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Bury the Lede
From New York Times-bestselling author Gaby Dunn comes a story of an ambitious young reporter and the potential murderess who will change her life.
Twenty-one-year-old Madison T. Jackson is the youngest reporter at The Boston Lede, a hard-hitting award-winning newspaper and a feather in the cap of any seasoned reporter, much less the intrepid, in-over-her-head Madison. Too young to know better and too ambitious to get out when she’s in over head, Madison will come face to face with the dark heart of old money.
Twenty-one-year-old Madison T. Jackson is the youngest reporter at The Boston Lede, a hard-hitting award-winning newspaper and a feather in the cap of any seasoned reporter, much less the intrepid, in-over-her-head Madison. Too young to know better and too ambitious to get out when she’s in over head, Madison will come face to face with the dark heart of old money.
128 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2019
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1890 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
September 8, 2019
Ehhhhh, I was not the hugest fan of this one. The art style was great, but I found the plot to be extremely disjointed and hard to follow. Also there was a scene in which the main character (a journalist) roofies someone to get information and then never faces any consequences and I just??????????? This was unfortunately just not for me.
December 13, 2019
This story was a bit convoluted, but interesting nonetheless. Sort of your normal detective story via a journalist intern. Expect lots of plot twists.
January 3, 2020
A cub reporter trying to get her first byline stumbles into it when a murderer confesses to her and then leads her into a completely unrelated mystery. The storytelling while clear in the end is full of logic leaps and gaps. It was really hard to keep it straight midstory. I also didn't understand why said cub reporter kept backstabbing all her sources. Wouldn't a reporter need to keep those relationships with her sources on good terms so she can continue to remain a reporter? The story was interesting but frustrating at times. Still, I'd probably read another story with these characters.
Received a review copy from Boom and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Boom and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
May 6, 2020
Bury the Lede is proof that good representation, decent plot, and sexiness are not enough to make a story interesting. Unfortunately I was very bored during this investigative story. Yeah there are dead people; but I don't know them and so I don't care. I could barely bring myself to care about our leading gal; especially after she started betraying many people around her.
The theory here is that there is nothing a young reporter won't do for a story. And so our leading gal ventures into jail to speak to an accused murderer, seduces cops, and fights for her name to appear in print (even while having relations with her queer co-worker). The best part of this graphic novel is definitely her fellow reporter who describes herself as a 'queer woman'. She appears to work hard, love kindly, and fight for her right to exist and be recognized. Meanwhile our leading gal is bumbling around causing issues for those around her.
The artwork is also pretty bland here. I think Gaby Dunn was going for a noir look but it didn't come through. Instead it just felt like muddy pages of boring dialogue and characters (minus one). There's no defining moment, plot climax or build-up to the conclusion. Sadly Bury the Lede feels like a boring 60s cop show that was plunked onto a comic book page and had a queer female thrown in for good measure.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
The theory here is that there is nothing a young reporter won't do for a story. And so our leading gal ventures into jail to speak to an accused murderer, seduces cops, and fights for her name to appear in print (even while having relations with her queer co-worker). The best part of this graphic novel is definitely her fellow reporter who describes herself as a 'queer woman'. She appears to work hard, love kindly, and fight for her right to exist and be recognized. Meanwhile our leading gal is bumbling around causing issues for those around her.
The artwork is also pretty bland here. I think Gaby Dunn was going for a noir look but it didn't come through. Instead it just felt like muddy pages of boring dialogue and characters (minus one). There's no defining moment, plot climax or build-up to the conclusion. Sadly Bury the Lede feels like a boring 60s cop show that was plunked onto a comic book page and had a queer female thrown in for good measure.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
December 25, 2019
This twisty noir is a cross of the movies Spotlight and Basic Instinct as a woman in jail for murder manipulates a newspaper intern into pursuing a bigger story about sexual assault and political corruption. Great LGBTQ+ characters and their interactions carry the book through its underwhelming big plot reveals. I'd certainly like to see a sequel.
August 23, 2019
Move over Clark Kent. Dunn's Bury the Lede is a dark brooding crime-filled graphic novel featuring a young cub reporter trying to get her first headline and a bloody family-killing psychopath who confesses to the cub reporter. Terrific artwork. Good storyline. Inordinate number of lesbian/bi characters. But, the main focus is on the crime story and the widow, who like Lady MacBeth, emerges from the crime scene covered in blood.
