Friday: The Complete Series

Friday #1-9

by Ed Brubaker, Marcos Martín (Artist)

"It’s funny, brutal, and most of all riveting in a way that feels at once nostalgic and frightening." — Library Journal (starred review)

Yellowjackets meets The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in this genre-defying, post-YA masterpiece, now collecting all three volumes in one deluxe hardcover!

Friday Fitzhugh spent her childhood solving crimes and digging up occult secrets with her best friend Lancelot Jones, the smartest boy in the world. But that was the past, now she's in college, starting a new life on her own. Except when Friday comes home for the holidays, she's immediately pulled back into Lance's orbit and finds that something very strange and dangerous is happening in their little New England town...

This is literally the Christmas vacation from Hell and neither of them may survive to see the New Year.

From award-winning creators Ed Brubaker (Criminal, Reckless, Kill or be Killed) and Marcos Martin (The Private Eye, Daredevil), with brilliant colors by Muntsa Vicente, FRIDAY is a chilling, coming-of-age story about growing up, letting go, and uncovering the darkness hidden in familiar places.

Collects all three volumes plus extra features.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Mystery, Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published July 24, 2024

About the author

Ed 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.

Reviews

[Carlex · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story 😍. Script, drawings... perfect!

[Machiavelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friday: The Complete Series is a thoughtful, character-driven mystery that surprised me in unexpected ways. What begins as a grounded, nostalgic detective story gradually expands into something stranger, introducing elements of time travel and fey-tinged magic that I didn’t see coming at all. That shift threw me for a loop initially, but it ultimately added an intriguing layer to the story rather than undermining it.

The visual storytelling is outstanding throughout. Marcos Martín’s art is elegant and expressive, guiding the reader smoothly through shifting timelines and emotional states. Muntsa Vicente’s colors are exceptional, subtly signaling mood, memory, and distance while reinforcing the story’s quiet, reflective tone. Together, they create a book that feels cohesive and immersive, even as the narrative takes unexpected turns.

Ed Brubaker’s writing remains grounded in character, trusting the reader to follow the story as it unfolds rather than spelling everything out. The result is a series that balances mystery, emotion, and speculative elements with confidence and restraint.

A rewarding, surprising read that lingers after the final page. 4.5⭐️

[Kurisu Roku · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paula tenía raó, m'ha encantat.
Per otts aquells que han llegit Sherlock Holmes I shan plantejat, que passaria si també hi hagués màgia en la descoberta de misteris?

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basically perfect.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant collected book of the online series. I’d never read it before this but really enjoyed how it flowed. Bit different to the stuff Brubaker does with Sean Phillips which suits the change of artist Marcos Martin. Really good work from all the creators and the book will sit nicely with the rest of the Brubaker catalogue

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

You pair Ed Brubaker with Marcos Martin and you just kind of can't go wrong. It's gonna at least be pretty good. And that's what this is. Pretty good! Not groundbreaking, not particularly shocking. But it takes the supernatural and fantastical and mixes it in with YA teenage mystery solving tropes for a satisfying romp through mild weirdness. I kind of wish it had gone bigger, honestly, but it does what it does reliably. The characters are well-realized if not particularly original. It's basically a very capable story.

The real standout, though, is the art. Marcos Martin and Muntsa Vicente have poured all their talents into this series, and it really looks incredible. Very cozy and creepy at the same time, beautiful colors and wintry small-town designs and unique creature designs. I found myself constantly stopping just to admire the visuals. Great art always elevates even a mediocre story, and the fact that this story is not mediocre makes the whole thing sing. I might even find myself rereading this at some point just for the artwork.

[Randy Lander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad I waited for this super deluxe edition, which puts the whole story, originally nine digital issues and then three digest-sized trades, into a beautiful oversized hardcover that lets the art of Marcos Martin and Muntsa Vicente really shine. There's even a lovely sketchbook section where you get to see the designs of the characters and the town.

Brubaker is at his best doing crime books, but he's also especially good at some genre-blending, and surprisingly his interest in YA fiction like Encyclopedia Brown and Archie have resulted in some good stories in Criminal and here, in Friday, where a post-college Girl Friday (literally named Friday) and her former partner and boy detective Lancelot Jones come up against a supernatural menace as well as dealing with what happened to their relationship as they both got older.

The twists and turns in this one are a lot of fun, and it goes *bonkers* in the last chapter, such that the first time I read it, I wasn't sure I liked it, but going through it all again as one story it all comes together nicely.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ed Brubaker has previously written of his love for Encyclopedia Brown (in an article for Criminal). Here we see what his own take would look like, and it's a pretty amazing 9-issue story. He gets the YA-detective genre down pat, but it's a very modern take, with deeply imagined characters and intriguing mysteries. In fact, the mystery gets wackier and wackier the further you go, but somehow holds together.

