I was particularly excited about Bury the Lede because I rarely encountered a crime/noir graphic novel. Unfortunately, aside from its brilliant and incredibly graphic artworks with no holding back and an excellent queer rep, I couldn't relate to the characters nor the plot.

The protagonist was very self-centered, especially when it comes to her career as a so-called reporter. She has zero ability to maintain a relationship, whether with her family or romantic partners. Hence the reason why I couldn't emotionally invest in her story or sympathize with her struggles. She also did unethical acts to gather information and this happened several times throughout the story.

And lastly, the plot was extremely confusing for me. It was as if I stumbled in the middle of a case and I kept losing my track over the given clues.

Thank you BOOM! Studios for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bury the Lede is a LGBTQIA graphic novel about an intern reporter trying to be taken seriously in her professional pursuit while trying to date various people. The story focused more on her career ambitions than the relationships she was cultivating with her love interests. I really liked how the story did not make her sexual identity a focus, it was just a part of her, but not the bulk of who she is in the book. This book featured a very diverse cast that was very representative of a large metropolitan area. The mystery to me was a bit weak, to be honest. It was fascinating to see Dahlia Kennedy, (moral ambiguous character- I do not consider her a villain), give Madison enough clues to uncover the mystery herself, but at the same time weave a web of lies. This may have been the point; everything Dahlia says may not be for the benefit of Madison. If you are looking for a noirish LGBTQIA graphic novel, you will enjoy Bury The Lede.

I definitely loved the concept of this story but it fell a little flat for me. I've only read my fair share of mystery novels and comics, but I just needed slightly more. It felt a little rushed and even by the end of it, I felt like I couldn't make all the connections.

Madison Jackson is a journalism student working as an intern at a major newspaper. Desperate to impress, she attends a crime scene and witnesses a society woman being arrested, covered in blood. She gets the chance to interview the accused, and frankly states her disbelief about the woman's guilt. This elicits a confession, and Madison is instantly elevated to the front page. But things do not seem right and she feels the need to dig deeper, gradually uncovering a major political scandal. But is she being used?

This is a pacy story reminiscent of a film noir plot. The artwork reinforces that impression, with characters that evoke actors of that era, such as Veronica Lake. It has ruthless ambition, a femme fatale, sex, crime and dirty politics; all the good stuff.

This is a fast-paced graphic novel centring around a cat and mouse game between a murderous socialite and a newspaper intern looking for her big break. What will it cost Madison to become a real journalist?

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

The review will be live on the website 10/1/19. Here's the synopsis of the review:

Have you ever had that hard-hitting bug to become a journalist and crack a case wide open? Well, we have -- so Bury The Lede by Gaby Dunn, Claire Roe, and Miquel Muerto scratched our itch. A graphic novel under BOOM! coming October 8th, 2019 dives into the behind-the-scenes journalism narrative by Madison Jackson, "the intern." By the end of the novel, she won't just be an "intern." The narrative overall was spectacular.

As a reader, I always want to see more. Bury The Lede gave me what I wanted: A hard-hitting thriller story about journalism. I left wanting a second part to find out what happens next in Madison's life. What is the next story? It also gave me an act of small courage to channel my inner journalist and crack a case (not a murder case!) One thing you have to show with art is the intensity of the plot since this is a noir detective journalism story. Claire and Miquel did that showing with Gaby's telling with the writing. You know when you see a great team together because the showing and telling are effortless. That is what happened here with Bury The Lede.

Not only did it do an incredible job with the plot and themes, but it made the reader dive into the story and get into the mindset of a journalist. What a powerful thing to do! In terms of quality -- the comic might not work for everyone. You have to be into the detective narrative and be able to become engulfed in it. The narrative and voice, personally, were exciting to read. It left me wanting more and even after it ended, I wanted a second part already.

I really liked this graphic novel. I loved the art style & color scheme, the mystery & all the murder and, of course, how queer and bi positive it was. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending but I'll be looking forward to any type of continuation this story gets.

