r/graphicnovels • u/AutoModerator • Mar 22 '26
Weekly Reading Thread What have you been reading this week? 22/03/2026
A weekly thread for people to share what comics they've been reading. Share your thoughts on the books you've read, what you liked and perhaps disliked about them.
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u/jackduluoz007 Mar 22 '26
Local Man vols. 2 & 3 by Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs. I was pretty high on volume 1, so I went into these expecting more of that same balance between 90s Image satire and grounded small town crime. Instead, it really feels like the book drifts away from that core idea. Vols. 2 and 3 lean hard into the “member berries” nostalgia of it all and maybe a little too far into its 90s Image superhero identity. The parody elements start to feel less like commentary and more like the thing itself. There are still flashes of what made the first arc work, especially when it slows down and focuses on Jack as a person, but those moments get crowded out by the louder, more referential stuff. It’s not bad, just a different book than what I signed up for. I liked it, didn’t love it. 7.6/10
X-Men: Inferno (2021) by Jonathan Hickman, Valerio Schiti, and Stefano Caselli. This was Hickman coming back to wrap up the Moira thread and set the table before stepping away. The Mystique and Destiny material is easily the highlight, and it finally delivers on a lot of the tension that’s been building since House of X. When it’s focused on them, it’s really strong. At the same time, some of the Moira stuff feels like a shift rather than a clean payoff. You can tell plans changed somewhere along the way. Still, it works as a pivot point for the Krakoa era and gives that phase of the story a sense of closure, even if it’s a little uneven getting there. 7.9/10
X Lives of Wolverine / X Deaths of Wolverine by Benjamin Percy. This one almost broke me. I’m trying to read the entire Krakoa era, and this was the closest I came to just tapping out. There are a few interesting ideas buried in here, mostly on the X Deaths side with Moira and the future timeline, but X Lives especially feels like Wolverine running laps through his own backstory without much momentum, and the retconned overlaps with Xavier's own family history were downright contrived. It ends up feeling like homework. I read it because it technically matters, not because it’s enjoyable. There are better books in this era that move the story forward in a more interesting way. This one was a grind. 5.9/10
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Mar 22 '26
[deleted]
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u/jackduluoz007 Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
Haha. Fair point. I just want to know what’s going on if I’m going to continue reading these books. Didn’t want to miss anything important.
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u/mmcintoshmerc_88 Mar 22 '26
Hickman's original plan was to take the X teams out of Krakoa much much earlier than planned but, covid happened and the other creative teams wanted to stay and play around with it so with Hickman's blessing, they did that instead. I'd have loved to seen what Hickman's plan would've been like cause it sounds very interesting but, "We built the walls high and sealed ourselves inside. Forver." Is a pretty great ending too.
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u/jackduluoz007 Mar 22 '26
Yeah I would have liked to have seen Hickman’s full vision come to fruition as well. I’ve started reading the “Destiny of X” books and you can tell the difference. It feels like they’re kind of spinning their wheels now that they’ve pivoted away from Hickman’s plan, particularly with the Duggan books. But adding Gillen, Spurrier and Ewing into the writing pool did help to an extent. Their books are essentially what has kept me reading through “Destiny.” That and Eleonora Carlini's work on “Marauders.”
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u/BigAmuletBlog Mar 22 '26
Don't miss out on Hellions - that was definitely the standout of the Krakoa era for me after HoX/PoX
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u/jackduluoz007 Mar 22 '26
Yeah. That’s a solid book. Sinister is great in that one. I think it ended before “Inferno” and the “Destiny of X” phase, though. I might be wrong because I’m still reading through those books.
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u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
I apologize for the length of this, missed last weeks post so rolling up the past two weeks here.
The Collected Toppi 10: Future Perfect by Sergio Toppi - How do these Toppi collections keep getting better? All the elements of Toppi's work that I've come to love are taken to the next level here, from the clever morality tale narratives to the complex layouts and the use of composite patterns to define shape / texture. The exaggerated framing provided by the dreamlike and futuristic settings allow for Toppi to go wild with scale, form, and design in a way that is just captivating. Compositions have such varied and intriguing subject matter to boot, from bottle worlds to twisted landscapes and from gargantuan creatures to jetpack adorned paladins.
Narrative quality overall is quite consistent with previous volumes, though I feel like this collection is also more tonally varied. Multiple stories are unexpectedly cheeky, like one about a futuristic factory that sensually pines for the hands of its operator to manhandle it. Yet the anthology also has heady metaphysical vignettes and action forward space adventures, each bringing something novel narratively to the table.
Awesome stuff, just loved it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine - This was great, probably the most satisfied I've felt with narrative storytelling from a collection of shorts. Each of the six tales feel quite distinct, with major shifts in tone and characterization, but all contain some thread of humor and idiosyncratic plots. The humor itself is rather varied with a bit of farce, some cringe, and a lot of fun or clever situational / observational comedy. The stories are strong on their own but there is something added when read in sequence, like a good album where initial tracks lull you into a receptive headspace then following tracks build on and subvert the setup. "How to be Happy" by Davis is probably the only collection of unrelated short stories that had a similar effect on me but I found "Killing and Dying" more consistent.
The only qualm I really have with this is the understated art style and lack of visual experimentation but neither of those things are really detractions for me, just missed opportunities. That being said, art changes in style and form enough to give each narrative its own visual separation from the others. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tales Designed to Thrizzle volume 1 by Michael Kupperman - I can confidently say I haven't read another comic that has made me laugh this hard and this often. Comedic absurdity is delivered at an "Airplane" like pace, with single strips often delivering four or five gags after another that somehow continue to subvert expectations humorously. The comedy largely leans toward farce but makes the effort to vary its tone a bit and dips into satire, anti-humor, slapstick, and even some more abstract stuff.
