Where the Body Was takes place on a street in a town. People are living their separate but interconnected lives- their stories overlapping and almost touching- and then there is a dead body on the street. There's a mystery, for sure, but the real meat of the book is the tale of these people and their lives.

I loved the heck out of this. I read it in less than an hour and I think I'm going to read it a couple more times before it expires. Brubaker and Phillips have been working together for years and years and it really shows. There's a beautiful flow to this story and the art and writing play off one another perfectly. The character work is great- with just enough backstory and flash forward to give you a feel for who these people are.

Highly recommended!

Where the Body Was

Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips (Artist), Jacob Phillips (Artist)

Blurb

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, bestselling creators of PULP, RECKLESS, and CRIMINAL, are back with a new original graphic novel that readers will be obsessed with… A boarding house full of druggies. A neglected housewife. A young girl who thinks she’s a superhero. A cop who wants to be left alone. And a Private Detective looking for a runaway girl. These stories collide one fateful summer in WHERE THE BODY WAS, a tale of love and murder in the suburbs, told from a dozen different points of view. All the neighbors on the block have an opinion about the murder and how it happened, but which of them is telling the truth? WHERE THE BODY WAS is a tour-de-force from grandmasters Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Starting with a map of the crime scene, this murder mystery follows the ripples of this killing as they echo through decades of love and loss and passion and violence. Like a true crime podcast crossed with a long-lost diary, WHERE THE BODY WAS is unlike anything Brubaker and Phillips have ever done, and a must-have for all their avid fans! (Goodreads, n.d)

True Crime

Are you a true crime fan? It’s a genre which has taken over the world. It is probably hard to find a person, who hasn’t heard of Jack the Ripper, or delved, down a rabbit hole in a podcast, TV show, docuseries or film. Where the Body Was will give you your true crime fix, in the form of a graphic novel. Intrigue, mystery and all in the suburbs of America. It’s told from different characters perspectives. The superhero kid was amusing, much more effective than the nosy neighbour. Instead of doing what her elders did not, she acts. The story flashes back to the future and the crushing reality was sometimes quite sad.

“I was such a sad kid.”

The words of a future adult.

I enjoyed the interruptions to the story. It was very unique, as though we were actually watching a true crime series, and not reading. It was immersive, but I suppose that’s a nod to the genre itself.

The ghouls that we all are, the true crime books, films, podcasts have got the formula down to a T, and it works here in a comic. You always find recreations of ‘murders, robberies’ etc, distasteful, but not here. Because the imagination and art thrives.

Everyone’s got a secret to hide, and gossip is like a drug to humans, that’s why reality TV, magazines flourish in our generation and why we can’t get enough of rumours, secrets and tabloid newspapers.

Story

The intricacies of life are laid bare in this graphic novel. I can’t say anymore, or I will spoil the story for you. But, sure some elements are true clichés, but what is a cliché? Do they hold some truth? Clichés may exist, because although there are so many of us alive today, we all generally live similar lives. Mortgage, family, work, death. We all ride the same rollercoaster, so it’s unsurprising we feel similar things on the ride.

Art

The art was very nostalgic, really taking you back thirty plus years. I enjoyed the pastel colours and the details were superb. The story worked along with it and it did read like something you would be listening to. The characters each had their eccentricities which made them feel unique. Like Palmer and his badge, the girl and her costume, I enjoyed her dialogue entries too, which were torn pages from a journal. It was the little details that added up which show you the care put into this graphic novel.

Final Thoughts

You will keep asking yourself, who did it? But then you’ll ask the second question, what did they do?

It’s an interesting story and one for any fans of true crime.

References

1. Goodreads, (n.d) Where the Body Was. Accessed via: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/168386479-where-the-body-was

This graphic novel was so good! I absolutely loved all the characters and their interconnected stories. This was really a book about imperfections, perceptions of people, and secrets which I loved. I cannot wait to check out other graphic novels by these authors. Also a very quick read.

This was such a good read! The mystery of the murder comes second in this graphic novel, but the intrigue around the neighbourhood and its inhabitants keeps you as interested as about the murder. Would read more of Brubaker and Phillips'!

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC of this text.

