Periphery #2/Holmes #1 flip-bookby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 Periphery is a comic book anthology. Volume one contained the beginnings of six stories. Volume two contains two stories, one new and one continued. This time it only makes up half the book. Flip it over onto the back and there's the first volume of Omaha Perez's new comic Holmes.The stories in Periphery are "The Novice" by Matthew Smith with art by Brian Horton, and "Like a Rolling Stone Age" by Mark Fearing. "The Novice" is mostly a visual story with dialogue only at the beginning and end. The art is heavily inked which blurs the details. Normally, I might complain about such a look, but what's important in this story is the actions taken by the character, and those are perfectly clear. "Like a Rolling Stone Age" is a continuation of sorts from the first Periphery as well as Cenozoic — those were actually "Jerry Caveman Inventor", and Jerry is a character in this story. It is a humorous look at cavemen. In this part, they wonder why the age they live in is called the Stone Age and seek answers from a statue known as The Amazing Great One. A joke is played on the cavemen by the oh-so-intelligent monkeys, but the last laugh is on them. I can't get enough of these short, hairy, brilliantly dumb cavement. It's a story I can reread any time for a laugh. Holmes is a twisted look at a Sherlock Holmes modeled after Iggy Pop and Hunter S. Thompson. For those that don't know, Iggy Pop is a punk rocker and Hunter S. Thompson is a flamboyant journalist best known for his novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I got hooked on Perez's style after reading Bodhisattva, and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the comics and anthologies I've read from his company O-P-P. I love to read, and Sherlock Holmes mysteries are something that I have immensely enjoyed in the past. To see the character of Holmes resurrected in an off-beat way is a treat to read. Perez plays on Holmes eccentricities, taking them to the extreme — and Holmes becomes manic, dressing in drag, jumping strangers, solving figment cases, and enjoying drugs and alcohol a bti too much. Dr. Watson isn't much better, and his devotion to Holmes adds to the folly and foolishness. While, I'm not bothered by the flip-book format, I would much prefer Holmes as a stand-alone series. If it had been, then Periphery would have had room for more stories itself. Holmes is sure to be hit with it's riotous humor and excellent story and art work. Perez is to be commended for such a fantastic romp through Doyle's famous legend. For a measly $3.50, don't miss getting your hands on this flipbook! Written: May 1, 2005
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