World’s Greatest Detectives

            In the 50th anniversary for Detective Comics published on March 1987 Batman and Robin are in England to stop Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes greatest rival from hurting Queen Elizabeth. Moriarty would later meet the Joker and begin to plot and team up to take detectives down.  Sherlock is drawn as the 80-year-old man from his most common stories that only true Sherlock fans could tell you if the artist nailed it. Having worlds collide like that was huge for Batman meet the man who his own character is based upon. When Batman first meets him, he is astonished to meet such a powerful character in literary history.    Sherlock Holmes was first created in 1886 when Sherlock Holmes and his partner in crime Doctor John Watson first debuted in the novel, A Study in Scarlet, a year after being written. Arthur Conan Doyle was the Author and creator of these two iconic characters. It is now 2016, and within the past decade we’ve seen over 20 recent versions of Sherlock worldwide. Most take place in the original time period that Sherlock Holmes was from, the Victorian era, and some occur in a more modern setting where Sherlock has access to more or the same technology as modern individuals from the 21st century. Both show the character Sherlock Holmes who was created in London and is known as a popular English character. Culturally, people look to a hero figure for inspiration, someone who believes in justice and fighting evil. Sherlock Holmes is an intellectual and solves crimes to bring justice to Britain. How Holmes is portrayed says a lot about what British culture looks for in a hero figure, someone who is intelligent and turns to logic. American culture also values a hero figure, but not one who purely relies on intellect. Bob Kane and Bill Finger created a more mythical and flamboyantly dressed detective character in 1939. The Batman, a popular character in comic books that was introduced in Detective Comics number 27 in 1939 to the present time in American culture, which includes numerous comic series, television shows and popular movies today as well. Batman is called the world’s greatest detective in American literature and Sherlock Holmes is an original British character and represents a detective hero solving crimes but lacking the cape and cowl. It’s no surprise how both characters are still widely known and represented in so many different ways. While Sherlock Holmes is older he creates an aura of Englishness

    After Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print, he became immensely popular following a series of short stories in a magazine called The Strand Magazine by Arthur Conan Doyle, which brought their sales to an all time high. Sherlock Holmes was originally seen and was described in English literature as a 60 year old man. In recent interpretation he is younger, a man in his late 20’s or early 30’s. Sherlock is described as an incredibly gifted mind and eccentric by his partner Watson. He is an odd individual with absolutely no regard for anyone’s feelings who disregards societal standards. One component that shows Sherlock’s Englishness is his constant use of tobacco. Sherlock often uses a pipe, and now and then cigarettes. In today’s culture we see people in the streets of London lighting up and smoking pipes. This may seem insignificant but a habit like smoking is a root of the culture back then and still today. In 2015, a website called ash.org.uk published the 2015 stats about people today smoking in the UK. It says that 10 million adults in Great Britain smoke cigarettes that’s a 6th of the population which is 22% men and 17% women, while in young people 2/3 start before 18. Since 1974, the smoking rate has more than doubled when 51% of men and 41% of women smoked on the regular. When smoking was at its prevalence it’s highest age group was 25-34 years of age. In 2013 the smoking rate in England was 20% the North East of England had 2.3% increase while the South was at its lowest of 17.2%. In 2014 to 2015 the UK government gained 9.5 billion pounds in revenue from Tobacco tax alone. I’m not saying Sherlock Holmes is to blame for smoking in England. But in most versions don’t we want Sherlock Holmes to represent that classic Englishness that both Americans and English people want to see in their English detective?  If moms across the globe can say that music can corrupt their kids into smoking, drinking and other habits, then why can’t our classic literary characters like Sherlock Holmes and Doc Watson influence readers?

Sherlock Holmes is so popular that in 2012 the character was recognized from World Records London as one of the most portrayed literary human characters in both television and film. The character has be depicted on the screens both big and little 254 times, by numerous actors from his first appearance in film by Alwin NeuB in 1908, to his most recent return in a television series played by actor Benedict Cumberbatch in 2010, only a year after Robert Downy Jr. portrayed Holmes on the big screens in 2009. Sherlock Holmes is a private detective who’s impressive skills in forensic science and deduction in logical reason fills his thirst for knowledge and seeking justice for his clients in London. He is hero who loves crime, his intentions are to test his brain power and solve the crime. Holmes is a loner aside from Watson and his landlady Mrs. Hudson, he really doesn’t date or socialize because he sees women as obstacles in the way and distrusting. English culture depicted their hero as this regular man who doesn’t work and follow the law like the men in black in England. He works on his own passion and simply wears a trench coat, baller cap and pipe in most adaptations.