October 17, 2019
3.5 stars.
The art is amazing but the story was a bit messy in the pacing that it was a bit hard to follow. Nevertheless, it was still interesting and I liked that it had a detective vibe despite the main character being a reporter.
I found Dahlia to be really intriguing especially with the way she would throw hints Madison and her whole motive. It would have been more interesting if the main character was a bit smarter and less selfish with the cop who's always tipping her but somewhat gets better as it goes on at times.
My only problem with the art is the inconsistency with Madison's body shape. Sometimes she's chubby sometimes she look thin.
Overall, I want to continue with the series if they plan to continue the story and I hope the pacing isn't as messy as this one. It felt like Madison was going to be worse rather than better with the way she does her work to get the truth despite her losing family and friends.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.
trigger warning: Gore, murder, sexual content.
The art is amazing but the story was a bit messy in the pacing that it was a bit hard to follow. Nevertheless, it was still interesting and I liked that it had a detective vibe despite the main character being a reporter.
I found Dahlia to be really intriguing especially with the way she would throw hints Madison and her whole motive. It would have been more interesting if the main character was a bit smarter and less selfish with the cop who's always tipping her but somewhat gets better as it goes on at times.
My only problem with the art is the inconsistency with Madison's body shape. Sometimes she's chubby sometimes she look thin.
Overall, I want to continue with the series if they plan to continue the story and I hope the pacing isn't as messy as this one. It felt like Madison was going to be worse rather than better with the way she does her work to get the truth despite her losing family and friends.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.
trigger warning: Gore, murder, sexual content.
October 10, 2019
The story was as intensely gripping, mysterious and as gorgeously visual as I had hoped it would be. Bury the Lede had great rep for POC and LGBTQ+ characters and the inclusion of political machinations made this feel authentic and steeped in reality. While this story was quite a lot darker and deeper than I had anticipated, for the most part this was an interesting and unusual read.
Blurb:
Reporter for the Boston Lede, Madison Jackson is young, scrappy, and hungry to prove that she deserves her coveted college internship. When her police scanner mentions a brutal murder tied to the prominent Boston Kennedys, Madison races to the crime scene. What she finds will change her life forever: Dahlia Kennedy, celebrity socialite, now widow, covered in gore and the prime suspect in the murder of her husband and child. When Dahlia refuses to talk to anyone but Madison, they begin a dangerous game of cat and mouse that leads the young journalist down a twisted path.
First off, the graphics in this book were so well done. The colours were vivid and really eye-catching. Hats off to Miquel Muerto the colourist! Besides for beautiful contrast and bold tones, the illustration boasted characters that truly were their appearance. The little details included for each person contributed to the story in a manner that isn’t always achieved in graphic novels. Their posture, accessories, head angles and facial expressions sometimes spoke more than the words and that’s exactly what I’m eager to experience more of in this genre.
The main character Maddison was a (mostly) likeable. She had grit, determination and a commitment to proving her worth that’s reminiscent of a self-confidence I can only hope for. Maddy did however, display some less enviable traits. Disloyalty, selfishness and a slight ego. But really, she’s a reporter. To some extent, getting a front-page worthy story seemed to require these traits. At least, Maddison thought so.
The murder investigation seemed to almost take a back seat at times in this story and that wasn’t what I had been expecting. The story still kept my interest though and the pages flew by! There were times when I got a little confused with the events. It took me a while to adjust to her investigation of an alternate news-worthy story. It all seemed to relate to the original murder though, so that was a nice tie-in. However, I do think this could have been explored and explained a bit more toward the end. The last few pages felt quite rushed and not as fleshed out as they could have been.
Overall, this was an interesting read and introduced me to the beautiful work of Gaby Dunn, Claire Roe and Miquel Muerto. I’m looking forward to more of their work in the future!
This ARC was provided by BOOM! Studios via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blurb:
Reporter for the Boston Lede, Madison Jackson is young, scrappy, and hungry to prove that she deserves her coveted college internship. When her police scanner mentions a brutal murder tied to the prominent Boston Kennedys, Madison races to the crime scene. What she finds will change her life forever: Dahlia Kennedy, celebrity socialite, now widow, covered in gore and the prime suspect in the murder of her husband and child. When Dahlia refuses to talk to anyone but Madison, they begin a dangerous game of cat and mouse that leads the young journalist down a twisted path.