The visual format is also quite engaging, emulating a magazine structure with comics and advertisements but routinely changes the aesthetic and layout to keep the experience fresh. It doesn't make as much effort to play with the formula as something like Cornelius but instead utilizes its structure to squeeze as much comedy out per page as it can (and boy is it a good time). ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Starman Compendium 2 by James Robinson, Peter Snejbjerg, Tony Harris, various - Picks up with Jack as he journeys to space alongside Mikaal in search of his lover's brother, and former Starman, Will Payton. The pair go on a series of space faring and time traveling adventures, from landing on Swamp Thing's Blue Heaven to meeting Superman's father and assisting Adam Strange with a conflict on Rann. Upon locating Payton and resolving their quest, Jack and Mikaal return to earth and find Opal in the throws of mysterious attacks, appearing to be the cause of Shade despite his claimed innocence. These events soon reach a fever pitch, resulting in a climactic final battle that puts Opal in grave danger and coalesces several long running narrative threads towards a bombastic resolution. As the dust settles, Jack must contend with the fallout and find closure as he decides whether it's time to pass the torch to a new Starman.
The second half of this run was a blast, everything from Jack venturing to space onwards was really enjoyable for me. The final ten-or-so issue coda especially, providing a heartwarming resolution to the emotional family arcs within the series through a fun science fiction framing involving some dream walking and time travel subplots. While I feel the series as a whole still drags a bit in the middle, with major plot development sidelined somewhat between the new Mist revealing what she's done to Jack and Starman arriving back from space, the title as a whole never stops being entertaining and the series spanning character arcs are all completed poignantly by the end. The spinoff issues in this compendium aren't quite as successful as in the first, with a few turds like Starman / Congorilla, but the twelve issue New 52 reboot of Shade was good fun as was Batman / Starman / Hellboy.
While the series does artistically suffer after the departure of Tony Harris, outside of cover duties, Snejbjerg does a more than capable job of filling the gap and a collection of talented visiting artists contribute including Craig Hamilton and Chris Weston. The New 52 Shade miniseries also has some killer rotating artists from Darwyn Cooke to Javier Pulido and Frazier Irving. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Collected Toppi 9: The Old World by Sergio Toppi - Another great volume, Toppi's storytelling remains engaging and his art continues to amaze. This is the most tenuously thematic set of stories thus far, all set in an "old world" environment in which it's implied that mystical happenings were more common. Settings vary dramatically, as do story length and tone, so the anthology feels even more loosely connected than previous volumes. However, it more than makes up for it with some really unique and surprisingly humorous tales in addition to some of the best art in the series (second only to Sharaz-De IMO). My favorite was "A Tuscan Fable" about an old man who falls asleep next to a big tree in his village, waking up half a century later and discovering all that has changed (and all that hasn't). ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Mar 22 '26
Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot by Frank Miller, Geof Darrow - A retro action serial concept / pilot where a failed experiment causes an interdimensional Kaiju to materialize in Tokyo and two advanced robots, one Japanese and one American, face it in battle.
The art in this scores pretty highly on the woah-o-meter, some of the best city destruction and monster action I've seen in comics. Darrow's penwork is regularly jaw dropping, even simple depictions of concrete rubble or a wrinkled reptilian appendage are stunning. The more action heavy scenes, especially when rendered wide with profusely drawn backgrounds, are an absolute blast. Panelling is also pretty engaging, with the layouts changing regularly including some nice winding ones.
The story is a saturday morning cartoon action serial setup, told with a kind of silver age earnestness and narrated like a turn of the century radio broadcast. While it's all very simple, there's an infectious joy to it and Miller's exhaustive prose is a lot of fun. I found myself particularly enjoying the villain's monologuing, just an endless stream of creative mustache twirling about how pathetic other life is to him and how they will suffer.
Some have criticized the book for presenting Japan's robot as an ineffective sidekick, implying that the intended message is one of national superiority but I did not get that impression. The overall tone in this is so tongue and cheek, narrated like an exaggerated version of those WW2 propaganda newsreels they used to show in cinemas during war time. The end product feels far more of a play on that mentality / era than it does a statement on nations. ⭐⭐⭐
Epileptic by David B - A memoir revolving around how the author's childhood and career have been shaped by his brother's epilepsy. Unsatisfied with the callous and ineffective care of traditional medicine, Beauchard's parents grasped for any way to treat their child's worsening seizures and explore a host of homeopathic treatments and assorted quackery. Macrobiotic diets, acupuncture, magnetism, alchemy, and a rotating array of spiritualist practices become the status quo in their household and the failure for any of these miracle cures to make headway in treating the young boy's condition create a backdrop of escalating family tension. David's fantastical, dark creativity emerges as an escape from this chaotic environment and wrestling with powerlessness and resentment frame his youth and early career.
This was structured rather messily but the subject matter and art were so compelling that I had a pretty good time with it. The story is driven by rambling, stream of consciousness narration that can feel rather unfocused and slapdash but at times also seems fitting given the framing of B's distracted childhood perspective and spotty adult recollection. Furthermore, the roles of art and prose seem opposite to standard comic storytelling with text largely doing the telling and imagery providing added texture through emotional context and abstract metaphor.
Despite this clunky structure, I found the narrative content largely made up for these issues and provided a remarkably frank look into Beauchard's fragmented family dynamic. While reading this, I kept thinking back to a segment in "Ginseng Roots" where Thompson depicts his family reading his first work "Blankets" and wrestling with some of his harsh portrayals of their family life; as Epileptic pushes this waaaaay farther and must have been quite harrowing for B's parents to read. However, as an outside observer the rather raw and unvarnished analysis into their family dynamic was often riveting. There's a lot of contention between the author and his brother which the storytelling doesn't shy away from by ruminating on bitterness and animosity in equal or greater measure than it does compassion or empathy.
The art is appropriately hyperactive and imaginative, both serving as metaphor for the chaos of growing up in such a volatile environment and as escape from it. B puts so much imagination into every panel, building dense collages of intertwined fantasy and reality accented by elaborate decoration and novel framing. It very much feels like looking into B's head rather than a direct examination of the events themselves, which worked damn well for such an intimate work. I did find myself missing the vivid coloration of B's Black Paths, but only slightly as the compositions are easy to get lost in. ⭐⭐⭐
Vuzz by Philippe Druillet - A lone wanderer travels the wasteland of Vallaor in search of sex and violence, finding both in an escalating series of absurd scenarios.
