Graphic Novel Review: Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes VS Zombies

During the month of October, I like to get into the spooky spirit by watching monster movies, listening to haunting music, and reading horror comics. Being a steampunk writer, I was delighted to find that two of my interests perfectly intersected in the form of the graphic novel Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes VS Zombies.

A mixing of genres in the most epic of fashions—Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson battle a zombie outbreak that threatens to overwhelm London! In 1854, a meteor streaked across London's skies, bringing with it a zombie plague. For twenty years, Her Majesty's Secret Service kept the threat under control. But now a dastardly fiend has begun using the zombies in an attempt to overthrow the Victorian Government. Holmes and Watson must face off against their favorite foe, MI-5 AND zombies at the same time.

What is it?

Published in 2010 and written by Ian Edginton, with art by Davide Fabbri, Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes VS Zombies is a six-issue comic series that pits Holmes and Watson against a zombie outbreak in London in an alternative 1898. It was actually followed by a single issue Victorian Undead Special: Sherlock Holmes vs. Jekyll/Hyde and five-issue Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula. It was nominated for the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award in 2010.

The first six volumes were collected into a single volume graphic novel of about 140 pages. The art is crisp and detailed, and you can tell the artist had fun with this one. The storyline is serious despite the amusing mashup, and stays true to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters.

What makes it steampunk?

There are some subtle things that could put this in the steampunk realm, or at the very least steampunk adjacent.

First, it's an alternative history set in the Victorian history. Not all steampunk takes place in the Victorian era, but I think we all know that it's the most popular, or at the very least, the most traditional.

Second, when Holmes and Watson first appear in the comic, they encounter an automaton that is so real, it appears and acts human. Automatons are popularly used in steampunk stories, and often their presence skews a story toward the steampunk crowd. (Though, automatons could arguably be symbols of clockpunk, steampunk is the better known term.)

Third, Her Majesty's Secret Service has developed anachronistic uniforms and weaponry to combat the zombie hordes.

Fourth, mad science! Ok, so mad science isn't a requirement of steampunk, but there are a lot of mad scientists in steampunk. Girl Genius, Scarlet Traces, and this entire Pinterest board called Steampunk Mad Science! (And it has some really fun images. Go check it out.)

Why I Liked It!

I admit, I have not read the original Sherlock Holmes stories. But I have listened to several Sherlock stories presented by the podcast Fictional, watched movies, and seen multiple TV shows based on Doyle's characters (both American and British). Also, Sherlock Holmes is so entrenched in our society, it's difficult not to be aware of him and know what he's about. So pitting Sherlock against very modern monsters has a certain appeal to me.

This isn't an in-your-face steampunk series, but there are enough elements that it got my attention. The improbable pairing is what tempted me to read it. And it's a fun read! Extra fun for me because of the Halloween season.

If you like Sherlock Holmes, zombies, or alternative history stories, you may like this comic as much as I did. And if you're looking for some seasonally appropriate comics to read, definitely check this one out.

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Thanks for reading! If you liked this review, please leave a heart. As I mentioned, I am a writer of steampunk with several stories published in steampunk anthologies, which you can find on my author page by clicking right here.