As a ’90s kid, knowing of The Lawrence Brothers kind of comes with the territory. From Oliver & Company, Mrs. Doubtfire, Recess, and of course, Brotherly Love, Joey, Matthew, & Andrew Lawrence were part of my childhood. Now, the brothers have teamed-up with artists Dario Formisan and Sean Von Gorman for The Lawrence Brothers: Detective Agency, a darkly funny graphic novel where they are reluctant heroes battling a conspiracy.
Set against the surreal backdrop of a corrupted Hollywood, The Lawrence Brothers Detective Agency is a satirical fever dream about identity, memory, and the absurdity of pop culture. Think Scooby Doo meets Barry meets Bojack Horseman. Except instead of searching for criminals they are searching for lost child stars… with cameos from some of your favorite actors from the 90s!
I did not know what to fully expect heading into reading The Lawrence Brothers: Detective Agency, a brother trio of actors working together on a comic, featuring themselves, saving the day. Hmmmm. But damn, what a fun trip down memory lane, but also a damn exciting mystery to boot. What made this an easier chance to take was The Berkowitz Brothers scripting the story for the graphic novel, Max & Ben Berkowitz are the co-writers (along with Josh Gad) of The Writer, which was a hit over at Dark Horse. Having published writers along for the ride, helped nudge me in the right direction.
What could’ve been an “oh look at us, we are writing a story about us as actors” turned into a satirical, darkly humorous, and absurd comic featuring this brothers solving a crime, all while taking shots at themselves and their acting careers. The brother’s ability to make fun of themselves a bit, while telling a compelling story that has you turning the pages was surprising, but in the end a lot of fun. It’s one of those stories that could’ve been cringeworthy, but ultimately turned out to be one of the more fun experiences reading a graphic novel this year.
The Lawrence Brothers: Detective Agency was not only this fun and mysterious crime-solving story, it had a real touch of horror to gone along with it. There were some ultimately terrifying moments, while also humorous, just adding to my love for the story. It’s a tale that had a great ending, an absurd one at that, but one that makes me want to read more adventures from Joey, Matthew, and Andrew.
The team adding in a few familiar faces from my childhood was also a bonus, not to mention a few scenes from televisions shows and movies that had me reminiscing of years gone by. I am sure crafting this story was a lot of fun for The Lawrence Brothers, not only because they get to tell a fun story, but because they were able to look back on their careers and put in nods to certain memorable (both good and bad) moments along the way.
Formisan and Von Gorman capture the absurdity of The Lawrence Brothers: Detective Agency with ease. The artwork style works perfectly for this story and draws you into each and every panel, adding another layer to the darkly humorous story at hand.
The Lawrence Brothers: Detective Agency is not a story I had on my bingo card for 2026, but damn am I glad I read it. The Lawrence Brothers, Berkowitz Brothers, Brian Yuran, Sean Von Gorman, and Dario Formisan deliver an absurd, funny, dark, and enjoyable story that was part nostalgic and part mystery with The Lawrence Brothers: Detective Agency. Now, what mystery is next for Joey, Matthew, and Andrew to solve.
The Lawrence Brothers: Detective Agency hits local comic shops and bookstores everywhere on September 29, 2026 from Z2 Comics.
The Lawrence Brothers: Detective Agency Preview
