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Friday #1-3
Friday: Llibre 1: El primer dia de Nadal
Friday Fitzhugh es va passar la infantesa resolent crims i descobrint secrets ocults i ocultistes amb el seu millor amic Lancelot Jones, el noi més intel ligent del món. Però així és el passat, l ara ella estudia a la universitat, comença una nova vida pel seu compte. Però quan la Friday torna a casa per les vacances de Nadal, també torna imediatament a l'orbita d'en Lance i descobreix que una cosa molt estranya i perillosa està passant al seu poble de Nova Anglaterra...
Seran literalment unes vacances de Nadal infernals, i potser no sobreviuran per veure el Cap d'Any.
Seran literalment unes vacances de Nadal infernals, i potser no sobreviuran per veure el Cap d'Any.
120 pages, Paperback
First published November 9, 2021
11 people are currently reading
943 people want to read
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,798 books3,028 followersEd Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 347 reviews
September 17, 2021
Whenever a mystery needed solving in the small coastal town of King’s Hill, kid detectives Friday Fitzhugh and Lancelot Jones were always on hand. Then they grew up and Friday admitted her feelings to Lancelot - and inadvertently ruined their friendship. Now she’s back on Christmas vacay from college and a supernatural mystery is plaguing the town - but will the two be able to get past their awkwardness to find out who the White Lady is?
Ed Brubaker goes all YA-y in Friday with Panel Syndicate regulars Marcos Martin and Muntsa Vicente. And, though I’m a fan of these creators, I didn’t think much of this one unfortunately.
I never dug Enid Blyton so I’m not predisposed to enjoying what is essentially a homage to those kind of kid’s books (Famous Five, etc.) in Friday. But also both storylines aren’t very substantial or gripping either. It’s mostly about Friday mooning over her friendship/feelings for Lancelot (these twee names - ugh) which is bo-ring!
There are some supernatural goings-on but it’s not much more than hinted at so it’s unclear what it is or why we’re meant to care. I enjoyed the witch/hallucination sequence though.
Marcos Martin’s art is really good, as are Muntsa Vicente’s colours, with lots of pretty snow-laden rural vistas and woodland scenes. The faux book cover designs are also cute. Friday and Lancelot’s character designs are strange though - their heads are distractingly wide and flat so they look alien for no reason!
Besides the art and a couple of scenes, there’s not a lot here to recommend Friday, Book One: The First Day of Christmas. It’s a weak, unengaging and underwhelming kid’s comic that even fans of Brubaker’s might struggle to find the least bit compelling.
Ed Brubaker goes all YA-y in Friday with Panel Syndicate regulars Marcos Martin and Muntsa Vicente. And, though I’m a fan of these creators, I didn’t think much of this one unfortunately.
I never dug Enid Blyton so I’m not predisposed to enjoying what is essentially a homage to those kind of kid’s books (Famous Five, etc.) in Friday. But also both storylines aren’t very substantial or gripping either. It’s mostly about Friday mooning over her friendship/feelings for Lancelot (these twee names - ugh) which is bo-ring!
There are some supernatural goings-on but it’s not much more than hinted at so it’s unclear what it is or why we’re meant to care. I enjoyed the witch/hallucination sequence though.
Marcos Martin’s art is really good, as are Muntsa Vicente’s colours, with lots of pretty snow-laden rural vistas and woodland scenes. The faux book cover designs are also cute. Friday and Lancelot’s character designs are strange though - their heads are distractingly wide and flat so they look alien for no reason!
Besides the art and a couple of scenes, there’s not a lot here to recommend Friday, Book One: The First Day of Christmas. It’s a weak, unengaging and underwhelming kid’s comic that even fans of Brubaker’s might struggle to find the least bit compelling.
October 9, 2021
Showing a decidedly different side to Brubaker's writing, the injection of the fantastical and the magical makes for an interesting read.
I really like Marcos Martin's art here, and Muntsa Vincente's colouring lifts the whole book.
