I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The illustrations were fabulous and the story of friendship engaging. It is an easy read, but still gives you pause to think.

I liked this graphic novel. I liked the easy on the eyes artwork and the story took some interesting turns. Fun read.

This was an okay read. I thought that it could have been way better than it was. I also noticed some inconsistencies while reading this book.

In this comic, Lenny and Beardo, two closest friends since forever, are called upon to assist Beardo in running his old pub after Beardo's father passed away. Lenny agrees to the suggestion because he recently got divorced and wants to make changes in his life. Things in the pub aren't going well at first, but once Mrs. Sanchez, a neighbor and Lenny's former flame, dies, things start to turn around. The bar's amenities start to get better. When one of them tragically dies, the situation in the pub, which was otherwise going perfectly, completely changes.

I enjoyed the artwork.

Lenny and Beardo are two childhood friends with a lot of road behind them. When Beardo’s deadbeat dad dies and leaves them his old bar, they make a go of it as business partners. Easy enough, right? Maybe not.

Running a business in a low-traffic area of town isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but luckily for the boys, the one-two punch of viral media attention when their neighbor gets crushed by a 747 engine that falls from the sky and a sorta suspect (but very potent) beer recipe they stumble into catch the public’s imagination at just the right time.

Things get even more complicated when Lenny’s ex-girlfriend Amanda shows up again, pregnant. Can our two heroes weather the ravages of success any better than they dealt with being losers? Can Lenny level up and be a good dad? Can Beardo forgive his dead, absentee father? Will the general public run them out of town when they find out what was in that beer? These questions and more are answered inside!

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I enjoy the graphic novel just fine. Not the best graphic novels but I still really really enjoy it.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

'Open Bar' with story and art by Eduardo Medeiros is a graphic novel about two childhood friends who inherit a rundown bar.

Lenny and Beardo met ages ago and they've been through ups and downs in life together. When Beardo's deadbeat dad dies, he leaves his bar to Lenny and Beardo with the condition that there is money to be had if they can keep the bar running for a certain number of years.

I liked this oddball story about a couple of oddballs. Some of the story elements are ludicrously over the top (like how the bar ends up getting popular), but there are a few emotional touchpoints as well. The art and minimal coloring work great for this story.

I’m sitting here after reading this book and wondering what the heck happened??

This felt very disjointed and random, and I’m not sure if it was meant to be a funny or serious story. The time jumps were a little disorienting and I definitely thought there would be more consequences for their home brew than there was.

The ending was kind of sweet, but I’m still trying to process what this book was really about. I liked the art style, but I’m too confused to have liked the content much. I don’t think I’m the demographic the author wrote this for.

This was kinda weird and messy for the most part but really grew on me. Second chances and found family are predominant themes which I thought were explored well. There were also lots of things that I didn't see coming and the cleverly-executed ending felt like a gut punch. I loved the cute art style and peach colour palette.

Overall, this graphic novel hit me harder than I expected it to. Certainly makes you think about life and its many curveballs and surprises...

I really loved this story of two friends starting a bar together. You slowly get background information about the two buddies. It feels like an easy buddy comedy at first, two goofy guys opening up a bar, but it is so much deeper than that. The character growth is genuinely amazing. There is a huge amount of depth to the storytelling and the personalities here. Early parts that feel like throw away jokes all come together for a total gut punch of an ending. Only taking off a star because the art wasn't totally my jam, but the story absolutely is.

The story is quite confusing, there seem to be a lot of flashbacks but I wasn't always sure which parts were in the present and which in the past. The friendship between Lenny and Beardo was interesting, they've really been together for so long, despite a lot of events in the past. Then there's an unexpected turn of events near the end.

Open Bar is a dark comedy graphic novel which looks at ideas of friendship, found family, loss and keeping going when things gets tough.

The themes of family and friendship are well carried throughout which gives the graphic novel a charming feel however that's then contrasted by quite a derogatory outlook on women throughout.

The graphics fit well with the story and there are some meaningful moments. It could have been saved even if one of the female characters weren't portrayed in such a toxic light.

A simple story of family and friendship which leans to the misogynistic side. Enjoyable at times but definitely one written buy a 'man's man' for men.

(not just) a story of two best friends who inherit a bar.
But rather a story about loss, anger, forgiveness, love and, above all, the unpredictability of life itself, whether it' s finding the perfect brew or something randomly falling out of the sky.

The art and story just weren't my thing. Which isn't a bad thing! I know the exact people in my life who are going to love this and I can't wait to recommend it to them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for an eARC of Open Bar by Eduardo Medeiros in exchange for an honest review.

CW: drug use, alcohol use, death, blood, violence, miscarriage, pregnancy, infidelity, sexual content, see growing list on StoryGraph.

Childhood best friends Lenny and Beardo unexpectedly inherit Beardo's dad's bar, The Cave, after his death. It used to be the hottest place in town, but now this area has turned into an industrial district with minimal foot traffic and few residents. Against all odds, they are able to revitalize the bar, and along the way reunite with several old friends, and come to a deeper understanding of what friendship means.