    In America one of the most iconic detectives differs in comparison to London’s Holmes. The Batman is a fictional comic book character who Bill Finger and Bob Kane created for the series run in Detective comics. Batman is a masked hero who seeks justice at night in a black and grey costume. His chest emblem is a bat and the most common reason is that his appearance is to bring fear to his enemies and scare them the same way a bat scared him as a child. Batman was created 53 years after the existence of Holmes and both resemble more extreme versions of each other. Batman is the alter ego of Bruce Wayne who keeps his detective background hidden to the general public and is contacted by the police to solve bizarre crimes and protect the city when the normal justice system can’t do the job, just like Sherlock Holmes. Batman, like Sherlock, operates on his own outside the law but his true identity is concealed, He works out of an underground cave under his family house Wayne Manor. Bruce Wayne is a billionaire due to his inheritance and family owned company, being a superhero and one with no powers puts and increase on spending when it comes to custom vehicles, gadgets, computer systems and more. Unlike Holmes who waits for clients, Batman portal the streets at night because of how crime populated his city is. Gun laws are strict in London and Batman lives in a city that structured to be a blend of New York and Pittsburg. Sherlock Holmes and Watson often bring guns with them on cases. Gotham city has an almost overabundance amount of crime. Batman is in fact also a loner and tends to work alone. A year after his creation into comics Bob Kane and Bill Finger introduced too Batman’s war on crime his new junior partner Richard Grayson or his alter ego Robin the Boy Wonder in 1940 in Batman’s first original series. While Dick and Bruce are out solving crimes in the city who tends to the Mansion and keeps the bat cave clean of guano. Alfred Pennyworth was introduced in Batman issue 16 in April 1943. He is Bruce’s butler and worked with his family for years. Unlike Sherlock, Bruce is fueled by vengeance as a child and the brutal death he witnessed of both his parents in a place called crime alley, which started him on the path to Batman. Batman comics are still selling today and through the years there have been many different interpretations of the Batman in media all over American culture. Bill Finger the writer of this now iconic hero once said he drew inspiration other more pulp heroes at the time like Doc Savage, Dick Tracy and you guessed it Sherlock Holmes. Which shows how popular British culture has affected us. The American Hero is a bit more overdressed and truly acts against the law sometimes. Both heroes do seek answers and justice for each case they take on. Batman comics started off a bit lighter before Frank Miller set the bar high with his storyline The Dark Knight Returns, previous to that Batman and Robin were once more colorful and cheery types heroes like all were back then in America.  

    Since Sherlock portrays the habits that common English people have, which is so appealing to the American and British audiences. Besides his skills in deduction Sherlock Holmes is represented as common Englishman. This gives Sherlock Holmes a certain statue to live up too. He’s an intelligent and cultured man who smokes his pipe, reads the newspaper with his own personal chair next to a roaring fire place. This is appealing to the common men in both countries because after a long day of work they just want to pop a squat and relax. In America we’re drawn to Holmes because of his foreign ways or Englishness. His intellect goes hand and hand with his Englishness, for Americans it can be seen as a stereotypical depiction of the Englishman. Those who haven’t traveled to London see Sherlock Holmes as a window into life across the sea and a thrill to read. While in London and all over the UK Sherlock is more relatable as a person with his mannerisms, what he eats, and where he goes.

    In America, DC comics uses Sherlock’s deduction skills and his general attitude as inspiration for Batman. There are still many similarities between the two and with Sherlock Holmes being so popular through the years, it’s no surprise that Batman has become a successful franchise. Sherlock Holmes used to work alone before the arrival of John Watson. In The Adventure of the Crooked Man by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Watson is called by Sherlock in the middle of the night to have him joy on the final stage of a case he took. Showing that Sherlock does still take cases by himself but also shows his need for outside help. Batman often works with Robin his sidekick and through the years many other sidekicks and colleagues to follow. Watson is not a sidekick to Sherlock but a friend and equal who Sherlock as much as he doesn’t show it cares for him. Batman is the exact same way with his Robins. Although there’s only one John Watson, there have been many Robins who grew up and became their own detective, stealth type hero’s using Batman’s teachings. In Sherlock Holmes he often has a landlady who maintains his place in 221 B, Baker Street named Mrs. Hudson who can be seen as mother figure to Sherlock Holmes. While in Gotham City Batman and Robin patrol the streets at night, Bruce Wayne’s British butler Alfred Pennyworth maintains the mansion above and the batcave. Both Batman and Sherlock are outside sources that the cops ask to get involved when the boys in blue and black can’t live up. Mentioned earlier that Sherlock and Watson carried guns, Batman’s moral code into never using a gun is actual something they redid in the comics, the first version of batman, he carried a gun but didn’t use it often like the first dynamic duo of English literature. It’s know shock to how close the two are and only differ in clothing, wealth, strength, age and country origin.