There is a 'but'.. the book contains only three issues, and doesn't tell a complete arc, worse yet - it ends on a big cliffhanger. You're barely inside Friday's world before it's yanked away from you. Why not wait a while longer before publishing? It seems unnecessarily frustrating.
(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)
I really like Marcos Martin's art here, and Muntsa Vincente's colouring lifts the whole book.
There is a 'but'.. the book contains only three issues, and doesn't tell a complete arc, worse yet - it ends on a big cliffhanger. You're barely inside Friday's world before it's yanked away from you. Why not wait a while longer before publishing? It seems unnecessarily frustrating.
(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)
May 12, 2023
Idealna dla fanów Stranger Things! I ta kreska!!!
October 6, 2021
Ed Brubaker's ode to The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Friday is the sidekick who grew up and left for college, leaving Lance behind. Most of the story is her going all YA and dealing with her drama with Lance after they hooked up the night before she left. There's also a supernatural angle which is barely explored by the time this ends. Maybe I would have liked this better had it been a more complete story, but this was just barely getting going just as it ended.
Received a review copy from Image and Edelweiss.
Received a review copy from Image and Edelweiss.
November 10, 2024
Friday--Book One: The First Day of Christmas is a digital comic come to paper, the first of a trilogy, looks like? The comic won the 2021 Eisner Award for Digital Comic and forefronts Ed Brubaker's stellar, character-driven storytelling chops. In an afterword he tells how the project came about, beginning with a year he spent as an early cartoonist, also spending time in the library reading YA/middle grades/children's mystery works such from the sixties such as Harriet the Spy and Encyclopedia Brown, while at the same time re-reading classic crime novels from Jim Thompson and others.
The latter reading helped cement his career as the leading comics crime novelist ever, but this work, illustrated by Marcos Martin, echoes the sixties middle grades reading. Friday Fitzhugh was the sidekick to Lancelot Jones, a crime wunderkind. Then Friday goes to college at eighteen, but returns at Christmas vacation to get into the crime scene with Lancelot again, and it is not the Bobbsey Twins or Hardy Boys or Encyclopedia Brown; it has darker elements, with occult vibes. Brubaker for a new audience!
The latter reading helped cement his career as the leading comics crime novelist ever, but this work, illustrated by Marcos Martin, echoes the sixties middle grades reading. Friday Fitzhugh was the sidekick to Lancelot Jones, a crime wunderkind. Then Friday goes to college at eighteen, but returns at Christmas vacation to get into the crime scene with Lancelot again, and it is not the Bobbsey Twins or Hardy Boys or Encyclopedia Brown; it has darker elements, with occult vibes. Brubaker for a new audience!
November 17, 2021
I'm intrigued by this teen detective homage with its rich character study, moody tone, and gloomy setting, but I'm frustrated by its shortness and the sense that there is barely enough time for some throat clearing, I'm going to wait until the story is complete and then read it all at one shot.
January 17, 2026
A sixth grader named Friday moved into a new town and keeps sulking about it until she meets and saves a boy from bullies. The boy, Lance, the town's genius, child detective, hires Friday as a bodyguard, and they become best friends.
They solve various mysteries and cases in their strangely mysterious town, and it’s weird forests. Things between them are great until they get into high school and start developing feelings for each other, but both refuse to act on them out of fear of rejection, or ruining their friendship.
The day before Friday leaves for college, they finally talk about things and try to get it on, but fail terribly, leaving their relationship in an awkward state. Three months later, Friday returns from College, but a new case Lance and the town sheriff are working prevents Friday and Lance from talking about things.
Friday joins them in chasing leads to solve the case, which involves someone or something called the White Lady, whom Friday had a forgotten dream about before she left for Colledge. When she finally remembers the dream and tries to talk to Lance about it, she finds him dead at their old clubhouse, and the unknown perps escape.
The writing and story here feel very cliché and derivative, but I still enjoyed it, read this very fast, and definitely want to know what happens next. I also liked the art a lot. It’s kinda cartoony but still very detailed and kind of unique.
They solve various mysteries and cases in their strangely mysterious town, and it’s weird forests. Things between them are great until they get into high school and start developing feelings for each other, but both refuse to act on them out of fear of rejection, or ruining their friendship.
