Reading multiple points of view was key to my enjoyment of the story. It kept the action moving in a way that kept me engaged. The various reveals were spread out enough that I was always wondering what would happen next and wanted to keep reading. It was interesting to see the characters interact with each other, and even break the fourth wall, as we get to know them from different perspectives. I would recommend this book comic book and mystery fans alike.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Where the Body Was is a unique graphic novel that shares a story from multiple neighbor’s perspectives. Each story line adds new elements of love, addiction, and the search for belonging.

I enjoyed the fast paced plot, as well as the great artwork to accompany the story. If anything, I would love for the comic to be longer just to develop some of the characters even more.

I’m definitely interested in picking up more books by Ed Brubaker in the future.

This book was like a contemporary noir short story in graphic novel form. We meet a wide variety of characters: young junkies in love, a neglected housewife and her lover (who is juggling more than just their affair), a kick-ass 11 year old super-hero-wannabe, a veteran experiencing homelessness, and more suburbanites from their neighborhood.

The mystery of who was actually responsible for the murder of this body is really secondary to the messy lives of our characters, but I had no problem with that. Overall, it was a quick, entertaining read, although I wouldn’t have minded spending more time with a few of these characters. There was nothing wrong with this book, but nothing worth shouting from the rooftops for me either.

I am not a huge fan of graphic novels, but the description drew my interest so I thought I would check it out. What I found was a story that I compare to “click bait.” It seemed to promise something it never delivered. The ending was not supported by the information provided in the story.

The drawings were graphic and explicit, with sex acts and one drawing of male frontal nudity. I would describe them as hard R-rated, or maybe even soft X-rated. Definitely not for children. If this book is purchased by a library, it should be kept in the adult section.

I cannot recommend this book, and will likely not read others by this author.

This was fine, nothing that was particularly interesting to me. I had hoped it would be a shoo-in for my library, but I don't think it would be a good fit.

Thanks to NetGalley & Image for a review copy!

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have combined to produce so many classic graphic novels. Their newest title, Where the Body Was, is another enjoyable mystery that doesn't quite reach the heights of some of their other work.

Brubaker's characters feel real and have their own secrets, and Phillips's art (with colors by Jacob Phillips) looks amazing as always, yet the actual mystery didn't really land for me. I found myself more interested in the interconnected lives of the characters than in actually solving the mystery, and when the mystery was solved, it seemed like it was done as an afterthought. Still, this was an enjoyable story from one of the best teams in comics, but one that does not quite measure up to their past works.

I really enjoyed the way this graphic novel was told. I liked how the narrative flipped between the future and present, sometimes within the same page. Brubaker did a great job at introducing and getting us to care about the characters and their position in the story even before the mystery is introduced (probably about 80% in). Normally introducing the mystery so late in the story would bother me but I was so invested in the characters and their relationships that it wasn't until I was halfway through that I even remembered there was supposed to be a murder happening at some point. At the moment, I can't think of any weak points. It was a great standalone story and solidifies Brubaker as one of my favorite graphic novel writers.

This book reminds me of Blacksad in the best way possible. This little moment in time noir is so satisfying to read. It is beautifully illustrated, the story is so simple, and yet when given the option to reveal the crime, I found myself wanting to leave it open ended. A very quick read and satisfying.

Brubaker and Phillips continue their run at the top of the crime comic game. This one isn't so much about the crime--if there even is one--but the characters surrounding the incident in a small neighborhood in 1984 California. The story is told from multiple POVs in both the past of when it happened and the present giving Brubaker a lot of new narrative techniques to play with. And because of this framework we get a bigger picture of the interconnectedness of not only lives but human experience.

First off, I will admit that I'm not a regular reader of graphic novels, but am always open to the craft of reading a story that way. Where the Body Was is exceptionally drawn and well written and I'm sure will appeal to many readers. However, I was taken aback by the nudity and sex portrayed in the book when I was expecting a bit more of a mystery story. Graphic novels are very popular in school libraries, but I would not recommend this book because of its adult level theme and content.

