Member Reviews
Comic with a really interesting story, and lovely artwork, which I immediately fell in love with. I cannot say that I am disappointed since my expectations were not high, but it was a pretty quick and funny read, that I'll probably re-read in the future. So, if you want to read an original comic with a pinch of a detective plot, try this one!
I grew up just south of Los Angeles, so I've always been a sucker for LA, West Coast, bright sunshine and beaches, seedy underbelly of the city of angels noir. And this comic fits right into that tradtion, with what looks like a feminist twist. This is only volume one of the story, however, and instead of being energized to follow past the cliffhanger and continue the series, I'm going to put reading further on the back burner. It was a fine plot with an interesting female socialite/burglar protagonist, but the art was flat (and several characters were distinguished only by their hair), the plot was a bit by the numbers, the sex seemed a bit gratuitous and cynical (everyone is cheating on everyone with everyone else!), and the noir was pretty conventional (down to the Chinatown-ish direction the plot looks to be going). A fine read for an afternoon but nothing that knocked my socks off.
The art in this comic is lovely, however I found the story to be quite gruesome and gratuitous in nature.
This graphic novel was so engaging from page one! The artwork and mystery throughout the story so far will pull you into the mystery. I need to know what will happen next.
Trigger warnings: rape, abuse of power, sexism, violence, graphic murder
It took me a while to get into this comic and to understand it, as soon as I did it finished and I wanted more. A lady was raped and ended up deaf, she seems to steal and be a thief that the police can’t catch. The police are also trying to catch the ‘playmate killer”. They have Miss January and Miss February and don’t want to see Miss March. Like I said, took a while for me to understand, due to the layout and text. But when I got into it, it was so good I couldn’t believe it ended
Very interesting graphic novel.
Liked the suspense and the illustration style was fabulous!
Overall a 3 ⭐️ read. Enjoyable !!
Great start to a story! I liked the art in it and the story was definitely engaging enough to want to continue it.
The first impression is very good, with beautiful panels and everything in the style of the period. Unfortunately, this is not a complete story, and I hate it when there's no ending. If there is a need for a series, there should be a second story with a conclusion in every book.
Miss October 1. Playmates, 1961 by Stephen Desberg is such well crafted Noire that you can smell the cigarette smoke and stale whiskey in the air. It is seedy and gritty and no one comes out of it clean.
Summary
Viktor Scott is young and rich and beautiful, living the good life in Hollywood in 1961. A life that changed dramatically when she was beaten and sexually assaulted. Her father, fearing scandal, hushed the incident that left Viktor deaf and with no memory of what had happened to her. Forced to keep up the veneer of a happy young woman, Viktor begins the life of a thief to work out her anger and need to rebel.
Lt. Clegg has been a Detective for a long time, but he has never had a case quite like this one. There is a serial killer loose in Hollywood who is posing his victims like they were Playboy centerfolds. Adding to that, a cat-burglar is on the loose. A beautiful young woman Clegg is determined to find.
It won't be long before Viktor and Lt. Clegg cross paths.
Review
This is Noire like L.A Confidential or Maltese Falcon and is quickly bringing to my attention Stephen Desberg as a comic writer to be followed. It is also making me a huge fan of Europe Comics as well. These are American stories written with incredible insight by a European and in so many ways that viewpoint is not only refreshing but exciting.
Miss October is a stunning work that will have readers following one of the better comic book tales going. It is daring and dark and very human.
A terrific tale.
it was interesting at first but it quickly faded and I really don't care much about the character or what would happen next.
I had a hard time getting into this graphic novel Miss October. I didn't like the art style or the story. I thought I was going to.
This is book one of a four volume comic series. The art work is good and this volume sets the scene for what promises to be an intriguing mystery.
Viktor Scott is a cat burglar. Attacked and left for dead when she was younger, she now lives in a world of silence having lost her hearing during the attack. She now has a career as a thief but she doesn't know there is a serial kller on the lose and every steps she takes brings her nearer to the killer and to the police who are relentlessly hunting the killer down.