The day before Friday leaves for college, they finally talk about things and try to get it on, but fail terribly, leaving their relationship in an awkward state. Three months later, Friday returns from College, but a new case Lance and the town sheriff are working prevents Friday and Lance from talking about things.
Friday joins them in chasing leads to solve the case, which involves someone or something called the White Lady, whom Friday had a forgotten dream about before she left for Colledge. When she finally remembers the dream and tries to talk to Lance about it, she finds him dead at their old clubhouse, and the unknown perps escape.
The writing and story here feel very cliché and derivative, but I still enjoyed it, read this very fast, and definitely want to know what happens next. I also liked the art a lot. It’s kinda cartoony but still very detailed and kind of unique.
November 28, 2021
So I was really excited to pick this up based on the artist/writer combo but...I didn't love this.
It tells a story of a girl who used to go on adventures with her friend, solving cases, and basically detective work. But as she got older she drifted away until one day she gets drawn back to this city and of course everything goes bad.
It's not a bad story. It's well written and drawn, but not...exciting? I didn't care too much about any of the plot points or characters, and while the art was unique, I didn't love the style of it. The color especially, the actual sketches in the back are great.
But yeah I might grab volume 2 but this didn't blow me away. A 3 out of 5.
It tells a story of a girl who used to go on adventures with her friend, solving cases, and basically detective work. But as she got older she drifted away until one day she gets drawn back to this city and of course everything goes bad.
It's not a bad story. It's well written and drawn, but not...exciting? I didn't care too much about any of the plot points or characters, and while the art was unique, I didn't love the style of it. The color especially, the actual sketches in the back are great.
But yeah I might grab volume 2 but this didn't blow me away. A 3 out of 5.
April 15, 2024
NOW THATS A CLIFF HANGER! I. need. more!
This volume perfectly sets the scene for the bigger series. I am fully invested in this series! Excited to see where the story brings us and to see what happens with the characters.
BTW this does say "the first day of Christmas" but don't let it deter you from picking it up! The book is basically just set around Christmas time so I would really classify it as a Christmas book.
The art style is very pretty but not my personal taste, but still beautifully done. The design of the clubhouse/treehouse is legit so good!
excited to pick up the next volume and see where we go from here!!
Thank you so much Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this one! (my thoughts are all my own!)
This volume perfectly sets the scene for the bigger series. I am fully invested in this series! Excited to see where the story brings us and to see what happens with the characters.
BTW this does say "the first day of Christmas" but don't let it deter you from picking it up! The book is basically just set around Christmas time so I would really classify it as a Christmas book.
The art style is very pretty but not my personal taste, but still beautifully done. The design of the clubhouse/treehouse is legit so good!
excited to pick up the next volume and see where we go from here!!
Thank you so much Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this one! (my thoughts are all my own!)
February 10, 2025
M'agrada tot.
December 18, 2023
Intriguing dreamy start of what looks like two books.
An older YA teen detective mystery with supernatural underpinning.
Great art...characters well defined even supporting ones.
Loved the idea and loved how this was done
An older YA teen detective mystery with supernatural underpinning.
Great art...characters well defined even supporting ones.
Loved the idea and loved how this was done
January 3, 2022
It's cool to read something different from Ed Brubaker. I mean if he only ever writes crime fiction while occasionally reinventing superheroes, I'm down for it, but I do enjoy seeing writers branch out into different genres. Although it is not too far removed from his work on "Dead Boy Detectives".
Brubaker describes this as a "post-Young Adult" novel, where two former teen amateur detectives reunite as adults while trying to reconcile some split in their past.
Friday Fitzhugh (such a Brubaker name), has returned from university to reunite with her best friend and partner in anti-crime Lancelot Jones (another Brubaker name), but things are not the same and she finds it hard to reconcile who she is now with her she was as a teen.
I really love this concept because it's not like a gritty reboot, it's a natural progression of how these kinds of characters are likely to be once they reach adulthood, and having them as 18 or 19 year olds they're still close enough to that time to have some perspective while struggling with how different their lives are now.