I am not very familiar with reading graphic novels. So, I think there were times in this that I struggled to make the intuitive leaps I should have. That being admitted, I think the immediacy of the form really works for this story. I mean, this is about the news, right? It should be fast-paced, succinct, a bit hard-edged. The use of newspapers, websites, text, email… all presented as visual media is fantastic – it makes them that much more immediate? concise? something to that effect. It definitely works.
The story itself is strong with interesting twists and turns and engaging characters. The art is awesome. The color is just incredible and I love the tonal shifts between scenes.
One thought, I get the noir connection is intended here. But the blond femme fatale is named Dahlia. Really? Isn’t that a bit too on the nose?

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the arc to review.

I enjoyed the grown up Nancy Drew vibes in this graphic novel. The artwork is also beautiful. However, the story was disjointed and could have been fleshed our more especially in regards to journalism ethics and character relationships.

If you love noir-esque comics or crime mysteries, you need to check this one out. I didn’t know much going into this one which I think added to my enjoyment, so I’m not going to dig deep into the plot here. I will tell you that the story follows Madison, an intern for Boston’s most reputable newspaper. Then she catches a break by being the only reporter Dahlia Kennedy, an alleged murderer will talk too. It’s the hottest story in town and Madison soon learns that there is more to the story than just the murder of Kennedy’s husband. I will say that at times the story felt a little disjointed, but it was still a very binge-able read.

Though graphic illustrations to Bury The Lede where phenomenal, the story it self was rather difficult to get into. I'm not sure if it was me or if anyone else felt the samething? Also I've come across a few stories lately where the characters use drugs to get information from other characters, (a little tasteless if you ask me) it's like it's becoming the norm for story writting, strippers and Cardi B (clearly this last sentence is just an example)

Rating 2

For mature readers, but worth the look. The artwork is well done and the story is altogether human. This book shows what a graphic novel can do.

This wasn't really my preferred art-style and while I enjoyed the story there were certain aspects I couldn't stand. There's an unlikeable MC but then there is a MC who does bad things without consequences. And I hate the latter.

Lovely artwork and colours, a diverse cast of characters, a complex and difficult heroine, and great LGBT and POC representation - I loved this. The story wasn’t super compelling to me, but I liked the characters so much that I’d have watched them investigate pretty much anything. I hope they’ll all be back in future books (and no spoilers but the protagonist has made a pretty huge mess of her interpersonal relationships by the end of the book, so there’s plenty to mine in future volumes).

I was reading some of the other reviews which said the plot was a bit difficult to follow, and obviously, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I came away with the opposite impression. Maybe I am biased as someone who frequently suffers from burying the lede! Okay, but really. Here's what I thought this book does well. I think we can all identify with the desire to be seen in our jobs, especially when we're first starting. It's easy for me to see how Madison comes to make the decisions she does. There's an energy around reporting and a desire to be the one to get the story. In an industry that thrives off of scoops and a sort of journalistic cult of personality, I found this book #HighlyRelatable. I feel like we've all desired to be the person to get that kind of recognition and when Dahlia Kennedy chooses Madison to reveal her story too, well let's say this: I get it. You don't need to be a reporter or know anything about reporting to read this story. It's a great, quick read with beautiful illustrations thanks to Claire Roe and Miquel Rodriguez.

This graphic novel carries an intricate mystery told from the point of view of an intern at the Lede, a notorious Boston newspaper.
The characters are incredible. I liked Madison Jackson as the main character. I've never traveled so far into the world of reporters and magazines. Her journey in that world is ours. Madison is relatable because she is introverted but ambitious. She is bisexual and also another character is queer. I'm proud to see other sexualities represented in graphic novels.
This is not a soft mystery. Some images can be brutal to the soft-hearted and there is an erotic scene, so kids should stay away.
Judging the mystery, I think that some parts could have been better. I was not impressed by the way things turn out, so that's why I took two stars away.
However, there are many things about this graphic novel that I loved, including the characters and the art.
I've watched Gaby Dunn on youtube many times, so I am left speechless that she is such a great author. I'm really glad I got to experience this side of her.

