Well that had a turn for the devastating. I was waiting for the “it was all a dream” trope that never came. I will say that I kept hoping that Beardo and Lenny would end up together, but no such luck.

I loved the art style and could definitely read a lot more books like this.

Gostei da história dentro do possível, é uma leitura divertida e envolvente. Não tem nada de tão novo ou interessante que o leitor fiquei achando a melhor leitura do mundo, mas ela cumpre seu papel. Então foi uma leitura agradável.

This was a decent read, the graphics were amazing but it could’ve been better with quality of writing.

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.