‘Where the Body Was’ by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips and Jacob Phillips is a curious graphic novel that takes place in a neighborhood with lots of secrets.

Events in a normal neighborhood are set in motion when an altercation between a druggie and a cop happens. From there perspectives shift between a bored housewife, the cop, a young girl who thinks she is a superhero and others. The story takes place over time and involves a murder and a missing body. Everything is not what it seems from the outside, and characters' lives are changed by events.

I’m a pretty big fan of Brubaker and Phillips other work, so this felt like a bit of a let down when it was all said and done. The character work and artwork are as solid as ever, but I wanted just a bit more from the story.

Reading this graphic novel was like taking a trip through a time machine to witness the turbulent events that happened in this neighborhood years ago. What a story! I've never felt so much satisfaction with how the different points of view are presented, and I felt engrossed in the different stories. This is basically a noir crime story but it's so much more.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I received a free electronic ARC of this graphic novel in return for an honest review.

More like a 4.5. I am a big, big fan of Ed Brubaker. When I saw a new title from him, I didn't even bother to read the description, I knew I wanted to read it. It's a little different from his other books. It's still gritty. There's still a body (obviously). I found the way he wove so many disparate stories from the same neighborhood together compelling. Add into it breaking the fourth wall and playing a few little games with time and it really kept me reading.

A tale that takes a close look at those often overlooked. Not my personal cup of tea, but I'm sure someone out there will enjoy the story. At the very least, I appreciate the artistic style of the book.

I always write these Brubaker/Phillips book reviews with the opening lines like "The team does it again" or something similar. It's the truth though. Each time out their creator owned books tell amazing stories that blur the lines between genres but always with a crime base. Where the Body Was features the usual Brubaker/Phillips crime beats, but we also get a little teen melodrama romance. Over the course of the story, we get sex, murder, love, theft, drugs, roller-skating, lust, and comic books that blends together in the perfect cocktail of everything I love in a story. As usual, whenever I see the next graphic novel from the team, I grab it and read it from start to finish. The biggest drawback is that having finished it 5 months ahead of its release, I have to wait for the next one. But I will, and gladly do it all over again.

Special Thanks to Image Comics and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

This was a great story well told. All the hallmarks of an ensemble TV series. There is a real depth to Brubaker's characters.
It's also nice that everything isn't cleared up for those within the graphic novel (who did what) but is for the readers. I've always enjoyed this aspect of graphic novels as it allows the characters to truly seem real.

Another smash by Brubacher and Philips! Very quick and digestible read of a story about the fantastical in the mundane. You understand how well-thought out characters can make any setting alive with personality.

Loved it, highly recommend!

I received a free ARC, and this review is voluntary.

Told from the perspectives of those that lived through the drama, and confusion, this who-dun-it mystery captures the moment. We don't always know who is lying, or feigning the truth, but what's evident is how the story is driven by these character personalities. Through each transition, we learn more about the case of The Body, and how not everything is as it seems, even when told through the perspective of those so self-assured of their own memory. One lie told, unfolding like an umbrella, creating a pseudo sense of security, and enabling a false reality. The actions of the characters have consequences. Not always knowing how far that road will go, let alone how it will impact anyone else.

Surely this couldn't happen in a small town, right?

This is my favorite Brubaker-Phillips work so far; the narrative is coherent yet innovatively engaging with its flashbacks and multi-character POV. The art feels classic and lends itself to the mystery of the story (namely, who killed the detective and moved his body?), and I appreciate that it's a sort of crime novel that accidentally turns into a romance.

Who was lying? Who was spying? Just what were those folks on Pelican Road up to? It was back in 1984 and it was quite a scandal. Happily Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips decided to let us in on the details. We would never have figured it out without them since it seems unlikely that these characters could all have been connected. They have to explain the before and after. It’s a really good story. Oh, and it does include a body.