I am here for all of the new comics and books that give me strong women protagonists and super noir vibes! Bury the Lede follows (intern) reporter Madison, who gets wrapped into covering Dahlia Kennedy, accused murderer of her husband and son. And of course, conspiracy and a darker story emerge! The graphic novel is beautifully drawn and perfectly colored to match the story - just because it's noir doesn't mean it needs to be void of color, and the reliance on purples and blues gives emotional weight to Madison's narrative. There is POC and LGBTQIA+ representation, and characters are well developed. With a little bit of Legally Blonde (Brooke Taylor Windham anybody?), some sarcasm, and a driven lead (see what I did there?), this is a fast and engaging read. As other reviewers have pointed out, there were times when I was a bit confused about what was happening and who all of the characters were, but I think this is a common challenge with the medium of graphic novels, and allowing it to develop slowly only means that hopefully there is a lot more to come!

3.5/5 Star

Madison Jackson, a 21 year old intern for the Boston Lede, is trying to get her first headline in the paper. She gets her opportunity when a socialite named Dahlia Kennedy, murdering her husband and son comes to light. Dahlia, who refused to talk to any other reporter, confesses to Madison and thus shoves her into the limelight.

This was quite a short graphic novel, but it was enjoyable for what it was. I loved the colour scheme chosen for this, there were a lot of purple and blue tones that made the book feel very dark and eerie. The representation was also great, there were many LGBTQ+ and POC characters included, without it being a vocal point. The biggest complaint I have for this would be that at times the plot felt rushed and under-developed. It almost felt like I had picked the book up in the middle of the series and was missing information. But overall, I did enjoy the story and wanted to keep reading to discover the conclusion.

Madison Jackson is a new intern at the Boston Lede, one of the largest papers in the Northeast… she wants to be known as real reporter, acknowledged by the editor and her fellow reporters, not just a coffee-getting gofer. Maddison is driven, yet understands the grey that comes with reporting the news.

One night a call comes across the police scanner that thrusts her right into the public eye. High-powered socialite Dahlia Kennedy is found covered in blood with her husband’s body hanging above her… and their young child has gone missing. Madison wants this story, this scoop, badly, but Dahlia won’t talk to anyone until Madison tries. Little by little, Dahlia gives Madison clues towards a dark conspiracy reaching all to people high in the city government.

Madison is a character torn in so many ways… she feels compelled to help her colleagues at the newspaper and yet, she is also tied to a cop friend who occasionally gives her tips. She wants to be that great reporter, wants to do it on her own, and is stuck with the guilt of needing others’ help. And she’s willing to go a long way to get the information… I was surprised at times where she went morally, but what is a character flaw only makes her more realistic. There’s well-written sexual tension inside her, and a completely normalized example of bisexuality. Something I’m now happily seeing in all genres of literature.

The pacing is near-perfect as Dunn makes sure to give away just enough of the mystery to keep the reader turning the pages. And the illustrations highlight the noir feeling of both the criminality of the plot and the anxiousness of Madison’s mind. I also liked the palette of dark blues and oranges and the select bright colors that symbolize the dramatic moments in the piece. Great choices to highlight the atmosphere.

A raw and poignant look at a young reporter quickly pulled into the murky world of crime.

4 out of 5 stars.

Go to the Boom Studios website here for a free preview.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boom Studios, and the authors for an advanced copy for review.

Nice a little murder mystery from the perspective of the journalist. It's a story about a corrupt city, the politicians, who run it, and the determination of a reporter, who wants to discover the truth. Madison Jackson is an intern at the Boston Lede, where she has pretty much existed unnoticed. However, this all changes one night when Madison arrives at the scene of a crime and meets the socialite, Dahlia Kennedy. Dahlia confesses to killing her husband and son to only Madison, but the truth is much more complicated. Definitely worth the read and it had a diverse set of characters.