I first came across Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as an actor, playing Roger Murdock in Airplane! Some years later I found out he could also play basketball. He went on to become a successful writer, but do his skills translate well to comics? It turns out they do in this intriguing adventure from Titan Comics, co-written with Raymond Obstfeld.
Set in 1874, a mysterious mechanical sphere appears at the British Museum with deadly consequences.Over in Cambridge University, genius student Mycroft is upsetting the professors (again) with his alternative philosophical views but this relative calm isn’t going to last long. Young Mycroft enjoys an adventure so is ready for whatever comes his way.
Mycroft Holmes #1 (Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook to use the full title) is one of the more adult takes on the Holmes universe. He’s an arrogant womaniser, keen to antagonise authority and annoy his younger brother Sherlock. Sherlock has no time for his shenanigans and dismisses an abduction attempt on Mycroft as a stunt, of which he has performed several.
The dark but detailed art from Joshua Cassara is perfect for Victorian England. There’s a lot of great artwork in comics so it’s nice to be impressed, and there’s something about this one that stands out.
Mycroft Holmes #1 is priced at $3.99 and is on sale August 3rd.
Writers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld
Artist: Joshua Cassara
FC – $3.99 – 32pp – On sale: Aug 3
Cover B: Rod Reis
Cover C: Typographic Variant
Cover D: Paul McCaffrey
