With art that's Nancy Drew Mystery Series done in the style of Archer if the artist had a penchant for freehand linework, and a storyline that could believably have been intended for the Weird Mysteries vintage pulp comics but rejected because the writer had dropped too much acid, this is a strange and unique graphic novel. Alternatively, picture a Gravity Falls episode that's rated R for violence and was illustrated by Russell Tandy, and you're starting to picture what this is all about.

I love the art style. It has an unpolished, raw feel that captures a lot of the 'imperfection' that was so common in vintage pulp novel covers. You know what I'm talking about - where the artist did a great job overall, but couldn't quite render the angle of the arms correctly, or the face feels a bit flat, or the perspective is a bit off. Somehow that makes all the more engaging and enjoyable, probably because it evokes that feeling of reading an old comic that you found forgotten in a trunk of your grandparents' attic. I'd love to read more graphic novels from this artist. Based on the credits at the back of the book, I believe this is Jason Fischer-Kouhi.

The story was a bit hard for me to follow at times. I think this is because the writers (Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes) had so many different ideas/themes/characters they wanted to include, they ended up jumping around from place to place in the process of trying to get it all in there. I recognize this because I suffer from this same tendency too when I get excited about a lot of fun, crazy ideas. I wish that an editor had helped them hone in on a few specific themes, and encouraged them to save everything else for their future books. Because all the ideas/themes/characters are good ones...there's just a whole lot of them and it's hard to keep up. (At least, it was hard for me to keep up. As always, your mileage may vary!)

Heads up: It's visually very violent, with a lot of imagery of blood, bodily injury (like fingernails being pulled off), dead bodies, people getting shot with guns/crossbows, severed limbs, animal attacks, and so forth. This all actually works well within the framework of the story but I mention it here for anyone who is particularly sensitive to such things.

This book gets an entire full additional star for the absolutely amazing map at the front. It's rendered in the style of an old map you might get when visiting a small town, complete with advertisements for local retailers around the edges. I love maps in books, and this one is one of the most creatively and enjoyably executed that I've seen in a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review. This review will be cross-posted to my social media accounts closer to the book release date.

It was an Okay read for me. I wouldn't hype it so much because I was expecting a novel. I misread the genre and I still gave it a chance. So, a three star from me.

I’m having trouble finding the right words for this one. I wasn’t able to finish it by the deadline. Life happened and got in the way. It was an interesting read, though. I will finish it someday.

This book was so confusing from the beginning that you feel like nothing is ever complete. I feel like there’s so much missing that the “mystery” doesn’t even make sense.

This was a detective story told in the format of a graphic novel/comic book, following the adventures of the Teen Detective Club.

It was a very interesting change for me, as I don't read many books like this. I enjoyed it and found it quite refreshing, because I felt it encouraged me to engage with the story in a different way. It was bold, colourful, easy to read and fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I fell in love with the artwork but the story is also great!
I loved the mystery and really made you want to keep reading. Can't wait for the next volume!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the eARC of Hobtown Mystery Stories Vol.1!!

So, I decided to read this one on a whim, to help out my teen librarian (I am her graphic novel guinea pig). I really didn't know what to expect going in to this one, but I was honestly surprised. It has this old school mystery feel to it (Nancy Drew Vibes), with this supernatural, magical feel to it. The illustrations add something to it, that just keep you hooked.

I read this in one sitting, which is something I don't often do. Safe to say I really enjoyed this one. I would definitely recommend this one for some of the teens at our library, and I think this would do well for teens during outreach at our local high school. Though I would definitely be mindful, with some of the imagery within this one.

My only issue was the beginning, it felt as though characters were flung at you. It wasn't a slow introduction to them, though it clearly didn't stop me from enjoying this graphic novel. After the initial intro, everything fell into place perfectly.

4.5/5

I wanted to love this but I was too confused by the beginning - so many characters getting introduced in such a short period of time with no way to really hold on to who they are.

Reminiscent of classic mysteries like Nancy Drew with a twist, The Case of the Missing Men delivers a heavy dose of nostalgia with the artwork and the “teens cracking adult mysteries” plot. The teens of this story take on a darker mystery than my beloved Nancy Drew as a string of disappearances plague their small town. It was charmingly creepy and suspenseful. I liked the characters and felt they were well fleshed out, but at times the plot felt scattered for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I must admit, after a stressful workday, as an adult this book captured my imagination and took my mind off of more boring matters.

I read it slowly, going back from other mysteries and suspense novels, although I I kept returning to this book, until I finished it.

I enjoyed all aspects of this odd story of a town plagued by nefarious enemies, very close at home and their mind-control experiments. I found this to be a fun, updated sort of Nancy Drew, Scooby-Doo, teenage heros solving small time, and this time BIG TIME, local mysteries plaguing their community.

I found the graphics, dialogue, storyline and the way the book was presented, in a comic book style all equally appealing.

I will look for more graphic novels (read fancy comic/mystery books) from this author, an enthusiastic 5 stars from this reader!

✨What attracted me to read this comic?
Teen detectives solving a mystery in their small village, told in graphic novel form.

✨My thoughts?
In general, I really like this novel. The overall case, the horror and supernatural elements, and especially the friendship between teens. The choices of illustration styles and colour palettes are also nice, in my opinion.