    Sherlock is a British/American crime drama that aired on PBS in America 2010 and BBC One in the UK 2010. Where Sherlock and John Watson are flat mates in a more modern day, contemporary London. The show was created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Sherlock is played by Benedict Cumberbatch who plays the more modern Sherlock where he’s portrayed in his early 30’s a consulting detective with new spins on the more classic short stories. The series gives Sherlock Holmes access to technology from today. Cell phones and access to the internet give a new generation a new type of Englishness for him to live up too. This is why the show was such a success, not only did Benedict Cumberbatch nail his role as Sherlock, he also nailed what London is like today compared to when his short stories were originally introduced. Sherlock in the show is just as eccentric and deductive. Each episode is based after one of the many Sherlock Holmes stories from the A Study in Scarlet to The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton. But with a more modern spin on the many classics. A couple shots throughout the series have Watson and Sherlock conversing thru texts messages. In classic short stories and novel there is no high tech items that Holmes and Watson could use to find the killer, which makes him even more remarkable because he only uses clues and his mind. In Sherlock the show he has access to a modern day crime lab. Expanding both the character’s limits and the plot of the show. Giving Sherlock access does not take away from the character but makes him more realistic and frees him up to do more in the show and gives the audiences a better sense of time. While he’s running a test in the lab, He and Watson can further investigate their case. He even has a lab partner who he uses to help him and work out details in numerous cases. In the show His assistant named Molly Hopper played by Louise Brealey is in love with him, Sherlock gives no matter too her. His Englishness and I’m talking about his speech or accent here, gives American women something to drool over. It can be only his tone, not even his look, which the series shows within the lab assistant who you can see as both the American and English woman’s perspective of the character. Come on ladies we know you want your man to listen but is Sherlock decoding your emotions and charming accent really going to do it for you. (look up an article relating this) Also the fact that Sherlock pays her know mind till he needs her. Watson is seen as more of player while still keeping true to his medical background except this time he returns from a tour in Iraq and at first before meeting Holmes suffers from P.T.S.D. The characters in the show are altered but stay true to their roles as the literary characters with  the loss of Watson wife.

    Season 2 Episode 3 which is one of the most thrilling and mind boggling episodes they made in the season. It’s the finale that aired on January 15th 2012 and is based after Conan Doyle’s short story The Final Problem published in 1893. In the show Sherlock has the world turned on him when his arch rival Moriarty returns and gives the world a tiny bit of doubt in Holmes when the world loves him most. In reality if Sherlock existed in today British society he would become immensely popular and having a rival like him and equal in intelligence and not sanity proves to be Sherlock’s downfall in this episode. In the short story Sherlock and Moriarty fall to their deaths. Ending the endless cycle of their catharsis among England. In the beginning scene Moriarty who is played by Andrew Scott is pulling a heist to get Sherlock attention. He breaks into a case where the crown jewels are while opening a vault in the bank of England and all the cells at Pentovile Prison. He waits on the throne as the police show up in squads and vans normally used in England which bring about the shows Englishness in today’s society. After his arrest Sherlock is brought to court to testify against Moriarty. They ask him how he would describe him and Sherlock being the cocky son of a bitch we love simply engages the judge and jury by saying they're wrong when asked “how would you describe this man his character” referring to Moriarty. Sherlock says “First mistake. He isn’t a man at all. James Moriarty isn’t a man at all he’s spider. A spider at the center of a web. A criminal web with a thousand threads and he knows precisely how each and every single one them dances.” Then after already knowing the next question he says how it’s a waste to ask but they asked how long he’s know him and in the show he mentions an earlier episode when they are first introduced to Moriarty and how they’ve only met for 5 minute and Sherlock pulled a gun and how Moriarty tried to blow him up. Which is true from Sherlock Season 1 episode 3 The Great Game. He says in a sarcastic manner that he felt they had a special something. The judge is unamused and says how could he be an expert witness after knowing him 5 minutes to which Sherlock proves his worthiness by analyzing the entire jury by just looking at them from across the court. Throughout the episode it explores the bond these two enemies share. In the scene where Moriarty is in the house we notice the Englishness of both characters how they talk over a spot of tea. Tea is a common caffeinated drink throughout the world but in England especially, which gives the characters a more realistic feel while still being seen in a more modern world. In the study they speak and how the two are similar but according to Moriarty that Sherlock is just boring. For the first time Sherlock is battling a rival of equal mind. Moriarty leaves clues and riddles for Sherlock to decode within their conversation. Moriarty stir chaos and does it to watch how society and in the episode he says “Every fairytale needs a good old-fashioned villain”