First off, the graphics in this book were so well done. The colours were vivid and really eye-catching. Hats off to Miquel Muerto the colourist! Besides for beautiful contrast and bold tones, the illustration boasted characters that truly were their appearance. The little details included for each person contributed to the story in a manner that isn’t always achieved in graphic novels. Their posture, accessories, head angles and facial expressions sometimes spoke more than the words and that’s exactly what I’m eager to experience more of in this genre.
The main character Maddison was a (mostly) likeable. She had grit, determination and a commitment to proving her worth that’s reminiscent of a self-confidence I can only hope for. Maddy did however, display some less enviable traits. Disloyalty, selfishness and a slight ego. But really, she’s a reporter. To some extent, getting a front-page worthy story seemed to require these traits. At least, Maddison thought so.
The murder investigation seemed to almost take a back seat at times in this story and that wasn’t what I had been expecting. The story still kept my interest though and the pages flew by! There were times when I got a little confused with the events. It took me a while to adjust to her investigation of an alternate news-worthy story. It all seemed to relate to the original murder though, so that was a nice tie-in. However, I do think this could have been explored and explained a bit more toward the end. The last few pages felt quite rushed and not as fleshed out as they could have been.
Overall, this was an interesting read and introduced me to the beautiful work of Gaby Dunn, Claire Roe and Miquel Muerto. I’m looking forward to more of their work in the future!
This ARC was provided by BOOM! Studios via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2020
I said I wanted a queer thriller detective story, but not this liberalism weird contrived bullshit 😭
September 18, 2019
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
I received a copy of this graphic novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
3.5/5 Star
Madison Jackson, a 21 year old intern for the Boston Lede, is trying to get her first headline in the paper. She gets her opportunity when a socialite named Dahlia Kennedy, murdering her husband and son comes to light. Dahlia, who refused to talk to any other reporter, confesses to Madison and thus shoves her into the limelight.
This was quite a short graphic novel, but it was enjoyable for what it was. I loved the colour scheme chosen for this, there were a lot of purple and blue tones that made the book feel very dark and eerie. The representation was also great, there were many LGBTQ+ and POC characters included, without it being a vocal point. The biggest complaint I have for this would be that at times the plot felt rushed and under-developed. It almost felt like I had picked the book up in the middle of the series and was missing information. But overall, I did enjoy the story and wanted to keep reading to discover the conclusion.
I received a copy of this graphic novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
3.5/5 Star
Madison Jackson, a 21 year old intern for the Boston Lede, is trying to get her first headline in the paper. She gets her opportunity when a socialite named Dahlia Kennedy, murdering her husband and son comes to light. Dahlia, who refused to talk to any other reporter, confesses to Madison and thus shoves her into the limelight.
This was quite a short graphic novel, but it was enjoyable for what it was. I loved the colour scheme chosen for this, there were a lot of purple and blue tones that made the book feel very dark and eerie. The representation was also great, there were many LGBTQ+ and POC characters included, without it being a vocal point. The biggest complaint I have for this would be that at times the plot felt rushed and under-developed. It almost felt like I had picked the book up in the middle of the series and was missing information. But overall, I did enjoy the story and wanted to keep reading to discover the conclusion.
August 18, 2023
3.5 ⭐ rounded up. Good story. Very good retro style art.
March 14, 2020
A sometimes confusing thriller/crime story about a young intern reporter following up on a grisly murder, while pushing herself to take more and more drastic actions.
Madison is an intern at The Boston Lede, a local paper, and she is assigned to the case of a woman supposedly murdering her husband and son. Madison think the alleged murderer is covering for some reason and hasn't murdered anyone. Madison soon starts making dubious decisions, that seem to push her over the line. How important is being a reporter to her? Important enough to hurt and alienate the ones she loves?
Madison regularly talks to Dahlia Kennedy, the alleged murderer, who is in jail and basically out-Lecters Hannibal Lecter in the insane killer department. And when I say regularly, I mean regularly - I have no prison experience myself (no, really..!), but the ease with which Madison gets to speak to Kennedy seems kind of nuts.
