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Homicide
Homicide, the celebrated true crime-book from the creator of HBO's The Wire, is reenvisioned in this first volume of a gritty, cinematic graphic novel duology.
In 1988, journalist David Simon was given unprecedented access to the Baltimore Police Department’s homicide unit. Over the next twelve months, he shadowed detectives as they took on a slew of killings in a city where killings were common. Only the most heinous cases stood out–chief amongst them, the rape and murder of eleven-year-old Latonya Wallace.
Originally published in 1991, Simon’s Homicide became the basis for the acclaimed television show Homicide: Life on the Street and inspired HBO’s The Wire. Now, this true-crime classic is reimagined as a gritty two-part graphic novel series.
In 1988, journalist David Simon was given unprecedented access to the Baltimore Police Department’s homicide unit. Over the next twelve months, he shadowed detectives as they took on a slew of killings in a city where killings were common. Only the most heinous cases stood out–chief amongst them, the rape and murder of eleven-year-old Latonya Wallace.
Originally published in 1991, Simon’s Homicide became the basis for the acclaimed television show Homicide: Life on the Street and inspired HBO’s The Wire. Now, this true-crime classic is reimagined as a gritty two-part graphic novel series.
318 pages, Hardcover
First published July 25, 2023
39 people are currently reading
3023 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
September 26, 2023
I was shocked by a series of 1 star reviews for this but I can see that for some, there will be a couple of problems. First might be that this book is about the homicide department of the Baltimore police in the 1980s, so what that means is almost all the detectives are white and almost all of the criminals and victims are Black. And the white detectives all look similar, with great heavy moustaches and unchanging mournful expressions. They never smile, they never look surprised. What was it in the 80s with moustaches? And there’s no action – the cops get to the murder scene after the crime has happened, so they stand and stare and write stuff down. And of course the victim is not moving much either. There are no car chases, there are no shootouts. (Okay, one brief shootout.) Practically the only action most of these detectives engage in is getting in and out of cars.
Then there’s the concept of the “red ball”, the cops’ name for a murder that “matters”. That concept will be very offensive to some modern readers. Most of the murders in Baltimore were connected to the drug trade. Those that weren’t, those where the victim is a child, or a city official, say, are the red balls, the “real” murders. This was the way of thinking. A dead 22 year old Black guy in an alley with no witnesses was not a red ball.
And also there’s a long discussion of a police shooting in this book and how attitudes were very slow to change. Were? Still are.
If it was a cop who killed John Scott, Worden believed that the incident was not an intentional murder. It was a fight in an alley that went bad, a tussle that ended when a patrolman used his weapon…if that was the scenario, if a patrolman fled from the scene because he had no faith in his department to protect him….
Probably not how someone writing about police shootings today would phrase it.
SOME HISTORY
This whole thing has a history; it began as a series of articles by David Simon who was “embedded” as they say with Baltimore homicide for about a year. Then that became a book which is still one of my all time favourite true crime books, it’s brilliant (but very long).
Then the book became the basis for the tv show Homicide : Life on the Street which ran from 1993 to 1999
which dramatized most of the stuff in the book and then added lots more fictional cases. It was a real masterpiece of tv drama with a fantastic cast (Melissa Leo! Andre Braugher! Yaphet Kotto! Richard Belzer!) . After that came the famous The Wire (2002-2008) which was a kinda-sorta spinoff from Homicide and at that point many people became fans.
So now, 32 years after the original book, we get the graphic novel version. But that’s a misnomer as the original book wasn’t a novel. This is a graphic nonfiction book. I thought it was a great addition to this particular universe.
Maybe Homicide: the Theme Park will be next.
Then there’s the concept of the “red ball”, the cops’ name for a murder that “matters”. That concept will be very offensive to some modern readers. Most of the murders in Baltimore were connected to the drug trade. Those that weren’t, those where the victim is a child, or a city official, say, are the red balls, the “real” murders. This was the way of thinking. A dead 22 year old Black guy in an alley with no witnesses was not a red ball.
And also there’s a long discussion of a police shooting in this book and how attitudes were very slow to change. Were? Still are.
If it was a cop who killed John Scott, Worden believed that the incident was not an intentional murder. It was a fight in an alley that went bad, a tussle that ended when a patrolman used his weapon…if that was the scenario, if a patrolman fled from the scene because he had no faith in his department to protect him….
Probably not how someone writing about police shootings today would phrase it.
SOME HISTORY
This whole thing has a history; it began as a series of articles by David Simon who was “embedded” as they say with Baltimore homicide for about a year. Then that became a book which is still one of my all time favourite true crime books, it’s brilliant (but very long).
Then the book became the basis for the tv show Homicide : Life on the Street which ran from 1993 to 1999
which dramatized most of the stuff in the book and then added lots more fictional cases. It was a real masterpiece of tv drama with a fantastic cast (Melissa Leo! Andre Braugher! Yaphet Kotto! Richard Belzer!) . After that came the famous The Wire (2002-2008) which was a kinda-sorta spinoff from Homicide and at that point many people became fans.
So now, 32 years after the original book, we get the graphic novel version. But that’s a misnomer as the original book wasn’t a novel. This is a graphic nonfiction book. I thought it was a great addition to this particular universe.
Maybe Homicide: the Theme Park will be next.
May 13, 2023
TW// Note: this is a graphic novel so there are illustrations of most of these triggers. - rape, pedophilia, murder (including of a child), suicide, drug use, police brutality, transphobia (intentional misgendering), mentions of overdose, racism, sexism, mentions of domestic abuse
This graphic novel did not work for me at all. From reading reviews of the novel that this adaptation was based off of, it sounds like a lot of my issues with this graphic novel are because of the original novel. However, there were a couple of decisions made for this graphic novel adaptation that hindered from my enjoyment as well.
The story focuses on too many cops and too many cases. It briefly flings dozens of cases and tons of cops at the readers without going into too much detail on each one. This caused me to get really confused, especially since most of the cases are cooccuring throughout the story. This story would’ve been loads better if it had focused on just one cop or just one case. Honestly the Latonya Wallace case should’ve been the focus of this book and most of the other cases should’ve been cut.