    The prison I previously mentioned is a real prison in England and gives the show a more authentic feel. The show setting is England and captures the feel of British society, it gives American viewers a glimpse of what Englishness is from both the characters on the show and the setting. The way they show Moriarty in his return is more chaotic and the evil mastermind to Sherlock’s quest for a challenging case and knowledge. When the police arrive he simply says “no rush” giving the character a more comedic form. Moriarty in the show has what can be seen as a Joker and Riddler like feel to him. He’s insane he ends the episode by shooting himself in the head while convincing Sherlock to jump to his death because Moriarty won and turned the world against him. Sherlock calls Watson on his cell phone when he see him walking toward the building he’s about to jump off. After Watson was tricked away from Sherlock previously so that the two, being Sherlock and Moriarty can have one more chat and Moriarty can explain his victory. We see Sherlock grow as character as well when he tells Watson a lie about himself being true and changing the world and his only best friend views of him. Instead of being right and being more selfish. Sherlock did this to protect people he cares about. Sherlock Holmes takes this blame because Watson is being followed by a sniper and Holmes know he has to jump.

    This can also be seen in the film the Dark Knight when Batman our American extreme of Sherlock Holmes takes the blame for killing Harvey Dent and 4 other deaths. He knows that he has to take this blame even though he is a hero but like Holmes it doesn’t matter how society see him. Relating the two in film as well.


 

    The episode closely relates to the Batman comic published recently in 2014 called Batman: End Game. Batman’s arch rival the Joker returns from the previous story Batman: Death of the Family where he went after everyone in the “bat family” from Nightwing his first and former protégé to Damian Wayne the current boy wonder. Joker is claiming that he knew who batman was and all his allies’ true identities. The Joker knows that they are destined to do this dance for the rest of their lives and says how Batman’s family weakens him from being the best he could be. Eventually Batman won and they thought it was the last they would see of the Joker. When Joker returned he had plot to make the city into laughing zombies, literally turning the city of Gotham against Batman. Joker took the city after poisoning the Justice League and exposed how he was still alive and hiding among Batman without him noticing till it was too late. At the end of the book Batman fights Joker in an underground cavern where a form of the lazarus pit exist. The lazarus is a pit where another villain Ra’s A ghul regains his youth and lives forever. Joker forces Batman to team up with his own enemies in order to take down the clown prince of crime. When the final battle happens it's only Batman and Joker fighting a bloody battle in a crumbling cavern. Batman and Joker die together underground together. The two have been fighting the same fights since the beginning of Batman’s career. So it only seem fit that they both go out together like in the short story Final Problem and the television series adaption of it. Ending their own cycle of catharsis.  End Game the comics came out monthly with Batman # 35 in the New 52 series by DC comics in October of 2014 and concluded in April 2015 in Batman #40. America’s crime detective died for the sake of his city and knowing that his followers and teachings would keep it safe. The story is resemble that of Sherlock’s and give us a more extreme and radical version of the two. Although in the show Moriarty is seem more as a Riddler type by leaving Sherlock clues of bread crumbs, notes and even tapping out a fake pattern in order to trick Sherlock.

    Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular characters in literary history. His success has brought about many different ways and interruptions of him. We don’t know who will be the next Sherlock and if any characters will even top him. His Englishness is what draws the American audiences into foreign territory. It opens people to view the character and his surroundings. Batman is the America extreme and the reason Batman was drawn on so heavy in this essay is because he has many Sherlock features. Batman was a character in America that gained so much success with visual aids and bright colors, People follow the comics and experience Batman grow and become something more. The mythology grows and you learn more and more by following this character on his journey. People follow Sherlock’s short stories the same way, His character grows with today’s society as well by bringing him into new books, even his own comic series and other adaptations. Sherlock continues to show his Englishness in today’s images. The Batman wouldn’t be as popular if not for the dashing intelligent detective Sherlock Holmes.

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