Madison also develops a thing for the female reporter she's working with, and with a male cop who functions as a source - it's interesting to see her exploring her sexuality, although it seems to link more to her unscrupulous manipulation of others for her own ends.
This is a twisty, twisty tale, and there are a LOT of characters. I have to say it all got a bit confusing. I'm not entirely sure what to think of the denouement of the crime story, it feels a bit unconvincing, as if there's some narrative sleight of hand being played.
But the crime story isn't the main point of the book, I think - it's about a young woman finding herself, and the personal cost of that. And it tells that story quite nicely.
(Received a copy from BOOM! Studios through Netgalley)
Madison is an intern at The Boston Lede, a local paper, and she is assigned to the case of a woman supposedly murdering her husband and son. Madison think the alleged murderer is covering for some reason and hasn't murdered anyone. Madison soon starts making dubious decisions, that seem to push her over the line. How important is being a reporter to her? Important enough to hurt and alienate the ones she loves?
Madison regularly talks to Dahlia Kennedy, the alleged murderer, who is in jail and basically out-Lecters Hannibal Lecter in the insane killer department. And when I say regularly, I mean regularly - I have no prison experience myself (no, really..!), but the ease with which Madison gets to speak to Kennedy seems kind of nuts.
Madison also develops a thing for the female reporter she's working with, and with a male cop who functions as a source - it's interesting to see her exploring her sexuality, although it seems to link more to her unscrupulous manipulation of others for her own ends.
This is a twisty, twisty tale, and there are a LOT of characters. I have to say it all got a bit confusing. I'm not entirely sure what to think of the denouement of the crime story, it feels a bit unconvincing, as if there's some narrative sleight of hand being played.
But the crime story isn't the main point of the book, I think - it's about a young woman finding herself, and the personal cost of that. And it tells that story quite nicely.
(Received a copy from BOOM! Studios through Netgalley)
October 7, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley and Boom! Studios for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Bury the Lede is a noir/crime graphic novel about Madison Jackson, a young intern at one of Boston’s most important newspapers who’s willing to do whatever she has to in order to get a front page scoop.
While I loved the art style, I was not the biggest fan of the plot. I think it was disjointed and pretty confusing (I had to go back many times to try to figure out who or what the hell they were talking about as it felt like there were some missing scenes). Everything felt rushed and like it was trying to do too much for such a short amount of pages. Also, while I don’t mind morally gray characters, I think the MC’s (illegal) actions should’ve had some consequences for her or at least been addressed in some way or form.
Bury the Lede is a noir/crime graphic novel about Madison Jackson, a young intern at one of Boston’s most important newspapers who’s willing to do whatever she has to in order to get a front page scoop.
While I loved the art style, I was not the biggest fan of the plot. I think it was disjointed and pretty confusing (I had to go back many times to try to figure out who or what the hell they were talking about as it felt like there were some missing scenes). Everything felt rushed and like it was trying to do too much for such a short amount of pages. Also, while I don’t mind morally gray characters, I think the MC’s (illegal) actions should’ve had some consequences for her or at least been addressed in some way or form.
September 18, 2019
The pacing is near-perfect as Dunn makes sure to give away just enough of the mystery to keep the reader turning the pages. And the illustrations highlight the noir feeling of both the criminality of the plot and the anxiousness of Madison’s mind. I also liked the palette of dark blues and oranges and the select bright colors that symbolize the dramatic moments in the piece. Great choices to highlight the atmosphere.
A raw and poignant look at a young reporter quickly pulled into the murky world of crime.
4 out of 5 stars.
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2019/09/18/bu...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
A raw and poignant look at a young reporter quickly pulled into the murky world of crime.
4 out of 5 stars.
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2019/09/18/bu...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
November 8, 2019
The very cleverly titled "Bury the Lede" is a pretty fun, but super confusing new graphic novel from Gaby Dunn (a well known nonfiction author debuting her first graphic novel) and Claire Roe (who's lot a resume of awesome comic and graphic novel about three miles long). The head spinning story has a good enough set up. Madison Jackson is a young, untested journalism intern at The Boston Lede where she's trying everything she can think of to be noticed by the editor in chief.
