I just didn’t really enjoy this book. I felt it juvenile. It wasn’t really geared towards my age range, so that’s probably why I didn’t like it very much.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. This is a crime story between two families with a few twists. There are a lot misunderstandings, violence, killings and some redemption. The artwork is good and fits the story. I really liked the ending and I hope there is a Volume 2. I would like to see what the next generation are going to do. Enjoy

The mafia, loads of violence, and sandwiches.
That's basically what you get with Hot Lunch Special. It's the story of a family of immigrants who made it big with a small sandwich shop they eventually took national. Of course, they had a little help from the Irish and Lebanese mafias.
When a business deal goes wonky, it sets off a chain reaction of accidental and not-so-accidental killings that threatens to bring down two powerful families... and a lot of wasted sammiches.

Are you a fan of GrindHouse movies? If so you may actually like this graphic novel. That is what it makes me think of. Then again this GN is from Aftershock comics and I find most of their works have this same feeling. This is a mobster story that takes place in the northern midwest, Minnesota to be exact. A Family of immigrants made a successful life making sandwiches for vending machines and local gas stations. But what is a noir graphic novel without a mob element. The grandfather is typical mobster fair, who goes to war over trucking of the sandwiches with the Chicago mob. And a bloodbath ensues. I could do without the blood bath, and there was nothing special in the story. So at the halfway point I threw in the towel. This is for diehard fans only. Otherwise, skip this and find something happy.

This was such a pleasant surprise. I didn't know anything about it going in. A midwestern modern noir in the Fargo vein. It reminded me in art and spirit of [book:4 Kids Walk Into A Bank|36260018] if the kids grew up to launch a premade sandwich empire in Minnesota. I don't really want to say more, except seek this out and read it.

This is a fast paced thriller of a story, creatively transferred to a graphic novel format.
It is about a family sandwich business, that in seeking to expand, falls foul of organised crime
It transpires that this competing family the Morgans, want a piece of the action, shipping exclusivity.
When the Khourys try to forge their own way without the Morgan’s transport links and those criminal associations
When the Morgan’s intimidation if the Khourys gets out of hand, it is a time for a new approach or watch their business die around them. Trouble is they are playing catch up in Mafia type wars and the costs are high.
Thoroughly enjoyed this comic story. Clear dialogue and graphics that capture the mood and consequences of the evolving feud.
However this is just Vol 1 of a larger series. On a positive note this is a stand alone account with an intriguing carry forward that promises more of the same.
I found he first third of this book a little confusing as the various characters are established. There is too much switching back and forth and the linear storyline is lost in the back story.
From half-way though the pace is unrelenting and the action is clearly expanded. I found the story all consuming and typical of gangster based disputes where there is little profit without loss.
I would want to read on and find out how the Khourys advance with their business concerns and if protection and racketeering hinders true family values.

I was unable to read this book because the "PDF" format is not available for reading on ANY device listed.

DISAPPOINTED!

I was really looking forward to reading this one for the immigrant representation and while it was a good read, it didn't really surprise me and felt quite fine as a whole. I also feel like I don't really like family-focused stories, especially if they go to an extent where everyone's on the page most of the time. So that might be a personal reason for me not enjoying it as much.

'Hot Lunch Special Vol. 1' by Eliot Rahal with art by Jorge Fornes is a graphic novel about a midwest sandwich chain. And crime. Lots of crime.

The Khoury family has a story of immigrant success. They built a thriving family business. The only problem is the deal they made with the Irish mob's trucking fleet. In exchange for shipping, the mob gets to run drugs in the trucks. The Khoury's want out, and the mob isn't happy. How far will these two families go to protect or end this business deal?

The answer is pretty far.

I really liked this over the top story of things going wrong in a cascade. The art is solid, and the story is really good. I liked this one.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Aftershock Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Hot Lunch Special is a unique graphic novel read. Recommended for lovers of comics and visual literacy.

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

Hot Lunch Special starts out strong with a lesser seen portion of the crime world, focusing on a Middle-Eastern American family that owns a food distribution company with ties to various mobs. However, it quickly loses its focus and becomes much more generic, with over the top dialogue, emphasis on senseless violence and questionable actions and motives of characters. There is also a lack of a main character, with the story instead spreading itself thin as a family ensemble, without characters that are fleshed out in a way I felt meaningful. The artwork was passable, the story doesn't require anything flashy. Overall it was not memorable, though I don't think it was particularly BAD. It takes queues and tonal inspiration from stories like Fargo, but with much less finesse.

Rating 2.5/5