This was a quick and easy read, but I think the plot was a little too scattered. Yes, there was a central plot being followed, but there were a few random scenes that just didn't seem to be necessary to propel the narrative or character arcs. I love that Beardo and Lenny truly are found family for one another, and the ending was both heartbreaking and beautiful.

This graphic novel is quite chaotic in both plot and characters. Though had a hard time endearing myself to the main characters cause the story felt rushed and packed in a short graphic novel, it was still an okay read. The art style is so fresh and different from what I'm used to and the message on relationships and family becomes more and more obvious as the story progresses.

This graphic novel was fine overall.
I personally found the humour in this more often went over my head than not unfortunately, and I felt kinda uncomfortable with how the male characters of the story viewed women as a whole. Otherwise though, the 2nd half of the book was better, and told an interesting story about complex relationships between messy, complex adults.

Thanks NetGalley and Oni Press for the arc!

I enjoyed the two main characters and the atmosphere, but I feel like how the character of Amanda was handled really put a sour taste in my mouth, especially considering how essential she is for the rest of the book.

Life is filled with unpredictabilities. One moment, you can be the king of your surroundings; the next moment, you’re lying hung over covered in your own vomit and filled with great regrets. But sometimes life will give you something you not only needed, but also changes the fabric of your very essence. Open Bar, the 2015 graphic novel from Eduardo Medeiros (Funny Creek, Mondo Urbano), brings us a tale of such a change, one filled with great laughs and — as life always guarantees — unexpected tragedies.

Published for the first time in English, Open Bar follows the close friendship of Beardo and Lenny. After his deadbeat father passes away, Beardo inherits The Cave Pub, a bar that’s seen its better days. With the condition that Lenny be his partner and that he runs it for three years, Beardo sets out to put more care into The Cave Pub than his father placed care into his actual family. What follows is a tale filled with regret, forgiveness, and a secret booze formula.

Although Beardo is the heart of Open Bar, much of the story focuses on Lenny. Despite his good intentions, Lenny finds many ways to screw himself over. Whether it’s his on/off-again relationship with Amanda or holding a simple job, Lenny manages to find ways to ruin his own life. But it’s not his fault most of the time, as Amanda cheated on him on multiple occasions and low-tier jobs, well, suck these days. Fortunately, he has a friend in Beardo, who literally moves Lenny in with him without his full consent.

The move makes for a giant push of Lenny and Beardo’s reset button, one that rekindles their already-solid friendship and lights a bigger fire into their lives. At first, things are slow at The Cave Pub, as gentrification and industrialization ruined the once-quaint town. But a visit from Lenny’s childhood crush (and possible cherry-plucker) Mrs. Sanchez sets things into motion, in a way that’s too ridiculously funny to spoil here. Soon The Cave Pub is packed from wall-to-wall, as Lenny and Beardo find financial success in their endeavor.

It’s here when Open Bar starts to build a pathway towards redemption for Lenny. Amanda returns, looking more like a better person than the crappy ex that took advantage of Lenny. There’s even some repaving done on the friendship between Beardo and Lenny, who have a minor fallout over a grave mistake Beardo made years back. But for all of the garbage life threw at these two friends, it would appear that life is starting to make up for the awful things they went through.

All of it is captured with a down-to-earth style of storytelling. Even if it may dive into some Judd Apatow-like fantastical comedy shenanigans, Eduardo Medeiros finds a way to write these characters as if they’re real people. We all know a Lenny, a Beardo, and even an Amanda in our lives, and Medeiros finds ways to make these characters not just remnants of our own friends circle, but also elements of our own personality. We’ve all taken chances like Beardo; we’ve all been hurt and betrayed like Lenny; and yes, no matter what you may think, we’ve all been a piece of shit to those we care about like Amanda.

Open Bar also reminds readers not to take life for granted, as the good times can and will run out on us. Medeiros does this in a way that teaches us that tragedy befalls us when we least expect it. Throughout the narrative, we’re reminded that this tale is about five folks and “how the death of one of them changed everything”. There is quite a bit of death on display here — both comedic and tragic — but it’s not until the book’s final pages when you realize just who it’s talking about.

Although the ending will take many by surprise, Open Bar finds a way to make it feel like a fitting conclusion. With plenty of laughs, tears, and sweet alcohol, Medeiros weaves a beautiful tale about friendship and the bumps that form on the road of life. Even when it comes time for its last call, the taste Open Bar leaves will no doubt linger with you weeks after reading its final page.

2.5/5 A graphic novel for adult readers all about two best friends growing up together and navigating new challenges as they reach adulthood. There were some interesting and unexpected curveballs dotted through the story but I generally found the characters were pretty flat and the plot was too slow paced for my liking. I really liked the ending but it was the muted colour scheme and illustrative style which really appealed to me and made this an enjoyable read overall,
Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk and Oni Press for the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel emotionally wrecked me! It’s hilarious and moving and heartwarming. It’s about two childhood best friends as they struggle to open a bar that belonged to one of their dads. The art is fun and cool. This was beautiful to read!