Rating: 
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: Simon Archard is a master detective living in the city of Partington. The bane of the underworld, and the exasperation of his partner Emma Bishop, his razor-sharp mind collects information, allowing him to make lightning-fast deductions. This graphic novel covers two Archard adventures, and the start of a third. In the first adventure, the mysterious Miranda Cross comes to Partington, and immediately Archard finds himself faced with strange crimes on one hand and the strange hostility of the city elite on the other. In the second adventure, Emma Bishop, holding the fort for the missing Archard, must track down a murderer (there's more than one mystery here). The third adventure pits Emma and Archard against a bold murderer, who is also a master of disguise with a surprising background.I picked up this book on a whim, and must admit that I was rather dubious at first. I though, "Here we go again with another Sherlock Holmes rip-off." Well, such is not the case. In the fictional city of Partington, with its flying gargoyles, and strange happenings, Simon Archard is something of a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Professor Challenger (another A.C. Doyle hero). The adventures are quite gripping, as Archard maneuvers himself through the fantastic, his keen mind taking everything in. The illustrations in this book are surprisingly excellent, and quite pleasant to look at. So, let me just say that I liked the characters, the story, and the illustrations. In other words, I loved this book!
Rating:
Summary: Very high quality stuff
Review: This was the very first graphic novel I picked up, and it's the one I compare every other series to. A masterfully done, totally enveloping work, "Ruse" takes you in and refuses to let you go, even after the last page. I have to confess that I've become a rabid fan and I'm counting the days until the next collection comes out. The story, in brief: Emma Bishop is the beautiful, intelligent assistant to Simon Archard, the greatest detective of the age. It turns out that Partington, the ever-so-slightly fantastic victorian town in which they live, is full of mysteries to be solved. The major one in this collection is the strange Baroness Miranda Cross who, along with Emma, posesses a strange power to stop time. Who is Miranda Cross? Why is she trying to control the higher-ups of Partington? The answer remains a mystery until the end, and even then the answer is not really known. The art in "Ruse" is very high quality and goes along with the crisp dialogue. Both manage very well to keep everyone in character, something that other Crossgen books, such as "Sojourn" don't quite succeed at. We sympathize with Emma through all her attempts to do the right thing, though she's never quite able to meet the standard of her employer. Simon, though terribly arrogant, is also a sympathetic character, who the reader learns to love. The bad guys are without a doubt bad. Miranda Cross is a delightfully conniving villainess who never wavers from her quest to screw things up in Partington. All in all, "Ruse" is certainly worth a read. My advice is that you keep the second volume close at hand, because you won't want to wait before reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Very high quality stuff
Review: This was the very first graphic novel I picked up, and it's the one I compare every other series to. A masterfully done, totally enveloping work, "Ruse" takes you in and refuses to let you go, even after the last page. I have to confess that I've become a rabid fan and I'm counting the days until the next collection comes out. The story, in brief: Emma Bishop is the beautiful, intelligent assistant to Simon Archard, the greatest detective of the age. It turns out that Partington, the ever-so-slightly fantastic victorian town in which they live, is full of mysteries to be solved. The major one in this collection is the strange Baroness Miranda Cross who, along with Emma, posesses a strange power to stop time. Who is Miranda Cross? Why is she trying to control the higher-ups of Partington? The answer remains a mystery until the end, and even then the answer is not really known. The art in "Ruse" is very high quality and goes along with the crisp dialogue. Both manage very well to keep everyone in character, something that other Crossgen books, such as "Sojourn" don't quite succeed at. We sympathize with Emma through all her attempts to do the right thing, though she's never quite able to meet the standard of her employer. Simon, though terribly arrogant, is also a sympathetic character, who the reader learns to love. The bad guys are without a doubt bad. Miranda Cross is a delightfully conniving villainess who never wavers from her quest to screw things up in Partington. All in all, "Ruse" is certainly worth a read. My advice is that you keep the second volume close at hand, because you won't want to wait before reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Very high quality stuff
Review: This was the very first graphic novel I picked up, and it's the one I compare every other series to. An masterfully done, totally enveloping work, "Ruse" takes you in and refuses to let you go, even after the last page. I have to confess that I've become a rabid fan and I'm counting the days until the next collection comes out. The story, in brief: Emma Bishop is the beautiful, intelligent assistant to Simon Archard, the greatest detective of the age. It turns out that Partington, the ever-so-slightly fantastic victorian town in which they live, is full of mysteries to be solved. The major one in this collection is the strange Baroness Miranda Cross who, along with Emma, posesses a strange power to stop time. Who is Miranda Cross? Why does is she trying to control the higher-ups of Partington? The answer remains a mystery until the end, and even then the answer is not really known. The art in "Ruse" is very high quality and goes along with the crisp dialogue. Both manage very well to keep everyone in character, something that other Crossgen books, such as "Sojourn" don't quite succeed at. We sympathize with Emma through all her attempts to do the right thing, though she's never quite able to meet the standard of her employer. Simon, though terribly arrogant, is also a sympathetic character, who the reader learns to love. The bad guys are without a doubt bad. Miranda Cross is a delightfully conniving villaness who never wavers from her quest to screw things up in Partington. All in all, "Ruse" is certainly worth a read. My advice is that you keep the second volume close at hand, because you won't want to wait before reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Very high quality stuff
Review: This was the very first graphic novel I picked up, and it's the one I compare every other series to. An masterfully done, totally enveloping work, "Ruse" takes you in and refuses to let you go, even after the last page. I have to confess that I've become a rabid fan and I'm counting the days until the next collection comes out. The story, in brief: Emma Bishop is the beautiful, intelligent assistant to Simon Archard, the greatest detective of the age. It turns out that Partington, the ever-so-slightly fantastic victorian town in which they live, is full of mysteries to be solved. The major one in this collection is the strange Baroness Miranda Cross who, along with Emma, posesses a strange power to stop time. Who is Miranda Cross? Why does is she trying to control the higher-ups of Partington? The answer remains a mystery until the end, and even then the answer is not really known. The art in "Ruse" is very high quality and goes along with the crisp dialogue. Both manage very well to keep everyone in character, something that other Crossgen books, such as "Sojourn" don't quite succeed at. We sympathize with Emma through all her attempts to do the right thing, though she's never quite able to meet the standard of her employer. Simon, though terribly arrogant, is also a sympathetic character, who the reader learns to love. The bad guys are without a doubt bad. Miranda Cross is a delightfully conniving villaness who never wavers from her quest to screw things up in Partington. All in all, "Ruse" is certainly worth a read. My advice is that you keep the second volume close at hand, because you won't want to wait before reading it.
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