This true crime graphic novel was more about the lives of people who live on the same street in the 80s, rather than the murder itself. That doesn't mean this is a bad thing though. It was very interesting to read about the interactions and their thoughts much later in the future.

The artwork was good, nothing amazing though.

A nice quick read for those who want to see lives intercepting each other, with a little mystery built in.

Where the Body Was is the story of what happened on Pelican Road in the Summer of 1984. Told through interviews with dozens of participants, witnesses, or bystanders. Bit by bit we learn about the hidden lives and choices that led to a body on the sidewalk and its disappearance. As Brubaker states in the afterword: "I like titles that mean more than one thing. This one means several things to me. it's about the mystery, but also about the past and nostalgia and memory and loss."

We begin with a map, the provided key noting 9 important locations. We're then given our 9 member cast of main characters, a full name for each with a key description. (For example Tommy Brandt is described as "Juvenile Delinquent"). The narrative begins with location #3 on the map, the Boarding House, and details it's history from construction to Summer 1984 where an argument between a young couple spirals into a first fight that is broken up by a man with a badge. This action leads to an extramarital affair and introduces the neighborhood and its cast. From there we learn of their summer adventures, jobs, lives and for some of them, how they learned or reacted to the bodies appearance and disappearance.

The interviews really make this novel. They allow the stories to unfold from multiple, specific viewpoints. But because they are held well after the Summer of 1984 the cast are able to talk with new levels of understanding, beyond their immediate reactions or youthful life experience. While many of them were young, how they look back on the events differs especially when it comes to naming the murderer.

Brubaker and Phillips have been collaborators for years, and the strength of their relationship is on full display here showing that they know how best to combine their talents. This is a wonderful stand alone story, a great way to introduce readers to their works.

Brubaker and Philips deliver again. This is a well-paced, well-executed crime story set in the early 1980's. Like past collaborations, this was very cinematic with occasional 'direct-to-camera' present-day updates from central characters and hints at the ending from the very first page. Highly recommended.

Amazing! Brubaker does it again. Always been a fan of his work and he never fails to tell a compelling story. Wonderful.

Once again the talents of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips shine bright in this nostalgia-noir thriller. Set in the Summer of 1984 on a decrepit block in a nameless California town this book tells a sordid yet compelling story the lives and fates of its large caste of characters converge on one traumatic event. The distinguishing feature of this book is its constantly changing and evolving point of view as it jumps from one character to another across multiple times. The resulting tale is riveting and the final reveal comes with a few twists that will keep even the most jaded fans guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Image Comics, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I can’t think of anything I haven’t loved by this team, and this is no exception. Just great storytelling and art as always.

A tight, well-crafted crime novella. Brubaker and Phillips take a fairly bog-standard who-dunnit and inject enough of their own sensibilities and craftsmanship to make it seem fresh.

I’ve loved the graphic novels from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, so I jumped at the chance to read their forthcoming volume, Where the Body Was. It’s another outstanding book.

Taking place on one single block in a small town, the book isn’t so much about the death that occurs as much as it is about how the various lives of the imperfect residents intersect. I just loved how their past and present lives were represented. The story is simple, yet powerful, and the artwork is excellent as always. Very enjoyable.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of Where the Body Was.

I've never read anything from Brubaker/Phillips before but this was really good, very retro, read like a good old crime novel.

I really liked the use of interviews with the characters to develop the story and the switch in perspective really works, I usually struggle with that. I particularly liked how there's lots of mystery and then everything sort of comes together slowly, and the final reveal was good. Overall pretty solid!

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

I’ve always loved Ed Brubakers work, and here with Sean Phillips they’ve created a fabulous mystery centred around a body.
I loved the artwork so realistic and gritty. The story was really good, moving in circles around a body of a man, in a street, and backwards and forwards in time. The twist at the end was excellent!
Great read 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.

Another great noir graphic novel from Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips. These are always great, with great characters and story (and pacing). #WheretheBodyWasgraphicnovel #NetGalley

This was my first by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips but surely won't be my last. What a great read. 5 stars!!

I've loved the partnership between Brubaker & Phillips for a while now and once again they've knocked it out the park.

