I’ve always been a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes.  I love stories set in Victorian London, and I love detective stories – combine the two and you’ve got the ultimate in fiction for me … of course, I think my love of them may have actually come from reading Sherlock stories growing up.

With the recent Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey, Jr., we’ve really seen a resurgence of the character in fiction, both novels and comics (like DC/Wildstorm’s recent Victorian Undead mini), and I’ve got to admit, I’m loving it.  Image made us aware of a new series they’re publishing, and it sounds really awesome!

IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT SHERLOCK
Moriarty Offers a New Take on Literature’s Original Super-Villain

Berkeley, CA – February 22, 2011 – Image Comics presents another new title as well as some exciting new talent with MORIARTY, a collaboration from the up and coming creative team of writer Daniel Corey and artist Anthony Diecidue. This new series, set to debut in May, will follow the world’s greatest criminal mastermind as he adjusts to life without a foil.

Although the venerable series created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle covered a great deal of ground, it left one question unanswered: What would happen if Professor Moriarty finally achieved mortal victory over his ages old nemesis? With Diecidue’s art evoking the dark and foreboding atmosphere of  London after dark, Corey will show readers how he imagines the story without a Sherlock Holmes.

“Would Moriarty revel in victory, spend the rest of his life smoking cigars and sleeping on stacks of money?”  Daniel Corey wondered. “Probably not.  I think he’d fall on hard times, and it would take one heck of an event – say, a World War – to jolt him back to life.”

Corey continued, “Moriarty’s not an evil person – not in his own mind. In working with Anthony Diecidue to create this series, I thought we’d take a look at things from Moriarty’s perspective, get to know his thoughts. Along the way, we could see him delve into some mind-blowing deductive reasoning, get into a few sword fights, decipher riddles and discover technology 50 years ahead of its time. Would we expect any less from the original super-villain?”

MORIARTY #1, a 32 page full-color science fiction noir comic book, is in stores in May 2011 for $2.99.