Graphic Novel Reviews: Scene of the Crime

Eisner award-winning, critically acclaimed, creative team Brubaker and Phillips have re-released one of their earliest works together for the first time in graphic novel form. Readers of their more recent titles will be thrilled to get their hands on this and can expect to find another impressive noir crime tale that they have become accustomed to from these outstanding creators.

Jack Herriman is an average private investigator working the beat when one day he’s approached by an old family friend who happens to work for the local police department. He’s got a case for him. A girl has gone missing and her sister is desperate to find her whereabouts. Jack, never one to turn down a job, accepts and goes down the rabbit hole trying to locate the girl, dealing with some of his own trauma and demons along the way.

“Scene of the Crime” is an artful example of the mastery Brubaker and Phillips have become known for in the comics industry. Their level of storytelling and illustration in the crime graphic novel genre is first-class and this book is a must-read not only for fans of the genre, but also every age appropriate comic reader.

This title shows why Brubaker was noted as a promising new talent early on in his career. Phillips and Lark have done an excellent job at providing illustrations that fit the story perfectly and really pull readers in, making them feel as though they are physically in the drama unfolding right before their eyes. This title would be a great addition to a public library crime graphic novel collection and adult readers will certainly enjoy it. However, due to some of the mature language in it, it may be too profane for high school libraries.