✨Why not 5 stars?
For me, I can see there are some parts that are quite choppy, like it is not described or hinted well, or, it has some pacing issue. There are some parts that got me confused like, when that happened, I didn’t realize it. There are also uses of derogatory remarks, I know this story is set in the mid-1990s but the use may cause discomfort to some readers.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐

Thank you Oni Press and NetGalley for this ARC! This review was voluntarily written by me. This graphic novel is to be published on 23 April 2024.

This is definitely a case of wearing out your welcome. Iris and Gabriel come home to finding a friend Laure in their home. She doesn't want to leave either.
A lot of twists and turns.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and the NetGalley for the ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Okay, imagine Twin Peaks with a little bit of the surrealist/fantastical nature of Over the Garden Wall, and if that's your cup of tea, you'll like this graphic novel. The art style was a throwback to older styles, which I loved, but it did make it harder when reading on a device like I did.

This graphic novel was weird, at times confusing, but encaptures this unique and unsettling small-town vibe perfectly. I would highly recommend this and look forward to future installments.

"Perfect for fans of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Hardy Boys mysteries, The Hobtown Mystery Stories take the teen investigator genre to new levels as they explore small town identity and the surreal.

Welcome to Hobtown, a charmingly bleak village (Population: 2,006) and an easy place to get bored if you don't make your own fun.

Hobtown Regional High's top girl, Dana Nance, runs the Teen Detective Club - a registered after-school program that makes it their business to investigate each and every one of their town's bizarre occurrences including pagan secret societies, psychic assaults, and possible "wee man" sightings. Their small world of missing pets and shed fires is turned upside down when real-life kid adventurer and globetrotter Sam Finch comes to town and enlists them in their first real case: the search for his missing father. Something strange is going on, and no one in Hobtown will talk about it. It turns out Sam's dad is the sixth man to go missing this year. The rot runs deep in Hobtown, and it's up to the teen detectives and associates to stay alive long enough to crack the Case of the Missing Men!

Childhood friends Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes have built a truly unique and discrete universe in Hobtown - an exploration of small town identity drawing from the world of pulp, filtered through a lens of esoteric spirituality, skewed genre tropes, deft character work, and an incredible eye for detail."

I still think they could have just namechecked David Lynch instead of listing so many of his works...

I can best describe this as a cross between Nancy Drew and Twin Peaks. The art style is reminiscent of Archer or Judge Parker, which adds to the nostalgic quality and to the historic setting. [I now feel obligated to state that it takes place in the 1980s and if you're mad I called that historic, I'm sorry.]

Dana Nance, daughter of lawyer Mr. Nance, is the leader of a detective club. She and her friends become involved in helping another teen investigate the disappearance of his father. Weird circumstances and murders start piling up and the group finds that there may be a lot more going on in their small town than they realized. Conspiracies, secret clubs, and some supernatural elements add a touch of weirdness.

Content warning: on-page violence and death

Amazing fantastical mystery graphic novel.
If you were to see an X-files episode written by Wes Anderson this is probably what you would get. The creepy fantastic theme, the well-thought-out mystery, the retro feel, and the off-beat dialogue with everyone wrestling to express their emotions it just perfect.
I didn't know I needed this, but I loved every moment.
Hobtown is not your traditional detective story, it is not typical fantasy, it isn't YA and yet the main characters are teens, it's kind of all of those things with a good layer of creepy and weird. Many independent, classic comics and underground works tread that path difficulty. I love weird, but I hate gross, and this graphic novel manages to hit all the right notes, being strange and uncanny, sometimes violent, but remaining surprisingly clean.
The relationships are interesting, the characters are unusual, and the story is different and complex - it was a pleasure to read. And the illustrations are amazing, so full of character! People's faces have a life of their own, the settings are so detailed and beautiful, like quaint postcards and the faded 70s colours give it a real personality. The atmosphere is everything in this graphic novel, breathing even more life into the story.
Would recommend to people who like the above-mentioned X-files, Wes Anderson, but also David Lynch and comics by Chris Ware.
This is a first volume and I am very much looking forward to getting my hands on the next installment.

Thank you, NetGalley!

I love the art style of this graphic novel, it looks so good. I also liked the story. It is about a weird town with weird characters. It did take me a couple of times to read it but I'm glad I did.

"Hobtown Mystery Stories Vol. 1" by Kris Bertin weaves an engaging narrative around a group of teenagers investigating the increasing disappearances in their small town. The captivating storyline, filled with secrets and untold stories, keeps readers hooked as they eagerly unravel the mysteries of Hobtown. Bertin's storytelling creates a compelling atmosphere that makes you crave more insights into the town's enigmatic past. Overall, a riveting graphic novel that successfully blends suspense and curiosity.

I enjoyed this graphic novel! The art was gritty and has a 90s comics vibe. The story was a decent horror mystery with a dark somewhat supernatural Nancy Drew tone.
Gotta love that it takes place in Nova Scotia, I don't think I have ever seen that before!
Thank you for the ARC Oni Press!

#HobtownMysteryStoriesVol1 #NetGalley

Thank you, NetGalley and Oni Press, for the early copy of this graphic novel series. First look, it brought back nostalgic moments. It was giving off an 80s comics vibe. Though there were some grammar lapses in the first few pages (We LOVES a good mystery around here) as an example, it still delivered the mystery. I was flipping through pages once I got through, as I am curious and wanted to know who's behind the missing people as well.

I love a plot twist when they're pursuing a different culprit, but there were some pacing issues for my taste. I also love the found family vibe, and the friendship vibe, though I'm shipping Dana and Pauline—I love the girl-love vibe with both of them and the family relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this and I am looking forward to the next volume in the series.