Shaw, Murray, M. J. Cosson, and Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes and a scandal in Bohemia. Illustrated by Sophie Rohrbach. Minneapolis: Graphic Universe, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-7613-6185-5
Author Website: None
Illustrator Website: http://sophie.rohrbach.free.fr/
Media: Pen and Colored Ink.
Use of Alliteration: (p. 31) “blood flowing freely from his face.”
Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 31) “Bang! Whack! Thump!” (p. 33) “Zwoosh!”
Use of Simile: (p. 22) “She has a voice like a songbird.” (p. 23) “Drive like the devil to the church.”
Special Notations: 2011 Copyright Date, Graphic Novel (Fiction), Personal Top 10.
Annotation: In this graphic novel adaptation of a classic Sherlock Holmes and Watson tale, Holmes is hired by Count Von Kramm to prevent a scandal about the famous royal family of Bohemia from leaking.
Personal Reaction: This graphic novel adaptation is a brilliant and fresh retelling of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Rohrbach’s sepia and gray-toned illustrations portray Holmes as a relaxed sleuth who delights in going undercover. Rohrbach uses obvious gestures and body language in her drawings to lightly move the story along. Holmes is shown holding his chin to convey deep thinking (p. 13); this illustration works well with the dialogue, “I deduced as much.” On another page, Holmes is depicted wearing a smoking jacket as he relaxes and enjoys his client’s background story (p. 17). This Sherlock Holmes is relaxed and playful. A date and time stamp on the illustrations helps set the mood and let the reader know how Holmes is faring in terms of meeting his client’s deadline. Shaw and Cosson’s writing is done with a light voice and is nicely paced; the story and illustrations flow just the way a good mystery should. Watson provides periodic narration in the form of case memos that he types up and the story ends with a satisfactory twist. On pages 46 and 47, the authors provide an explanation of the mystery in detail, ideas for additional reading and the address for a website about the original Sherlock Holmes.