This whodunnit told in a format reminiscent of true crime documentaries or podcasts comes to life though Phillips artwork.

Getting to know the residents of the street slowly, with humour and mystery sprinkled in the interviews, was an interesting story telling device.

I enjoyed the way they told the approach they took to the reveal of the body and also the other main drama on the street - which I won't reveal for spoilers but I did not see it coming.

I was so immersed in this story that even though I went to sleep straight after reading it I dreamt I was living on the street and these people were actually my neighbours.

I didn’t realize this was a graphic novel until I downloaded it. I am not well versed in this genre of novel but what a pleasant surprise! It did not disappoint.

The illustrations/comic strips were very entertaining and added details to the story that may be missed in the written words/captions.

The character development was solid while the story moved at a quick pace that kept me engaged as the story unfolded.
4 ⭐️’s

Where the Body Was covers on summer in a town, helpfully displayed with a map at the start of the book, filled with neighbors with secrets. There's a child who wants to be a superhero, a veteran living in the woods, a runaway teen, a woman out of love with her husband, a private investigator, and a few others. Over one summer, these disparate people collide and their actions culminate in a dead body found. The book alternates between the perspectives of the characters as they reminisce about the summer.

Brubaker and Phillips are obviously masters of the graphic novel, and Where the Body Was is no exception. The alternative perspectives combined with the characters telling the story through their own memories made for a unique spin on what could have easily been an ordinary crime story. It works as a great twist on a modern true crime tale. Even with its large cast of characters, the book is engaging and I found it hard to put down until its final satisfying reveal.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for a copy of Where the Body Was in exchange for an honest review.

Brubaker and Phillips team up once again and tell the story of the summer of 1984 on Pelican Street. The summer a body was found in the street mid-day.

Hardly a sleepy street, summer of 1984 the street was plagued by daytime robberies, a vacated house with a revolving list of drug-users, an eleven-year-old sleuth and so much more.

Told in an interview style, residents give their recollections of the summer everything went down in this fascinating graphic novel.

I really liked this graphic novel. I liked getting to see the different perspectives and retellings of what went happened during the time frame being spoken about. I also like that we got to see what really happened in regards to the mystery without the complication that comes with human perception.

This was excellent!

The artwork was perfect for this story. The story is set in a neighbourhood that could be anywhere with anywhere people, just a regular suburban couple of streets, but it isn’t regular because one afternoon a body appears on the street and then it disappears. We are then taken into the lives of the ordinary neighbours because one of them or even some of them knew who this man was and why he was killed.

As we go behind the doors of these seemingly ordinary homes we are introduced to the grit, the games and the gambles of lives next door. The way the story comes together, builds up and delivers is superb.

Well worth it and one of my best reads of 2023.

Copy provided by Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

Mystery noire comic writing at its best. This book was superb. It’s hard to even write a a review without simply saying go get it now.

The ever reliable team of Brubaker and Phillips gives us another gorgeous and entertaining read... this time drifting away from straight up crime to something a little more evocative of Brubaker's early LOWLIFE work as we bounce between a number of average people on a suburban street. Which isn't to say that nothing happens... or that those people are anything less than fascinating.

It loses a star for some unconvincing dialogue and a strong sense of familiarity in some of the characters. While they -- and the story -- are engaging, you sometimes get a sense of people emerging from other works of fiction. Not exactly derivative, but less than surprising.

If there's one thing you can trust Ed Brubaker with, it's a crime story that doesn't use women as objects. That's why I keep coming back, and he never disappoints, not with his plots or his commitment to making every character feel nuanced and real.

In this graphic novel, a neighborhood's secrets all come to a head one summer, and this is the confessional of its residents years after the fact. Unlike other authors, Brubaker doesn't make you work out whodunnit for yourself even when the story would close naturally without the reveal. It's a better story for putting the answer on the page (and I like the little warning, so you could skip it if you wanted).

Sean Phillips's art is always stunning, and I love how he portrays the sex in this book–explicit but not gratuitous.

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are as solid a creative team as exists in modern comics. Their graphic novels are always on point, and “Where the Body Was” is no exception. The way it goes from the Past to the Present is masterfully done and all of the characters hold your interest. It’s a stand alone crime story so it’s easy to give to a person who might not be familiar with Brubaker and Phillips’s past crime work. I was hooked from the first page. Highly recommended.

