Call me a cynic, but when an adaptation runs out of source material to work with, that should be a sign that the series should call it a day. After all, nobody is clamoring for a sequel to the likes of Pride & Prejudice or The Tempest. If a story ends with a full-blown conclusion that would be ruined by a continuation, then by all means move on to the next story. I say this because I fear that the worst is to come for Moriarty the Patriot, which now starts the second part of its narrative.

The first question regarding this continuation is, why? Hikaru Miyoshi and Ryosuke Takeuchi have already adapted everything that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created in his world of Sherlock Holmes. On top of that, Takeuchi seems to have moved on, with Miyoshi now fully in charge of both the story and art of Moriarty the Patriot. According to the afterword in Volume Twenty, Miyoshi wanted to tell stories where Moriarty, Holmes, Watson, and the rest of the gang tackled issues that actually happened during the time Doyle’s stories took place.

First the good news: Moriarty the Patriot is still a visual feast for the eyes. Miyoshi has the knack to bring out some fantastic facial expressions out of the characters, especially when they’re in distress or about to meet their makers. The fashion sense of London during this time period is also captured beautifully, and the world of that era is just as vivid as it was when the series started. Dare I say, Miyoshi’s drawing talents have only improved since the last time we saw William James Moriarty in action.

Now the bad news: Takeuchi’s absence is felt hard in the twentieth volume! Miyoshi’s attempts at telling a story about drugs that make people see the Devil are nowhere near as good as how Takeuchi was able to weave the likes of Jackie the Ripper and Billy the Kid into the narrative. It felt like I was reading a story I’d see being told in an episode of Law & Order, only instead of Benjamin Bratt, it’s Sherlock Holmes that’s on the case. And man, does the story lack any means of grabbing its readers’ attention span.

That’s not to say there isn’t any potential for the story winding up being good. When Sherlock Holmes enters the story, his chat with a woman in distress over a whistling sound that drove her sister to her death felt right at home with what Doyle would’ve created. However, once that back story ends, and Holmes dives into the case, the magic and whimsy of the original author’s books is all but missing. Now, all we have is some two-bit fan fiction, the kind that Tumblr would be filled with back in its heyday.

I was excited to see Moriarty the Patriot make its return, as I loved both the first part of the manga and its anime adaptation. But wow, does Part Two’s opener stumble like Queen Victoria tripping down a staircase. Maybe Miyoshi should’ve taken a hint from Takeuchi when he decided not to come back for the second part. But instead of giving them a lifetime of rest from all their other adventures, Moriarty the Patriot gives the characters a very rude awakening, one that would make any sane person get a restraining order against the person that caused it.

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media. Click here to read past reviews of Moriarty the Patriot!