It's very short and is clearly meant to be the first in multiple chapters, but I think it could have benefited from waiting until at least two of the chapters were done.
Either way a nice start to my year of reading.
Brubaker describes this as a "post-Young Adult" novel, where two former teen amateur detectives reunite as adults while trying to reconcile some split in their past.
Friday Fitzhugh (such a Brubaker name), has returned from university to reunite with her best friend and partner in anti-crime Lancelot Jones (another Brubaker name), but things are not the same and she finds it hard to reconcile who she is now with her she was as a teen.
I really love this concept because it's not like a gritty reboot, it's a natural progression of how these kinds of characters are likely to be once they reach adulthood, and having them as 18 or 19 year olds they're still close enough to that time to have some perspective while struggling with how different their lives are now.
It's very short and is clearly meant to be the first in multiple chapters, but I think it could have benefited from waiting until at least two of the chapters were done.
Either way a nice start to my year of reading.
July 2, 2022
What's here is great, but there is not a lot here, and it doesn't seem like much more is coming soon. Contrast that to the speed with which Brubaker is pumping out 'Reckless' material and it's almost...insulting.
June 20, 2025
Loved this. Instant Martin Marcos fan, definitely picking up the deluxe in November!
November 14, 2024
Świetna kreska i kolorystyka. Fajny young adult. Totalnie klimat Stranger Things!
September 6, 2021
I can never seem to get enough of Ed Brubaker. Maybe it's because he always seems to write from authentic places that seem really close to home. Maybe it's the artists who manage to bring out the best visuals of his writing.
In any case Friday feels like another one of his noir pieces with a splash of Sherlock Holmes flavor.
Only it's told from the Watson's perspective and how she's dealing with adolescence's difficulties. Especially since her best friend and possible love interest always remains a point of confusion. There's expectations within the both of them and a need to feel like there's familiarity. But at the age they're at, it feels authentically difficult.
To top it all off, there's something off about their humble little town. And it looks like Friday is going to look very deeply into things.
In any case Friday feels like another one of his noir pieces with a splash of Sherlock Holmes flavor.
Only it's told from the Watson's perspective and how she's dealing with adolescence's difficulties. Especially since her best friend and possible love interest always remains a point of confusion. There's expectations within the both of them and a need to feel like there's familiarity. But at the age they're at, it feels authentically difficult.
To top it all off, there's something off about their humble little town. And it looks like Friday is going to look very deeply into things.
December 8, 2021
Think of this as an homage for Gen-X readers of Encyclopedia Brown...though it ends up being closer to X-Files or SHERLOCK.
Great intro of Friday, friend to Lancelot Jones, and her adjusting to life outside of being Lance's sidekick in crimesolving.
I know I'll be seeking out Volume 2 asap to solve the cliffhanger/mystery at the end of this volume....
Honestly, that's the worst thing I can say on this book--It barely gets us into the story before ending on a cliffhanger, leaving us waiting for either the next issue or collection. It'd be better if this were a complete story with threads (rather than the main plot & subplots) to continue on to another story.
Even so, Brubaker's proven himself enough for me to trust we'll get a decent payoff down the road. Just frustrating to buy a "Book One" that feels more like "Prologue & Inciting Incident"
Great intro of Friday, friend to Lancelot Jones, and her adjusting to life outside of being Lance's sidekick in crimesolving.
I know I'll be seeking out Volume 2 asap to solve the cliffhanger/mystery at the end of this volume....
Honestly, that's the worst thing I can say on this book--It barely gets us into the story before ending on a cliffhanger, leaving us waiting for either the next issue or collection. It'd be better if this were a complete story with threads (rather than the main plot & subplots) to continue on to another story.
Even so, Brubaker's proven himself enough for me to trust we'll get a decent payoff down the road. Just frustrating to buy a "Book One" that feels more like "Prologue & Inciting Incident"
December 17, 2024
Much too short but packed with potential.
Everything from the slightly off-kilter art style to the third person narration to the strange town and haunted forest setting pulls together fantastically to create an uncanny atmosphere that is akin to the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina show.