Speaking of confusion, there were two choices that were made for this graphic novel adaptation that didn’t work well. First of all, the cops were all drawn to look very similair. This made it nearly impossible to tell them apart. Second of all, the panel choices were a bit messy. It was hard for me to follow which panel I was supposed to read next. I read graphic novels often, so it says a lot when I can’t figure out the ordering of the panels.
I also found this story to be extremely boring. It focused heavily on the police procedural, so there wasn’t much action and the story seemed to drag on at several points.
If you want to engage with this story, I feel like any of the other adaptations would be better. There’s the original novel and there’s been multiple T.V. shows made about this story. This graphic novel adaptation was nothing special and I can’t say that I found any of it to be entertaining.
I received an arc of this book at Emerald City Comic Con 2023.
This graphic novel did not work for me at all. From reading reviews of the novel that this adaptation was based off of, it sounds like a lot of my issues with this graphic novel are because of the original novel. However, there were a couple of decisions made for this graphic novel adaptation that hindered from my enjoyment as well.
The story focuses on too many cops and too many cases. It briefly flings dozens of cases and tons of cops at the readers without going into too much detail on each one. This caused me to get really confused, especially since most of the cases are cooccuring throughout the story. This story would’ve been loads better if it had focused on just one cop or just one case. Honestly the Latonya Wallace case should’ve been the focus of this book and most of the other cases should’ve been cut.
Speaking of confusion, there were two choices that were made for this graphic novel adaptation that didn’t work well. First of all, the cops were all drawn to look very similair. This made it nearly impossible to tell them apart. Second of all, the panel choices were a bit messy. It was hard for me to follow which panel I was supposed to read next. I read graphic novels often, so it says a lot when I can’t figure out the ordering of the panels.
I also found this story to be extremely boring. It focused heavily on the police procedural, so there wasn’t much action and the story seemed to drag on at several points.
If you want to engage with this story, I feel like any of the other adaptations would be better. There’s the original novel and there’s been multiple T.V. shows made about this story. This graphic novel adaptation was nothing special and I can’t say that I found any of it to be entertaining.
I received an arc of this book at Emerald City Comic Con 2023.
November 11, 2022
I’ve wanted to read Homicide for a while bc it’s always discussed on Small Town Murder, one of my favorite podcasts. But when I saw that it was being released as a graphic novel, I knew this is the way I wanted to read it. With the exception of being slightly confused by how similar all the detectives and suspects looked, I was very compelled by the story. I’m not the biggest fan of cops, everyone who knows me knows that, but homicide detectives at least are somewhat respectable as they do a thankless job that, if police deserve to exist at all, are the cops that we need. I’m excited to read the second part.
March 1, 2023
This is a DNF for this reader. I get that this book is supposed to be the dark side of the police force, particularly homicide in 1988 in Baltimore. This book is just darker than I am interested in reading. It starts with a dead guy in the street and all the homicide cops talking above him and it’s very reminiscent of an 80s style cop show or movie. It’s just dark and every other word is F this, F that, calling people hoes, making fun of trans street walkers. While I know this is realistic to 1988, I don’t have to read it or enjoy it.
February 12, 2024
I haven't seen the show or read the original work of non-fiction (both by David Simon), but I don't think any prior knowledge is necessary to enjoying (and becoming deeply absorbed by) Homicide. Specifically, Homicide: The Graphic Novel, not Homicide: The Act of Murder.
We follow the detectives in the homicide unit of Baltimore PD over the course of a year as they attempt to solve the city's worst crimes. Mostly, we see the detectives viewing a crime scene, taking in all the details, identifying witnesses, making casually cruel remarks about the victim. Classic stuff, all elevated by the gently propulsive narration that places you in the mind of the detective (and sometimes the perpetrator).
The chapters are vaguely connected, with a few cases reappearing over the course of this first book in the duology, but in general, don't expect much closure. There's plenty of red on the board for these detectives, and even when they close a case, the book might not cover the event. Homicide is focused squarely on the in between stuff, the little acts and hard work that make or break a case (or a career). It's painfully detailed and deeply fascinating all at the same time.
It's also an interesting relic of a time before MAGA chuds and ACAB screamers were facing off on the internet's thoroughfares. Even within this setting (Baltimore PD, early 80s), the times, they were a'changin'. What's past is prologue, I suppose.
We follow the detectives in the homicide unit of Baltimore PD over the course of a year as they attempt to solve the city's worst crimes. Mostly, we see the detectives viewing a crime scene, taking in all the details, identifying witnesses, making casually cruel remarks about the victim. Classic stuff, all elevated by the gently propulsive narration that places you in the mind of the detective (and sometimes the perpetrator).
The chapters are vaguely connected, with a few cases reappearing over the course of this first book in the duology, but in general, don't expect much closure. There's plenty of red on the board for these detectives, and even when they close a case, the book might not cover the event. Homicide is focused squarely on the in between stuff, the little acts and hard work that make or break a case (or a career). It's painfully detailed and deeply fascinating all at the same time.
It's also an interesting relic of a time before MAGA chuds and ACAB screamers were facing off on the internet's thoroughfares. Even within this setting (Baltimore PD, early 80s), the times, they were a'changin'. What's past is prologue, I suppose.
September 23, 2023
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, was David Simon's chronicle of the year he spent embedded with the homicide unit of the Baltimore City Police Department. It was published in 1988, and it was the basis for the multi-Emmy winning NBC drama, Homicide: Life on the Streets. Simon's book is as cutting, darkly funny, and true today as when it was first published in 1988.
Simon’s landmark nonfiction crime narrative gets an appropriately noirish graphic novel adaptation that does right by the original. As a Baltimore Sun police beat reporter, Simon (The Wire) spent 1988 following the city’s homicide detectives. The first half of a duology drawn by Squarzoni (Climate Changed) maintains the density of Simon’s reportage and his trademark mix of procedural detail (indoor killings are easier to solve than outdoor; motive doesn’t matter) and elevated sardonic humor.