That notice arrives, somewhat bizzarley, when she someone finds herself the only person an accused murder will talk to about her crime. But, Dhalia Kennedy really a husband and child killing psychopath with delusions of Hannibal Lecter (I'm sorry, its a disorder, I'm seeing a doctor I swear) or is something even more sinister happening here?
Convinced that Dhalia not only didn't kill her husband and child but that she's chosen Madison to help uncover and expose the truth our intrepid cub reporter makes it her life's mission to get to the bottom of things even if it wrecks all her relationships, destroys the trust of those she loves, and flies in the face of professional ethics.
I suspect much of my problem with this book stems from there simply being too many irons in the fire. As a thriller it's insanely confusing because it's also trying to be a sex positive, pro-lgbtq, girl power social justice sermon which is also confusing because it's simultaneously trying to make deep statements about the state of modern media and journalistic integrity in the age of Buzzfeed, Twitter and the 24 hour news cycle. That's a lot for an arguably very slim debut that also has to set up the world and characters for future issues.
I just couldn't keep up. No sooner am I getting invested in who might have been behind the murders then I'm being thrust into Madison balancing to sex filled relationships before rocketing off to figuring out whats going on with her difficult relationship with her brother who's basically raised her because mom wasn't around. Combine that with a truly staggering number of characters both incidental and really important to the story and there simply isn't time to care about much of anything.
That said I'd probably check out another of these. Madison is a pretty interesting character and I could definitely get into seeing how her need to succeed at her chosen career will ultimately affect her personal life. Is she going to continue to be willing to throw anyone under the bus if it means getting that byline? What does journalism even mean anymore in this day and age? Can she even have fulfilling relationships when so many people despise what she does?
Questions definitely worth asking.
That notice arrives, somewhat bizzarley, when she someone finds herself the only person an accused murder will talk to about her crime. But, Dhalia Kennedy really a husband and child killing psychopath with delusions of Hannibal Lecter (I'm sorry, its a disorder, I'm seeing a doctor I swear) or is something even more sinister happening here?
Convinced that Dhalia not only didn't kill her husband and child but that she's chosen Madison to help uncover and expose the truth our intrepid cub reporter makes it her life's mission to get to the bottom of things even if it wrecks all her relationships, destroys the trust of those she loves, and flies in the face of professional ethics.
I suspect much of my problem with this book stems from there simply being too many irons in the fire. As a thriller it's insanely confusing because it's also trying to be a sex positive, pro-lgbtq, girl power social justice sermon which is also confusing because it's simultaneously trying to make deep statements about the state of modern media and journalistic integrity in the age of Buzzfeed, Twitter and the 24 hour news cycle. That's a lot for an arguably very slim debut that also has to set up the world and characters for future issues.
I just couldn't keep up. No sooner am I getting invested in who might have been behind the murders then I'm being thrust into Madison balancing to sex filled relationships before rocketing off to figuring out whats going on with her difficult relationship with her brother who's basically raised her because mom wasn't around. Combine that with a truly staggering number of characters both incidental and really important to the story and there simply isn't time to care about much of anything.
That said I'd probably check out another of these. Madison is a pretty interesting character and I could definitely get into seeing how her need to succeed at her chosen career will ultimately affect her personal life. Is she going to continue to be willing to throw anyone under the bus if it means getting that byline? What does journalism even mean anymore in this day and age? Can she even have fulfilling relationships when so many people despise what she does?
Questions definitely worth asking.
November 26, 2019
This fast paced, fun, pulp tale introduces Madison Jackson, a young bisexual journalist trying to work her way up from intern to full reporter at The Boston Lede. She works night shifts listening to police scanners in hopes of getting a scope and eventually a byline. When wealthy socialite Dahlia Kennedy is found covered in blood at the scene of her husband's corpse, she is arrested on suspicion of murder both of her husband and her missing son. For some reason, Dahlia chooses to speak to Madison and no one else from the press. Madison has to wade through Dahlia's tangle of hints and lies to try and find the truth. This story is not a murder mystery in the sense that the reader could solve the crime through clues laid out in the text. A few of the twist and turns seemed to come kind of out of left field, but I enjoyed Madison's relationship with her work crush, sexy butch Lexington Ford, her newspaper mentors, her long-suffering police source, and her rivalry with her hotshot opposite number at the city's trashier paper. I have a feeling this book may be the first of the series; I'll look forward to more if/when they arrive! The art and colors are both very lovely, and I enjoy seeing a diverse cast like this in a crime story.