Brubaker nails the teen mystery genre, perfectly pulling off the best friend/potential lovers dynamic between the protagonist Friday and her best friend Lance and lays the foundations for the mystery plot whilst also taking the time to explore their backstory. It’s almost impressive the ties created in such a short amount of pages. Who knows what could’ve been done with a longer page-length; perhaps this would have been 5 stars!
Everything from the slightly off-kilter art style to the third person narration to the strange town and haunted forest setting pulls together fantastically to create an uncanny atmosphere that is akin to the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina show.
Brubaker nails the teen mystery genre, perfectly pulling off the best friend/potential lovers dynamic between the protagonist Friday and her best friend Lance and lays the foundations for the mystery plot whilst also taking the time to explore their backstory. It’s almost impressive the ties created in such a short amount of pages. Who knows what could’ve been done with a longer page-length; perhaps this would have been 5 stars!
February 20, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Image Comics for providing me with a free copy.
I always loved Brubacker's work and was curious to explore a different side of it.
This story is less crime and more supernatural oriented, following young adults / teenagers in their detective adventures.
I liked the art and the premise a lot, but was disappointed by the shortness of it.
The volume ends at what feels like the middle of the story, on a huge cliffhanger.
It felt like only an introduction, and I was expecting more.
I always loved Brubacker's work and was curious to explore a different side of it.
This story is less crime and more supernatural oriented, following young adults / teenagers in their detective adventures.
I liked the art and the premise a lot, but was disappointed by the shortness of it.
The volume ends at what feels like the middle of the story, on a huge cliffhanger.
It felt like only an introduction, and I was expecting more.
January 2, 2025
A solid start to the series, darkly fantastic art work. I think that I just don’t personally care enough about teens solving mysteries and their emotional/hormonal angst to continue on to the second Book.
December 3, 2024
You see the name Ed Brubaker, you pick it up!
I really enjoyed this and I wasn't sure if I would. This has the smaller YA size and the smaller YA price but this really isn't YA. Ed Brubaker said in the back matter that this was to be read as "post-YA" and I can get behind that but this is certainly not an all ages book. The biggest thing that ages this up is the language. There is some other mature content as far as death and some implied sexual orientation subject matter but those are more subtle, the main thing is the language.
I loved the mix of Brubaker's use of mystery but also a paranormal type aspect. It felt true to Brubaker but not just like a repeat over and over.
The art of this book is perfection. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the way that Friday looks. I love the whole vibe of King's Hill, the town that Friday grew up in, it felt so authentic and cozy and I just loved it all.
The first volume of Friday didn't disappoint!
I really enjoyed this and I wasn't sure if I would. This has the smaller YA size and the smaller YA price but this really isn't YA. Ed Brubaker said in the back matter that this was to be read as "post-YA" and I can get behind that but this is certainly not an all ages book. The biggest thing that ages this up is the language. There is some other mature content as far as death and some implied sexual orientation subject matter but those are more subtle, the main thing is the language.
I loved the mix of Brubaker's use of mystery but also a paranormal type aspect. It felt true to Brubaker but not just like a repeat over and over.
The art of this book is perfection. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the way that Friday looks. I love the whole vibe of King's Hill, the town that Friday grew up in, it felt so authentic and cozy and I just loved it all.
The first volume of Friday didn't disappoint!
February 28, 2025
This first Friday volume offers a terrific introduction to a new YA-ish playground for Ed Brubaker, though it will guaranteed make you desperate for more. The cliffhanger conclusion to "Book One" is anguish-inducing.
Friday and Lance are teen detectives in one of those small New England towns where the architecture is always Victorian and the people are always friendly and maybe, just maybe, there's something Lovecraftian afoot. That certainly seems to be the case here, with Friday featuring far more supernatural elements than most other Brubaker reads. The whole thing is a real vibe, particularly with Marcos Martin's iconic artwork. I dug it straight to pieces. Sign me up for another dozen tiny volumes.
