I always look forward to a new Brubaker/Phillips piece of work and this advance copy was provided by Netgalley. Great art and colors as usual in this mystery/multi character piece set in 1984 over a period of a few weeks. We are introduced and get to know many characters and eventually a body is discovered. I started out getting into the story and wondering how these characters would interconnect or develop, but eventually not enough was really happening to keep me engaged. I found the ending to be underwhelming and while some of the characters were interesting, there was just not enough going on story wise for me to rate this much higher than 3 stars.

Brubaker delivers a multi POV story that slowly reveals itself like a puzzle box. Press on one side of the box and the box transforms while drawing the reader inside.

The premise of this book was pretty cool! That did draw me to the book and I’m glad I stuck around. The way this book was written and the way each story was told made this a fun ride. The characters are so well written and thought out and the plot really does live up to the hype. I don’t want to give too much away but the characters and their opinions of the murder felt like I was watching it happen live. The dialogue and the story had me hooked from beginning to end. The emotions were so intense throughout the pages and I couldn’t put this one down.

I enjoyed reading this for personal, not professional (educator) reasons. Whilst I would not use this book in a professional setting, I would happily read this interesting murder mystery again!

Neat one shot comic based around a body that’s found in the road in a small community and all the small town mysteries happening around it. Solid, fun Brubaker and Phillips.

"because everything's about feelings when you're a kid"

I thought the setup was super cool like having a map and a cast of characters with flashes of them now and then like a true crime documentary, plus I'm always a sucker for an 80's summer mystery, but this was just okay. It was missing any wow factor or any reason for me to care about whose body was found or what happened to it. Most of the characters also seemed to fall into stereotypes which might've been a factor for my not caring, but idk I expected more than just this little snapshot of their work that felt more like a magazine you'd find in a video game that does nothing for the story but is just kinda cool and part of an achievement of reading all the comics in it

An intriguing murder mystery from a celebrated comics frontrunner, this is an intriguing, Rashomon-style whodunnit with a darkly comic streak throughout.

This was so good I loved every minute of it. I absolutely loved this graphic novel. It reminded me of an older detective show.

A crime noir comic that dives into dark and gritty underbelly of the city, exploring themes of corruption, redemption and blurred lines between right and wrong. Brubaker gives you a crunchy story, with its intricate plot, character driven narrative and moral quandaries.

One summer, on one street, how many lives intertwine and one man ends up dead. It was slow to start (I knew it was a murder mystery going in but the dead body doesn't appear until after the halfway mark!) However, it definitely needed the lead-up to really dive into the characters first, and I loved how it all came together in the end (and kept me guessing!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for the advanced copy of this comic.

Where The Body Was is a story of love, loss, nostalgia, and relationships wrapped up in a murder mystery. The way the story is told, with information slowly being unveiled, will keep you guessing and engaged. The paneling is done well, with a good flow, making the story easy to follow Full of fourth wall break style interviews and dry humor, Where The Body Was manages to weave together a rich and vibrant story in such a small package.

This comic is great for fans of character driven narratives, murder mystery whodunit stories, and those who enjoy Ed Burbaker's other works.

I really liked this graphic novel. It took me a little bit to figure out the format but once I did, I loved it. The little story vignettes was unique for me and really kept me reading. I also found it just on the edge of realistically bizarre, which was fun. I definitely will be looking to read more from this trio. I really hope it’s in the same vein.

Highly recommend this one!

Classic Brubaker and Phillips with a twist. These two are masters of the crime genre after putting together a stellar run of titles over the last couple of decades. This book does things a little bit different by keeping the location to a quiet suburban street, and mixing up the characters to include more everyday folks. Phillips’ art is, as ever, outstanding, and the character work and narrative by Brubaker is griping.

The best team currently working in comics deliver the goods once more. An intricate puzzle of a book that draws the reader in right from the start.

The description "Like a true crime podcast crossed with a long-lost diary" was absolutely true. I loved the format of this graphic novel. The ending, though, of how the private investigator really does felt like a cop-out.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“Where the Body Was” by Ed Brubaker is a graphic novel that delves into the complexities of crime and romance, set against the backdrop of a seemingly ordinary neighborhood. Brubaker, alongside his long-time collaborator Sean Phillips, presents a narrative that intertwines the lives of its characters in a manner that is both intricate and compelling.

