Murder Book

by Ed Brisson

The graphic novel anthology Murder Book collects gritty and unrelenting crime comics by Ed Brisson (Sheltered, The Field, Sons of Anarchy) that chronicle the demise of the immoral and the innocent alike. Featuring art from Michael Walsh (Secret Avengers), Simon Roy (The Field), Johnnie Christmas (Sheltered), Declan Shalvey (Moon Knight), and many more, this collection is an essential for crime and noir fans.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Short Stories, Thriller, Crime, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

179 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2015

About the author

Comic book writer.

Credits include: COMEBACK, SHELTERED, THE FIELD (Image Comics), SECRET AVENGERS (Marvel), ROBOCOP, SONS OF ANARCHY, HELLRAISER (BOOM!) and X-FILES/TMNT: CONSPIRACY (IDW). Plus, you know, a bunch of stuff I can’t talk about yet.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder Book is a collection of short crime comics written by Ed Brisson and drawn by a number of artists. Some of ‘em are good, some are meh and overall it’s not a bad read!

I liked Skimming The Till where a couple of meth-head robbers have the tables flipped on them by a coked-up shop owner - very nihilistic, funny ending too. I also enjoyed Fathers and Sons where a couple of enforcers sent round to collect basically have the worst case scenario happen to them.

None Between Us was a twisted tale of young love as a teen boy murders his teen girlfriend’s parents so they can be together - but the girl has other plans! Point Taken was a fine closing story where a couple guys set off into the woods to bury a corpse - or is that all that’s in the cards for them?

A fair number of stories are unmemorable but I wouldn’t say any of them were bad either. There’s also some great art from the likes of Johnnie Christmas, Michael Walsh and Declan Shalvey.

Murder Book was a decent read and anyone who enjoyed Ed Brisson’s other, better book The Violent and/or David Lapham’s Stray Bullets will probably get a kick out of this one too.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This certainly lives up to the name.

Basically this is one shots, can be just a few pages to nearly 20 pages of short stories involving crime, death, murder, violence, you know...fucked up shit. There's some that made me feel really bad like a story about a kid getting caught in the crossfire of a deal gone bad, someone running from his wife and a brutal ending, to a cop helping cover up a murder. Lots of brutal and dark and twisted stories throughout and well worth it if this is a genre you enjoy.

A 4 out of 5.

[Corinna Bechko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brisson's writing is always top-notch, and this anthology is no exception. The stories are brutal, tragic, sharp, and sad, as the best crime drama often is. The range of artists is also excellent, with some of my favorites making an appearance, while the lack of color gives the whole thing a unity sometimes lacking in anthologies. Beautiful job all the way around.

[Sergeant Apone · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like crime comic anthologies filled with the gritty underbelly of the world, Murder Book is for you. It's got a little bit of everything here: Assassins, Drugs, Guns and a whole lot of fun in my eyes. I'd like to read some more stuff similar to this, so if you have recommendations, feel free to hit me up.

[Melissa Jacobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fast, bloody, and gore filled anthology and I had a lot of fun reading it. It felt like we were getting snapshots on the more explosive (pun intended) moments of a nior film or book and then we were left wondering how the characters would get out of this problem. While this left me feeling a little frustrated I actually ended up really liking the idea behind this. The art was beautiful, the stories short yet riveting. I really recommend this for fans of comics and crime books alike!

[Simon McDonald]

Murder Book collects a dozen or so crime comics by Ed Brisson and a coterie of artists. These are lean, dark, twisted tales, which take advantage of the genre’s flexible form, and delve into the many facets of society’s underbelly. They are not necessarily about bad guys; instead, they are about guys who’ve landed themselves in bad situations and are desperately trying to dig their way out.

The crime genre offers a plethora of narrative possibilities, and Brisson takes full advantage, offering stories about police detectives, carjackers, thieves, drug peddlers; you name an archetype, Brisson has it covered. Only they aren’t presented as archetypes. Even in this short-form, he manages to add a layer of humanity and depth to these people. We don’t need to know the full extent of their backstories to feel sympathy for them; even when that sympathy is twinged with disgust at their behaviour.

Artists Declan Shalvey, Michael Walsh, Jonnie Christmas – to name just three of a brilliant bunch – are all in top form, effectively utilising a black-and-white palette (or grey tones) to nail the dark, gritty atmosphere Brisson’s scripts demand. Each artist has a very distinct style, but the collection’s tone feels consistent, perhaps due to the implementation of simple layouts. Don’t expect double-page spreads or splash pages; by design many of these stories feel claustrophobic at times as the stories build tension.

Every story in Murder Book crackles with energy. Brisson and his cohorts have demonstrated an unparalleled ability to draw in the reader and make us feel every punch, every gunshot, every mistake. As far as crime comics go, this is one of the greatest anthologies out there. It’s a real treat.

[Flow Chi Minh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brisson's talents are on full display here. Lotta good vignettes where just about everyone is bad and you never know who is gonna get it.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few of these need one more page but over all a crime noir of short stories, interesting if not depressing read.

