fernandie's review against another edition
3.0
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
ssejig's review against another edition
3.0
This was not a good book for a 7" ereader. It was really hard to read the print, even zooming in. But since this was an ARC, I didn't base my rating on that. It would have been lower had I gotten this book another way.
Giant statues in London are starting to come to life. Rajani, Molly, and Humphrey (and his dog Wellington) are the only ones who decide to follow the giant lion statue. And that leads them right into the path of one Sherlock Holmes. Or is it? Anyway, the three team up together to try and figure out who or what is making these statues come alive and to try to stop them if they can.
I liked the grouping of the kids, choosing people who would have been around in 1930s London but don't usually get a lot of attention. The story was interesting, but a little thin. And I wish he had learned more about the kids themselves.
Giant statues in London are starting to come to life. Rajani, Molly, and Humphrey (and his dog Wellington) are the only ones who decide to follow the giant lion statue. And that leads them right into the path of one Sherlock Holmes. Or is it? Anyway, the three team up together to try and figure out who or what is making these statues come alive and to try to stop them if they can.
I liked the grouping of the kids, choosing people who would have been around in 1930s London but don't usually get a lot of attention. The story was interesting, but a little thin. And I wish he had learned more about the kids themselves.
enchantedtoreadyou's review against another edition
3.0
This story wasn’t awful I just had a hard time getting into it. I’m still trying to navigate this new world of graphic novels so maybe this just isn’t my niche.
melaniebopp's review against another edition
I really liked the art style in this, which was cartoony but with a touch of street grit. The story wasn't terribly original, but I enjoyed the more diverse cast, and the run-in with Sherlock Holmes was fun. More appropriate for younger children, but those who like a bit of a scare.
kerfhufflepuff's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kpeninger's review against another edition
4.0
(Review originally posted on the John H Watson Society website.)
General Review
I love stories that center around the Baker Street Irregulars. I especially love them when they come in comic book form. I have an entire shelf devoted just to such books, and I’m very pleased to be able to add this one, especially as it has a fairly new, fresh take on the Irregulars mythos. Despite my personal disinterest in most Holmesian stories that incorporate supernatural elements, I found this one utterly charming.
The story is fairly straightforward. Statues are coming to life all around London, wreaking havoc wherever they go. Molly, Humphrey, and Rajani (as well as dog Wellington) are drafted by Sherlock Holmes to look into it, as Holmes is busy with several other cases and doesn’t quite believe the tales of walking statues. Using their very different backgrounds, the children (not quite Irregulars in the traditional sense) piece together the clues, find the culprit, and save the day. It’s a common formula, found in many different Irregulars stories, but Baker Street Peculiars manages to find its own unique twist on the formula.
One of the first things that makes this Irregulars story stand out is that, rather than take place in the Victorian era (and often right around the Hiatus), this takes place during the 1930s. There are vehicles on the streets, electricity instead of gaslight, and slightly different social norms. It gives the comic a different look, brighter and more colorful, helping it stand out from its predecessors.
Then there are the main characters. While their personalities are largely told in broad strokes, without a great deal of depth, each of them brings their own set of talents and strengths, as well as unhappiness and baggage, to the investigation. Molly steps forward as the leader, although her Jewish grandfather would rather she stay home and work towards becoming good wife material; she desperately wants to become a detective in her own right. Rajani is a foundling, raised by a criminal that she viewed as a father, who ultimately died and left her to fend for herself; she is the most reluctant of our investigators. Humphrey is the youngest son of a wealthy family, neglected and ignored, sent to a boarding school with a dog valet; Humphrey is naïve and well-intentioned. They end up working well as a team, with some friction because of their very different backgrounds, in a way that is believable and engaging.
Rather than taking itself too seriously, the book is more comic than dramatic, with cartoonish reactions, villains, and physics. Despite the comedy, though, it still manages to be touching and sweet at places in the story (watching Molly and her grandfather reconcile their different ideas on what her life should be; Humphrey and Rajani finding a point of connection).
The art, as mentioned earlier, features bright colors and bold lines. The illustrations are very simple in many ways, but still satisfying. The backgrounds are largely just shaded in, without a great deal of detail, while the characters receive most of the attention. There are, however, a number of delightful Easter eggs hidden in the art, references to the Canon that made me guffaw. Pay particular attention to the first big two-page illustration.
Overall, I thought this comic was an incredibly fun read. I haven’t yet been able to find out if it will get another run, but I do hope it will, as the ending lends itself to further adventures.
What About Our Watson?
As a Watsonian, I try very hard to focus my attention on books that feature Watson or have him showcased in a particular way. Occasionally, though, there are books that I very much want to review that lack a Watson entirely. This is, unfortunately, one such book. Not only is there no Watson, there isn’t even a Watson figure. The end of the book hints that a reporter character may end up working with Holmes, fulfilling a similar role to the classic Watson. However, that happens in the last two pages of the book, as is hardly a major feature of the plot.