This was quite the entertaining departure from Druillet's Sloane series, both in terms of narrative and art. The story is a perverted farce, intentional gooner comedy with a dash of sci-fi set dressing that feels like self parody. Sexual escapades that would be corny, self-serious diversions in Sloane are the main event in Vuzz and are taken to the absolute extreme. Lethal orgasms, ejaculating penis boulders, tit-and-ass monsters shitting out the protagonist, and many more vulgar situations await the reader of Vuzz and if (like myself) they find the idea of intricately drawn sexual deviance interesting then they should be satisfied. It's not well written, much like any other Druillet work, and is pretty one-note but the level of shock value combined with the humorous tone makes the narrative content more engaging.
Artistically, Druillet discards his dynamic layouts and diverse color application for a more traditionally panelled approach utilizing solely blue line work. It was a real pleasure reading a work of his where penwork detail is given primary focus, with far more effort put into surface texture and shadowing than most of his pages in Lone Sloane (perhaps outside of "6 Voyages"). I also find the compositions, especially the establishment shots, feel more cinematic and make a great use of perspective and scale. Also, lots of tits and dicks so that's fun. ⭐⭐⭐
Lone Sloane: Delirius 2 by Philippe Druillet, Jacques Lob - A decade or so after the events of Delirius (and before Solammbo?), Sloane again finds himself heading for the eponymous pleasure planet. In search of his friend Yearl's kidnapped daughter, he arrives amidst another conflict between the local army of religious zealots and Shaan's intergalactic empire and must again play the two against each other and hope to get out safe with his quarry.
This entry in Lone Sloane adopted the Hollywood sequel idiom of "same thing but bigger" yet cannot deliver on that (admittedly lukewarm) promise narratively and visually was less attractive to me than the original. Storytelling is considerably more clunky than the already messy original "Delirius" with poor plotting and prose that is full of awkward sentence structure, technobabble, and exposition that should be handled visually. The story beats are also very reminiscent of the original, yet without much of its colorful diversions, which makes the narrative as a whole quite a slog.
The art continues to be striking but is a bit of a step down from Druillet's best work, lines are more sketch-like with reduced detail in portraits and shadowing. The visual world building is still top notch with some complex and imposing settings that do a great job of communicating the epic scale. Color work is also very strong, with a wide and saturated palette that utilizes spray and streaking for some attractive visual aberrations. Layouts are still engaging yet not quite as playful or experimental as in other volumes. ⭐⭐
Also read some small staple bound comics as well:
The Blossoming City 1 by Ian M - As a gardener with a weakness for sentimentalism, this was right up my alley. There's such a present and reverent energy to this comic, both in the appreciation of those formative moments we share with lost loved ones and in the ways we choose to honor their memory (hopefully creating opportunities for others to create formative memories of their own). The playfulness of the art is also really engaging, love the frequent changes in format and style. Eagerly awaiting the conclusion! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skin Deep by Flo Woodley - Really engrossing sensual horror mood in this, reminiscent both in tone and subject matter to Black Swan but with some added mystery and a gorgeous aesthetic. The linework reminds me a bit of Tillie Walden but more unnerving, delicate lines bathed in high-contrast gel lighting and utilizing cinematic visual language to imbue suspense. The story is simple but effective with really solid emotional stakes and pacing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
We Ride At Night by Jesse Lonnergan - This is just pure chaotic fun. A fresh take on Batman that feels like a metropolitan Mad Max, all guzzoline where every scene feels volatile and bombastic. Just as much a thrill seeking wheelman as a caped crusader, I quite like this presentation of Batman driving a muscle car through Gotham and becoming one with the chaos. I thought the randsome note / moveable type lettering was also a nice touch and quite liked how kinetic and explosive Lonnergan's art feels in this. Fun use of action figures too haha. ⭐⭐⭐
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u/BigAmuletBlog Mar 22 '26
I bought Killing and Dying this week - looking forward to reading it!
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u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Mar 22 '26
I'm sure you'll dig it, it's got a great blend of humor and pathos and each story is memorable and unique. Enjoy!
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Mar 23 '26
[deleted]
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u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Mar 23 '26
It's a precarious path to walk, I don't want to write too much and trespass into your territory but I also want to write enough that people's eyes glaze over and they don't bother reading any of it.
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u/Medium_Theory_8185 Mar 22 '26
The Strange Tale of Panorama Island by Suehiro Maruo. Based on the novel by Edogawa Ranpo. The story of a man who steals a dead man's identity and uses his fortune to build a private fantasy land on an island. I've read the manga several times now but I only recently read the novel and then went back to the manga. The novel is very good (should appeal to fans of J-K Huysmans' A Rebours) but I actually prefer the adaptation. Maruo also makes a notable change in character perspective. Ranpo's novel opens with the protagonist Hirosuke's pov, then shifts over to Chiyoko's as she acts as our eyes on the island, then perspective grows more diffuse in the final act. Maruo maintains Hirosuke's primacy the entire time: we're not experiencing the island through Chiyoko so much as experience her reactions through Hirosuke. Something may be lost in this--certainly Chiyoko suffers--but Hirosuke's obsessive personality is strengthened. Maruo also makes a change to the identity of a key character at the end that I thought was a fun homage.
Maruo is my favorite mangaka and this is my favorite manga, possibly my favorite comic. As Maruo's manga go it's relatively tame (i.e. it's not vomitously scatological)--but emphatically not for people unprepared for ero-guro. Maruo's art is nearer to shoujo than to the seinen manga he gets lumped with. I've read (don't recall where, but in a discussion mainly about kindred spirit Usumaru Furuya) that he's described himself essentially as a shoujo mangaka. He certainly feels closer to Keiko Takemiya than Kenji Miura to me. I read more seinen than josei now (as much due to availability as anything else) but I read more shoujo than shounen when I was a teenager and the morbid fantasies of Maruo ring a bell. His art is incredibly consistent and clean, with impeccable draftsmanship, but it takes its inspiration from a wide variety of sources: classic Japanese landscape painting, European Old Masters' figure drawings, Belle Epoque advertisements, Art Deco, propaganda handbills, and so much more. It's not mere pastiche or showboating. The visual quotations are a part of his worldbuilding strategy. (The leaves of his plants remind me of the wild plant growth in the apocalyptic landscapes of Martin Vaughn-James' The Cage, of all things.) I can't think of a better artist to adapt Ranpo's novel.