DEVOURED this in one sitting. What a comic. Dark and mysterious, but with a cosy, suburban twang. Really gorgeous illustrations and colouring too. Really loved it.

This graphic novel depicts sex, drugs, and violence in the typical way. If you like Ed Brubaker novels you will like this. I thought the story a little discombobulated as I was reading but things did get tied up and come together at the end. Several stories going on at the same time some seedy and some very innocent. They did not really seem to jive. They did somewhat merge at the end.

"Where the Body Was" cleverly hooks its readers with a true crime narrative with memorable, interesting characters, only to tell a more nuanced story about life, love, memories, relationships, and the past. This was a truly great reading experience.

Haven’t read a Brubaker and Phillips in a bit. Enjoyed it. Has the noir sense but also tells a story of youth from those looking back. Some sweetness to it.

I was given a copy by Netgalley .
Opinions are my own.

Another Ed Brubaker hit! The intertwined story elements of this comic are really what make it, following the same storyline from different point of views and seeing the different realities each of the characters is actually really living in.

I am an Ed Brubaker fan. I can’t remember the last time I read something by him that I didn’t enjoy.
I like his superhero comics quite a lot.
I love his crime comics even more.
Where the Body Was takes place in a small neighborhood during one Summer. Its cast of characters was a motley crew. A bored housewife, a police detective, a kid who thinks she’s a superhero among others. Most of them had secrets. All of them had a part to play in the events that ended in a death.
The story was well crafted and kept a great pace.
Sean Phillips on art is always a great thing to see.
If you’ve never read anything by Brubaker and Phillips, this would be an excellent introduction to their work. It is a one and done story instead of a long running series.

Good illustrations. I liked the way I was led through the murder. Will definitely recommend it to my friends and colleagues.

Where the Body Was is a compelling and intriguing murder mystery presented in comic form by some of the most revered artists in the game. Set in the eighties, the house at the end of Pelican Road was once owned by newlyweds Louise and Henry Robbins before becoming a boarding house that attracted students, beatniks and hippies. Then they both passed away and a legal battle ensued and soon down-and-outers began using it to take drugs and play loud music. Enter (Detective) Palmer Sneed who sees the thugs off with great aplomb. Palmer is sleeping with bored housewife of the street Toni Melville who finds excitement by cheating on her miserable, inattentive husband. We then meet Vietnamese Lila Nguyen who as an eleven-year-old dressed as a superhero and roller-skated around the neighbourhood returning escaped canines to their worried owners, feeding the homeless and spying on anyone who looked suspicious. We hear from Sam Walker, the manager of the liquor store where Palmer used to work; he claims Palmer was never a cop. Palmer admits to stealing his father's detective badge from his coffin right before burial and unintentionally ending up using it in certain situations. It made people respect him more and also attracted Toni.

We also meet several other residents of the street who share a little about their lives with us. Then one afternoon in early September, Lila happens upon the dead body of private investigator Jack Foster in the middle of the street. He had claimed to have been snooping around lately trying to track down a missing teenager, but no one really knew whether that was the truth or not. Sneed had seen the body and felt if he didn't hide it then when the neighbours mentioned a cop living in the vicinity during police canvassing he would be caught for impersonating a police officer. Oh, how one deception leads to some even greater ones down the line. Dr Ted Melville had returned home to find wife Toni in bed with Palmer and had taken a shot at him with a pistol; he had planned on murdering his wife and making it look like a psychotic patient, homeless Ranko, had carried it out, however, Tommy Brandt and Karina Lane had been burgling the Melville house when the doctor came home to carry out the deed and so witnessed everything from the safety of the closet. You'll have to read it if you wish to find out who killed the P.I. and how the neighbours on the street fared after the drama was over.