Early stretches give a feel for the city and the job, grooving on the detectives’ profane language and self-mocking gravitas enough to personalize them without simplistic heroizing. Tensions mount as the body count piles up (two murders every three days) and detectives are torn between clearing old cases and focusing on the high-profile “red balls” or “murders that matter.”
Of those, solving the brutal killing of 11-year-old Latonya Wallace (“a true victim, innocent as few of those murdered in this city ever are”) becomes a departmental obsession. Squarzoni’s sharp, clean line art renders dramatically etched shadows and starkly clenched nighttime faces, the muted colors occasionally splashed with bloody red for yet another body sprawled on a Baltimore street. It’s a must-read for Simon’s many fans and anyone who appreciates sophisticated true crime tales.
Simon’s landmark nonfiction crime narrative gets an appropriately noirish graphic novel adaptation that does right by the original. As a Baltimore Sun police beat reporter, Simon (The Wire) spent 1988 following the city’s homicide detectives. The first half of a duology drawn by Squarzoni (Climate Changed) maintains the density of Simon’s reportage and his trademark mix of procedural detail (indoor killings are easier to solve than outdoor; motive doesn’t matter) and elevated sardonic humor.
Early stretches give a feel for the city and the job, grooving on the detectives’ profane language and self-mocking gravitas enough to personalize them without simplistic heroizing. Tensions mount as the body count piles up (two murders every three days) and detectives are torn between clearing old cases and focusing on the high-profile “red balls” or “murders that matter.”
Of those, solving the brutal killing of 11-year-old Latonya Wallace (“a true victim, innocent as few of those murdered in this city ever are”) becomes a departmental obsession. Squarzoni’s sharp, clean line art renders dramatically etched shadows and starkly clenched nighttime faces, the muted colors occasionally splashed with bloody red for yet another body sprawled on a Baltimore street. It’s a must-read for Simon’s many fans and anyone who appreciates sophisticated true crime tales.
November 11, 2022
Spellbinding action, suspense, and gritty, even sometimes bloody displays of true crime victims and the detectives following breadcrumbs to uncover leads to expose the doer of the deadly deed. As exciting and drama filled this graphic novel was, getting to the end to discover it was a part one was crushing. Reading ‘Homicide’ is like taking a walk through a day in the life of a homicide detective; experiencing all the woes of an uncanny street murder and the delirium of a psychopath as they race to make an arrest.
March 27, 2024
I have not shelved a graphic novel in a while. I thought this one was unique. Basically like a graphic novel housed in a novel style covering. Good stories from the Baltimore P.D. Homicide unit circa around the 1980s. Pretty good artwork. The panels do seem oddly placed in certain chapters. Still an enjoyable read and I will be placing a hold on the 2nd book in the series. Till next time folks take care and enjoy those books!
August 16, 2023
A solid adaptation of one of my favorite books. It must have been intimidating to adapt this when it already has two outstanding examples in the shows Homicide: Life on the Streets and the juggernaut that is The Wire, but I think it fits right in. Eagerly looking forward to volume two!
August 28, 2023
4.5 stars--In 1980s Baltimore, a police department encounters a barrage of violence and murder cases--and some are especially tough to crack. Not all of the officers are on the right side of the legal or moral divide, either. I loved the TV series "The Wire," and it's easy to see how the classic drama traced its history to David Simon's book.
This graphic novel once again shows off the versatility of the medium, and readers of crime drama, procedurals, and gritty mysteries won't want to miss this one.
This graphic novel once again shows off the versatility of the medium, and readers of crime drama, procedurals, and gritty mysteries won't want to miss this one.
January 7, 2024
Too much narration. Barely any dialogue. 😠
January 17, 2024
While this is it's own thing, my enjoyment of it also stirred up nostalgia for the superb series "The Wire"!
January 19, 2024
A faithful graphic adaptation of the source material. Made me want to rewatch The Wire all over again.
Read
December 1, 2024So mid and the murder wasn’t even solved😭I am NOT reading part two. I thought it was just a stand alone
December 4, 2024
David Simon has done some of the best, most accurate crime writing I've come across. This graphic novel does well by sticking very close to the source material. It's sort of amazing to think that a single reporter's work from being embedded with a single city's homicide unit for a year has yielded one of the best true crime books, a multi-season major network television show, inspired and provided material for one of the best TV shows ever, and now an excellent graphic novel. Squarzoni manages to meet the level of the source material with his artwork.
December 16, 2023
Laughing at some of these reviews… who picks up a book called HOMICIDE, only to be shocked that it’s about crime and murder. First, this book (series) is a masterpiece. Second, it’s meant to tell the story of Baltimore from the eyes of Homicide Detectives. If you read the preface of the book that these GNs are derived from (not just based on), the author followed Homicide detectives around for a full year to tell their story. There’s another book about life on the corner that does the same for the residents of Baltimore, and thus I appreciate David Simon all the more. But on to the graphic novel - Mr. Squarzoni did such an amazing job of trimming down a VERY WORDY book… a great book, but man, David Simon introduced over 60 characters in the first 60 pages. I was admittedly overwhelmed reading it trying to keep up with who’s who, on which shift, etc. I did not have that problem w [these] books. The storylines flowed well, the dialogue very succinctly got to the heart of each section, maintaining the core dialogue and descriptions, and was beautifully illustrated. From someone who lived in Baltimore during that time, the Baltimore drawn accurately represents the PARTS of Baltimore referenced in the stories. I love the noir style and limited, muted color palette… I didn’t at first, but the more I read, the more the colors had meaning and evoked emotion for me. There were moments I empathized w the detectives (e.g., on particularly hard cases), and moments I loathed police tactics, but that’s the beauty of the book and the graphic novels…. It paints a broad picture of a complex system and doesn’t strive to make you feel one way or another. This is just what happened at the time. Job well done.
August 3, 2023
Enjoyable isn't the right word for this one, so I'll just say it was compelling. Gruesome and gritty and all to real, it was an uncomfortable read to be sure. But it was also impossible to put down. I finished it in one go, and my only complaint is that I don't know how long I'll have to wait for part two.
I think fans of The Wire would love this one.
I think fans of The Wire would love this one.