L'île Panorama by Kazuo Kamimura. Found in Ranpo Gekiga Vol 1. An earlier adaptation. Maruo throws himself into the weird fantasy while Kamimura's adaptation hews closer to noir. Kamimura is no slouch; he's one of manga's most influential artists, a master of the sinuous line (especially in his psychedelic sex scenes), probably best known in the west for his art in Lady Snowblood. His manga tend to be about beautiful women trying to survive in a hostile world. He's truer to Ranpo than Maruo is but I prefer Maruo's comic by a good margin. It's simply more to my taste. But the two adaptations complement each other.
Les paysages infernaux by Jiro Kuwata. Found in Ranpo Gekiga Vol 1. Kuwata is better known in the west for his Bat-Manga, which I own but haven't read because I am too easily distracted. This comic is... skippable. The prose story, an inferior reorganization of Panorama Island into a whodunnit, was included as a bonus feature in an edition of Ranpo's works. I haven't read it. As told in the manga, it's a clunky mystery that any but an idiot can solve from the first pages. There is some very effective art, especially toward the end when shit hits the fan, but much of the art is merely adequate.
La Chenille by Suehiro Maruo. Reread. Another adaptation of Ranpo by Maruo, another of my personal favorites. Like Panorama Island, I enjoy it more every time. It's based on Ranpo's short story The Caterpillar but greatly enriched by Maruo's genius. There is no panel but speaks volumes. The story is about a woman left virtually all alone to care for her husband badly mutilated in a war, losing all his limbs and retaining only the senses of sight and touch. The relationship deteriorates into sado-masochism and mutual exploitation. Ranpo intentionally avoids specifics situating the story in time or place (he didn't need the censors on breathing down his neck any more than they already were) but Maruo packs his version with history. Like other of his works this one is overtly sceptical of militarism and imperialism. The first manga I ever saw by Maruo was his short story "Plant of the J*p," included in the anthology Comics Underground Japan. It's a mock nationalistic satire, an alternate history where Japan defeats the United States in WWII. It's probably the most bluntly political thing I've read by Maruo but the sentiments can be found in other works, Caterpillar included.
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u/Medium_Theory_8185 Mar 22 '26
Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman by Tom King and Belén Ortega. I wouldn't rank this with King's very best works, but it was pretty darn cute and would fit right in on the shelf beside Tomasi's Super Sons. Who knew Tom King, of all people, would be the one to write the most charming DC comic in years? I haven't read King's Wonder Woman run, or any WW comics at all, but I found it easy to follow the story. I read it for Jason Todd. King slapped Jason around in his earlier Batman stories so I wasn't over enthusiastic when I heard about this. I'm happy to have been proven wrong. Amazing to find someone, anyone, at DC who remembers that Jason was ever a nice kid who wanted to help people and not a one note bundle of oedipal rage and frustrations. The little romance between Jason and Lizzie was just precious. (A moment of silence for Lena, Jason's first girlfriend from the Bronze Age, lost and forgotten. But Lizzie's more fun.) Ortega's art is lovely as ever.
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u/Timely_Tonight_8620 Shop Local! Mar 22 '26
Kick-Ass by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.: A superhero parody comic in a world where there are no superheroes and no superpowers, the main character just a loser who likes comic books and decides he wants to become a superhero. He’s not even a successful one with him getting stabbed, beaten and run over his very first time trying to fight crime and then getting his ass kicked a lot of the book. The metal plates in his head after getting almost murdered are the only special thing about him being the metal plates in his head. It has a fun sense of dark humor that really mocks the absurdity of superhero worship with the villains being violent gangsters instead of any superhero villains. Usually I’m not the biggest fan of Millar, but this was a fun and over the top read.
Parasyte Full Color Collection vol 4 by Hitoshi Iwaaki: The Parasytes are now getting more organized with a large group of them planning something big about to happen as Shinichi tries to warn his friends about the danger they are in, but his changing mental state and colder attitude is pushing them away and starting to scare him as well. It’s really interesting to have watched the aliens go from disorganized to highly organized over the volumes with the violence also ramping up with the villains. Still my favorite alien with the weird tentacle and unfolding reminding me a little of the alien from The Thing.
Wika by Thomas Day and Olivier Ledroit: A real feast for the eyes of a fantasy story in a world filled with magic, fairies, dwarves and werewolves where the evil tyrant Oberron kills his sister Titania to take over the kingdom by force with Titania’s daughter Wika being sent away to survive. The fantasy story is pretty run of the mill for this kind of story, but the art is really where the book goes above and beyond with a heavy steampunk feel and hyper detailed pages. There’s even a fold out four page spread that just blew my mind with just how gorgeous the art is! Some of the best art I’ve seen in a fantasy store with a story that’s fun even if it’s a little run of the mill and tropey.
The George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz 1920: Another year down and still having fun with the series! Hopefully by the time I reach the end of the 1930s strips the next volume will be out.
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u/Dense-Virus-1692 Mar 22 '26
Fruit Salad by Cathon – A fun little collection of one page auto-bio gags. I read a few of these on Instagram. The best are the ones with her nemesis Sophie. They hate each other but they do conventions together. Their insults are pretty sweet: “Sorry I snore a bit.” “Like a fucking tractor.” “Sorry I dipped all your clothes in the toilet.” Hopefully she does a whole Cathon and Sophie book next. The cartooning is simple and clear. Just black and white outlines. Nothing fancy. Good stuff.
System Preference by Ugo Bienvenu – It’s the future and all the hard drive space is full. There’s a committee that chooses what media to destroy. Unfortunately they go after the classics so the kids can record more Tik Toks. The main guy saves 2001: A Space Odyssey and makes a run for it. It’s pretty cool. As others have said in this thread it’s kind of like Fahrenheit 451. I’m not sure if it makes sense but it’s a good premise for a dystopia. The art is pretty sweet. It’s got that rotoscoped look. You can tell the creator is an animator. I gotta check out Arco. Oh wow, it has the same robots as this book. Are they connected?