December 21, 2019
Dahlia is arrested for murdering her husband. Her little son is also missing. All the reporters of the city want to speak to Dahlia to get an exclusive but she chooses to speak to an intern,Madison. From there follows a game of cat and mouse.
Bury the Lede was so much fun, it appealed to my love for crime fiction. Madison was quite an interesting main character. Selfish,eager to make a name for herself,ready to do bad things in order to get information. The main character and a few side characters were queer and it was done so well,there was never a point where it felt forced. The art and coloring reflected the overall vibe and tone of the story. My only complaint is that the plot got a bit confusing at times and that made it hard to follow what was going on.
If you like morally grey characters and crime fiction I think you will enjoy this book. Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Bury the Lede was so much fun, it appealed to my love for crime fiction. Madison was quite an interesting main character. Selfish,eager to make a name for herself,ready to do bad things in order to get information. The main character and a few side characters were queer and it was done so well,there was never a point where it felt forced. The art and coloring reflected the overall vibe and tone of the story. My only complaint is that the plot got a bit confusing at times and that made it hard to follow what was going on.
If you like morally grey characters and crime fiction I think you will enjoy this book. Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2021
This was...fine. It follows an intern at a newspaper who gets caught up in a murder mystery and political conspiracy. Said intern is a chaotic bisexual, which I appreciated, and the comic does a good job conveying the shaky ethical line reporters are often forced to tread; the main character here does a lot of shady stuff.
But I found the story to be confusing most of the time, and not in the sense that I couldn't follow events (though there were a lot of characters); it was moreso that things just didn't make sense in terms of character motivations. The entire premise was incredibly far-fetched. But I did my best to suspend my disbelief and it ended up feeling kind of noirish, so it was enjoyable enough.
But I found the story to be confusing most of the time, and not in the sense that I couldn't follow events (though there were a lot of characters); it was moreso that things just didn't make sense in terms of character motivations. The entire premise was incredibly far-fetched. But I did my best to suspend my disbelief and it ended up feeling kind of noirish, so it was enjoyable enough.
September 20, 2019
Lovely artwork and colours, a diverse cast of characters, a complex and difficult heroine, and great LGBT and POC representation - I loved this. The story wasn’t super compelling to me, but I liked the characters so much that I’d have watched them investigate pretty much anything. I hope they’ll all be back in future books (and no spoilers but the protagonist has made a pretty huge mess of her interpersonal relationships by the end of the book, so there’s plenty to mine in future volumes).
December 7, 2019
Scribd is not really the right vehicle to really enjoy graphic novels to the fullest. The squinting nearly gave me a headache but I managed. Nice artwork, interesting story with lots of twists.
f/f
4 stars
f/f
4 stars
December 3, 2019
What an interesting little story!
I'm not sure what exactly I expected going in, but this was an incredibly enjoyable, page-turner of a graphic novel. I was hooked in the story right from the outset and didn't put it down until I had finished.
Would love to pick up any future instalments and delve back into the lives of these characters!
I'm not sure what exactly I expected going in, but this was an incredibly enjoyable, page-turner of a graphic novel. I was hooked in the story right from the outset and didn't put it down until I had finished.
Would love to pick up any future instalments and delve back into the lives of these characters!
November 16, 2019
An involving mystery, swell art, diverse characters - Bury the Lede has a great set of attributes. Unfortunately, it loses some points for a number of weird storytelling gaps. Numerous scenes involve the main character, Madison, enraging a fellow reporter or cop acquaintance for underexplained reasons. By the end, Madison is something of a pariah and I couldn't stop thinking, "Why??"
The other pieces of Bury the Lede work pretty well though. Madison is an intern at the Boston Lede who stumbles into a big story when a socialite confesses to Madison that she committed a double homicide. As Madison digs into this "confession," she discovers a much larger cover-up. Gaps exist here too, though, as the number of named characters multiplies and it becomes harder to tell who's backstabbing who. It does all tie together in the end, fortunately, which I suppose is a reasonable mark of success for a noir-adjacent graphic novel.
