Sherlock Holmes Comics Series

Genre(s):

• Comics and graphic novels
• Detective fiction
• Adventure
• Historical (19th century)

Keywords:

• Sherlock Holmes
• Crime
• Victorian Era

Audience: suitable for all audiences; fans of comics

Rights sold abroad: Spain

Concept

V. 1: 5 years before the Great War, Sherlock Holmes is sent to Continental Europe to thwart the plot of England’s future enemy: Wilhelm II.

V. 2: A surprising, yet plausible version of the final events in Sherlock Holmes’ “first life” before his disappearance in the Reichenbach Falls.

V. 3: After his disappearance in Switzerland and a period of amnesia, Sherlock Holmes regains his mental faculties in a chilling kidnapping story.

All three albums are the work of two big names in the 9th Art: Roger Seiter’s efficient plotlines pair perfectly with Giuseppe Manunta’s magnificently cinematographic artwork.

Universe and references

• 22,000 albums sold in France
• The novel that inspired volume 1 sold 20,000 copies
• In the tradition of the Sherlock Holmes pastiche
• The revival of Sherlock Holmes related to Guy Ritchie’s films

Pitch

V. 1 Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Haut-Koenigsbourg: 1909. Europe is afraid a war will break out and intelligence agencies are wondering why Germany’s Kaiser has been so insistent on rebuilding the ruins of the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle. In this diplomatic and military game of chess, who is a friend and who is foe? Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are back on the job.

V. 2 Sherlock Holmes: Reunion in Strasbourg: Brussels, April, 28 1891. A telegram informs Sherlock Holmes that Moriarty has set all of Europe’s criminals on his heels. In order to throw them off their trail, the detective pulls Doctor Watson into the first outbound train. Through plot twists and close calls, we follow Holmes to the Reichenbach Falls for the final showdown with his mortal enemy… and a pleasant surprise.

V. 3 Sherlock Holmes and the Jodhpur Enigma: Port-Saïd, April 1892. The Jodhpur liner is on its way to Bombay with Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes, who has gradually retrieved his memory after the events in Reunion in Strasbourg. Irene’s husband disappeared in India several long months ago and the famous detective has promised to help her find him. Wherever Sherlock Holmes goes, crime and adventure always follow close behind…

Authors

Roger Seiter, the writer, has been well-known in the comics publishing world since 1994. The Victorian Era and detective fiction are his specialties.

He was selected at the Angoulême festival in 2012. He wrote the script for the famous Lefranc series which was published by Casterman. His album The Bird-Man was one of the best-selling comics in 2016.

Selective bibliography

• FOG (1999-2011), Casterman
• Special Branch (2011-2012), Glénat
• Cuba libre (Lefranc series, 2014), Casterman
• L’homme-oiseau [The Bird-Man] (Lefranc series, 2016), Casterman

Giuseppe Manunta has been drawing comics since the 1990s. Among others, he has worked with Universo et Trentini and gradually established himself as an author in erotica. He created the Giunchiglia series, which would later be published in France by Clair de Lune.

Some of his albums have been translated and published in France by Vents d’Ouest, and in the Netherlands by Penthouse Comics and Heavy Metal. From 2007 to 2008, he worked for the Disney studio on layouts for the High School Musical series. Since 2013, he has diversified his profile with series such as Zombie Walk (2 volumes) and Sherlock Holmes (3 volumes).

Selective bibliography

• Scandales (2012), Tabou
• Artemis ½ (2011), Clair de Lune

Additional information about the series

The project’s history

This comics series started out in 2009 with the publication of J. Fortier’s novel Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Haut-Koenigsbourg. Given the book’s success (20,000 copies sold to date) and the enthusiasm of France’s Sherlock Holmes Society, Verger Editeur decided to adapt the novel into a comic, which can be read as a one-shot.

In turn, the comic was extremely well-received by readers and the publisher and artists decided to produce another album which staged Sherlock Holmes and Watson in a new adventure in Europe.

Volume 2 of the series left Sherlock Holmes alive, but amnesiac. Volume 3 tells of his “return to life” and to his criminal investigations.

The series’ recipe for success

A healthy dose of research: While preparing these albums, the artists and the publisher visited the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle and the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. They also worked closely with an exemplary group of scholars.

A cup of love for Conan Doyle’s hero: Created with playful respect for the “canon”, this series has been hailed by Sherlock Holmes associations and societies.

A pinch of… pastiche: One of the first Sherlock Holmes pastiche-writers was Maurice Leblanc, the famous creator of Arsène Lupin. Since then, innumerable authors have featured the British detective in their works. Thanks to amusing situations, witty banter, and hidden graphic elements, humor is omnipresent in our series. This perfect balance between being serious and being playful has ensured the series’ success throughout all three albums.

AT A GLANCE

• 3 albums, which could be published separately or all together
• Format:
o V. 1: 54 pages in color
o V. 2: 54 pages in color
o V. 3: 54 pages in color
o Total: 162 pages in color

• Available material in English: this presentation (including an overview of the work’s characteristics) and a translated and lettered 15-page excerpt

Worldwide rights available Rights sold to: Spain