Jill and the Killers

I loved this. The characters are perfectly drawn, believably real teenagers presented in a glossy style. The story line mystery draws you in. It’s like a modern Teenage Nancy Drew with friends mystery crime series. Jill Estrada is trying to recover from her mum’s disappearance or possible death. Returning to school she finds her friends are now into solving true crimes. Buying a subscription game offering the chance to solve a crime is the start of something bigger than Jill could imagine. At the end of this complete story, the reader is given an idea that there are lots more crimes to solve for Jill and her friends to solve, and maybe an answer to what has happened to Jill’s mother. Having read this first volume this is one series of comics I want to read to the end. Thank you to ONI Press and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Jill and the Killers” is an engaging graphic novel reminiscent of TV crime dramas by Olivia Cuartero-Briggs, beautifully illustrated by Roberta Ingranata. The story follows Jill Estrada, a teenager grappling with the mysterious disappearance of her mother while trying to navigate the complexities of returning to school and reconnecting with her friends.

The plot centers around a game called "Box Killers," a subscription service that delivers monthly "unsolved cases" tailored to its subscribers. Jill, hoping to repair her fractured friendships, joins her friends in solving the game’s mysteries. However, they soon realize that the clues provided in the game are connected to actual disappearances in their town. As the line between game and reality blurs, Jill and her friends must work together to uncover the truth before another person goes missing. The story reminded me of a TV crime pilot episode, and I can definitely see this being a series you can binge in one night.

The artwork is one of the standout features of this graphic novel. Ingranata's illustrations are visually stunning, with a glossy style that brings each character to life. The facial expressions are particularly noteworthy (though there were facial expressions at times that looked a little odd), capturing a range of emotions that add depth to the storytelling. The backgrounds are particularly noteworthy as they are just filled with life and have all these little details that are fun to take notice of as you’re reading. I also really liked the LGBTQIA+ representation in the story with diverse characters and relationships that are woven seamlessly into the story, which I think many readers will like, especially younger readers who may relate to the characters.

The story reminded me of a modern teenage Nancy Drew mystery, filled with suspense and unexpected twists as well as some cliches, such as the stupidity of the police in a small town, which is an extremely common trope in crime TV. The blend of mystery, family drama, and teenage friendship creates a compelling story that keeps you engaged, especially with the background of Jill’s mother’s disappearance. The exploration of trauma, particularly Jill's struggle with her mother's disappearance, adds emotional depth to the plot, making it more than just a simple crime-solving adventure.

However, the dialogue in Jill and the Killers is a mixed bag. While I did really appreciate the quirky humor (I actually found myself laughing at loud at times), some of the dialogue was cringeworthy and out of place. The language choice can sometimes detract from the overall storytelling experience, making certain parts difficult to get through.

Despite these shortcomings, Jill and the Killers is an enjoyable read with a well-paced storyline and plenty of intrigue. The book does an excellent job of wrapping up its main plot while leaving enough open-ended questions to set up for future installments, hinting at more mysteries for Jill and her friends to solve. This first volume lays a strong foundation for what should be an exciting and binge-worthy series.

I’ve really been enjoying all the graphic novels I’ve read this year and Oni Press has really been on form so had to ask for this as soon as I saw it.

Jills mum is a detective in a small town and she’s gone missing and Jill has been away from her friends for a year and pushed them away and now is trying to get all that back.

Unfortunately a package arrives that Jill thinks is for her as she signed up for a murder mystery package to be one of the group, but it’s not quite the package they were expecting and this takes them down a rabbit hole of a real unsolved murder as the package was meant for Jill’s mum.

Quite a hilarious bit about not understanding the language being used by her peers from being away for a year in there.

Full of twists and turns, red herrings, false trails, and really well observed behaviour in the friendship group. Secrets and regrets fill this book from start to finish.

This is all magnificently supported by a very dynamic and colourful art style, making the world that the story is set in all the more believable.

Looking forward to this world continuing, just wait for the last panel 😉

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.