“Yesterday’s” Comic> The Searchers #1

I hope that’s a window behind them and not, you know, the ocean!

The Searchers #1

Caliber Comics (1996, digital release)

WRITERS: Colin Clayton & Chris Dows

ARTIST: Art Wetherell

LETTERER: Ken DeLane

EDITOR: Chet Jacques

In 1896, four authors of legend were brought together in a room in the British Museum by Charles Fort to behold a mysterious book from a people who were said to have entered dreams. When the book was opened, a light revealed to Edgar Rice Burroughs, Henry Haggard, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (who might not have been a “sir” yet), Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells visions of the characters they created running around in the real world before Fort and the book were taken away by a group of mysterious men. In present day, that book has been found, and a man named George doesn’t like what he believes the finders will do with it. At that same museum, in the same room, he has brought four people from around the world, but the meeting is interrupted by another woman claiming to be the daughter of Moriarty, the famed adversary of Sherlock Holmes. In fact all of them are descendants not of the authors but the character they created.

What they got right: The concept we get so far is interesting. The assembled in present day acknowledge that the people they supposedly descended from were works of fiction, so this isn’t another “they actually lived in the real world and the authors wrote about them”, or at least not in the usual way that happens. Sherlock Holmes is fictional in this world as well, since I’m assuming the book is tied to people’s dreams and these are four legendary authors who experience a moment from their famous tales. There’s an interesting mystery presented all around. We get a moment with each new character to get an idea about their personalities and what they’re leaving behind. There’s also a nice bit of framing as the four new people meeting in the room have the same position as the authors when they met there, until joined by Moriarty’s supposed daughter.

What they got wrong: The last page isn’t much of a cliffhanger. It’s just Moriarty’s daughter standing there in a splash page saying “wrong” to the comment on the previous page that their supposed ancestors were fictional characters and not real. I also have to wonder why they suddenly leave for England the moment they read the letter they received if they’re this skeptical about everything and don’t even get along at first. The issue ends before the mystery is fully explained, so if it didn’t hook you now, it won’t bring you back later.

What I think overall: They have my curiosity but they don’t yet have my attention. The plot has great potential, but there’s no indication what they plan to do with it. If I get to read the next issue in the future we’ll have to see if it would keep me reading.