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of short stories. Nothing bowled me over. Decent artwork.

[Rex Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of sixteen crimes stories, most involving murder or a death of some sort. Each story is drawn by a different artist, but they adhere to a similar gritty, black and white style, which lends itself to a similarity of tone and pacing throughout these tales. But, of course, with a limited amount of space, each story is rather short. That isn’t a negative in my opinion, but when one very short story follows another, they need to be different enough to stand out. In this case the stories remind me of Andrew Vachss’s books of short fiction, Born Bad, or Ed Brubaker’s Criminal series.
The tone is amoral. No judgments are given. No morality is espoused. It is simply the facts about a protagonist, usually desperate or out of their depth - or both - caught up in circumstances where death, one way or the other, was a necessary outcome. All seem to be in the same city or state, as many reference “Sandra” a crimelord of some degree, who seems to be involved in drug smuggling at the least. These are bleak stories which offer up little in the way of hope or the human spirit, but there are plenty of gunshots.

[Nate]

Murder Book collects 16 short crime stories written by Ed Brisson and drawn by various artists. As the title suggests, all these stories deal with homicide in some way or another - quick and dirty tales of lowlifes and criminals. None of these stories are bad but I wouldn’t call them great either. Only a few stood out to me as memorable: “Fathers and Sons,” about a killer who develops a sense of regret on the job; “None Between Us,” where a teen carries out a devious plan to get with the guy she loves; and “Point Taken,” about two contemplative hired guns. The art is all black-and-white or greyscale, allowing for nice noir atmosphere. I’d like to single out page 159 (in “Hot Shot”) drawn by Brian Level: it’s entirely silent and sets the scene perfectly, with rain, shadows, and a stark closeup. The art throughout this book is solid, but that page made me pause and look at it for a while.

If you want a quick crime fix, you could do worse than this book. Just don’t expect anything earth-shattering.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder Book, by Ed Brisson and a plethora of artists, is a lot like Ed Burbaker's Criminal but only fast forwarded. There were over a dozen stories, some connected, all dealing with murder. The book doesn't glamorize murderers or make them look smart. In fact, most are sad and/or pathetic. I wouldn't say any of the tales are "must read" but they were all pretty intriguing. The art fluctuated but was decent overall. The black and white color palette served the book well. The book is was a super fast read but worth the time.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

From police officers taking the law into their own hands, to members of a criminal organization or strangers killing each other for business or for revenge or out of a misunderstanding, to a screwed up story of love, this anthology has it all. The world in these short stories is not a fun one to live in. The small fry get eaten on a regular basis because human life isn't worth a damn. There's even a quick laugh at the very end.

[Colin Oaten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice anthology from Dark Horse Comics, all stories written by Ed Brisson with a rotating team of artist including Declan Shalvey of Moon Knight fame. Some great little tales with a fair few twists and many linked by the mysterious Sandra, who appears to be ordering many of the events in the tales,. A nice collection with b & w art that suits the mood of the stories within.

[Axel Barceló · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grim and dark, and at times disturbing, but mostly very smart short stories. I am amazed at how so much can be said in so few pages. As usual in collections like this, not all stories are as good, but the good ones are very good.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of stories. It took me back to my childhood comics with tough guys and ironic endings. It reminded me of the old horror classics with a dish of "just desserts" served sometimes to someone who may not deserve all he gets.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bunch of crime-related vignettes. Some weren't so bad, some weren't so great. Nothing really memorable. A rotating cast of artists.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

murder most foul finds it way into this graphic novel.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these stories were great! Others seemed to fall flat. I felt as though some of the stories needed a few extra pages or were just kind of boring.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the vignette style of stories here.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder Book, by Ed Brisson
An anthology of short comic stories.
Intense! I guess so considering all murders are!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title tells you all you need to know - none of the stories will have a happy ending.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there's one thing I've learned by reading this... it's don't cross Ed Brisson, he knows all kinds of ways to off you and make it look like an accident.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed Brisson is a real talent. The art varies in quality, as with any anthology, but the stories are consistently good. Brisson is great with the unexpected turn -- as much crime fiction and noir as I've read, I usually find crime stories predictable. Every time I thought I had a handle on how one of these stories was going to conclude, Brisson would upend my expectation. A pleasant surprise.

[zackxdig · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bunch of short crime stories with clever twists. All of them left me more curious about the world and it seems to be tjay some of the characters reappeared in different shorts. It's a lot of black comedy and karma for example: if you get double crossed and kill a guy, make sure you have your keys before you bury him.

[Roman]

Great collection of short crime stories about bad, bad people of all sorts.

[Nomad nimrod · Rating 1 out of 5]

didn't like it

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, but bleak as hell.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, quick read. The stories are easy to follow, but not quite predictable.

[M Al Mg · Rating 4 out of 5]

16 short crime stories with good closures.