Moriarty the Patriot by Ryōsuke Takeuchi. First published in 2016 and published in the United States in 2020 by Viz Media.
Plot: "In the late 19th century, Great Britain rules over a quarter of the world. Nobles sit in their fancy homes in comfort and luxury, while the working class slaves away at their jobs. When young Albert James Moriarty’s upper-class family adopts two lower-class orphans, the cruelty the boys experience at his family’s hands cements Albert’s hatred of the nobility he was born into. He asks the older of the two boys—who has a genius mind and a killer instinct—to help him rid the world of evil, starting with Albert’s own family!"
This title had been on my TBR since Viz first announced it in October. I finally had some time in December and decided to give it a go! I found the premise interesting, but the manga very much exceeded my initial expectations! Moriarty the Patriot is a social critique on how the status quo has disenfranchised the working class and the vulnerable while privileging the wealthy elites who are allowed to do as they wish without little consequence.
Which is where Moriarty comes in. He tutors the children of the working class, helps small business owners, and establishes a system on his properties where his tenants pay rent based on how much income they earn. But Moriarty quickly realizes that for drastic progressive change to truly happen, he has to take justice into his own hands even if it earns him the wrath of the ruling elite.
Even though it's a historical fiction manga based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Takeuchi's writing and the societal issues that he shows are still very much relevant today. Because even though one might disagree with Moriarty's methods, the problems he's seeing are real and from his perspective no one else in a position of power is doing anything to fix those issues. A dilemma that I felt added to the feel of the manga. I've read the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle before and I do like how Takeuchi has interpreted his works. I feel that it's a completely different take that explores topics relevant to today while using a character that normally doesn't get a lot of spotlight. This is a series I'm looking forward to continue reading and I'm deeply interested to see how Takeuchi will interpret Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's other characters and how he will continue to expand on Moriarty's character. My Rating: 4/5 Amazon | Bookshop
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