson writes a book under the name of “Conan Doyle” in order to share the truth about Sherlock solving this case to the world. Sherlock is surprised when he hears that he is the main character, as well as the fact that Watson inserted himself with his real name into the story as well. I found it amusing that they would use the author of the original Sherlock Holmes stories as an inside gag for the story being told in this series.

The second story, “The Hunting of the Baskervilles,” is told in two chapters. We see that nobles are luring kids in the slums to their carriages with candy and promises of jobs, but they have to come with them in the carriage. It turns out these children are being kidnapped for a group of nobles’ perverse pleasure of hunting down the children and killing them. Fred Porlock, who works with Moriarty and his group, learns about what’s happening and isn’t sure if he should bring this up to Moriarty, since he already exposed a noble for similar shameful acts. But Moriarty agrees this cause is important, and he, along with his brothers and Fred, track down the compound. The initial goal is just to take down the nobles, but thanks to Fred’s insistence, they work at rescuing the children as well.

When I read both of these stories, I had to keep reminding myself that Moriarty isn’t really a “good guy,” because he comes across as being in the right due to just how despicable of a depiction the nobles receive in this volume. Moriarty may do things like save the children who were kidnapped for the hunt, but he is still an evil man with evil motives for what he wants to do. This makes for an interesting dilemma while reading this series, and it made me think about and question the ethics of most of the characters in the series. Yes, this even includes Sherloock Holmes.

Moriarty the Patriot continues to be a series that I want to keep reading in order to find out what happens next. The art also continues to capture my interest as well. After reading the first three volumes, I would recommend this series to manga readers who enjoy mystery stories or are fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series.

The reviewer was provided a review copy by VIZ Media

TW: harm towards children on page (all kinds, so please tread cautiously)

This volume continues to weave the web between Moriarty and Holmes, and it is truly a brilliant take on the classic mysteries! I recommend checking out the series.

For more of my detailed thoughts, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5ZcsDxr-QA

Their third volume begins with Sherlock being arrested and accused of murder of a noble, as the quick witted man works with Watson to prove himself innocent and explore the web he’s been caught up in Moriarty watches on pleased with what he sees. I’m still not entirely sure where I stand on this Sherlock.
*
The second half of the book has us returning to Moriarty’s crew as we return again to the nobles who hunt humans, this particular group though target children. It was a particularly intense section and a little overwhelming to be sure. While I’m delighted at Moriarty’s continual need to protect the innocent and strike down the corrupt this whole section was rather... graphic and I was happy to see it resolved.
***
Overall, good volume and it was nice to get clued in why Moriarty felt the need to expose himself to Sherlock (kind of, well no more than they did on the boat, Sherlock has some idea of a mastermind at least) and his purpose for him. It was also really nice to get a little more of the type of people Moran and Fred are too which I really enjoyed.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This became intense in the second half and featured Moriarty's crew much more than the 2nd volume. I really like seeing things through Moriarty's perspective than Sherlock's. Looking forward to the next installment.

Moriarty sets up a test for Sherlock: he must prove that he did not commit a murder he has been framed for. Moriarty is happy with the results of the test. Moriarty and crew take down a group of nobles hunting children.