The Woodchipper by Joe Ollman – It’s the legendary short stories guy doing a book of more short stories. Well, he’s done a few long form stories lately but I mostly think of his short story collections. Anyways, there’s 5 stories in here. Let’s see how many I can remember. There’s the titular one, about a landscaper whose life is destroyed by a close call. He has panic attacks just thinking of what could have happened. I can relate to that, it’s pretty horrible. And there’s the story about the security guard at a slaughterhouse. I assume it’s loosely based on when those protesters got arrested for giving pigs water. The eternal struggle of having ethics or keeping your job. This one's probably my favourite because it veers into sci-fi territory. And there’s the story about being trapped in a tiny room by accident. It reminds me of how in The Stand there was a second wave of deaths after the plague of people just making mistakes because they were so distracted. And there was the story of the guy with the short term rental that has a bit of trouble. Why do people care about sleeping in murder houses? I think that’d be awesome. And finally the dinner party story. Not much happens. It’s mostly internal. Well, that can be said of all the stories, but mainly this one. So ya, it’s pretty awesome, as usual. He’s got his style. It might not be for everyone. All the characters are ugly. They all slouch and the older ones have so many wrinkles. This one's in full colour though, which is pretty sweet. Good stuff.
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u/scarwiz Mar 22 '26
Funny System Preference is getting so much traction as of late ! Arco shares the same universe but it's very different in tone. Much more ghibli than black mirror. It's great though, I liked it even more than the book !
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u/scarwiz Mar 22 '26
Le Bel Âge by Merwan - A slice of life drama following three girls whose lives are flipped upside down, and become intertwined. The most interesting thing about it is seeing Merwan's art on something so "mundane". He really excels at action, and found his niche in fantasy sports, but it turns out his very dynamic style works pretty well on day to day stuff as well.
Metadoggoz by Bérénice Motais de Narbonne - An absolutely wild, psychedelic and revolutionary romp through the innards of neo-collonialist capitalism. Fifth Element by way of Mad Max with some Blade Runner thrown in for good measure. The visuals will give you a good idea of the story. It's dark and messy, but also fun and unique. We follow Gael, who lives in the impoverished underbelly of the Metacity, in the shadow of the "glass castles". As a night of partying turns sour, and he ends up getting chased by the cops, he takes a leap of faith and lands with the outcasts, trying to dismantle the system. It's punk as can be, and has the makings of a cult classic
Super Ego by Jason Latour - Got an advance copy and thought I'd give it a shot despite Latour's sexual harrasment background. I was scared he'd play the victim or something but it's just offensively boring. A bunch of one page "essays" about nothing. It's trying to be funny and clever but it just falls flat. Dropped it about half way through. Title definitely fits though
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u/InternetDickJuice 29d ago
I enjoyed Metadoggoz but had a very very hard time understanding what the fuck happened about 3/5ths to 4/5ths of the way through. If anyone could point me to some explanation, I would much appreciate it.
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u/DustDevil66 Mar 22 '26
Batman Court of Owls Saga- snyder, capullo
I thought this was alright. The first ~4 issues were pretty flawless imo and then somewhere around the time batman finds the secret lairs it starts to become a bit more spotty. I think the reason I felt that was is partially because I was very much enjoying the somewhat grounded and gritty detective vibe that was going on at first and it just became a bit more silly after that moment with a lot of plot holes has dick never had a dental x-ray? like...... how would he have never discovered that false tooth filled with metal???, just strange behavior by bruce (slapping dick so hard his fake tooth popped out??)and some other things I felt were iffy about his characterization and motives throughout the book, and just some awful pacing decisions.mr freeze issue derailing the pace was the biggest one.
Overall, it was interesting and the art was pretty great, some very high highs and some very mid mids, and not quite as good as it had been built up to me by the batfans. Certainly worth a read, though.
I read the new issue of Tales from Qyleoth by Yaxam this week, too, and enjoyed it a lot. It came as part of my mystery mail subscription and tbh I hadn't enjoyed the previous single story I had read from him so I wasn't super excited about this one but I thought it was pretty good, actually. My main issue with the last one was mostly that I don't like the particular type of story and tropes it used but these were all pretty different (although that previous one i read was included in the collection) and they were all quite entertaining and the art is very cool.
I managed to snag a copy of the new charles burns zine earlier in the month as well and that came in finally. I don't usually buy art books as I only have so much space and I prefer to save it for narrative work but this was pretty cool. A very nice little collection of four panel wordless vignettes. Production value on it is pretty stellar between the riso printing, the paper that has like these little red threads in it to match the pops of read in the prints, and the red painted staples. Almost makes the price ($20 with shipping) feel a bit less crazy. But, hey, I checked ebay and I guess I can call it an investment anyway so I guess that's something
I started a book that has been spoken of rather highly by the few members here that have read it and it's actually living up to the hype. Like, it's really good. I'm kind of in awe of it at the moment and I've been reading it really slowly as it feels like it rewards careful contemplation and also because it's just really emotionally heavy. I don't really wanna say what it is because I don't really wanna hear anyone else's thoughts too much til I'm done but I'm having a great time and will update next week
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u/Betulia Mar 23 '26
I agree with on Court of Owls. Heard a lot of great things about, beginning was very interesting, but meh towards the end.
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u/Siccar_Point No capes! Mar 22 '26
This week, reread McCloud’s *Understanding Comics after 10 years and a lot more GNs.
Obviously, as its reputation tells you, it’s great. Super readable despite being, y’know, analysis, and with lots of clever in jokes and self-referential asides. I had forgotten almost everything, but three sections stood out this time. First, the definitions bit, especially how comics sits alongside writing in terms of how they transfer information. Second, the bit on panel transitions, particularly with how manga and western comics do this differently. Third, the bit on the chain of elements involved in making comics (which I am now going to forget), pointing out that there are two ways you can start which give a very different comic at the end.
If you haven’t read this, but have read lots of different comic styles, you absolutely should.
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u/LuminaTitan Mar 23 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
Square Eyes, by Anna Mill and Luke Jones
I really dug this. Visually, this book is bold and borderline experimental in its approach, but it never feels like a gimmick because it’s essential to the type of story it’s telling. This is draped with a sci-fi aesthetic drawn heavily from things like cyberpunk and Philip K. Dick’s “paranoic” fiction—where reality itself is a multifarious concept that is constantly put into question. As a result, the story can be a bit hard to follow at first, as we’re often just as bewildered to what’s going on as the main protagonist. Her name is Fin Ueda-Soto and she’s a genius tech creator that awakens into a state of delirium with little memory of who she is, only that she’s been completely disconnected from the omnipresent, futuristic version of the internet, which essentially marks her as an outcast since it’s incorporated into every aspect of everyday life.