June 1, 2023
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher First Second Books for an advance copy of this graphic novel adaptation of the nonfiction true crime classic.
Near the end of the Eighties a reporter David Simon was given something no other reporter had really ever been given. Simon was allowed for almost a year to embed himself in the Homicide unit of the Baltimore Police Department. Here was able to go out on calls, walk alleys looking for clues, sit in on meetings, interrogations, court trials and bail hearings. The book that came from this experience Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, became a bestseller, leading to many tv specials and lots of media talking heads discussing urban crime, but not getting to the real heart of the problems. In addition many television shows sprang from this book, Homicide, The Wire, The Corner. The book is still looked at as a classic and one that many books on policing are judged by, and mostly found wanting. French graphic novelist and illustrator Philippe Squarzoni has adapted the book into comic form, Homicide: The Graphic Novel Part 1, is the first one of two to be released.
Two men in suits stand over what looks like a body in the street, joking about the amount of blood, the many names they can call a shooting victim while waiting for a coroner to arrive. One is a veteran of the homicide unit, and has seen much. The second is still getting his legs in homicide but has an instinct and a drive to find answers to the unknowable. A quick circuit finds the usually, no one saw anything, no one will say anything, par for the course in this neighborhood. Soon we will met other cops, some new, some old, some driven, some not caring. A board is made with cases, some are easy, some aren't. There are suicides, a real mystery in which a suspect was shot, but a weapon can't be identified, thought it could possibly be a cop. Stories are told, lies are written down, and bodies keep coming, while the city does as much as it wants, which is very little.
The book is of its time, so there is a lot modern readers might not like. The treatment of the dead is sometimes not proper. Women are thought of as burdens, especially in homicide. There are not many black faces, in the police, a few but not much. So it seems a lot like today. What is still clear is that Simon was reporting this while screaming about what was going on. Cases wouldn't be solved, due to lack of interest in who the victims were, or how they lived. Money and gentrification were a big issue too, which the graphic novel covers. Squarzoni does a very good job on the book capturing the feeling of the men, the city that seems to be dying and what the bureaucracy of murder is like. The art is really good, the men all in black, a little red when needed, details very clear in the backgrounds, and each character having his own unique look, even if it is usually suit and tie. A very well done adaptation.
Recommended for fans of the book, people who enjoy nonficton graphic novels, though the story is grim, and for people who love the European art sensibility mixed with American murder.
Near the end of the Eighties a reporter David Simon was given something no other reporter had really ever been given. Simon was allowed for almost a year to embed himself in the Homicide unit of the Baltimore Police Department. Here was able to go out on calls, walk alleys looking for clues, sit in on meetings, interrogations, court trials and bail hearings. The book that came from this experience Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, became a bestseller, leading to many tv specials and lots of media talking heads discussing urban crime, but not getting to the real heart of the problems. In addition many television shows sprang from this book, Homicide, The Wire, The Corner. The book is still looked at as a classic and one that many books on policing are judged by, and mostly found wanting. French graphic novelist and illustrator Philippe Squarzoni has adapted the book into comic form, Homicide: The Graphic Novel Part 1, is the first one of two to be released.
Two men in suits stand over what looks like a body in the street, joking about the amount of blood, the many names they can call a shooting victim while waiting for a coroner to arrive. One is a veteran of the homicide unit, and has seen much. The second is still getting his legs in homicide but has an instinct and a drive to find answers to the unknowable. A quick circuit finds the usually, no one saw anything, no one will say anything, par for the course in this neighborhood. Soon we will met other cops, some new, some old, some driven, some not caring. A board is made with cases, some are easy, some aren't. There are suicides, a real mystery in which a suspect was shot, but a weapon can't be identified, thought it could possibly be a cop. Stories are told, lies are written down, and bodies keep coming, while the city does as much as it wants, which is very little.
The book is of its time, so there is a lot modern readers might not like. The treatment of the dead is sometimes not proper. Women are thought of as burdens, especially in homicide. There are not many black faces, in the police, a few but not much. So it seems a lot like today. What is still clear is that Simon was reporting this while screaming about what was going on. Cases wouldn't be solved, due to lack of interest in who the victims were, or how they lived. Money and gentrification were a big issue too, which the graphic novel covers. Squarzoni does a very good job on the book capturing the feeling of the men, the city that seems to be dying and what the bureaucracy of murder is like. The art is really good, the men all in black, a little red when needed, details very clear in the backgrounds, and each character having his own unique look, even if it is usually suit and tie. A very well done adaptation.
Recommended for fans of the book, people who enjoy nonficton graphic novels, though the story is grim, and for people who love the European art sensibility mixed with American murder.
October 22, 2025
Between the subtle intricacies of the illustrations and the objectivity of the writing, there is a unique intrigue about this book that makes it a great choice for true-crime enthusiasts. Chronicling Baltimore's gritty police scene in the late 1980s, this book dares you to formulate your own theories not just about crime sprees but about the innerworkings of a group dedicated to crime retribution. It illustrates an era during which Baltimore was feverishly still learning to navigate a new dynamic of desegregated and female-inclusive police forces, a rise in outcry about police brutality, and a lingering threat of a crack explosion that would send major cities on the East coast into a tailspin.
The illustrator's creative choices cleverly highlighted the ideas readers were expected to find between the lines. The brilliant choice of intricately detailing focal characters' faces while obscuring or leaving vague the faces of characters in the background directs the reader' attention to the emotion in each panel. There is a stunning essence of kinetic movement across every page. I also felt that the illustrator did an excellent job of maintaining each character's distinct individuality by accurately expressing minor physical details that many illustrators might have overlooked. By impressively illustrating characters of many different ages, backgrounds, and races, the illustrator did a great job of representing the vibrancy of the Baltimore I know, even with a limited color palette.
