Somerset Holmes

Somerset Holmes

By Bruce Jones, April Campbell & Brent Anderson (Eclipse)
ISBN: 0-913035-10-6 (softcover) ISBN: 0-913035-11-4 (hardcover)

During the intense period of creativity in the latter 1980s a lot of old and new formats and genres jostled alongside the superhero and licensed property comic-books. One of the best despite its chequered publishing history was Somerset Holmes. A six part miniseries, this stylish mystery thriller was commissioned by Pacific Comics who went bankrupt after the fourth issue. Eclipse picked up the option and completed the series, but it was as a graphic compilation (Eclipse is one strong competitor for originator of the Graphic Novel with the release of Sabre in 1978) that the tale garnered most attention.

Written in the manner of a Hitchcock film, Brent Anderson’s humanistic drawing was augmented by a starkly cinematic layout and pacing that perfectly suited the subject matter.

On a dark country road a lovely woman is struck by a speeding car. Waking, she has no memory, and staggers to a lonely house where she collapses into the arms of an old gentleman. By chance he’s the local doctor, and he ushers her into his surgery. When he doesn’t come back she searches and finds him with a knife in his back. Dying, he gasps out a cryptic single word “Nickels”.

Horrified, realising that there is someone hiding behind the drapes, she dives through the window and starts running…

Fast paced, this is a classic whodunit, a why-dunnit and a desperate search for identity, both in terms of facts and in a deeper sense of moral and ethical standpoint. The plot has lots of twists and turns and great action sequences, rendered all the more effective as they never leave the realm of the possible for the dubious heights of super-nature. You are never left in doubt that this is just a person and one in a huge amount of trouble.

At time of printing the story had been optioned as a movie, although I suspect it’s still in development hell, but the graphic novel itself is well worth your attention. Hopefully someone will re-release it. If they do, let’s hope they fix the colouring which is mediocre in the softcover and frankly appalling in the high-priced hardback. Back issue hunters take note…

Story © 1987 Bruce Jones Associates. Art © 1987 Brent Anderson.