The InSpectres Vol 1: Certainly Not Elementary

Creative Team

writer: JAROD HUNTER ROE

artist: DAVID R. FLORES

colorist: ALEX PETRETICH

letterer: COMICRAFT’S JIMMY BETANCOURT

publisher: BLUE FOX COMICS

The InSpectres Vol. 1 answers the question: What would happen if renowned writers Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and Agatha Christie all had to work together with magician Harry Houdini to stop a supernatural serial killer?

Set in the Victorian Era, this series follows Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—famed writer of Sherlock Holmes—as a mysterious figure from his childhood returns to haunt the streets of London.

Volume 1 spends much of its time showing the ensemble of famed historical figures coming together as a team to solve the mystery of renowned killer “Spring Heeled Jack.” Though the likelihood of the cast ever interacting in London in real life remains low, it’s not entirely far fetched—and this is where the strength of this comic book lies.

It is very apparent that creators David R. Flores and Jarod Hunter Roe spent countless hours tracking timelines of people such as Bram Stoker and Harry Houdini. Throughout reading this first volume, readers will likely find themselves searching the age of characters to see if it is possible that they could all interact and will see how Flores’ and Roe’s timeline works as a perfect set up for this mystery.

While the case of Spring Heeled Jack is interesting, it’s the interactions and strong personalities in the characters that truly make this series shine. The plot cleverly sets up ways in which they all begin to work together and their respective dialogue makes for some humorous moments in the script.

The art works well for the series, and is never intensely violent nor devoid of detail. In fact, the style of this comic book feels similar to that of classic Scooby Doo episodes from the 1960s. This is certainly no insult, in fact, it’s this almost tongue-in-cheek humor in the series that sets a lighthearted but semi-dangerous tone for this who-done-it story.

While the pacing could have been a bit faster in terms of the actual mystery, it’s the way in which the characters talk with—or at—each other that serves as the strength of this comic book. One memorable moment is Bram Stoker half-jokingly asking Harry Houdini on the mechanics of sawing people in half.) It also helps that England is home to other famed writers such as Charles Dickens and Shakespeare—and there are certainly references to them.

Fans of mystery and historical fiction will certainly be intrigued by this series and creators Flores and Roe know how to combine history and imagination into a cocktail of entertainment.

Wonderfully researched and cleverly produced, this mystery comic doesn’t just craft an interesting tale of solving what’s real and what’s beyond comprehension, but also gives readers a unique experience with its cast of characters and their strong personalities. A worthy addition to one’s comic book shelf, indeed.

To get your copy of this series, visit: https://bluefoxcomics.com/products/the-inspectres-volume-one.