The story unfolds on Pelican Road, a picturesque street that harbors more than its fair share of secrets. With a cast that includes young delinquents, a cheating wife, a respected policeman, and a homeless veteran, Brubaker crafts a tale that explores the lengths to which people will go for love, and how power dynamics can shape those expressions of love.

The novel’s structure is ambitious, initially presenting a neighborhood map and a cast list, suggesting a complex story that requires active engagement from the reader. However, this complexity does not always pay off. The geographical layout, while detailed, does not significantly impact the unfolding mystery, and the narrative sometimes feels too familiar to Brubaker’s previous works.

Despite these criticisms, “Where the Body Was” shines in its character development. Brubaker’s script, complemented by Phillips’ art, creates a vivid world where each character’s motivations and desires are palpable. The story’s shift from a crime narrative to a romance feels somewhat forced, but it does not detract from the overall experience.

The artwork by Sean Phillips, with colors by Jacob Phillips, is a standout feature. The visuals capture the mood of the story perfectly, enhancing the emotional depth of the narrative. The lettering style, though understated, adds to the book’s unique style.

Really enjoyed this tale of interconnecting lives and the fronts that everyone puts up to protect themselves. It seems to be a murder mystery and there are many potential subjects: the man pretending to be a cop, flashing his dead father's badge; the psychiatrist, overworked and falsifying the records of his patient, a homeless Vietnam vet; the young guy, breaking into houses to try to impress a girl. It all takes place on one small street, where a young girl skates around in a mask and cape, pretending to be a superhero/detective. Excellent artwork as usual. And the solution, when it comes, is pretty much perfect.

"Where the Body Was" plunges readers into a gripping blend of true crime and intricate storytelling, unlike anything seen before from the powerhouse duo of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Set in a boarding house teeming with secrets and a cast of complex characters, this tale weaves together the narratives of a neglected housewife, a young girl with superhero aspirations, a disillusioned cop, and a determined private detective on the trail of a runaway girl. As their lives intersect against the backdrop of a fateful summer, the truth behind a murder unfolds through multiple perspectives, each shedding light on the tangled web of love, loss, and violence in the suburbs. With a meticulous attention to detail, Brubaker and Phillips craft a haunting narrative that reverberates through decades, exploring the depths of human nature and the consequences of a single act of violence. Illustrated with the duo's signature style and accompanied by a map of the crime scene, "Where the Body Was" is a tour-de-force that will captivate fans of true crime podcasts and mystery aficionados alike.

As a long term fan of both Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips I’m always keen to read and see more of their work.

A boarding house full of druggies. A neglected housewife. A young girl who thinks shes 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?

I’ve loved Brubaker since his days at DC & Marvel and his Daredevil and Captain America runs are legendary but it’s his work on Gotham Central that captured my imagination, I even own some original artwork from that run.

In recent years Brubaker has started to work with Sean Phillips almost exclusively and between them they have created a real line in Noirish graphic novels. As a big fan I think I have everything they’ve done and quite a few books with sketches by Phillips. So it’s fair to say I was looking forward to this!

The book feels both familiar as their partnership has a strong visual style but it also feels slightly different. There is something about their partnership which always gives a vibe of high quality TV miniseries.

I enjoyed the flashback nature of the story and how it unfolded, Brubaker does a nice line in exaggerated realism and it works for this. It was maybe a little more explicit than some of their stuff but it didn’t bother me too much.

It did feel different to their other works like Criminal or Fatale but it had a similar dark sense of humour and often unlikeable characters.

It might not be for everyone but if you’ve enjoyed their past work you’ll probably really like it!

A dark, funny and nourish story set in the 80’s with Phillips excellent, stylistic art – give it a shot!

Definitely had no idea what the ending was going to be. Also, this feels vastly different from Brubaker and Phillips's other works. I've read part of Criminal, and loved it, so when I noticed this was available, I jumped at the chance. It is for sure a murder mystery, but not in the way you think. The story starts off with what becomes the Sid and Nancy event and was a pure rollercoaster until the end. I love Brubaker's story telling, it's dark, it's gritty, it's hard to read sometimes because it's scary too, but it is so so good I will always come back to it. And Phillips art is raw, emotional, gritty, and *chef's kiss* perfect for dark stories. If you like the darker Batman stories, or grittier mystery/thrillers, this is the comic for you.