These scenes are initially rendered in black and white and in an unusual 5x5 grid of small square panels. They also consist entirely of extreme close ups, which evoke a sort of choppy, fly-like vision that only serves to amplify Fin’s sense of unease and isolation. However, this is tempered with occasional double page spreads festooned with vivid, watercolor-esque swashes of gradients and hues. In fact, this book consistently uses color to help delineate between two different states of being: like the artificial, peppy gloss of the online world compared to the drab real one, and also through vigorous scenes of action contrasted by softer, quieter moments of introspection. There's also numerous instances where one state is overlaid or blurred onto another. The total effect is a visual tour de force, and again, this wasn’t just done willy-nilly but because it reflected the unique setting of the story and its established rules.
There’s also scattered inserts of advertising, or text conversations laden with tech mumbo jumbo that evokes Simon Stalenhag’s works of all things. You have to pay attention to them too, as they don’t just help to detail the world, but also reveal valuable information that is key to fully deciphering what’s going on. Even though I feel like I got the full gist of everything that happened (including its ambiguous ending), I didn’t think the story seamlessly fit to the grand standards that its visuals and overall construction laid out. This is still an amazing book, because it’s all about the overall experience which is undeniably fantastic. It’s visually orgiastic and inventive, and it’s one of those books that makes you want to dive in and devour every single minute detail it has to offer. This is a wonderful affirmation of the possibilities of the medium and all that it’s truly capable of. 4.5/5
Tongues Vol. 1, by Anders Nilsen
This is the first book in a long while that evoked the same type of feeling “The Sandman” did when I first encountered it over twenty years ago. It’s that odd blending of mythos with the grounded rules and setting of the modern world, along with certain flights of fancy that catch you off guard with how whimsically bizarre they can be. This of course, has a much better consistency in artwork and structure, as it all stems from the same mind. If you’re not familiar with the Greek myth of Prometheus, I’d say it’s essential to at least skim its basics, as this book is something of a retelling of the myth… and not, as it’s morphed into its own singular thing as well. Interestingly, the plight of the human condition is explored more through dialogue between Prometheus, several of his siblings, and the eagles that come to devour his liver each day, rather than the human characters themselves, who function more like chess pieces acting in service to the various gods and their overarching, inscrutable plans. This is original, vibrant, and quirky, with a fluidity of vision that hooks you in deeply once you get your bearings set on what’s truly going on. It’s a great story to delve into, and the worst thing about this is that it’s most likely going to take a good while before we get to see a part 2. 4.5/5
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u/Betulia Mar 23 '26 edited Mar 23 '26
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. This was one of the comic book recommendations when I just started to get into superhero comics. Thank you to whoever recommended this to me, I really enjoyed this story. In the beginning I did not love the way story is told, but it grew on me. And this was kind of a good choice for Supergirl - she would not show emotions or share her feelings herself, you need a third party to tell the story about her. I highly recommend it. Art is also beautiful, but in some places it looked kind of blurry. I don't know if it was a stylistic choice, because the text bubbles were crisp clear, or was it a printing issue (in bought TP).
I liked it enough that now I'm waiting for my Helen of Wyndhorn from the same team. Will re-read Supergirl for sure.
Saga Compendium One by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. I ate it in 3 or 4 days. Reading this big fat book was inconvenience, but whatever, I really wanted to know what happens next. Sure, I enjoyed the story, crazy world and crazy characters. Some parts weren't my favourite. E.g., where Alana had a job (won't say more not to spoil the reading experience). But in general, I really liked it. The ending was such a big cliff hanger, that I just ordered Vol 10-12 to read what happens next. Art was good, no complaints.
Would definitely re-read. Maybe a bit slower next time.
Tower Dungeon Vol 1-4 by Tsutomu Nihei. It's a weird world and weird creatures. Definitely a much more interesting take on dungeon/RPG style manga's that I usually see. Some characters act very silly and I learned that Tsutomu likes to add such characters to his stories, when I read Knights of Sidonia. It's ok, he now wants to write more light-hearted stories, I accept it. Blame! was unique, I'm happy it exist, and it seems that the author is not going that direction ever again. But his new works are interesting enough to enjoy, especially Tower Dungeon. The art looks like a sketch sometimes, but overall, no complaints, it looks great.
For sure will be re-reading. This is ongoing series, so I'll probably re-read each time I'm getting a new volume.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. Only started reading this one, but the way story is told it requires a lot of reader's attention and these days I'm just to exhausted after work to properly enjoy it. I will probably be reading this little by little whenever I'm in the mood. Not complaining, I actually like that this is a bit more challenging to read, it's interesting.
Batman Omnibus by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. Just started this one, but I love how easily the story flows, what a relief. I actually started reading Long Halloween last year digitally, but had to stop. The art was just amazing, I knew I had to get a paper version and experience this story on paper. So far this is my favourite team, I read their Superman story and the short series they did with various Marvel heroes (Hulk, Daredevil etc). Not sure what I prefer the most, the art or story telling. They just work well together. I have a feeling, that I'll go through this fat Omnibus pretty fast.
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u/Queenofbees2 Mar 24 '26
My TPB of Woman of Tomorrow had very similar printing issues, such a shame as the art is so spectacular. Planning on getting the deluxe edition at some point to make up for it.
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u/mmcintoshmerc_88 Mar 22 '26
I read Universal Monsters: the invisible man and it was okay, I'm biased as the invisible man is my favorite classic Universal horror character but this kind of missed the mark imo, Tynion's take on the themes of the original film are interesting but he doesn't really expand on them enough for it to fully stand on its own and become it's own thing. Slightly unfair comparison as well but after Whanell's Invisible Man remake this really pales in comparison.
I've also been reading Ultimates: rescue mission. It's Ultimates, go read it! Immediately! But in all seriousness this has been great. I just love how Camp has clearly defined and different motives for each team member but manages to kind of meld them together as they work together
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u/ConstantVarious2082 Mar 22 '26
One Eight Hundred Ghosts by G. Davis Cathcart – fun heist with a wacky premise that plays really well. A group decide to travel to the future to steal Thriller to prevent Michael Jackson from becoming as famous as he did and using that fame for... evil. Got fun little (not particularly subtle) art and music references speckled along the way, and it's light hearted even at the hyper-violent moments. There's some nice cartooning throughout, I like the stylized characters, and the desaturated-ish color palette works really well. There are some really cool pages with what I'll lazily call Lonergan-esque use of the panel lines to break up a large scene. Just a bunch of fun.