I appreciated that the writing made no attempt at really categorizing members of the police force as heroes, instead cautiously maintaining objectivity and a tell-it-how-it-is tone. Everything is on the table: cops' struggles with mental health, the range of emotions evoked when wafting between loyalty to your team and loyalty to your morals, the spectrum of acceptance and indifference at the foot of a crime scene, and the loneliness of a graveyard shift, to name a selection. This novel really displays police as humans at the heart of it, heroic efforts and flaws and all. Readers will have a tendency of categorizing certain cop characters as "good" and others as "bad," but the book itself leaves it entirely open to interpretation. The common thread between them, even though they come from diverse backgrounds, is that they all have a distinctly heavy love/hate relationship with this city and a pulsing sense of responsibility for maintaining some semblance of balance.
Interestingly, the objectivity carries over into the characters who aren't cops: criminals, victims, and families alike. As for suspects and interviewees, the novel portrays everyone as carrying some type of secret, some type of skepticism which, in hindsight, is really typical of inner-city residents. None of the characters have a sincere openness. Families of victims are treated with very little sensitivity, and their relevance in the book is mostly limited to when they offered facts and leads. The book makes no effort to comfort or honor these families, and in a way I kind of appreciated that because it saves the author and illustrator the time of wrestling with how to feel about a stranger's loss. Similarly, victims are treated with objectivity, although the focus on the 11-year-old victim at the heart of the book is addressed with a pang of heartache. So, after all, there is a heartbeat at the book's core. If anything, I wish that some of the non-cop characters were given a little more personality to keep that ecstatic pulse of Baltimore running through the city, not just through the police force.
The illustrator's creative choices cleverly highlighted the ideas readers were expected to find between the lines. The brilliant choice of intricately detailing focal characters' faces while obscuring or leaving vague the faces of characters in the background directs the reader' attention to the emotion in each panel. There is a stunning essence of kinetic movement across every page. I also felt that the illustrator did an excellent job of maintaining each character's distinct individuality by accurately expressing minor physical details that many illustrators might have overlooked. By impressively illustrating characters of many different ages, backgrounds, and races, the illustrator did a great job of representing the vibrancy of the Baltimore I know, even with a limited color palette.
I appreciated that the writing made no attempt at really categorizing members of the police force as heroes, instead cautiously maintaining objectivity and a tell-it-how-it-is tone. Everything is on the table: cops' struggles with mental health, the range of emotions evoked when wafting between loyalty to your team and loyalty to your morals, the spectrum of acceptance and indifference at the foot of a crime scene, and the loneliness of a graveyard shift, to name a selection. This novel really displays police as humans at the heart of it, heroic efforts and flaws and all. Readers will have a tendency of categorizing certain cop characters as "good" and others as "bad," but the book itself leaves it entirely open to interpretation. The common thread between them, even though they come from diverse backgrounds, is that they all have a distinctly heavy love/hate relationship with this city and a pulsing sense of responsibility for maintaining some semblance of balance.
Interestingly, the objectivity carries over into the characters who aren't cops: criminals, victims, and families alike. As for suspects and interviewees, the novel portrays everyone as carrying some type of secret, some type of skepticism which, in hindsight, is really typical of inner-city residents. None of the characters have a sincere openness. Families of victims are treated with very little sensitivity, and their relevance in the book is mostly limited to when they offered facts and leads. The book makes no effort to comfort or honor these families, and in a way I kind of appreciated that because it saves the author and illustrator the time of wrestling with how to feel about a stranger's loss. Similarly, victims are treated with objectivity, although the focus on the 11-year-old victim at the heart of the book is addressed with a pang of heartache. So, after all, there is a heartbeat at the book's core. If anything, I wish that some of the non-cop characters were given a little more personality to keep that ecstatic pulse of Baltimore running through the city, not just through the police force.
November 16, 2023
Today's nonfiction book is on Homicide by Philippe Squarzoni (Adapter/Illustrator), David Simon. It is 320 pages long and is published by First Second. The cover is grey with yellow accents. The intended reader is someone is who interested in classic true crime and likes graphic novels. There is foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence in this graphic novel. The story is from told third person perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the dust jacket- Homicide, the celebrated true crime-book from the creator of HBO's The Wire, is re-envisioned in this first volume of a gritty, cinematic graphic novel duology.
In 1988, journalist David Simon was given unprecedented access to the Baltimore Police Department’s homicide unit. Over the next twelve months, he shadowed detectives as they took on a slew of killings in a city where killings were common. Only the most heinous cases stood out–chief amongst them, the rape and murder of eleven-year-old Latonya Wallace.
Originally published in 1991, Simon’s Homicide became the basis for the acclaimed television show Homicide: Life on the Street and inspired HBO’s The Wire. Now, this true-crime classic is reimagined as a gritty two-part graphic novel series.
Review- A great introduction to a classic true crime book. Homicide was a ground breaking book and then a ground breaking television show. I have been a fan of the show for over twenty years but I have never gotten around to reading the original book. So when the graphic novel came out, I knew I had to get my hands on it and it was a great read. The style of the art is very traditional with muted greys, browns, whites, and blacks. So when a more intense color, like red for blood, is on the page, it stands out even more. The narration style is very unique, there is little dialog more back narration, like someone read over your shoulder, talking about what is happening and other information. I liked the style, it made it feel like I was reading the original book. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second volume and I would like to see more nonfiction books get this treatment.
I give this graphic novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this graphic novel from my local library.
From the dust jacket- Homicide, the celebrated true crime-book from the creator of HBO's The Wire, is re-envisioned in this first volume of a gritty, cinematic graphic novel duology.
In 1988, journalist David Simon was given unprecedented access to the Baltimore Police Department’s homicide unit. Over the next twelve months, he shadowed detectives as they took on a slew of killings in a city where killings were common. Only the most heinous cases stood out–chief amongst them, the rape and murder of eleven-year-old Latonya Wallace.
Originally published in 1991, Simon’s Homicide became the basis for the acclaimed television show Homicide: Life on the Street and inspired HBO’s The Wire. Now, this true-crime classic is reimagined as a gritty two-part graphic novel series.
Review- A great introduction to a classic true crime book. Homicide was a ground breaking book and then a ground breaking television show. I have been a fan of the show for over twenty years but I have never gotten around to reading the original book. So when the graphic novel came out, I knew I had to get my hands on it and it was a great read. The style of the art is very traditional with muted greys, browns, whites, and blacks. So when a more intense color, like red for blood, is on the page, it stands out even more. The narration style is very unique, there is little dialog more back narration, like someone read over your shoulder, talking about what is happening and other information. I liked the style, it made it feel like I was reading the original book. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second volume and I would like to see more nonfiction books get this treatment.