The other pieces of Bury the Lede work pretty well though. Madison is an intern at the Boston Lede who stumbles into a big story when a socialite confesses to Madison that she committed a double homicide. As Madison digs into this "confession," she discovers a much larger cover-up. Gaps exist here too, though, as the number of named characters multiplies and it becomes harder to tell who's backstabbing who. It does all tie together in the end, fortunately, which I suppose is a reasonable mark of success for a noir-adjacent graphic novel.
August 28, 2021
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While I loved the artwork of Bury the Lede, the story and characters lacked cohesion. What could been a modern-take on those noir stories featuring a journalist investigator, Bury the Lede gives us a storyline that tries to be gritty and clever while failing to maintain any sort of sense. The rookie journalist protagonist of the story has a great connection in the police department, does more or less what she wants (from roofing her sources to stealing police files) in order to talk to laughably theatrical Dahlia Kennedy who stands accused of the murder of her own husband and child. Madison, our protagonist, had that type of wet-personality that really does the story no favours. Her self-centredness and obsession were grating. The other characters were recycled clichés of the typical characters featuring in a hard-boiled stories.
Read more reviews on my blog / / / View all my reviews on Goodreads
While I loved the artwork of Bury the Lede, the story and characters lacked cohesion. What could been a modern-take on those noir stories featuring a journalist investigator, Bury the Lede gives us a storyline that tries to be gritty and clever while failing to maintain any sort of sense. The rookie journalist protagonist of the story has a great connection in the police department, does more or less what she wants (from roofing her sources to stealing police files) in order to talk to laughably theatrical Dahlia Kennedy who stands accused of the murder of her own husband and child. Madison, our protagonist, had that type of wet-personality that really does the story no favours. Her self-centredness and obsession were grating. The other characters were recycled clichés of the typical characters featuring in a hard-boiled stories.
Read more reviews on my blog / / / View all my reviews on Goodreads
January 19, 2020
Sadly the art could not save this one.
I found that while fast pace, the story progressed at a speed that was not at all enjoyable or believable. Several times the narration felt sloppy or just objectionable in a way that wasn't just "this isn't good jounalism", but was just not pleasant to get through. I didn't mind that our protagonist seemed to betray every single person that she worked with over the course of a single story, but it did seem odd to have those bridges be so burned and the earth so salted and then end with an implication that there could be more?
I also found some people's reaction to their boss being implicated in a ring of pedophiles and rapists, um, just completely unbelievable? I dunno, they felt more crafted for the drama than how any reasonable person might behave in similar circumstances. The narrative doesn't really set up any of the supporting characters, which again is so odd given that it ends in such a way that the author seems to want to continue in this world? They're flat.
Wouldn't recommend, but I can't stop you from witnessing the trainwreck if that's the life you want to live.
I found that while fast pace, the story progressed at a speed that was not at all enjoyable or believable. Several times the narration felt sloppy or just objectionable in a way that wasn't just "this isn't good jounalism", but was just not pleasant to get through. I didn't mind that our protagonist seemed to betray every single person that she worked with over the course of a single story, but it did seem odd to have those bridges be so burned and the earth so salted and then end with an implication that there could be more?
I also found some people's reaction to their boss being implicated in a ring of pedophiles and rapists, um, just completely unbelievable? I dunno, they felt more crafted for the drama than how any reasonable person might behave in similar circumstances. The narrative doesn't really set up any of the supporting characters, which again is so odd given that it ends in such a way that the author seems to want to continue in this world? They're flat.
Wouldn't recommend, but I can't stop you from witnessing the trainwreck if that's the life you want to live.
November 12, 2020
The story is about an intern at a newspaper who stumbles upon a fascinating story by becoming part of the story. It's promising, if not wholly original.
I read this without knowing anything about Gaby Dunn, except that she was a reporter. And she used the phrase "bury the lede" on the cover of the graphic novel, which gave me hope that this was going to be good. Or at least competent. It was not.
As other reviewers have noted, the story is a confusing mess. This may have worked as a novel, as each character would have some development. Instead, characters are introduced and act as archetypes to propel the thin plot and awful final twist.