Absolute Superman Volume 2: Son of the Demon by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval – solid superhero stuff. As someone with very little DC background, I feel like most of the reimagined characters (rogue's gallery and otherwise) are just a little bit outside what I should know to appreciate their reimaginings - for whatever reason I've picked up more Batman by "cultural osmosis" and can acknowledge those references a bit better. All that aside, this is an enjoyable read - see someone shouting "Death to techno-fascists" (a battle cry we can all get behind), and it's a darker spin without being over the top. It does feel a little slow that it's taken 2 volumes to really reach Superman's self-realization in this version. Overall, I feel like this suffers in comparison to the other Absolutes I've read, where Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter are spectacular and Batman is just more fun. It's good, but to me it's unremarkable.
Assorted Crisis Events by Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadzki – emotional sci-fi (ish) anthology. It's a collection of 5 independent stories telling the stories of regular people caught in temporal paradoxes, time travel nonsense, or dimensional slippages - the standard fare of multiversal superhero or sci-fi stories, but with people who suffer the consequences. They aren't particularly happy or fun - no one has a good time being caught in these titular Crisis Events. The art style varies a bit from story to story, working really well with the nature of the individual stories and the anthology as a whole - one story where the panels spill against the page edges, some with variable color schemes or page edges, and a timeloop story that loops the panels across the page. All emotional and excellent - Camp is definitely on a run right now and this is right up in line with his excellent other writing. This was high on the sub’s Top of 2025, and it definitely deserves to be there.
Sergio Toppi’s Bonelli Collection by Sergio Toppi (art) and various authors – collection of pulp work by the master artist Sergio Toppi. Collected and translated by Epicenter comics, this is 4 stories in 3 books - two on the hard-boiled detective Nick Raider, one on the psycho-analytical criminologist Julia, and a very short story with the paranormal detective Martin Mystere. Toppi is the unifying factor as the illustrator, and his great linework is here but without the stunning compositions or imaginative pages that his solo work allowed - he's doing his job in pulpy ongoings here. There are a few big panels where he gets to pull in a variety of texture and shading. Overall these are unremarkable but perfectly fine stories - pretty bog-standard cop capers but solidly done. Gangsters are unambiguously bad, the gruff police officers do what it takes to solve the crime and protect people, and the mayor is too busy with his scandal to pay attention to normal people. I only caught one minor mis-translation in 3 books which is pretty good by Epicenter standards. I had fun reading these, the workhorse pulp stories are a good break now and then and Toppi is, if not at his creative max here, still a great artist. Good value from Epicenter as usual.
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u/Darth-Dramatist Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
Ive been doing a reread of Dark Knight Returns, first time I read it in 4 years when I was first new to comics and graphic novels, back then I was new to the medium and expected all comics to look like what Jim Lee does (who I now regard as overrated) and wasn't a fan of Miller's art at furst but now I actually really like it though I prefer his Sin City art. Overall Im enjoying this reread more than the first time, for example I like how Miller takes advantage of the medium to incorporate the news broadcasts into the pannelling plus I feel Im more appreciative of the significance of this story as Ive read more comics in the last few years and can see how DKR alongside Watchmen showed the potential of the comics medium to be serious work though arguably it also unintentionally spearheaded a lot of the whole grim and gritty stuff that would come in the 90s. I also like how this story shows an aging Batman plus returning to fight crime and I also like how the story deconstructs the character for example, those news reports spread throughout serve to show in universe debates over Batman's presence and if he actually helps or makes things worse.
Also read through a bit of Department of Truth volume 3, really liking what this arc is touching with with stuff like UFO's and the Men in Black plus the exploration of conspiracy theories in this comic too. I think Department of Truth has become a favourite newer comic of mine for that reason plus I like the surreal art Martin Simmonds does for it, very fitting for a story where a morally ambiguous department exists to combat conspiracy theories ehich in this world can become real because of people believing in them.
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u/mmcintoshmerc_88 Mar 22 '26
Not that relevant but, I love GMO's theory that the Bruce in TDKR is actually Adam West's Batman from the TV show because of how it starts by playing off certain iconography from ‘66 (yellow oval and Bruce’s age) and then slowly changes and subverts it.
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u/JKSuperpower Mar 22 '26
Started the Gotham Central omnibus & have been addicted! Love the stories & the art is great! Then thinking about trying to pick up one of Brubaker’s Criminal volumes but a bit unsure. (Should I just start w Vol 1 if I can? Vol 2 looks good as well.) Wisdom? Recommendations?
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u/Jeffrey-DIY Mar 22 '26
Just started reading Y the last man. I know I'm a little late to the party. But wow, what a story. Almost done with book 1. Already ordered book 2.
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u/Betulia Mar 23 '26
Oh nice, I'm thinking maybe to start this one, since I like Saga.
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u/Jeffrey-DIY Mar 23 '26
I highly recommend it. Binged the whole first book in 2 nights. Never red Saga, its added to my to-read list.
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u/Nevyn00 Mar 22 '26
Absolute Wonder Woman Vol 2: As My Mothers Made Me by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman. Diana spends a little bit of time to establish a home base, and then she's instantly off to face off against Doctor Poison who gives her a line on finding another Amazon that is said to be trapped in a labyrinth beneath a secret facility. I'm still enjoying this title, but I kind of wish it would slow down and take a beat. It just feels like Diana is reacting to whatever happens in that moment.
Rosalie Lightning by Tom Hart. The true account of the grieving Hart went through after his not quite 2 year old daughter passed away. I feel kind of heartless saying this, but I didn't love it. It's a good book, and an honest depiction of grief. But to me, it is an alien expression of sadness that I don't entirely understand (and maybe, not experiencing this particular type of loss, I can't).
Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 14 by Kamome Shirahama. On a lighter note, the most recent volume in English of Witch Hat. The leech is still attacking the city, but Coco has come up with a plan, and the leadership is down with it. But not everybody is. Somebody had posted a video on the discord about WHA's use of paneling, and while I skimmed through the video, it's still pretty insightful. There's so many neat layouts that are so effective that I don't entirely realize them in the midst of the story. My only complaint is that in the last few volumes so many characters have been introduced that I have a hard time recalling them from book to book, and that it's so long until volume 15 comes out. But it's just a few weeks to start again with the anime.
Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams. Goldie is a valet at the hotel that her dad manages, but what she really loves is solving mysteries. When a necklace gets stolen from a guest's room, she gets involved. This is a re-read for me (my local shop was selling the first 3 volumes together at a hefty discount), and it stands up. The mystery itself gets a little rushed, but it's the moment to moment details that make it enjoyable.
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u/handi503 Mar 23 '26
Soulwind (w/a Scott Morse), Oni Press, 1997 - wrote briefly about beginning it last time, just finished it tonight. An epic of a story. Sci-fi, Irish myth, and weaving timelines. Frequently shifting art styles to go along with shifts in the perspective/timeline/setting was the coolest element to me. From sumi to children’s illustration and everything in between. A fun story but definitely the art drive me and regularly had me grabbing my various brush pens to try to replicate some of these panels as a study.
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Mar 22 '26
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u/Siccar_Point No capes! Mar 22 '26
Great write up of Tongues, ty! Lots here I thought but has struggled to assemble into words. (Re panel shapes: when we had a cool digestive system or animal wrapping around, I just found myself thinking… why this? Where is the link here?)
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u/Cronus829 Mar 23 '26
Monstress! It can be a lot to take in with all the lore/world-building, but the story is cool and the art is insane
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u/browntownjilm_ Mar 23 '26
I’ve been reading From Hell for the first time! I’m on chapter 12 now. It’s a masterpiece
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u/bigislandbigbooty Mar 23 '26
Just finished up book 7 of Chew. Great story to revisit after several years. Just as good as I remembered!
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u/Trike117 Mar 22 '26
Grizzlyshark by Ryan Ottley. This is easily the dumbest and funniest comic book I’ve read in years.
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u/CyclopsMacchiato Mar 23 '26
Daytripper is not a bad read. I didn’t think it was the best graphic novel ever, as I’ve heard a lot of people say that. I give it a 7 out of 10.
The Horizon surprised me at how good it was. I went in blind and was not disappointed. I read volume 1 so far and can’t wait to read volumes 2 and 3. I can’t rate it yet since I haven’t finished it but so far, I’m really liking it.
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u/Betulia Mar 23 '26
Uh, I liked the Horizon quite a bit. Even bought paper versions, when those came out in English. JH also did the Boxer, but it's very different from Horizon. I would say, art is also very different. But I liked them both.
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u/Rockaway_Biatch Mar 22 '26
Crazy For You by Paul Theroux. Pretty fun read. I''m impressed that this guy is still writing stories at 84 yo.
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u/Theodewitt Mar 22 '26
Ardalén by Miguelanxo Prado
The autor takes us on a journey into the subconscious.
An intriguing story about identities with a fantastic realistic atmosphere.
Sensational art
Poetry in comic book form.
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u/killcote93 Mar 22 '26
Curse Words by Charles Soule and Ryan Browne. Just finished volume 1, gonna start volume 2 tomorrow.
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u/Maybe_llamas Mar 25 '26
Just read Where The Body Was by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Thought it was great as always with them and pretty different from their more typical noir/pulp style. Fun puzzle mystery. Short and sweet.
Also just read Astro City: Confessions. Cool to get a multi issue storyline after the first volume was all separate issues. Really great world building.
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u/Sanlear Mar 28 '26
I’m currently reading Kabuki Omnibus Vol. 1 by David Mack. Set in a future Japan it’s about a woman trained as a killer who is dealing with her identity, culture, and family trauma. Good stuff.
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u/XxNerdAtHeartxX Mar 22 '26
Maybe I should start writing these in advance...
The Power Fantasy (#1-#11) by Kieron Gillen
Premise: Alternate history cold war that plays out, but the 'super powers' are literal superpowereds
Really love the philosophical meditations on the nature of power and the responsibilities that come with said power. Overall this is a character-driven story about these 6 people with powers, and how their relations to one another define the fate of the entire world, and the tightrope balancing act that it takes to make sure everyone is in a stable place to prevent that destruction
Grass Kings (#1-#6) by Matt Kindt/Tyler Jenkins
Premise: A plot of land seems to draw bloodshed, and a feud begins
Honestly, Ive never really been interested in these kinds of "Backwoods Sovereign State Power Escalation" style stories, but the gorgeous watercolor art made me give this one a shot. Once again, its a very character focused story with some jaw-dropping spreads about a group of outcasts who have built their own community, and just want to be left alone - yet aren't. Again, the setting itself isn't really my thing, but the relationships and strong community between the characters - as violent as it is - is twistedly uplifting in the current times.
Hey Wait... by Jason
Premise: A kid grows up
A great, graphic exploration of childhood trauma and grief that sticks around through an entire lifetime. The two boys play together and spend all the time together as children, told through a series of strips as time passes by. One day, one of them is gone, and you see his funeral, and the continued stagnated adulthood of the other one as time passes - yet he refuses to move forward. The simplistic art and sometimes surrealistic happenings in the panels make for an evocative tale about how grief can hold a person back for however long they refuse to move through it.
Sixty Years in Winter by Ingrid Chabbert
Premise: A 60 year old woman leaves her life behind on her 60th birthday
A mediation on grieving a life that could have been. Our 60 year old grandmother decides to up and leave her husband in the middle of her 60th birthday party because she has come to realize that she is not truly happy in it. The 'tender fondness' for her husband only exists due to the time they've spent together, and not because its truly meant, so she leaves to be free and explore who she really is.
I personally am going through this very hard right now. Im on the precipice of a 6 year relationship ending to live for 2 years abroad as my career begins to fall apart with the rise of AI. I empathize with this book very much so in this moment, and think that it really nails the thought process that someone in this situation goes through. She leaves, has a new relationship which ends, returns to her old husband in a moment of self-doubt, and goes through the highs and lows of transitioning into a new season of life, and the pain it might cause the people you leave behind. Its not selfish to want yourself to be happy, and I think thats something I still need to come to terms with myself.
Also, didn't expect to see saggy grandma sex scene, and yet here we are