I give this graphic novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this graphic novel from my local library.
June 4, 2025
I don't usually read graphic novels with this caught my eye at the library so I decided to pick it up. I definitely do not regret picking it up. the panels in the pages are visually striking with the contrast from the blood from the in the crime scene with the monochromatic panels.
this book takes a while to get going, kind of a slow burn but around the halfway point is when we really start to focus in on the main case these detectives are trying to solve. but the first few opening chapters lay the scene and give us a good background of what the homicide department is like and the political structure of the department.
this book follows a homicide unit in Baltimore Maryland in the '80s. violence fueled by drugs and poverty, the homicide unite has no shortage of calls every night. the story follows three main cases with one very important case involving a 12-year-old girl who had been murdered with little to no evidence left at the scene. with pressure from the mayor as well as the city the homicide unit tries its best to unravel the few leads they have.
this book does a great job depicting the day-to-day not so glamorous life of a homicide detective. the pressures from the higher-ups ,the city and the mayor to solve difficult, sometimes impossible seeming cases.
I've seen a lot of reviews about this book, a lot of one star and five star reviews, due to how the policing is depicted in a largely African-American population. but as a black man myself I can honestly say that the depictions in this book do feel honest and they do not pull any punches. the police are not painted in a perfect light they're painted as flawed people who do make mistakes.
I've also seen reviews saying that it's complicated to follow this because of the sheer amount of cases that are shown throughout the book. I feel that some of the cases that are shown are meant to highlight specific aspects of the job but not necessarily follow them to completion. while the three main cases I stated earlier are the main focus of the detectives.
I definitely enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. the ending of book one definitely leaves you on the cliffhanger with a lot of the questions of the current cases unresolved and unanswered. looking forward to reading part two.
this book takes a while to get going, kind of a slow burn but around the halfway point is when we really start to focus in on the main case these detectives are trying to solve. but the first few opening chapters lay the scene and give us a good background of what the homicide department is like and the political structure of the department.
this book follows a homicide unit in Baltimore Maryland in the '80s. violence fueled by drugs and poverty, the homicide unite has no shortage of calls every night. the story follows three main cases with one very important case involving a 12-year-old girl who had been murdered with little to no evidence left at the scene. with pressure from the mayor as well as the city the homicide unit tries its best to unravel the few leads they have.
this book does a great job depicting the day-to-day not so glamorous life of a homicide detective. the pressures from the higher-ups ,the city and the mayor to solve difficult, sometimes impossible seeming cases.
I've seen a lot of reviews about this book, a lot of one star and five star reviews, due to how the policing is depicted in a largely African-American population. but as a black man myself I can honestly say that the depictions in this book do feel honest and they do not pull any punches. the police are not painted in a perfect light they're painted as flawed people who do make mistakes.
I've also seen reviews saying that it's complicated to follow this because of the sheer amount of cases that are shown throughout the book. I feel that some of the cases that are shown are meant to highlight specific aspects of the job but not necessarily follow them to completion. while the three main cases I stated earlier are the main focus of the detectives.
I definitely enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. the ending of book one definitely leaves you on the cliffhanger with a lot of the questions of the current cases unresolved and unanswered. looking forward to reading part two.
August 26, 2023
So I thought that since this was adapted from something David Simon wrote that it would be a solid read but either it's not the same David Simon or his earlier work has not aged well at all cause yyyyyyyyyikes.
This is the kind of stuff that BLM is talking about when they use terms like "copaganda." The entire narrative is taken from the detectives point of view and they are the only ones who are slightly humanized (the character development is not great either so they aren't super fleshed out but at least they don't get treated as though they're NPCs in a GTA: Vice City).
As a sample, at one point the author is talking about a tragic incident in which a cop was fired because he shot a kid he thought had a gun. And the tragedy of this, according to the author, is that the cop was fired. I'm not making any of that up. I literally reread the passage because I assumed I'd misunderstood but nope. We're doing that in 2023. Cool cool cool.
The only case where the murder victim gets actually sympathy is one involving the murder of a little girl. But even then the focus of how hard this is is all on the officers investigating the murder. There is literally a panel where two detectives are going to tell the mother her daughter has been murdered. One says that he "hates this part" and then we get one panel of the mother saying "oh no" as she opens the door and that's it. Sure maybe she had a bad day but someone think of how hard it is on the detectives! Their supervisors sometimes talk to them about how low their numbers are and emotionally that's just like having your child murdered.
The art is also a little uninspired. I'm not sure if that was the intention to have things really low key, understated but there is no variety at all and sometimes it verges into the kind of art you see in the safety information card in the seat pocket in front of you.
I don't mean to be harsh but it's rough coming into something with your mind set at "The Wire" and reading something that's "Batman: Year One but with only the brooding and dehumanization of everyone but cops."
This is the kind of stuff that BLM is talking about when they use terms like "copaganda." The entire narrative is taken from the detectives point of view and they are the only ones who are slightly humanized (the character development is not great either so they aren't super fleshed out but at least they don't get treated as though they're NPCs in a GTA: Vice City).
As a sample, at one point the author is talking about a tragic incident in which a cop was fired because he shot a kid he thought had a gun. And the tragedy of this, according to the author, is that the cop was fired. I'm not making any of that up. I literally reread the passage because I assumed I'd misunderstood but nope. We're doing that in 2023. Cool cool cool.
The only case where the murder victim gets actually sympathy is one involving the murder of a little girl. But even then the focus of how hard this is is all on the officers investigating the murder. There is literally a panel where two detectives are going to tell the mother her daughter has been murdered. One says that he "hates this part" and then we get one panel of the mother saying "oh no" as she opens the door and that's it. Sure maybe she had a bad day but someone think of how hard it is on the detectives! Their supervisors sometimes talk to them about how low their numbers are and emotionally that's just like having your child murdered.