Friday and Lance are teen detectives in one of those small New England towns where the architecture is always Victorian and the people are always friendly and maybe, just maybe, there's something Lovecraftian afoot. That certainly seems to be the case here, with Friday featuring far more supernatural elements than most other Brubaker reads. The whole thing is a real vibe, particularly with Marcos Martin's iconic artwork. I dug it straight to pieces. Sign me up for another dozen tiny volumes.
November 24, 2024
Really cool. Brubaker and Martin go really well together, and Vicente's colors are top notch. A great blend between suspense, mystery, weird stuff and life.
December 19, 2022
Drawing clear inspiration from ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN and other lovingly-remembered kids' mystery series, FRIDAY builds up steam and leaves us on a cliffhanger. The minutely detailed 1970s setting was a treat. Hopefully this series will continue on a high note.
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June 14, 2024M'agrada molt com troba l'equilibri entre ser una història policíaca, de fantasia i romàntica sense que les tres coses acabin embafant. Ganes de llegir els dos volums següents!!
April 22, 2023
(Zero spoiler review) 2.5/5
I'm a big fan of Ed Brubaker. His independent crime noir works are some of the greatest to grace the genre and the medium. I had seen this title floating around for a while, thinking it was some very small indie book he must have done a very long time ago that has since surfaced due to his ongoing prominence within comics. I didn't realise this was in fact, a much more modern creation. Still, I went into it not knowing the slightest thing about it.
The YA teenage kids solving mysteries thing is far from the most original premise in storytelling. It's not a genre I have a great deal of experience with, having never read the litany of well known titles that others more familiar could rattle off ad nauseum. But familiarity or originality is hardly necessary when something is so bloody well written. It's just a shame that Friday is so middling, lacking any discernible flair or interesting slant.
The art is excellent. It does have a very 'young adult' flavour to it, although there is a level of detail and artistry I've rarely experienced in my admittedly few forays into the genre. Though his character models were a bit of a letdown when compared with his backgrounds. But it's Mr. Brubaker who drops the ball here. I'm not exactly sure what this was meant to be. Something between slice of life and the supernatural? That certainly sounds fine by me, but his execution was aimless and flawed, and after five issues, I really couldn't tell what he was going for. That and the pacing seemed unnecessarily slow.
I didn't find any of the small cast of characters at all compelling. Friday isn't particularly likeable by any means, and everyone floating around her seems quite bland and one note. Could have done without the lesbian mothers as well. They are both such peripheral characters, that their inclusion seemed little more than an exercise in modern day box ticking. It would have been fine if they were more rounded characters, but they aren't. They are cardboard cut-outs masquerading as such, and it was all fairly underwhelming.
I'm sure there is an audience out there for this type of story, but sadly, it's not me. I wouldn't recommend it, and I highly doubt I will be finishing it, despite the cliffhanger ending. 2.5/5
OmniBen. 2.5/5
I'm a big fan of Ed Brubaker. His independent crime noir works are some of the greatest to grace the genre and the medium. I had seen this title floating around for a while, thinking it was some very small indie book he must have done a very long time ago that has since surfaced due to his ongoing prominence within comics. I didn't realise this was in fact, a much more modern creation. Still, I went into it not knowing the slightest thing about it.
The YA teenage kids solving mysteries thing is far from the most original premise in storytelling. It's not a genre I have a great deal of experience with, having never read the litany of well known titles that others more familiar could rattle off ad nauseum. But familiarity or originality is hardly necessary when something is so bloody well written. It's just a shame that Friday is so middling, lacking any discernible flair or interesting slant.
The art is excellent. It does have a very 'young adult' flavour to it, although there is a level of detail and artistry I've rarely experienced in my admittedly few forays into the genre. Though his character models were a bit of a letdown when compared with his backgrounds. But it's Mr. Brubaker who drops the ball here. I'm not exactly sure what this was meant to be. Something between slice of life and the supernatural? That certainly sounds fine by me, but his execution was aimless and flawed, and after five issues, I really couldn't tell what he was going for. That and the pacing seemed unnecessarily slow.
