A struggling writer whose attempts at new stories start to line up with real murders. It was an interesting concept, but there were too many aspects that simply weren't woven together. As lines blurred between reality and... hallucinations? something supernatural? it became especially confusing. There wasn't any explanation as to what was going on with that. I was a fan of the dominatrix scenes, but it seemed to be there somewhat independently from the story rather than having a real purpose related to the plot. The dominatrix and the author immediately becoming friends as she tries to help him solve this mystery was also odd- there's not a storyline piece that explains why she would have taken to this stranger immediately and been motivated to get so involved.

Wow! A quick, gory, flick! I love the art style in this so much, and honestly this book gets many points for that. The story was fine, no complaints. It was reminiscent of Hannibal / Silence of the Lambs which was really fun!
I’m excited to see where this goes if Boss makes more in the series :)

I had a fun time with this one. I enjoyed the story and the art was captivating, I loved the character designs and the colour panel was nice to look at. Though I was slightly confused at points, it kept me interested and I easily read it in one sitting.

You’ll Do Bad Things is a quick and gory read that I’d definitely recommend to all horror and comic enjoyers!

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!

You'll Do Bad Things follows Seth, an author that gained notoriety from releasing He Came in with a Smile, a true crime non-fiction book about the Nursery Rhyme Killer. 10 years later, he hasn’t been able to write another book. He wants to write a book with a happy ending, but he gravitates towards brutal deaths. When these deaths start to happen in real life, he enlist the help of a dominatrix to help him get to the bottom of this.

This was fun! I was a little confused in some parts but I enjoyed the illustrations. I liked the character design of The Doll. The color scheme was cool. Overall a quick fun read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Image Comics, for the ARC.

My Selling Pitch:
A meta crime thriller reminiscent of Red Dragon and The Mare of Easttown.

Pre-reading:
Love me a horror graphic.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
The colors are gorgeous.

It’s paneled like a show would be shot.

A me!

So don’t write them a happy ending.

Oh, how fun! It’s the writing process illustrated.

Good gore.

The cover of issue two is ugly.

I’m loving this. A bit Will Graham-y consultanty.

Now Balance is funny. I always love spoofy brands

Didn’t have this pegged for full frontal lmao.

Why are the covers so ugly compared to the interiors?

Is that a tomato? Girl, near your eyes? Ouchie!

Wait, this would be a FUN limited series. Do it Mare of Easttown style.

HA, I love how everyone’s just accepted the faerie smut is THE current literature.

They’re cute. I hope Bella lives.

The colors in this are so good.

Crotch shot of a dead woman is gratuitous. Also, it doesn’t make sense for her to be naked. She’s an older woman wearing a dress. She’d probably have shapewear on and she’d def have a bra and underwear.

The way my jaw just dropped in horror. Not the dog!

I love Bella. Make this a show right now. It’s pretty effortlessly diverse, the sets are great, the cinematography is already framed. Like, put this on TV.

I LOVE BELLA.

Why do they always draw the buttholes on cats? It’s so yucky. Also, kitty better be okay.

Was it a tooth fairy thing? He saw them missing a tooth and had to have it? (I would’ve liked more explanation here.)

Stick the landing please. This has been so good and so well-paced so far.

If they planned this, why is she in heels? Men smh.

This is so fun!

But the ending does matter.

Kind of a lame fizzle out for something that was great otherwise.

Post-reading:
I think this would make a fantastic TV show. Hannibal and cop dramas are so familiar to the general public that I think putting a meta spin on them would really work. The art for this book is gorgeous with a few exceptions. Necrophilic crotch shots are not it. It felt especially gratuitous in a book self-aware enough to acknowledge the ethical problems that come with true crime consumption. I think leaving Bella in her heels for the big showdown is another male author oversight. You can argue it’s character design continuity, but I think it’s garbage to act like she’s a feminist character and then not give her some sneakers while she takes on the big bad. The color work in the series is phenomenal though and effortlessly moody. I liked the diversity amongst the characters and how it felt matter-of-fact rather than virtue signally.

I don’t love the ending. The editor tie-in was a fun meta moment, but pinning it on the old cop is plotholey. I think the ending is going to disappoint readers since the rest of the story was so well-paced. I’d pick this up if you’re a fan of crime thrillers. For the most part, it’s a fun time!

Who should read this:
Hannibal fans
Crime thriller fans

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
No, I think I’ll remember it.

Would I buy this:
Yup!

Similar books:
* Red Dragon by Thomas Harris-crime thriller, psychological horror
* The Last Word by Taylor Adams-campy, crime thriller, meta fiction
* Killing Stalking by Koogie-graphic novel, horror, crime thriller, queer
* I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer-graphic novel, revenge thriller
* I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman-crime thriller, revenge
* Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh-psychological horror, unreliable narrator, queer, revenge thriller
* She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge-procedural crime thriller
* None of This is True by Lisa Jewel-crime thriller, revenge

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.