The conclusion was so bad that I had to read it twice to make sure I didn't read it wrong.
No spoilers here, the main character has a highly questionable moral compass. She does some pretty uncool things to decent people to pursue her story. In other fictional situations (e.g., classic crime noir), it may have worked, but here to flops badly.
The only thing that saves this should-have-been-a-novel-not-a-comic is the art by Clair Roe. Her artwork and storytelling does most of the heavy lifting in this one.
I read this without knowing anything about Gaby Dunn, except that she was a reporter. And she used the phrase "bury the lede" on the cover of the graphic novel, which gave me hope that this was going to be good. Or at least competent. It was not.
As other reviewers have noted, the story is a confusing mess. This may have worked as a novel, as each character would have some development. Instead, characters are introduced and act as archetypes to propel the thin plot and awful final twist.
The conclusion was so bad that I had to read it twice to make sure I didn't read it wrong.
No spoilers here, the main character has a highly questionable moral compass. She does some pretty uncool things to decent people to pursue her story. In other fictional situations (e.g., classic crime noir), it may have worked, but here to flops badly.
The only thing that saves this should-have-been-a-novel-not-a-comic is the art by Clair Roe. Her artwork and storytelling does most of the heavy lifting in this one.
August 1, 2020
I wanted to like this more, but I still enjoyed it. The characters by themselves were fantastic: nuanced, clever, emotional, and just MEAN which I thought was a natural and accurate depiction of humans in work culture (in all faucets, really, but I’m trying to be kind). The art style was so wonderful, so delicious and sharp. Because the main character was bisexual the use of pinks, blues, and purples was so fun and aesthetically pleasing. But I was really scratching my head at the end—it was anticlimactic and confusing, it was abrupt, and it did not really have any resolution. I expected to flip to the back and find there were more installments, but that wasn’t the case. I often felt like I was in a whirlwind, not really understanding but being picked up and shook around. Overall, the character development was great, art style was fantastic, but the plot could have used a little work.
December 19, 2019
If you love noir-esque comics or crime mysteries, you need to check this one out. I didn’t know much going into this one which I think added to my enjoyment, so I’m not going to dig deep into the plot here. I will tell you that the story follows Madison, an intern for Boston’s most reputable newspaper. Then she catches a break by being the only reporter Dahlia Kennedy, an alleged murderer will talk too. It’s the hottest story in town and Madison soon learns that there is more to the story than just the murder of Kennedy’s husband. I will say that at times the story felt a little disjointed, but it was still a very binge-able read.
August 23, 2020
That was fun and interesting. I wish it was a bit longer, though.
The art was good; I really liked the cover and the first pages' design. I loved the diversity of the characters, lots of POC and LGBTQ+ rep and even some dialogue in Spanish!
I loved the plot twists and Dahlia's character was great. A lot of strong and powerful women were presented here, although their ethic might vary.
The art was good; I really liked the cover and the first pages' design. I loved the diversity of the characters, lots of POC and LGBTQ+ rep and even some dialogue in Spanish!
I loved the plot twists and Dahlia's character was great. A lot of strong and powerful women were presented here, although their ethic might vary.
August 31, 2019
Whoa, darker and deeper than I thought and there were warnings about that! For that, I am so grateful.
The artwork is stark and beautiful. I can't count the amount of times I stopped focusing on the story to just admire how well done and stylistic the art is.
The story is confusing a bit and I felt that it should have been much longer, however I get it and it wasn't hard to get into the swing of things as you kept reading. QUEER and POC representation galore! I love it and I love that we're getting so much of this steadily.It's a really nice thing to read and see honestly. I hope we get more out of Gaby Dunn and Claire Roe. Everything here is very promising.
Thanks much to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of my ARC. All opinions are my own.
The artwork is stark and beautiful. I can't count the amount of times I stopped focusing on the story to just admire how well done and stylistic the art is.
The story is confusing a bit and I felt that it should have been much longer, however I get it and it wasn't hard to get into the swing of things as you kept reading. QUEER and POC representation galore! I love it and I love that we're getting so much of this steadily.It's a really nice thing to read and see honestly. I hope we get more out of Gaby Dunn and Claire Roe. Everything here is very promising.
Thanks much to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of my ARC. All opinions are my own.
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