The art is also a little uninspired. I'm not sure if that was the intention to have things really low key, understated but there is no variety at all and sometimes it verges into the kind of art you see in the safety information card in the seat pocket in front of you.
I don't mean to be harsh but it's rough coming into something with your mind set at "The Wire" and reading something that's "Batman: Year One but with only the brooding and dehumanization of everyone but cops."
June 6, 2024
I was admittedly biased towards this book before I even picked it up, because Homicide: Life on the Street is my all-time favorite police procedural. I've also listened to the audio of an abridged version of the source material (Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon) so knew full well what I was getting myself into. This graphic novel is illustrated in a pretty brutal style, with black and white photos and the color red used solely for bloodstains. It tells a no-nonsense tale of what the Baltimore police force (specifically the Homicide unit) was like, and pulls no punches. It specifically focuses on a handful of cases, most notably the murder of an eleven-year-old girl named Latonya Wallace (which remains unsolved to this day, so just be forewarned). As someone who's watched the show several times over, it was interesting to get a firsthand look at the detectives that inspired some of the characters from the show, and also get a look at the actual cases that were the inspiration for the crimes the detectives solved (or didn't, as the case may be). If you're a fan of the show, you'll probably be a fan of this graphic novel version. It was precisely what I'd expected it to be, and I was not disappointed.
January 2, 2024
Homicide is a somewhat interesting comic that is based on a book written in ‘91 where a journalist shadowed real working detectives in the Baltimore Homicide Unit.
As a comic, it’s alright. I love Max Payne and LA Noire, and I think those video games do a great job of capturing detective personality.
Homicide is really rooted in reality, and sometimes it’s captivating. An interesting throughline is how much people lie, and the strategies that detectives deploy to break though lies to get the truth. Sometimes if you’re too aggressive, bad things can happen too.
It also underlines how important the first 12 hours at a crime scene are. After that, the trail tends to run cold. So there’s this immense pressure to get all the details right, follow any leads you scrounge up, and put it to bed fast. The burnout as a detective is real, and the cynicism can take over. Soon the bodies of former living just become objects you observe for work.
“For each body, the detective gives what he can afford to give. And no more.
He carefully measures out the required amount of energy and emotion.
Closes the file.
And moves onto the next call.”
It’s a sad reality of having to employ Return on Investment thinking to serving justice, but that’s how Homicide had to operate.
The art style is pretty fitting, and a couple of reoccurring visuals & scenes work out very well.
As a comic, it’s alright. I love Max Payne and LA Noire, and I think those video games do a great job of capturing detective personality.
Homicide is really rooted in reality, and sometimes it’s captivating. An interesting throughline is how much people lie, and the strategies that detectives deploy to break though lies to get the truth. Sometimes if you’re too aggressive, bad things can happen too.
It also underlines how important the first 12 hours at a crime scene are. After that, the trail tends to run cold. So there’s this immense pressure to get all the details right, follow any leads you scrounge up, and put it to bed fast. The burnout as a detective is real, and the cynicism can take over. Soon the bodies of former living just become objects you observe for work.
“For each body, the detective gives what he can afford to give. And no more.
He carefully measures out the required amount of energy and emotion.
Closes the file.
And moves onto the next call.”
It’s a sad reality of having to employ Return on Investment thinking to serving justice, but that’s how Homicide had to operate.
The art style is pretty fitting, and a couple of reoccurring visuals & scenes work out very well.
January 2, 2025
This basically is the Simon book, edited and nicely illustrated. Having read the original Homicide multiple times, I doubt I will pick up the second volume. Not because I didn't enjoy this read, which I certainly did, but because it won't add a lot to my experience of this story of a year in the life of one shift of the Baltimore P.D. homicide unit.
Folks complaining about the lack of shootouts, car chases, and similar tv tropes fundamentally misunderstand the existence of these detectives, who only appear after the bodies have fallen, and have to remind themselves to grab the .38 out of their desk before going to a murder scene. No dramatic turns, no drawing room reveals -- only cops with instinct and experience doing the best they can to clean up the killing streets, just a little bit.
And yeah, Baltimore detectives in the '80's were almost exclusively mustachioed middle aged white guys. Sorry if that's not visually stimulating for you.
Squarzoni does a commendable job illustrating the crime scenes, the interrogation rooms, the squad cars and bars and rowhouses where these folks ply their trade. If this was my first encounter with these stories, I admittedly might find them hard to follow. The book Homicide may not be for every reader, but they're a true account of the grimy details, and grimier politics, of those who speak for the dead.
Folks complaining about the lack of shootouts, car chases, and similar tv tropes fundamentally misunderstand the existence of these detectives, who only appear after the bodies have fallen, and have to remind themselves to grab the .38 out of their desk before going to a murder scene. No dramatic turns, no drawing room reveals -- only cops with instinct and experience doing the best they can to clean up the killing streets, just a little bit.
And yeah, Baltimore detectives in the '80's were almost exclusively mustachioed middle aged white guys. Sorry if that's not visually stimulating for you.
Squarzoni does a commendable job illustrating the crime scenes, the interrogation rooms, the squad cars and bars and rowhouses where these folks ply their trade. If this was my first encounter with these stories, I admittedly might find them hard to follow. The book Homicide may not be for every reader, but they're a true account of the grimy details, and grimier politics, of those who speak for the dead.
Read
January 23, 2024The first half of a comics adaptation of David Simon's Homicide book. I've not read the original, so I can't comment on the accuracy of translation (though it apparently uses exact narration and dialogue). But the storytelling here feels disjointed. It jumps around to different cases and focuses on different detectives, sometimes within the same chapter. In most instances, not enough time is given to each case, and I don't remember the details when they pop up pages later. And the vast majority of the text is narration, not dialogue, leaving the book feeling like text accompanied by pictures, not a comic where the two work seamlessly in concert. There is a through line of sorts, the murder of an 11-year-old girl and Detective Pellegrini who's on the case. This is the most interesting part of the book, and I expect it will continue to be in the second half. I kind of wish the whole book was devoted to this one case.
