Ruse, Volume 2: The Silent Partner by Mark Waid

Ruse, Vol. 2: The Silent Partner by Mark Waid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Ruse is a graphic novel series that is perfect for readers who love the Victorian-set adventure vibe. There is a paranormal element that felt very light in this volume, but it's there for readers who like a bit of the weird (admittedly myself).  For readers who can't get enough of the sometimes obnoxious Sherlock Holmesian character, Simon is going to appeal. At the same time, with this edition, we see more vulnerability and the less confident person beneath the know-it-all exterior.  Emma's loyalty to the often maddening Simon is much like Watson.  It serves to make you like Simon more because you feel that if Emma likes him, then there must be something to like/love about him.  Emma is definitely long-suffering.  Simon gets her into many a dangerous situation, and he isn't very nice to her.  Much like Watson is treated by Sherlock.  The arch-nemesis adds a twist that reminds the reader of Moriarty, but takes the character in a much more interesting direction, although I admit I am rather tired of that character.  At the end of this volume, the author teases at a game-changer, so we'll see what happens next.

The chapters in this volume have some interesting story-arcs, especially the small village that our two leads end up staying in.  That was really kind of cool.  Not what I expected at all.  The other stories tie closer together to the overarching theme of this volume, and they bring to mind the high adventure classics of Victorian literature in a very pleasing fashion.

The art is well-done, but as I said for the previous volume, I find the panel progression confusing. Instead of moving left to right down the page, they often go willy-nilly from page to page and often across the page. I find myself having to backtrack and catch the flow of the story, especially last night, when my brain was fried. That is the major detractor for this series.

Ruse is a graphic novel series that I count as a major find, as such a huge fan of Victorian genre literature, and know-it-all sleuths and their long-suffering companions. The action is really good and it keeps me guessing what will happen next. I'm excited to keep reading this series.



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Ruse, Volume 1: Enter the Detective

Ruse, Vol. 1: Enter the Detective by Mark Waid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I've really been into Sherlock Holmes lately. Well, at least more than usual.  Yes, you can rightly blame that on the BBC series Sherlock.  So when I saw this graphic novel series at my library, based on a super-sleuth along the lines of Mr. Holmes, and his trusty sidekick (in this case, a woman), I couldn't resist.  After finishing this book last night, I would definitely recommend it to Holmes fans.

Similarities:

*Simon Archard is arrogant, has poor people skills, and extremely well-developed deductive reasoning skills like Holmes.  His flaws nearly balance out his strengths, and he manages to be endearing because his sidekick clearly thinks so much of him.  That sympathy brings you along for the ride.
*His assistant, Emma Bishop, is long suffering and often mal-treated by her friend, although her skills do come in handy in solving their little cases. Bishop is also the narrator.
*And yes, there is a Moriarty-like arch-nemesis in the making.

Differences:

*Emma is far from ordinary. She has some very special powers that she must hide or suffer dire consequences. It provides for hairy moments because she has to resort to her instincts and intellect to get Archard and herself out of tight situations instead of using her powers.
*Unless you're a Johnlock (Sherlock and John Watson shipper), there is a subtle undercurrent of romantic tension between Simon and Emma that the story plays on.  Of course, this isn't a romance, but I think that there's a 'will they or won't they' question hanging around.
*In this situation, the world is a created Londonesque city that has a potential for supernatural happenings. 


I enjoyed this graphic novel. Good adventure and good mystery stories. The illustrations are gorgeous.  The detail of the characters' features kept my eyes drawn to the page.  Each story had some good plot twists. On the negative side was the fact that it was hard to read.  Normally, the graphic novel panels go from left to right and down the page. In this book, their progression varied, even from page to page. I got confused a few times and had to retrace my steps.  Also, the lettering for the character thoughts was too small, hard to read.  That's the main reason I didn't like this more, was the confusion I felt in its organization and setup.  Overall, it's good for fans of action-adventure comics, and of course Sherlock Holmes fans.  I liked the fact that in this case, Mr. Watson's role is taken by a woman, who has something yet to pull out of the rabbit hat. Like Watson, her narrative voice kept me pulled into this story and inspires more sympathy for the arrogant Archard that I probably wouldn't have felt otherwise. I will continue this series.



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