The Brownout Murders is a noir graphic novel set in Melbourne in the early 1940s. With the threat of Japanese invasion, a ‘brownout’ (less dark version of a blackout) has been ordered across the city. We follow Beatrice, a volunteer air raid warden, and her two sisters, as they attempt to go about normal day-to-day life in the middle of active wartime. With the arrival of US GIs stationed in Australia, women start being murdered.
The novel’s intended readership is unclear. At times, it appears to speak down to the audience as though we were children, while at the same time dealing with themes that aren’t suitable for young people. This isn’t due to the fact of it being a graphic novel, but rather how the plot progresses in the written format. It’s also relatively short and hence hard to build connections to the characters and feel sympathy for them.
The twist is also entirely predictable and Beatrice’s sisters are portrayed as caricatures.
Often, when creatives utilise the graphic novel medium, it’s to strengthen the narrative. In the case of Maus by Art Spiegelman and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, the horrors are displayed more vividly; you can’t ignore the atrocities that are happening on the page before you. In comparison, The Brownout Murders feels sanitised and removed.
Of course, one doesn’t need to see graphic depictions of femicide to feel connected, but the expressions are muted and at times it appears as if the artist is going for realism over properly conveying emotion. Additionally, many of the panels appear stiff, as if mannequins had posed for the scene, rather than a character to connect to. Sometimes, the appearance of multiple characters blends together and it can take a moment to realise who each is supposed to be.Â
Read: Book review: Eden, Mark Brandi
Creating a graphic novel is no easy feat and, with the genre growing across the world, it’s about time that Australian publishers pushed more Australian graphic novelists into the limelight. If you’re interested in learning more about this period in Melbourne’s history, The Brownout Murders will help dip your toe into it, but that’s perhaps all.
The Brownout Murders, Luke C Jackson and Kelly Jackson, illustrated by Maya Graham
Publisher: Scribe
ISBN: 9780733649356
Format: Paperback
Pages: 211pp
Release date: 25 June 2025
RRP: $32.99