This is a really good beginning for the series but it just sets the scene and I wish it had given the reader a bit more. In any case it does seem that this will be a really good series to read.
Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
I want to thank NetGalley, Europe Comics, and author/artist Stephen Desberg & Alex Queireix for providing me with an ARC of this book!
I am not usually one to be drawn to comic books, but the noir-ness and Hollywood blonde on the cover pulled me IN! TW: Rape. Miss October is about a beautiful woman who wakes with no memory of her attempted rape that has left her permanently deaf. Her father has silenced the police force for fear of bad publicity. But what’s the real reason, and what’s the real story? This was super well written and the art is gorgeous. I cannot wait for the continuation of this series (PLEASE!!). This is right up my alley, and I loved it.
Thank you again to those named above for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Miss October is a great work full of beautiful women and charming, but dangerous man. The mystery is captivating and works well as a graphic novel. Multiple storylines which I assume would end up connecting at the end are engaging and well-thought of. Juanita Jones and Viktor Scott make an interesting mixture that fully deserves more attention. Overall, I enjoyed it and I would read the continuation of this story in the future.
Hollywood, 1961. A time when our country still had the innocence of Camelot, or so most American’s thought. After a blow to the head, Viktor Scott wakes with no memory of her attempted rape that left her permanently deaf. For some reason, her rich father has stifled the police investigation. Is it for fear of bad publicity or some other nefarious reason? Viktor decides to find out for herself what happened that night and hires a private detective, a woman who used to walk on the wrong sides of the tracks. But hiring a detective costs money, looking for this man who assaulted her would not be easy without it, and lots of it, so she turns to the art of cat burglarizing. An interesting plot device that seems to work even though a little far fetched considering our heroine is a sheltered rich girl. But that’s the joy of comics and books, be willing to suspend your belief for just a little so the story is enjoyable. Her new means of getting cash potentially can run her afoul of the detective in charge of a string of murders; beautiful, young women viciously killed then posed nude like monthly Playboy centerfolds. Is the sadistic killer the same person who attacked Scott, or someone she knows?
Very well written and drawn. It harkens back to the days of Noir mysteries where there is always a hardened cop, a beautiful dame and a jewel heist. This time the hard-boiled detective is a woman who is not as soft as she looks and the crime is hideous murders. How many more bizarre monthly pinups will Hollywood see before the killer is caught?
Might have to get the rest of the series to see. Recommended if a fan of James Elroy or Harlan Coben.
I received this book free from Europe Comics and Netgalley for my honest, unbiased review.
I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. It was a quick read and I enjoyed the style and art of it. I liked the premise of it but didn't quite pan out enough for me. The story line was meh and all over the place making me not invested in the characters or story. Wasn't enough for me to want to pick up the rest of this series but I will fully admit I am probably not the target audience for this.
The story starts in 1963 then flashes back to '61. It captures the time nicely, the art is a little on the rustic side, not too expressive with a lot of muted colors. The two detectives at the heart of things look too much alike - that gets confusing quickly. The main female character is enigmatic and mysterious, the fact that her first name is Vicktor adds an extra bit of confusion at first.
It's not bad, sort of a retro crime story. Like a gritty noir from the 1950s but with nudity and whatnot. I may or may not seek out the rest of the story, it's one of those that didn't leave me with a burning obsession to continue but at the same time if I happened upon the next chapter I'd probably check it out.
This is just one book/chapter in an ongoing story so it's hard to say how it will all turn out. I thought it ended on kind of an odd moment.
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Good book! Wish i would have previously know trigger warnings and I felt like it ended before anything happened. None the less it was a great story line.
I’m in between on this book. I liked the art style but I found the story to be all over the place. I think it jumped around a lot and I would’ve liked more timings and dates on where we were. I almost felt like I should’ve read the book backwards. Also slight nudity so this is for a mature audience I think. Overall, I liked the complexity of the main character and wanted to know more about her and what actually happened.
A quick comic read. It wasn't for me, but I appreciated the art style and dedication to craft. Definitely a comic book for dads.