This marks only the second comic/graphic story I have ever read, and from what I can gather about Image Comics and their roster of storytellers/artists as well as how compelling I have found said crime caper to be, I don't think I could've chosen a better publisher to properly introduce me to the genre. The inhabitants of Pelican Road are a fascinating bunch each with their own trials and tribulations with each coming across as very human. Each person seems to have an uncanny knack for attracting full-scale drama. Full of mystery and suspense, the story builds as it progresses and you try to work out where all the puzzle pieces fit. There is also plenty of attention given to the notions of nostalgia, bildungsroman, memory, love, loss and allusions to the past being a foreign country. A lot of this story is true, including some of the crazier parts which is wild but not entirely surprising given what we know about humans and human nature. Many different stories commingle and overlap on one street and the map at the front is a nice touch as is the cast of character pictures. We follow where they go, what they care about, and what secrets they keep. You can feel a lot of heart and soul went into creating the street, the characters and a fully rounded story, and that makes it a joy to read.

A delightfully pulpy graphic novel full of overlapping stories about the residents of a single street, "Where the Body Was" is enticing from the very first page. It read like watching a car crash happen in slow motion. As all the interwoven dramas and scandals play out around each other, you just keep reading as you wait for it all to come crashing down on everyone's heads. I really liked this book, and I would absolutely recommend it to fans of graphic novels, crime serials, and soap operas.

4.5/5 stars
Thank you, Netgalley and Image Comics for the complimentary advance copy.

“Where the Body Was” succeeds in making the reader feel like they’ve stumbled into “a diorama of a crime scene” with its unconventional narrative structure. Writer Ed Brubaker referred to this graphic novel as “a diorama of a crime scene” in a press release prior to announcing its December 2023 release.

The same press release goes on to describe the graphic novel: “A boarding house full of druggies. A neglected housewife. A young girl who thinks she’s a superhero. A cop who wants to be left alone. And a Private Detective looking for a runaway girl. These stories all collide one deadly summer in Where The Body Was—a tale of love and murder in the suburbs—told from a dozen different points of view. All the neighbors on the block have an opinion about the murder and how it happened, but which of them is telling the truth?”

The graphic novel jumps between a cast of characters who are all connected by a mysterious crime thread that unravels over each page.. Jacob Phillips has an eye for colors that pop off the page and chooses to do a full page wash of blues, yellows, and other colors to distinguish when the story has jumped to a different character's perspective or to a different time of day or setting. This coloring effect was so impactful on me, I made a point to look at who the colorist was once I’d finished reading. Maybe it’s a father and son special super power that makes the art and color supplement each other so well. Jacob Phillips is artist Sean Phillips' son. The art compliments the story and while I’m not familiar with other works by Phillips and Brubaker, it’s undeniable how well they work together.

“Where the Body Was” is published by Image Comics and one of my all-time favorite graphic novel series is also published at Image Comics, “Saga”. "Brubaker and Phillips's books have always been about eight years ahead of their time”, shared “Saga” author Brian K. Vaughn. Image Comics was founded in the 90’s by a collective of best selling artists including Todd McFarlane (Spawn) and Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead). The majority of their published works are “creator-owned” meaning the trademark and copyright are wholly owned by the original creator. I find I’m rarely disappointed by anything they’ve published.

I think my few criticisms are that the story is too short. I would have liked to see it stretch out just a bit longer and keep the mystery going. At times, I got a bit lost in who was who with so many characters but this could be a “me” problem reading this too late at night. And finally I think the cover is far too plain to truly speak to the quality of story and art that is inside this graphic novel.

Check this out if you enjoy graphic novels, crime, thrillers, and a good mystery.

This new graphic novel by the Eisner award winning team, Brubaker & Pillips is a compelling crime story. Inspired by the 1940’s Dell mapback books, Ed Brubaker has created an intricate story with a large cast of characters. The story takes place in the summer of 1984 on the fictional dead-end street, Pelican Road. True to the subgenre, to help the reader keep track of the action, he has provided a map with the locations of the various residences involved. The title and description leads the reader to assume that this is a murder mystery “who-done-it". But the body in question is not the main point of the story. This isn’t a simple murder mystery. There are actually several crimes, and each character has their own story to tell. Each of those stories start with an older character, decades after the fact, recalling that time in their lives. Then the reader sees a flashback of their memories. Frequently, a nonlinear fiction with multiple points of view can be very confusing to the reader. But Brubaker handles the technique with finesse.

