What do you think?
Rate this book
Dying is Easy #1
Comedy is Hard… but Dying is Easy! The debut of an all-new creation by Joe Hill (Locke & Key) and Martin Simmonds (Punks Not Dead)! Meet Syd “Sh*t-Talk” Homes, a disgraced ex-cop turned bitter stand-up comic turned... possible felon?! In part 1 of Dying is Easy, Carl Dixon is on the verge of comedy superstardom and he got there the dirty by stealing jokes. He's got a killer act, an ugly past, and more enemies than punch-lines. So when someone asks Syd Homes how much it would cost to have Dixon killed, Syd isn't surprised in the slightest. He's already got a figure in mind...
30 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 11, 2019
About the author
Joe Hill
486 books31.2k followersJoe Hill's debut, Heart-Shaped Box, won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. His second, Horns, was made into a film freakfest starring Daniel Radcliffe. His other novels include NOS4A2, and his #1 New York Times Best-Seller, The Fireman... which was also the winner of a 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Horror Novel.
He writes short stories too. Some of them were gathered together in his prize-winning collection, 20th Century Ghosts.
He won the Eisner Award for Best Writer for his long running comic book series, Locke & Key, co-created with illustrator and art wizard Gabriel Rodriguez.
He lives in New Hampshire with a corgi named McMurtry after a certain beloved writer of cowboy tales. His next book, Strange Weather, a collection of novellas, storms into bookstores in October of 2017.
He writes short stories too. Some of them were gathered together in his prize-winning collection, 20th Century Ghosts.
He won the Eisner Award for Best Writer for his long running comic book series, Locke & Key, co-created with illustrator and art wizard Gabriel Rodriguez.
He lives in New Hampshire with a corgi named McMurtry after a certain beloved writer of cowboy tales. His next book, Strange Weather, a collection of novellas, storms into bookstores in October of 2017.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 24, 2019
People criticizing this for the writing are so painfully off the mark. If you’ve ever sat with people who do stand-up at a local comedy club, or even watched a video of a table of real comedians sit around and bullshit one another, this is what it’s like. And these guys are struggling at the bottom rung, so if you were expecting non-stop laughs, think again. Regardless, Hill captured the tone in this perfectly and I am really looking forward to seeing how the ex-cop turned comedian saga unfolds with the added wrinkle at the end.
January 4, 2020
Syd Homes is a cop turned comedian in the first issue of Dying is Easy. His cop career ended when a mentally-ill woman killed herself, some say due to his convincing. His set goes poorly, and we see a young up and coming comedian deliver a great set while the other comedians discuss his joke stealing. Syd decides to teach Carl a lesson and beats him up, but unfortunately for Syd carl ends up dead the next morning and Syd is suspect #1.
I’m not crazy about this comic. I found the dialogue was a little dry, and it didn’t pick up plot-wise until the last few pages. I like the illustration, and the watercolour looks beautiful on the page. I’m going to read the second one when it is released and see if it’s any better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2020
I was torn between giving this a 3 or 4 star rating. Ultimately, I found it to be fairly interesting, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. That being said, I can really see a lot of other fans enjoying this read, so don't let my preference turn you away - there's a lot of potential here.
December 10, 2019
This comic is an embarrassingly bad misstep by a talented writer.
Set sort of kinda in the 90s, it's about a standup comic who maybe, but probably not, kills a comic for stealing jokes. The plot, itself, isn't awful, but Hill decided to go "edgy" by having all his characters spout problematic dialogue. It all lands flat. It's not creative. It's not funny. It's not interesting. And it doesn't ring true for how people talk. I'm going to assume, based on an offhand remark about being unpopular because of wearing "a Yankees cap", that it's supposed to take place in Boston.
As someone who grew up in MA during the 90s, and has lived in Boston for over 20 years, I can tell you that there are only six people in this state who talk like that, and five of them are Bill Burr.
Skip this trashfire, and go read his brilliant Locke & Key series. Despite it being a horror fantasy book, it's much more believable than this dreck.
Set sort of kinda in the 90s, it's about a standup comic who maybe, but probably not, kills a comic for stealing jokes. The plot, itself, isn't awful, but Hill decided to go "edgy" by having all his characters spout problematic dialogue. It all lands flat. It's not creative. It's not funny. It's not interesting. And it doesn't ring true for how people talk. I'm going to assume, based on an offhand remark about being unpopular because of wearing "a Yankees cap", that it's supposed to take place in Boston.
As someone who grew up in MA during the 90s, and has lived in Boston for over 20 years, I can tell you that there are only six people in this state who talk like that, and five of them are Bill Burr.
Skip this trashfire, and go read his brilliant Locke & Key series. Despite it being a horror fantasy book, it's much more believable than this dreck.
January 24, 2020
Overall I enjoyed reading it. The cop jokes and the banter between the characters were o.k, what really carried it through for me was the art style. It is something I did not see much, what for being new in reading graphic stories, but I really do appreciate it. The story has taken an interesting turn and I want to see what happens next. It does not feel like horror to me, but I hope it will progress into horror. It's what Joe Hill does best and why I like his writing so much.
December 18, 2019
Well, some say this one fell short. I think it did not!! maybe my sick sense of humor has something to do with that. Probably so!! I thought it was great!! Loved the jokes!! Can't wait for the next issues to appear!!
Happy Reading.......
Happy Reading.......
April 20, 2020
5 Star artwork, 3 Star Writing
The artwork on this is very lush and expressive. The writer doesn't seem to get much story told though... Will get book 2 on the strength of having enjoyed Joe Hill's other work.
The artwork on this is very lush and expressive. The writer doesn't seem to get much story told though... Will get book 2 on the strength of having enjoyed Joe Hill's other work.
January 17, 2020
Omfg the dark humor I can't wait for the next one.
April 23, 2020
Excellent art, something new from JOE HILL. I am waiting for next installment !!!
June 24, 2020
Meh...
I’ll stick with Brubaker for this kind of writing.
I’ll stick with Brubaker for this kind of writing.
July 1, 2020
I like Joe Hill and loved Locke and Key. This short tale does start out riveting, but falls flat. Not that impressed with this one. Sorry, Joe.
July 5, 2020
Feels like a comic series of The Last Boyscout and im here for that!
August 13, 2020
A good crime "whodunnit" graphic novel that I hadn't solved by the end. I honestly enjoyed the art more than the story but it was a quick read.
February 16, 2026
Bitter ex cop Syd tries his hand at comedy, but it’s not going too well especially when a joke stealer winds up dead
May 3, 2026
4.25. I don’t understand the hate for this series. I was hooked with the first issue and look forward to picking up the rest.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews