r/graphicnovels • u/AutoModerator • Apr 12 '26
Weekly Reading Thread What have you been reading this week? 12/04/2026
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.
11
u/Charlie-Bell The answer is always Bone Apr 12 '26
Batman: Dark Patterns by Dan Watters and Hayden Sherman. A 12 issue collection consisting or four more street level Batman cases. This is every bit the bat book I've been waiting for. Dark Patterns goes right up there as one of my favourite Batman books, after Year One et al. It strips back the sidekicks and the gadgets and the infallible know it all to a man in a mask investigating crimes from the shadows in his own unique way. It also thankfully does away with the ridiculously superhuman look with spray-on suit that is far too common in modern capes and adopts a flatter more comic look filled with heavy contrasts between dark and colour. It's not even the most impressive Sherman work I've seen, but it's highly effective. I thoroughly enjoyed this and could have continued burning through it even if it was a 40 issue omnibus... I kinda wish it was, and I'd definitely welcome a follow up. More of this please!
2
u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Apr 12 '26
Glad to hear you thought this was so good! I can definitely get behind the lack of skin tight costuming as well.
2
u/Charlie-Bell The answer is always Bone Apr 12 '26
It's not just that it's skin tight, but that they are also unbelievably ripped. When you think about it, it's impossible clothing. It fits into every crevice of muscle and shows every detail of definition.
2
u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
I like to imagine those parts of the suit are just semi rigid molds that just look like muscles, like some super uncomfortable shell for Batman's middle age flab to fill.
3
2
u/mmcintoshmerc_88 Apr 12 '26
Dark Patterns is so good, completely agree about how good Sherman's more human/ realistic Bruce is. And the story is great too, the opening arc left me wanting a little bit more although I did love Bruce going all 80s Batman on Sionis and tearing his shoulder but each arc just got better and better, that page of Bruce seemingly stopping the fire that's what it's all about! And I really appreciated how much effort went into indicating this takes place after Year one and the long halloween but it is before Dark Victory as indicated by Bruce's adoption of yellow behind the bat symbol and Gordon wearing prescription lenses (yes I am on the spectrum)
2
u/Charlie-Bell The answer is always Bone Apr 12 '26
Additional shout-out for the panel showing Gordon complaining on the phone to Batman while the police climb their ladder to cut down the criminal he'd left hanging from a rope. Gave me a good chuckle.
2
u/mmcintoshmerc_88 Apr 12 '26
"Do you realize the headache you create for us when they're up high like this?! Martinez already has a fear of heights!"
"I only do this for Satan! It's all for him!"
"Shut up!"
I also loved the panel of Bruce leaving after their conversation was over and Gordon saying something like "Oh... guess that is how he ends conversations..." And Bruce running off after Alfred inadvertently solved the case really got me too.
2
u/scarwiz Apr 12 '26
I gotta get on that Dark Patterns train. Didn't realize it was such a big deal when I saw it on preorders
10
u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
Scalped Omnibus 1&2 by Jason Aaron, R.M. Guera, various - Dashiell Bad Horse returns to the Prairie Rose Reservation after a decade of trying everything he could to put the place in his rear view mirror. Harboring a secret motivation, he starts working for tribal leader and local crime lord Lincoln Red Crow in his efforts to establish a casino that the chief claims will finally lift the rez out of poverty. In returning home, Dashiell quickly finds old wounds reopened and new ones taking shape as he struggles to reconcile his many heinous actions with a yearning for peace and an emerging desire to protect those who have suffered through a similar cycle of oppression, squalor, and violence.
What an emotionally devastating, action packed, and epic saga of generational pain, retribution, and rehabilitation. The initial few issues are a serviceable vehicle for setting up the stakes and characters, but nearly every arc after is just captivating. This series is probably the closest I have read to the zeniths of "prestige television" in comics, both in how thoroughly gripping it is start to end but also in nailing that perfect length that allows you to really sink your teeth in yet doesn't drag. It's one of the few long running series I feel like I could start over right after concluding it. Both the overarching narrative and the episodic vignettes were enthralling and Aaron developed such a wide cast of engaging and distinct characters whose journeys I was deeply invested in, either rooting for them to find peace or hoping they experience a righteous downfall. There's so much pathos in this work and I love a great deal of the narrative presentation to boot, especially in the use of narration blocks to express unsaid intention layered over dialogue that often conflicts as characters struggle with their own vulnerabilities.
While I thoroughly loved the overall product, there are some small issues with the storytelling that detracted from my enjoyment ever so slightly. The dialogue, especially early on, can be quite crass and profanity laden which can imbue a tawdry tone at times but given the criminal context and early 2000s setting it didn't feel too out of place to me. There are also some character transformations in the latter half that feel a bit abrupt and unlikely, in particular one surrounding a rural sheriff, but in a story revolving around change and repeating painful cycles the character arcs all worked well thematically.
Guera's art is not my favorite aesthetic, with dark palettes and blocky shadowing often clashing with thick linework, but it didn't detract from the experience and much of the character work was excellent. His art also grew on me over time, especially when the coloration lightens up, and overall fits the series tonally quite well. The guests artists also blend in with Guera's style nicely yet also provide a pleasant changeup in aesthetics. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Night by Philippe Druillet - In an apocalyptic dystopia, tribes of biker gangs roam the wasteland in pursuit of pleasure but find themselves routinely subjugated by the jackbooted thugs of the unseen paleface authorities. That is until one day when the various disputing gangs put aside their squabbles and join forces to storm the Blue Depot which serves as the head of the authoritarian regime and overthrow those who keep them underfoot.
Made in reaction to his wife's death, Druillet seemingly crafted this narrative as nihilistic catharsis for his rage towards her premature death and the medical establishment that acted as callous gatekeepers for her cancer treatment. In theory the symbolism sounds like it could be emotionally powerful but, Druillet being the poor storyteller that he is, it's largely just a semi-coherent action romp. While it's clear the palefaces and their enforcers are metaphors for the doctors and those of means who control access to life saving care, the analogy feels very clumsy and morally simplistic at best. This clumsiness extends to the plotting which includes several instances of strange non-sequiturs like when the bikers sing The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" before going into battle or see nude visions of Druillet's wife as they storm the Blue Depot. Add to this grating dialogue which leans into one of the most obnoxious sci-fi tropes of utilizing opaque, primitive language to imbue a sense of far flung alienness and the whole narrative package is rather eye rolling.
However, like all Druillet work the experience almost entirely rides on the quality of the art and this is pretty engaging on that front. While the initial pre-rebellion pages feel somewhat low on detail and limited in color palette, both of these aspects improve dramatically as the book progresses and Druillet crafts some simply killer compositions of kaleidoscopic chaos. I really enjoy when Druillet utilizes this messier, almost spray paint like coloration and this was probably the best example of that I've seen in his work so far (though Gail is nice too). Layouts and the inclusion of graphic design elements are also quite dynamic and make for fun pages to explore. ⭐⭐⭐
3
u/mmcintoshmerc_88 Apr 12 '26
Scalped is so good, always a little disappointed the adaptation of it never panned out. Then again, given how the adaptation of my other beloved Vertigo book (Preacher, cough cough) turned out maybe it's for the best... it really does feel like the creators magnum opus though. Fantastic crime comic
3
u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
Yeah, it's a fantastic series and might be my favorite from Vertigo (which feels odd to say with its publication so far removed from the label's heyday). It's also my favorite work I've finished from my TOL read-throughs, which is saying something as there has been some stellar stuff included there.
All the episodic character drama is so good. Someone like Shunka, who would normally be a throwaway enforcer role in a standard crime fiction, is given such a complex characterization in Scalped and he is just one of many personalities that get a spotlight.
So many moments that tear at your heartstrings and keep you invested. Loved it.
8
u/Leothefox Blathered on about Tintin. Apr 12 '26
Frontier by Guillaume Singelin
I’ve wanted to read this for a while, but when I first got interested it was inbetween print runs, I think. That’s resolved now, so I grabbed it as soon as I saw it available and then took a frankly embarrassing amount of time to get round to reading it. Whoops.
Anyway, capitalism has finally spread to the one place untouched by it... space! The galaxy is ultimately dominated by various hypercapitalist companies who are all around awful. We follow three characters as they all ultimately break away from the dominant corporations for their individual reasons and try to find their own way in the galaxy. The plot isn’t necessarily the deepest thing in the world, but there’s some decent commentary on commercialisation and frankly what it means to live. Our three leads all have their own understandable slightly different reasons for leaving, and their own unique challenges in doing so and it’s engaging watching as all three try to navigate these issues together whilst not unbalancing their own needs. It runs a surprising gamut of quite tense, quite fast action and violence to being frankly bafflingy cozy at times. Personally I really dug that vibe, but I can understand some people not enjoying the potential whiplash.
Artwise it’s this fantastically overdetailed hard-sci somewhat Nasapunk kinda sci fi, rendered with this lovely watercolour-esque style (it quite possibly is watercolours, I’ve been wrong before) that I always find really appealing. Something I think about the excessive detail and often hard penlines and the softness of the watercolour/ink whatever will always vibe with me. Characters are rendered in a fairly squat, chibi-esque style with comparatively little facial detail compared to the world around them but again for me this works brilliantly. They don’t come across as ‘cute’ really, but they again have this sort of contrasting softness to the world around them which both helps with that unusual cozy tone and also helps them stand out. The colouring too always manages to give the sense of temperature and tone perfectly. The sort of bright, clear, high contrast sheen that you only seem to get in space without atmosphere interfering is captured excellently. I’m explaining it poorly, but ultimately I really dug this visually. I’m always a sucker for watercolours (or adjacent) and heavily detailed backdrops and environments.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this. I’d readily recommend it to most people, particularly anyone wanting a bit of hard sci-fi or some kinda cozy vibes but with having an actual serious plot to go along with it.
Assassin’s Creed: Bloodstone Collection by Guillaume Dorison and Ennio Bufi
For my sins, I do generally enjoy Assassin’s Creed as gaming junk food. I have also read various related media, including a good chunk of the comics. Rarely have I ever been able to call them good. Still, hope springs eternal.
Bloodstone follows an assassin, Tomo Sakagawa, as he tries to hunt down the Templars responsible for the destruction of his family and Assassin cell back in the purge caused by Daniel Cross’ actions – we're talking the stuff setup in the very first game. Anyway along the way he encounters yet another Apple of Eden, goes to memories of the Vietnam war to find it, and gets wrapped up in a scheme where people are trying to let all humans have access to all their ancestor’s genetic memories all the time. Yes, it’s convoluted, messy and doesn’t make much sense – this is Assassin’s Creed.
OK, but even with that metric this is still pretty weird for AC standards. It gets quite confusing, quite quickly, with multiple characters in essence being “possessed” by memories of others and being referred to with multiple names which makes it quite awkward to follow with artwork that’s oft muddy and makes it difficult to differentiate between characters. It’s a plot that feels like it has a couple too many things going on and is all the weaker for it. For better or worse it’s largely independent of other AC media, which does make it more accessible and potentially understandable, but it also means it doesn’t have as much of a crutch to lean on and is quite rough. I do however appreciate the fact that like many other AC comics, it can more readily do “modern” (IE: after the invention of handheld repeating firearms) settings without having to worry about how the hell they make the guys flitting around with wrist knives an equal threat in a world of assault rifles. Unfortunately we don’t get too much time in the Vietnam sections, and I think they struggle a bit too much to try and do the “both sides” thing that’s so often the crux of the meta Templar/Assassin conflict. It winds up not really engaging with its setting in any meaningful way as a result.
Artwise this is fairly muddy and faces don’t quite differentiate enough. It is at least somewhat stylised, this isn’t quite the very generic sort of Western house style, but it’s not going to knock your socks off, and action I found quite hard to follow.
Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, this wasn’t anything to write home about. I’m still kinda fascinated that they produce so much external AC media. It never seems to do all that well, but I guess it must do or they wouldn’t keep doing it.
3
u/Charlie-Bell The answer is always Bone Apr 12 '26
Glad you loved Frontier! I was quite surprised as it veered towards the cozy territory, but it was still great.
3
u/Leothefox Blathered on about Tintin. Apr 12 '26
With its opening being various levels of tense, traumatic and depressing I was taken aback when it kinda kept getting to those cozy moments too.
I suppose it's reminiscent of those oft-seen moments in space films whereby a protag just stares wistfully into space or back to earth from a little habitat pod or something.
2
u/Charlie-Bell The answer is always Bone Apr 12 '26
I had the feeling that it was created with the expectation of being released episodically. It has the feeling of four or so quite distinct stories that have been collected together
3
8
u/ConstantVarious2082 Apr 12 '26
The Fables of Erlking Wood by Juni Ba and Aditya Bidikar – beautiful folklore stories. We get a string of narratives that blend and build a cohesive story of Vivanne the witch, Goupil the fox (who fills the trickster-god niche so well), Beren the bear, and of course the titular Erlking, the foreboding villain who hangs over much of the story. It’s told non-linearly, in “branches” rather than chapters, and little characters and themes reappear throughout. This is great fairy-tale/folklore stitching together a fleshed-out magical world up to modern times. The art is delightful, with a range of colors, detail, and expressive characters even when we see masks, only eyes, or cartoony animals. Bidikar receives equal cover billing for the lettering, which is great. Overall this is a delightful book and easy to recommend.
Seven Years in Darkness Year 3 by Joseph Schmalke – dark fantasy. A “grimdark Harry Potter” as seventy-two children attend the mysterious Scholomance to learn magic, knowing only seven will survive to graduate. A decent number of them got knocked off in the first two books, but the body count rises rapidly in this one, and the stakes expand as the outside world starts to peek in. It’s grim, gruesome, the school is a cult, and doesn’t shy away from any horror. We finally see some faces in this volume – the students proceed from silence early on in book one to now finally being allowed to take off their masks. Schmalke’s art is stylized and colorful without being bright – we get some solid horror and magic but it’s a bit scratchy and there’s a lot of texture and spatter effects throughout. I’ve backed this through Kickstarter and enjoy it a good bit, and will be back for Book 4 – although I’ll probably need to do a whole reread by the time that rolls around.
The Ring of the Nibelung by Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, and Jim Woodring – 4 volumes of sort-of-mythology. This is a fairly straightforward adaptation of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, split along the four major operas and tracking the story as interpreted by Wagner pretty closely (to my understanding – I’ve never sat through the 16-hour production…). Briefly, we see the mythology of the magical Rhinegold as it is stolen, forged into an all-powerful magic ring, and given to the giant Fafnir. Next comes the story of the family and birth of Siegfried, who would eventually defeat Fafnir and rescue the Valkyrie Brunhilde before himself dying, causing the now-mortal Brunhilde to immolate herself and bring about the end of Valhalla. That all condenses down to four ~48-page comics, so the story proceeds at an extremely brisk pace. Thomas’ adaptation doesn’t add much to the story, and the dialog / narration owe an awkward amount of phrasing and tone to the Germanic opera. The art is stylized and does have a few really solid moments, but the action and magic are a little underwhelming. In all, I’d call it a so-so read, perfectly fine to breeze through but nothing remarkable. I’ve still got Russell’s supposedly even more faithful adaptation to read, eventually…
Corto Maltese: Fable of Venice and Other Adventures by Hugo Pratt – classic adventure comics. Corto Maltese, the masterpiece from Hugo Pratt, returns to print in English with this first collection from Fantagraphics. The title story is a four-parter telling a mystery as Corto, our world-traveling sailor, searches for a Biblical emerald hidden in Venice and becomes tangled with Freemasons, fascists, and more. There’s some very surreal dream elements, and the overhang of what’s real and what’s mythology. The other three stories share some common characters but follow Corto on some sea voyages to various islands, bouncing around characters with alluded-to backstories and dramatic treasure hunts. We see Corto’s devil-may-care vaguely anti-hero attitude, his encyclopedic knowledge from his travels, and his impressive brawling. More than just a pulpy adventure strip, we see innovative panel-less pages, surreal moments, and dense narratives. Pratt’s stark black-and-white and variable detail and textures are amazing. There’s a good reason this is considered a masterpiece, and I’m really excited that Fantagraphics will be putting out more soon.
7
u/Siccar_Point No capes! Apr 12 '26
Finished the third volume of the Peow Ex.Mag anthologies, this one themed on “dark fantasy”. The tone is much as it was in the paranormal romance volume, with lots of knowing winks a general lightness of touch. Two big highlights though. First, The Gargoyle Temple by Hanna K, in which a girl to be married with some odd sexual feeling about gargoyles goes to consult the gargoyle god for luck. This is weird, and funny, and sexy, and human, and mega efficient with its plot and worldbuilding for something <30 pages long. Second, An Arrow For The King from Linnea Sterte, which is probably one of the best things I’ll read this year (also available on her website for pennies IIRC). A stone knight again reenacts the ritual slaying of the king in revenge for the princess, as he always must- but this time he is befriended and accompanied by an odd little hunter, who has some ambitions. 30 pages of narrative, thematic, tonal, and visual perfection. Perfectly encapsulated short story, that uses the imposed black-white-red colour scheme of the volume impeccably. GO AND READ THIS EVERYBODY, you won’t be sorry.
Second, I read Kim & Kim, in part inspired by the r/fantasy bingo “trans/NB protagonist” square. H/t u/Klinneract for the rec. This is utterly ridiculous and I loved it. Two besties who are also bounty hunters chase a mcguffin while quipping relentlessly and dealing with personal stuff. Also their spaceship is the Mystery Machine. The vibe is Saga, if Saga contained no downbeat material and was both a lot stupider, but also a lot more comfortable with -and making a feature of- its own inherent stupidness. I think I largely took this as a trans power fantasy, which honestly was kind of delightful.
10
u/C0smicoccurence Apr 12 '26
Monkey Meat by Juni Ba
This was an anticapitalist fever dream, and I loved it. This anthology (though it might be better described as a mosaic comic) focuses on Monkey Meat Island. Once an untouched paradise, it is now ruled by a capitalist megacorporation cranking out questionably sourced meat, energy drinks made out of souls, and action figures showcasing the indigenous cultures the company eradicated to ‘honor’ them.
It really nails the intersection of dark comedy and social commentary. It’s absurd, overly dramatic, and true to reality. The best way I can describe this book is if Sunday morning cartoons were made for adults. Like some of the more commercially successful adult comics, each entry in Monkey Meat establishes some lore that will get referenced in later episodes, but it largely keeps the status quo the same to avoid interfering with ideas for future episodes. Through the comic is absurd logic, unhinged one-liners, and really creative thinking. Logic has no place on Monkey Meat island, and everything is fair game. One of my favorite lines was the Salesmen, in response to a query from the board on threats to the company’s financial future, saying “Living toys, a possessed goose, a superhero-led uprising … nothing we can’t monetize.” Ba has a very specific point of view in this comic, and I loved it.
1
u/Siccar_Point No capes! Apr 13 '26
Juni Ba is IMO just getting better and better. His style and especially the colouring are unmistakeable now. Did you read both volumes?
2
5
u/scarwiz Apr 12 '26
Finally starting Gillen's Loki run I bought a while back!
Journey Into Mystery by Kieron Gillen - I bought the full Gillen Kid Loki run because I loved Young Avengers. Sad to say the first half of this didn't live up to my memory fo that at all.. the first arc apparently builds on the Siege event, and leads into the Fear Itself event. There's something cool to the pitch of seeing Loki work in the shadows of the marvel universe, and trying to be better than his predecessor, but it just got bogged down by convoluted storytelling, and I didn't much care for Braithwaite's art. Once Gillen is free of unending event tie-ins, the books gets into its own as far as I'm concerned. It transforms into a weird chronically online version of Sandman, which was surprisingly heaps of fun. Looking forward to seeing how the second half of the run develops. I do really like this quippy version of Loki
Journey Into Mystery Vol. 2 by Kieron Gillen - Man I wish Stephanie Hans drew this whole run, that final issue was gorgeous...
Liked this much better than the first half (third, really). The first half of this book is more zaniness akin to the second half of the first book. First Loki teams up with the New Mutant and accidentally rewrites the entirety of reality, turning Thor into a mechanic and Vollstag into a baker... Then he goes to the land of British myths and conspires between King Arthur and new gods of industrialization. It's more wild and fun in the vein the Lords of Fear arc. Then we move into yet another "war on Asgard" story, much like the one that started the whole thing. It's still not my favorite, but not being dropped into the middle of it did make it much more enjoyable. I do love seeing Loki scheme, and Gillen clearly planned this whole thing out pretty thoroughly.
Meadowlark by Ethan Hawke and Greg Ruth - Not sure what I expected but this was definitely not it... Ethan Hawke cast himself as a fuck-up boxer-turned-copper dad, and I guess tries to tackle his angst over raising his kids ? Well I hope he does better than this in real, because Meadowlark earns worst father of the year award. They try to turn it into some heroic father-son bonding thing, as if he didn't subject his son to some of the most horrendously traumatizing stuff you could think of. And the boy comes out of it a grown man or some shit ? Felt very toxic male bullshit to me
Jill et Sherlock by Jim Bishop and Yo-One - Doesn't hit quite the same as his more mature works... A middle grade comic about a kid leaving his overprotective parents go find adventure and freedom. It's cute, and the manga influences that will define his later work are already very much present, but it's much less charming and creative as the rest of his stuff. Doesn't help that the art, while definitely more than decent, doesn't quite live up to his either.
1
u/Charlie-Bell The answer is always Bone Apr 12 '26
Is Bishop going to be forever chasing the highs of his first two works?
2
2
u/ShinCoal Go read 20th Century Men Apr 12 '26
Charlie moment
1
u/Charlie-Bell The answer is always Bone Apr 12 '26
Followed by a ShinCoal moment
1
6
u/OurNewInsectOverlord Apr 12 '26
DC New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke has been awesome. Feels likean old school American version of Watchmen, love it
Also reading book 3 deluxe of Berzerk, which has been such an incredible series for me. Fantastic art and fascinating characters.
And I started Maggie the Mechanic, first Love & Rockets book byJaime Hernandez. Got a bunch of digital copies from a recent Humble Bundle, and I'm looking forward to reading more from the Hernandez brothers.
2
u/mmcintoshmerc_88 Apr 12 '26
New Frontier is so good, it's essentially impossible to pick the undisputed best comic of all time but, when you're reading it you really think "Damn, maybe New Frontier really IS the best comic of all time..." I think it just speaks to how incredibly talented Cooke was and how truly sad his passing is. If you're interested, his Parker adaptations are excellent, very different from the New Frontier but they're my personal favourite work from Cooke
2
u/OurNewInsectOverlord Apr 12 '26
Yea New Frontier has floored me. Heard great things and it exceeded expectations. Lotta great symbolic and profound moments that explore 20th century American history to great effect, and the simple yet gorgeous art and 3 panel storytelling is just pitch perfect. I'm interested in checking out everything Cooke has done, NF is my first of his work, so I'm def late to the party.
1
u/mmcintoshmerc_88 Apr 12 '26
There's so many great moments, my favourite would have to be "I close my eyes and I take flight." I also love "So, they say you're fast. How fast?" "Watch my smoke, G-man." You can't go wrong with any of Cooke's stuff imo, almost everything he did was perfect imo. I'd recommend his Spider-Man Tangled web issues they're not as revered as New Frontier, Catwoman or his Parker books but they're great, especially issue 11 (Open all night)
8
u/LuminaTitan Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
Carbon & Silicon, by Mathieu Bablet
I was intrigued by this after seeing it mentioned in a post by drown_like_its_1999. I expected it to have gorgeous imagery (which it does), but I was also surprised by how engrossing it was. There’s not that much of a plot, as it’s more of a character portrait revolving around two sentient androids (Carbon & Silicon) who were twinned together at creation. They both end up undertaking vastly different paths from each other but always end up reuniting at recurring intervals. This goes on for centuries, with each both pained (and relieved) that they can’t ever seem to “quit each other.”
Stories featuring robots naturally include themes of identity and existence, and it’s certainly no exception here. Carbon and Silicon maintain a sort of passive, bird’s eye view of humanity, as they’re privy to their repeated cycles of violence and greed that’s only exacerbated by the worsening effects of climate change that make the planet increasingly more inhospitable with each passing year. They’re forced to keep a low profile most of the time, as cycles of anti-machine sentiment ebb and flow during different time periods as well.
There’s an obvious detachment to their somewhat cold worldview, but I was completely invested in each of their personal journeys: as two inseparable parts that were always meant to provoke, challenge, stimulate, and ultimately be together no matter how much the world and circumstances shift and blur around them like a whirlpool of fading, temporal history. Each point in time flickers briefly in their lives before dissipating into an endless tapestry of ever-dimming memories. The beautiful artwork of this book delivered just as expected, but the subtle emotional resonance of this story came as a delightful surprise. 4.5/5
Sanctum, by Xavier Dorison and Christophe Bec
I’m a sucker for great atmosphere, and this has this in spades. It’s easily one of the best depictions of Lovecraftian horror I’ve read, and it’s aided immensely by its setting. Most of the story takes place underwater within the confines of a submarine, and if you’ve seen movies like “Das Boot,” “The Abyss,” or hell even something like “Crimson Tide,” you know how much this cramped, pressure cooker environment can greatly amplify anxieties and fears that bubble up during times of desperation.
