Being a Sherlock Holmes adaptation, it's only right that Signs of Three has references to the original canon.
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Book One: "A Study of Scarlet"
- The title and main plot are both derived from the very first story, A Study in Scarlet.
- Dr. Watson's bulldog Martin is an obscure reference to the "bull-pup" mentioned by Watson in A Study in Scarlet. note
- Michelle Stamford is a gender-flipped version of "young Stamford", who introduces Dr. Watson to Sherlock Holmes in the original story.
- Holmes is first introduced doing an experiment involving bloodstains, similar to how the original character was.
- Watson and Holmes' descriptions of themselves when discussing their potential flatshare is almost identical to the pair's original conversation.
- Dr. Watson is an amateur vlogger, a contemporary update of his tendency to write-up Holmes' cases in the original books.
- Upon arriving at 221b Baker Street the following day, Watson mentions reading an article Holmes wrote about deduction, a reference to a similar occurrence in the original Study in Scarlet. Watson, for his part, is much better receiving of said article here than in the original, however.
- After Holmes comes out to Watson as transgender, his (internal) delight at the latter's accepting reaction is depicted with "Hell Yeah!" spelt in the code of the dancing stick-men from The Adventure of the Dancing Men.
- After he and Watson move in to 221b Baker Street, Holmes is seen wearing a t-shirt with a bee on it, referencing his keeping of bees upon retirement in the original canon.
- Holmes compares his mind to a toolbox with limited space. The original Holmes compared his brain to an attic, only to be filled with the most important and useful information.
- Watson mentions that Holmes' mind "rebelled at stagnation", which was exactly how the great detective himself put it in The Sign of the Four.
- DI Lestrade's first name is present as Greyson. In the original stories, it was never revealed beyond a mere "G. Lestrade".
- Sherlock paraphrases a version of "Come at once, if convenient. If inconvenient, come all the same" from The Adventure of the Creeping Man, when inviting Watson along to the crime scene.
- The first two victims of the story are Americans, as were the two victims in A Study in Scarlet.
- The first murder victim had "RACHE" scribbled on his forehead, which Holmes explains is German for "Revenge", mirroring an identical scene from A Study in Scarlet, albeit with "RACHE" written on the wall as opposed to the victim's forehead.
- Sherlock discovers a ring at the crime scene, and later uses a fake to lure a suspect to his flat, which also took place in the original Study in Scarlet.
- Holmes is seen singlestick-fencing at the beginning of Chapter 4, which was a noted talent of his in the original books.
- A detective named "Hopkins" appears in a single panel of Chapter 4, referring to Stanley Hopkins from The Adventure of Black Peter and several other stories.
- The murderer is named Scarlet Hope, in reference to the original murderer Jefferson Hope.
- Lucy Herrier's parents wishing for her to marry the son of a friend of theirs, as well as the entire backstory about Herrier's virulent church, is a reference to the unstable Mormons of A Study in Scarlet.
- The beginning of Chapter 7 has the murderer give a message to Holmes on behalf of whoever assisted them in finding their victims. One word: Moriarty.
- Whilst phoning his brother, Sherlock mentions Mycroft owes him for a "thing in Greece", referencing Mycroft Holmes' canon debut in The Greek Interpreter.
Book Two: "Fangs of Sussex"
- This story is based on The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire from The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.
- Watson notes that Sherlock enjoys fencing and boxing. In the original stories, Holmes was a skilled boxer and singlestick player.