ALongside that is art by Marcos Martín and Muntsa Vicente, and it's amazing, even by the high standards of modern comic-book art. It apparently took Mártin years to compelte and it shows. THe pages are gorgeously detailed, evocatively colored, and overall wonderful.

And it's great to finally have this story in a nice full-size hardcover rather than the horrible digests that were previously being released.

[Marc Ramos Soler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un misteri que es va desgranant, inicialment amb ritme pausat però que acaba precipitant-se. La construcció del personatge principal és molt interessant, i l’esclat del conflicte prepara un escenari prometedor. Malauradament, la història agafa massa embranzida i apareixen massa elements fantàstics que embruten aquell inici tan prometedor.

No sé per què m’ha recordat una mica a Artemis Fowl, amb aquesta integració de fantàstic en un món real, però amb uns personatges més ben treballats.

L’estètica està molt ben treballada, amb una gran composició i color. El dinamisme de les imatges és engrescador i t'acompanya constantment en l'avançar de la trama.

[Daniel Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

obra espetacular, narrativa impécavel e belamente ilustrada. Brubaker exercita a imaginação, costura diversos estilos em uma saga juvenil de investigadores que lembram um grande episódio de Scooby Doo com pitadas de Stranger things temperada pelo Stephen King
as cores são incriveis e a arte de Marco Martin soberba foram 3 horas de leitura deliciosa nem notei o tempo passar, sociedade secretas, viagem no tempo, monstros folcloricos tudo a serviço da boa nona arte
grande obra, vale cada centavo

[Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Nancy Drew written by Lovecraft. This is so perfect I don't even know where to start. The art is so unique and nostalgic at the same time. Everything feels lived in. Plus, the fact that they were heavily influenced by Young Sherlock Holmes with Friday Fitzhugh being Watson to Lancelot Jones's Sherlock was so wonderful, even down to the final frozen confrontation on the water. I loved this book. I want to live IN this book. I will even forgive the time travel being a little too Harry Potter adjacent.

[Simon Heldreich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb story from Ed Brubaker, made better by the awesome artwork from Marcos Martin. Highly recommended for fans of Stranger Things and Veronica Mars, because it's basically a mash up of both of them.
The only negative I have is that it made me want a) more and b) to see some of the other adventures that Friday and Lance had that address referred to.
Also, it's available as a "pay what you like" so there no excuse but to pick it up.

[Jota Houses · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revisitar a personajes arquestípicos como son los investigadores juveniles norteamericanos en su vida posterior empieza a no ser un argumento demasiado original. Aún así, Brubaker elabora una historia muy entretenida, con viajes temporales, dioses antiguos y conspiraciones muy bien acompañada por el arte de Marcos Martín.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started off brilliantly; the artwork, the atmospheric New England town, the former kid detectives. But then it falls apart in the second half. All of the story decisions were just badly recycled tropes that felt rushed, and even the artwork becomes muddled. I wish they had been able to just maintain that early vibe.

[Adam Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've probably read better comic books by Ed Brubaker. At this moment, they all pale in comparison. Perfection! Marcos Martin is leveling up all the time, in this case wearing a convincing David Mazzucchelli suit, though you'd never accuse him of ripping anybody off; he's just that good.

[Blaine McGaffigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic series. Loved where it ended up in the back half. Kind of wish the last issue gave a little more runway. Maybe 10 issues would have prevented that last issue being so exposition heavy.

Love the art and colors.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want a graphic novel that’s a modern spin on a Nancy Drew/ Encyclopedia Brown stories with some wild and dark magic out of the pulps? Here’s that book you wanted then.

[Robert C · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful homage to YA mystery stories with a blend of horror and sci-fi/fantasy.

[Chr*s Browning]

Encyclopedia Brown meets The Spiderwick Chronicles (or something along those lines) and it's set at Christmastime with great art. Probably the best Brubaker book that I've read.

[Matt Parrilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ed Brubaker’s inventive storytelling is only outdone here by Marcos Martin’s incredible artwork and Muntsa Vincente’s revelatory colors. Highly recommended.

[Haley Crenshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end felt rushed. But other than that, a beautifully illustrated story.

[Alejandro Dodds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brubaker doesn't miss, no matter the genre. This is an amazing book. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

[Erin]

SO GOOD

[Cadillac Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think it will surprise anyone that Friday is really good, but Friday is really freaking good. Marcos Martín is incredible, Brubaker can write the heck out of a comic, and the hardcover deluxe edition is truly deluxe. A must buy for me, I love this book.

[Pkostek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story just flows. What really shines though, is the art. It adds to the story, it is beautiful and sometimes when you breeze through it (due to the story’s pacing), you feel that you are missing out on the gorgeous panels.