Artist Sean Phillips has drawn a set of realistic characters. It is particularly interesting to see each character portrayed during the story and then the older person being interviewed. He does a great job with the progression of age. Colorist Jacob Phillips has provided a muted Noir feel to the images.

These graphic novel creators were new to me, but I will definitely be on the watch for more of their work. I recommend this book to graphic novel crime fiction enthusiasts.

WARNING: This novel is graphic in more ways than one. The book includes several pages with nudity and vulgar language. While I would have preferred the omission of these scenes, I do give the artists kudos for realistic rather than idealized images. All too often, graphic media portrays people with “perfect” bodies.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Available January 16, 2024

I read the plot of this book and knew it would be right up my alley but despite that when I started reading it I wasn't sure about it. As the story continued and you delved into each character's story I found myself getting more invested in what would be revealed and the characters themselves. Where the Body Was delivered a gritty and interesting whodunit story that is definitely worth the read if you're a fan of the genre.

I really liked this story. I liked how the narrative kept changing to each person in the story. I even liked the sad ending. This is only the 2nd Brubaker book I've read, but I'm going to read more in the future.

While at times the perspectives were confusing, flashing forward and back in time through multiple characters point of view, this was a refreshing way to tell a story, especially a murder mystery. with a full cast of characters, beautifully illustrated, each person has a story to tell and a place in the narrative to the point that I forgot it was about a body being found. Every mystery has a twist but this one was more intriguing than expected.

I’m admittedly on the hook for anything Brubaker and Phillips release, having repeatedly proven to be the greatest creative partnership in comics, perhaps ever. Their latest collaboration just cements that reputation further, adding narrative complexity to a somewhat wistful tale exploring the motivations and character evolutions of all the residents of the story’s street. This is a team that just cannot miss in anything they do, and if you’re new to their works this may actually be the best entry point they’ve provided in quite some time.

Incredible.

Artwork to die for and a plot that is pure enjoyment.

Nothing Brubaker and Phillips do is ever less than perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this graphic novel.

I've enjoyed a lot of the Brubaker/Phillips graphic novels such as Criminal, Fatale, and Reckless, so I was very excited to check out Where the Body Was.

Ostensibly about a dead body that appears in a neighborhood in the 80s, WtBW uses the viewpoints of different neighbors to weave together a mystery that doesn't reveal itself until the end. While maintaining a number of the pulpy aspects of their previous works, Where the Body Was has a little bit more heart and wistful nostalgia, and less of the grit and grime. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

#WheretheBodyWasgraphicnovel #NetGalley

Ed Brubaker is a master of noir and comics pacing, and Sean Phillips brings this story to life. These creators, and the minds at Image Comics, continue to prove there’s more going on in comics than a single genre or work from DC and Marvel. Well worth the visit and stay.

Special thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the ARC!

Another fantastic graphic novel(la) from Ed Brubaker!

Where the Body Was is a murder mystery that follows the residents of a neighborhood, in a fashion similar to Clue, in what they were doing before, during, and after the event happened.

The novella opens up to a map of the neighborhood labelling everyone's home in relation to where the body was found and is followed by a page filled with the cast of characters--almost giving you the feel that you're a detective on the case opening up the files on record.

The storytelling is nonlinear but has a consistent flow that keeps the pacing and back and forth of the plot even keeled. The characters are memorable and have so much life to them despite how short the graphic novel is.

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have a really great professional relationship as together they create a fantastic read, and I look forward to reading more by them

In the dark underbelly of graphic storytelling, there exists a rare breed of creators who seamlessly weave narratives that grip your soul and refuse to let go. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, the dynamic duo behind numerous acclaimed collaborations like Night Fever, Pulp, Reckless, and Criminal, have once again demonstrated their mastery with their latest hard-boiled crime graphic novel published by Image Comics. This time, they plunge readers into a neighborhood teeming with secrets and deceptions, delivering a relentless tale that tackles more than just a whodunnit.

In this gripping graphic novel, Brubaker and Phillips meld their signature styles to create a world that oozes atmosphere, draped in shadows and painted with morally ambiguous characters. The neighborhood they've built becomes more than a backdrop; it evolves into a character in itself; a suburban stage for a cast of diverse and intricate personalities.

