Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Marcos Martin and Muntsa Vicente
Published by Panel Syndicate
Growing up in the late 1970s, I adored Donald J. Sobol’s Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective series as a kid. 21st-century kids probably don’t have the pleasure of knowing about this mind-boggling mystery series for younger readers.
Still, for the 60s, 70s, and 80s kids, the adventures of Leroy Brown and his bodyguard Sally Kimball were eagerly devoured with glee. For those unfamiliar with Leroy Brown, he was a child detective, a genius on par with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Brown and Sally often assisted the town’s local police chief in solving many crimes.
Ed Brubaker’s Friday reimagines the world of Leroy Brown and Sally Kimball as young adults.
With many years of magical and mysterious adventures, the pair are now college-aged, struggling to find their place in the modern world and define their burgeoning sexual and romantic relationship. In the world of Friday, Lancelot Jones is the stand-in for Leroy Brown. Friday Fitzhugh is Lancelot’s version of Sally Kimball.
Friday Fitzhugh spent her childhood solving crimes and digging up occult secrets with her best friend Lancelot Jones, the most intelligent boy in the world.
But that was the past; now, she’s in college, starting a new life independently.
Except when Friday comes home for the holidays, she’s immediately pulled back into Lance’s orbit and finds that something strange and dangerous is happening in their little New England town.
Sometimes when I see the cover of a book, I know immediately if I will love or hate the contents within. (Yes, I know that one should not judge a book by its cover. But hell if I know, it has worked for me!) Friday was one of those books.
Brubaker crafted a brilliant tale that immediately brought me back to the world of Encyclopedia Jones, Harriet the Spy, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys. Martín’s and Vincente’s art was haunting and beautiful and completely immersed me into Friday’s and Lancelot’s world.
Friday so far is my favorite book of 2022 and is worth checking out. Jump in and solve the mystery!
Final Score: 5 out of 5 stars.