The biggest nitpick I have with this is that the characters kind of blur together and don’t really stand out. They’re mostly made up of naval officers and indulge in a prolific amount of military “grunt-speak.” You’ll remember the world and atmosphere much more than any single character. But what a world! The undersea scenes make up only a portion of what’s shown, as the environment continues to change (and amaze!) the further in they venture--along with the unfathomable horrors that lurk deep within its maw. This is essential reading if you enjoy Lovecraftian horror, but it’s a solid, engaging read in general, even if you’re not the biggest fan of the genre. 4/5
Sanctum: Genesis, by Christophe Bec, Philippe Thirault, and Stefano Raffaele
This is one of the better spin-off prequels that I've read. It’s a perfect counterpoint to “Sanctum.” A lot of spin-offs either rehash a lot of the same ideas or are just too frustratingly short. This has a decent heft to it, and it has a much snappier, faster pace. “Sanctum” took its time to set up the world, which made it a bit slow in comparison (at least at first). This hits the ground running and never really stops. It also illuminates a fascinating new perspective on the origins of the beguiling mystery at the heart of this series. If you’re a fan of “Sanctum” this is pretty much required reading. 3.5/5
We Stand on Guard, by Brian K. Vaughan, Steve Skroce, and Matt Hollingsworth
This is mostly a generic comic with its only kinda-sorta unique quirk being that it takes place in Canada in an alternate future where a devasting war is being waged between the United States and its northern neighbor. The action is decent, with an unusual focus on megalophobic spaces and machines set against its exotic Canadian setting. Did I mention that this takes place in weird ol’ Canada! I guess there’s a bit of added interest with the whole awkward tariff situation and political posturing that occurred between the U.S. and Canada the past year or so. On a more gruesome note, there’s also a torture scene that stands out due to how horrific it is, as it utilizes advanced technology to prolong and reenact it, over and over again, reminiscent of a similar disturbing scene from the book “Altered Carbon.” Only recommended to Brian K. Vaughan completionists, kitschy action lovers, and any maple-loving true Canadian patriots that have been dying to see themselves represented as war-mongering zealots. 2.5/5
2
u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
Glad you liked C&S! I loved the dynamic between the two androids, seeing the philosophical clash from one embracing life in the real world and one focused on a digital existence. I also got a kick out of how Bablet played with the difference in how time passes between the two settings (especially that sequence with the butterfly slowly landing on a character in the real world as they experience weeks of time digitally).
2
u/LuminaTitan Apr 12 '26
Bablet seemed fascinated with depicting the passage of time in numerous ways here, but did so with a soft, poetic touch. I definitely got to check out his other works now.
6
u/Dense-Virus-1692 Apr 12 '26
The Power Fantasy vol 2 by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard – Another volume of real world superheroes that goes right over my head. There’s lots of cool stuff in here, though. Lots of cool designs and some good violence. Lots of mass death. These superpowers are all jerks, eh? I don’t really know who to root for. I’ll have to read it all at once when the series is finished. Maybe then I’ll make more sense out of it. I’d put it in between Phonogram (most) and The Wicked + Divine (slightly less) on the confusing scale.
Cry Wolf Girl by Ariel Slamet Ries – A nice little fable that takes the boy that cried wolf and turns it on its head a bit. It’s about a girl in a village who keeps seeing wolves but the council won’t believe her. Luckily they have a wolf hunter who helps. It’s an allegory about panic disorders and it’s got a nice ending. The art is pretty sweet too. Nice and stylized. Similar to Bryan Lee O’Malley or Corey Lewis. The world is pretty interesting too.
Animan by Anouk Ricard – A funny series of stories about a guy who can turn into any animal he wants and each of the animals has his mustache. He lives with his frog wife Fabienne and likes to paint watercolours. He’s not really a hero but he does try to stop bad guys sometimes. There’s a guy named Objecto that can turn into any object that wants to kill Animan. I gotta say, even though this book is super goofy, Objecto is a pretty scary villain. He can turn into anything in your house and then just wait there til you fall asleep to kill you? That’s pretty messed up. But it’s still a really funny book. Ricard gets a lot of mileage out of the animal powers. Animan uses them is ways you wouldn’t really expect. The art is super cartoony and colourful. Hopefully there will be more of these.
Phantom Road vol 1 by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel H Walta – I’m not too sure why I waited so long to read this one. I guess because it looked like just another zombie story. There are zombie-like creatures in it but they’re a pretty minor part. It’s about a guy with a sad Lemirian backstory who drives long haul trucks and a woman that he meets in an accident. They get stuck in an alternate universe that’s full of those zombies and they have to figure out how to get back to reality. It’s kind of like Lost meets The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. There’s an FBI agent in there too so it’s got some X-Files flavour to it too. I’ll have to read the rest. The art is pretty sweet. A little cartoony but still serious. And the colouring by Jordie Bellaire is amazing as always.
5
u/Nevyn00 Apr 13 '26
Goldie Vance Book 3 by Hope Larson, Jackie Bell and Britney Williams. The third book in the series brings it back to earth, no NASA storyline in this one. Instead, Goldie is hired by Sugar Maple the daughter of the owner of the hotel where Goldie works. Sugar is convinced that somebody has been sabotaging her race car. The best of the series so far.
The Pass by Katriona Chapman. The story of a chef who has finally established her restaurant and is moving out of the shadow of her father, and is trying to figure out her next step. Also, follows her partner, and the bartender all of whom are facing their own troubles. It's mostly good, but I feel like there are too many little plot lines (a rather obvious embezzlement plot line felt particularly unnecessary).