The author's knack for crafting deeply flawed yet fascinating characters is evident in his portrayal each denizen of the neighborhood, each who navigates the blurred lines between right and wrong. With each turn of the page, readers are plunged deeper into a gripping web of personalities and are struck with empathy even against the troubles they each put forward.

Gritty and moody visuals capture the essence of the story's tone, elevating the narrative to an entirely new level. Every panel is meticulously crafted, from the smallest details in facial expressions to the grandiosity of a single small environment, pulling the readers into a cinematic experience that's visceral and intoxicating.

While the graphic novel pays homage to the classic noir tradition, it's more than just a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Brubaker and Phillips breathe fresh life into the genre, injecting their distinctive flair and creating a tale that is both timeless and cutting-edge. The "testemonies" crackle with authenticity, the pacing is impeccable, and the storytelling unfolds with a rhythm that's irresistible.

In a landscape where graphic novels often toe the line between art and entertainment, this collaboration is an exemplary reminder of how powerful the medium can be when masterfully wielded. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' latest work is not just a graphic novel; it's a symphony of words and images that resonates long after you've turned the last page. With its intricate narrative, morally gray characters, and stunning artwork, this hard-boiled crime story cements their status as a creative duo that continues to push the boundaries of what graphic storytelling can achieve. If you're a fan of crime fiction, mystery, or just superb storytelling, this is one graphic novel that should not be missed.

Great story with a lot of depth

Where the Body Was is described as "a tale of love and murder in the suburbs, told from a dozen different points of view. All the neighbors on the block have an opinion about the murder and how it happened, but which of them is telling the truth?" The truth is that this story is about far more than just a murder and a body. While the focus on the body throughout is very compelling, keeps the reader guessing, and is a fun premise for each of the neighbors to be "interviewed" about what they experienced, the real story involves love, loss, and the memories we carry with us through life. Some of these memories we wish we could change and some we are glad we cannot. The story also shows how our view of these memories can change over time as we experience more and grow older, possibly to the extent that our desire to alter those events from our past lessen as we get on with our lives, accept what our past holds, and learn to live with them.

I was immediately drawn in with the interview style of this book and how interesting, funny, and real each of these characters are. I mean, come on, who doesn't love Mrs. Wilson. Each character has their own view of what happened and most also have their own secrets, which is fun to learn about as the story moves along. We also get to learn about each of the main characters outside of just what happened with the body.

The illustrations do a fantastic job of bringing the story to life with their level of detail. I really enjoyed seeing the characters at different stages in their life and how they changed as time passed.

I will definitely be reading more by Brubaker and Phillips.

I LOVE the collaborations of Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips. This story and art did not disappoint. I enjoyed the character development, the people have such rich histories and to be able to convey that within a limited number of panels and pages is mad skills.

Pick this up if you love Brubaker and Phillips. Pick this up if you love suspense. Can't wait to read it again in print form.

The book is called "Where the Body Was" so you know eventually someone is gonna die, but most of this book is a mystery not of whodunit, but "whogonnagetit." The body doesn't show up til around three quarters of the way through, after we've been introduced to around a dozen characters, most of whom are involved in storylines that could reasonably get them killed. There are hints given out on who survives by the style of story being told, that of present day people telling a story from their past. As characters are revealed breaking the fourth wall you can cross them off the list of who the body will be. It's a different approach than the usual Brubaker/Phillips novel where there's plenty of dead from beginning to end.

I liked the book but I don't think it quite stuck the landing, it felt a bit rushed. I don't want to give too much detail to what disappointed me in the ending, I'll just say that the twist in the direction of the story was cool but that maybe they could have somehow given more time to the original direction too.

Sean Phillips is a hell of an artist and I'm not sure what more to say about his part in this book than that.

Fun read, quick read. Less violence than you would expect from these guys, and more porn (try reading it in a coffee shop like I did. Woops. Hunch those shoulders high and curl over the book). It's middle of the road for me when compared to their other books but some people will love this style.

Fantastic book with flashes of brilliance that would eventually evolve into the masterpieces of Criminal and the Reckless saga.