Though there is no Watson, which is disappointing, it was still a fun little book.
You Might Like This If You Like:
Scooby Doo (particularly A Pup Named Scooby Doo); comic books; parodies; children protagonists
General Review
I love stories that center around the Baker Street Irregulars. I especially love them when they come in comic book form. I have an entire shelf devoted just to such books, and I’m very pleased to be able to add this one, especially as it has a fairly new, fresh take on the Irregulars mythos. Despite my personal disinterest in most Holmesian stories that incorporate supernatural elements, I found this one utterly charming.
The story is fairly straightforward. Statues are coming to life all around London, wreaking havoc wherever they go. Molly, Humphrey, and Rajani (as well as dog Wellington) are drafted by Sherlock Holmes to look into it, as Holmes is busy with several other cases and doesn’t quite believe the tales of walking statues. Using their very different backgrounds, the children (not quite Irregulars in the traditional sense) piece together the clues, find the culprit, and save the day. It’s a common formula, found in many different Irregulars stories, but Baker Street Peculiars manages to find its own unique twist on the formula.
One of the first things that makes this Irregulars story stand out is that, rather than take place in the Victorian era (and often right around the Hiatus), this takes place during the 1930s. There are vehicles on the streets, electricity instead of gaslight, and slightly different social norms. It gives the comic a different look, brighter and more colorful, helping it stand out from its predecessors.
Then there are the main characters. While their personalities are largely told in broad strokes, without a great deal of depth, each of them brings their own set of talents and strengths, as well as unhappiness and baggage, to the investigation. Molly steps forward as the leader, although her Jewish grandfather would rather she stay home and work towards becoming good wife material; she desperately wants to become a detective in her own right. Rajani is a foundling, raised by a criminal that she viewed as a father, who ultimately died and left her to fend for herself; she is the most reluctant of our investigators. Humphrey is the youngest son of a wealthy family, neglected and ignored, sent to a boarding school with a dog valet; Humphrey is naïve and well-intentioned. They end up working well as a team, with some friction because of their very different backgrounds, in a way that is believable and engaging.
Rather than taking itself too seriously, the book is more comic than dramatic, with cartoonish reactions, villains, and physics. Despite the comedy, though, it still manages to be touching and sweet at places in the story (watching Molly and her grandfather reconcile their different ideas on what her life should be; Humphrey and Rajani finding a point of connection).
The art, as mentioned earlier, features bright colors and bold lines. The illustrations are very simple in many ways, but still satisfying. The backgrounds are largely just shaded in, without a great deal of detail, while the characters receive most of the attention. There are, however, a number of delightful Easter eggs hidden in the art, references to the Canon that made me guffaw. Pay particular attention to the first big two-page illustration.
Overall, I thought this comic was an incredibly fun read. I haven’t yet been able to find out if it will get another run, but I do hope it will, as the ending lends itself to further adventures.
What About Our Watson?
As a Watsonian, I try very hard to focus my attention on books that feature Watson or have him showcased in a particular way. Occasionally, though, there are books that I very much want to review that lack a Watson entirely. This is, unfortunately, one such book. Not only is there no Watson, there isn’t even a Watson figure. The end of the book hints that a reporter character may end up working with Holmes, fulfilling a similar role to the classic Watson. However, that happens in the last two pages of the book, as is hardly a major feature of the plot.
Though there is no Watson, which is disappointing, it was still a fun little book.
You Might Like This If You Like:
Scooby Doo (particularly A Pup Named Scooby Doo); comic books; parodies; children protagonists
wyrmbergsabrina's review
4.0
A modern version of the Baker Street Irregulars, with a good healthy supernatural twist. Very cartoon in style, but a neat little tale.
Glad I borrowed it.
Glad I borrowed it.
chessakat's review
I have to DNF this at the half-way point. I do not DNF often - usually once or twice a year - just for context.
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This sounded really cute and looked promising, but unfortunately it's unreadable. I received an e-galley, and no matter how I oriented my iPad, I found the text to be so frustratingly hard to decipher (sometimes so tiny, bad resolution, font where letters bleed together) that I just have to give up. Even zooming in my screen was no help - the resolution was so grainy that it was still hard to make out.
If the story or art had been outstanding I might have been willing to struggle through the terrible text, but neither of those is true.
If I had to assign a star rating for the two issues I read, it would be 2 stars. I found the dialogue kind of aggravating and the plot just meh.
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This sounded really cute and looked promising, but unfortunately it's unreadable. I received an e-galley, and no matter how I oriented my iPad, I found the text to be so frustratingly hard to decipher (sometimes so tiny, bad resolution, font where letters bleed together) that I just have to give up. Even zooming in my screen was no help - the resolution was so grainy that it was still hard to make out.
If the story or art had been outstanding I might have been willing to struggle through the terrible text, but neither of those is true.
If I had to assign a star rating for the two issues I read, it would be 2 stars. I found the dialogue kind of aggravating and the plot just meh.