Still, by the end, the weight and darkness of the Baltimore Homicide Unit's day-to-day routine sunk in for me, and the disjointed storytelling became somewhat less of a worry. Plus the art is fantastic; gritty, realistic, in muted tones with stark streaks of red when blood comes into play.
Still, by the end, the weight and darkness of the Baltimore Homicide Unit's day-to-day routine sunk in for me, and the disjointed storytelling became somewhat less of a worry. Plus the art is fantastic; gritty, realistic, in muted tones with stark streaks of red when blood comes into play.
March 12, 2025
I have a long history with Homicide. I was 14 when the show went on the air, and I loved it. Then I read the book, and also watched The Wire. I've also read several other books that take place in Baltimore and center around crime and corruption. What I don't usually read are graphic novels, but I stumbled across this one at the library, and decided to pick it up.
I read "Life Sentence: The Brief and Tragic Career of Baltimore's Deadliest Gang Leader" a couple of years ago which featured Joe Landsman, Jay Landsman's son continuing the tradition of policing in Baltimore. That made me happy.
The people who didn't like this graphic novel because it wasn't politically correct or was too "graphic" are missing the point. I also have to think they were too young to have any familiarity with the source material. The whole arc with the Fish Man was taken from Homicide -- Pembleton and Bayliss. The blinded patrolman? That was played by Lee Tergeson and his wife was played by Edie Falco. The scene where the two cops were in the bar talking about "you fucked me gently" -- that was McNulty and the Bunk in a scene from The Wire. The lone woman detective -- Kay Howard on Homicide and Kima Greggs on The Wire.
For me this was like seeing old friends again.
I read "Life Sentence: The Brief and Tragic Career of Baltimore's Deadliest Gang Leader" a couple of years ago which featured Joe Landsman, Jay Landsman's son continuing the tradition of policing in Baltimore. That made me happy.
The people who didn't like this graphic novel because it wasn't politically correct or was too "graphic" are missing the point. I also have to think they were too young to have any familiarity with the source material. The whole arc with the Fish Man was taken from Homicide -- Pembleton and Bayliss. The blinded patrolman? That was played by Lee Tergeson and his wife was played by Edie Falco. The scene where the two cops were in the bar talking about "you fucked me gently" -- that was McNulty and the Bunk in a scene from The Wire. The lone woman detective -- Kay Howard on Homicide and Kima Greggs on The Wire.
For me this was like seeing old friends again.
August 24, 2023
A very gritty perspective of a few months of cases in Baltimore’s homicide department. It’s a good graphic novel adaptation of a very compelling story, of how messy the cases can be and how these investigations are not like they are portrayed in movies or on TV, with many going unsolved and the few that are are usually either through luck or forced confession.
It’s also an interesting look at the mindset of the police officers. They hate that the people on the street lie to them or won’t cooperate, while they show utter disdain for those same people before they even talk to them. They claim to not be racist like earlier generations of cops, while still showing those same racist tendencies. The book tries to show that the “shoot first, ask questions later” is the best choice of action for all cops, and argues that they shouldn’t be vilified for doing just that with innocent civilians.
It is a very well-crafted graphic novel, but just be aware that it is biased towards showing the police as being “right” no matter what.
Content warning: murder, abuse, racism, transphobia, sexism, police brutality, suicide, drug use, discussions of rape, etc.
It’s also an interesting look at the mindset of the police officers. They hate that the people on the street lie to them or won’t cooperate, while they show utter disdain for those same people before they even talk to them. They claim to not be racist like earlier generations of cops, while still showing those same racist tendencies. The book tries to show that the “shoot first, ask questions later” is the best choice of action for all cops, and argues that they shouldn’t be vilified for doing just that with innocent civilians.
It is a very well-crafted graphic novel, but just be aware that it is biased towards showing the police as being “right” no matter what.
Content warning: murder, abuse, racism, transphobia, sexism, police brutality, suicide, drug use, discussions of rape, etc.
December 20, 2023
Brilliant, brilliant adaptation. I have not read the original book but I am a huge fan of the T.V. show so I picked this up as a curiosity. I was riveted. The story is compelling and the art is a perfect tonal match. This is not a story suited to splash pages, outside the line explosions and other more typical creative touches. I love how Squarzoni finds his own creative voice by mixing up the traditional comic book blocking well staying with a block structure. The color primarily shades of black and white with touches of blood red by Drac and Madd are a perfect accompaniment. Squarzoni also uses more than I have seen before the use of making faceless people not in the background. I have seen this in crowd scenes before but I’d not recall it as he uses it sometimes when there are half a dozen characters in the shot. It focuses the readers attention and highlights the linear art style and laser like focus that makes up most of the detectives work. Considering that the original words are not Squarzoni’s own it is particularly tonally on point art. Looking forward to volume 2.
January 9, 2026
I'm looking to get back to reading (and writing reviews) in the new year. This was a great way to have done so. As a fan of the more "boring parts of the wire" and David Simon's attempts to bring life to forgotten period of time it was a great easy read.
In fairness it's gritty, dry and relatively straightforward in it's narrative but it paints the picture of what it's like to be a homicide detective in Baltimore in the 90's perfectly (which is seemingly the whole point of the book).
This book is missing the spark of dialog that was found in the wire but again not needed to tell the story that it wanted to tell (I'm guessing this is more faithful to the source material). I'm also guessing stylistically they chose to base the graphic novel characters on the real people rather than their wire counterparts which is probably for the best as well.
I have wanted to read some more of David Simon's work for quite some time and doing it in graphic novel form was a great way to also get back into reading for the year.
In fairness it's gritty, dry and relatively straightforward in it's narrative but it paints the picture of what it's like to be a homicide detective in Baltimore in the 90's perfectly (which is seemingly the whole point of the book).
This book is missing the spark of dialog that was found in the wire but again not needed to tell the story that it wanted to tell (I'm guessing this is more faithful to the source material). I'm also guessing stylistically they chose to base the graphic novel characters on the real people rather than their wire counterparts which is probably for the best as well.
I have wanted to read some more of David Simon's work for quite some time and doing it in graphic novel form was a great way to also get back into reading for the year.
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