I didn't find any of the small cast of characters at all compelling. Friday isn't particularly likeable by any means, and everyone floating around her seems quite bland and one note. Could have done without the lesbian mothers as well. They are both such peripheral characters, that their inclusion seemed little more than an exercise in modern day box ticking. It would have been fine if they were more rounded characters, but they aren't. They are cardboard cut-outs masquerading as such, and it was all fairly underwhelming.
I'm sure there is an audience out there for this type of story, but sadly, it's not me. I wouldn't recommend it, and I highly doubt I will be finishing it, despite the cliffhanger ending. 2.5/5
OmniBen. 2.5/5
November 18, 2021
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5
Friday Fitzhugh is a young adult detective. She spent most of her free time with her best friend, Lancelot Jones - the smartest boy in the whole world - solving crimes and exploring the occult. That is ... until she went off to college. But now Friday is back in town for the holiday and she immediately connects with Lancelot as something eerie is going on in their town.
I'm really not sure what to make of this book.
It took me awhile to appreciate the art. It is highly stylized and it's not a style that I generally enjoy. Friday looks more like Edna Mode from The Incredibles movie than she looks like a teen girl. The art wore on my, though, and the further I got into the book, the less it bothered me.
The story ... well, there really is no story. Not yet. This volume, which is a compilation of comic issues, is still all set-up. It's the introduction of the characters and the setting and how they all work together. But as far as actually doing anything or getting anywhere in the story ...? Not so much.
Because there's nothing here the reader discovers that they have read 120 pages only to find that the story is just hinted at as they finish. This was quite frustrating. Perhaps if I was so completely enthralled with these characters that I couldn't wait for the next installment, this would be fine. But I was not.
This begs the question - why not wait until there was some story before putting together a graphic novel of the comic issues? 120 pages is relatively short for a graphic novel, so waiting for another one or two issues would not seem out of line. However, I am not a publisher or a graphic novel creator, so perhaps there are other factors involved. I am, though, a reader and I know what doesn't work well for me.
Looking for a good book? Friday, Volume 1 is a graphic novel that hints at some interesting things ahead, but fails to deliver anything other than an introduction.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Friday Fitzhugh is a young adult detective. She spent most of her free time with her best friend, Lancelot Jones - the smartest boy in the whole world - solving crimes and exploring the occult. That is ... until she went off to college. But now Friday is back in town for the holiday and she immediately connects with Lancelot as something eerie is going on in their town.
I'm really not sure what to make of this book.
It took me awhile to appreciate the art. It is highly stylized and it's not a style that I generally enjoy. Friday looks more like Edna Mode from The Incredibles movie than she looks like a teen girl. The art wore on my, though, and the further I got into the book, the less it bothered me.
The story ... well, there really is no story. Not yet. This volume, which is a compilation of comic issues, is still all set-up. It's the introduction of the characters and the setting and how they all work together. But as far as actually doing anything or getting anywhere in the story ...? Not so much.
Because there's nothing here the reader discovers that they have read 120 pages only to find that the story is just hinted at as they finish. This was quite frustrating. Perhaps if I was so completely enthralled with these characters that I couldn't wait for the next installment, this would be fine. But I was not.
This begs the question - why not wait until there was some story before putting together a graphic novel of the comic issues? 120 pages is relatively short for a graphic novel, so waiting for another one or two issues would not seem out of line. However, I am not a publisher or a graphic novel creator, so perhaps there are other factors involved. I am, though, a reader and I know what doesn't work well for me.
Looking for a good book? Friday, Volume 1 is a graphic novel that hints at some interesting things ahead, but fails to deliver anything other than an introduction.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
December 9, 2024
This book collected the first 3 issues of this YA comic series, and with a that title seemed like the season to pick it up. I liked this crime solving duo, their childhood friendship and their escapades. The art is good, but the story felt like it was just getting started. Will certainly pick up the next installment to see what happens next.
March 4, 2022
Brubaker for a younger audience (but not that young), I think that this one is somehow hurt on not developing the story enough and leaving us hanging. Not too much to get excited about but the art is nice.
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