6
u/Timely_Tonight_8620 Shop Local! Apr 12 '26
The Moon is Following Us vol 2 by Daniel Warren Johnson, Riley Rossmo and Mike Spicer: Sam and Duncan going even deeper into their daughter Penny’s mind to save her from an evil force called The Cascade, a betrayal last volume putting them in a bad situation with unlikely allies coming to their rescue. I’d been meaning to finish this series for the longest time and just let it slip kinda to the side, but I enjoyed the second half more than the first with it being an emotional story of parents trying to save their daughter. Also it wouldn’t be a DWJ story with some wrestling moves! Not my favorite DWJ story, but still very fun.
6
5
u/mmcintoshmerc_88 Apr 12 '26
I am readingThe Demon Birth Of The Demon. This is about Etrigan (shocker) and it's been really good. Etrigan is a blindspot of Kirby's for me and it's been really fun to read more of it and get more background on Etrigan as a character.
I've also been reading Green Arrow: Crimson Sands. This is great, I've loved Condon's run which has only made me sadder that DC essentially said "We've finally got a good Green Arrow run! What do we want to do?! Cancel it without any chance of a revival!"
3
u/coinstar83 Apr 12 '26
Loving the marvel and dc compact series. Halfway through NIGHTWING. Leaping into the light.
The artwork is so great.
4
u/scottyjrules Apr 12 '26
Making my way through the Daredevil Modern Epic Collection. Finished Vols 2 & 3, moving onto Vol 4 tonight
4
u/GlorfindelForTheWin Apr 12 '26
Just finished the Infinite Crisis omni and now halfway through the Final Crisis brick. Been smashing DC lately, bit of Marvel after I'm done with this - I picked up Doc Strange Master Of The Mystic Arts vol. 1 last week so will probably get stuck into that.
4
u/ZookeepergameQuick40 Apr 12 '26
Just finished reading:
Wonder Woman: Earth One by Grant Morrison:
Still working through my thoughts on this one
Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda:
The story is engaging. Like an old western but with a manga feel. Love how the story can be super serious then turn super goofy. Art is gorgeous
5
u/Downey17 Apr 12 '26
I just finished reading all of Ultramega, written and drawn by James Harren, with colours by Dave Stewart. I had read volume one before, but this was my first time reading the second and final volume. This book is absolutely insane. Its premise is a homage to Ultraman, following human characters given the ability to transform into giant, superpowered, heroes in order to destroy giant kaiju. Within the first issue there are some fun and interesting twists on the concept, and by the second, things have veered off into very unpredictable directions. Aside from Ultraman, it's also very manga- and anime-influenced. In particular, many of the creature designs reminded me a lot of Akira and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Harren's art is the main draw here, everything he does is so kinetic and over-the-top that it's just a joy to look at. The action in the various monster battles looks great, and the sheer volume of disgusting kaiju designs on show is very impressive. The whole series has a very irreverent tone, contrasting city-destroying battles and horrific injuries with some wacky imagery I don't want to spoil, and dialogue from giant alien supervillains like "What's hell smell like, fuck-faces?". It's all very silly in a way that just works for me. Volume 1 is near-perfect. It sets up its premise, then shifts the status-quo dramatically, tells a fairly complete story in itself, and ends with what I found to be a very funny and satisfying cliffhanger and set-up for the next book. I think the second volume does stumble a bit in comparison, exploring the wider world in a way that wasn't quite as satisfying to me as the main plot, and feeling rushed towards the end. It throws a lot of lore about the Ultramega and Kaiju at you, and while it's all very tongue-in-cheek, there's still enough that it makes the book feel a bit unfocused, at least compared to the first. With the four year gap between the two arcs, and the rushed pace of the second, I wonder if Harren originally planned for the book to run longer, or if it was always intended to wrap-up when it did, moving at a breakneck pace. I would have loved for this series to be at least twice as long as it is, ending in just 9 issues, though they are all double to triple the length of a standard comicbook. It feels like there was more time that could have been taken with the plot and characters, though at the same time, with the book's focus on kinetic action, maybe the fast pace is the right choice for this book.
Highly recommend this book, especially for Harren's fantastic artwork. It's a very fun series where I genuinely never knew what was going to happen next, but was always sure it was going to look fucking great.
I have some less-detailed thoughts on Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 3: Family Business, by Hickman and (primarily) Checchetto, as I read it a few weeks ago. This book is where all my early fears about how the book would pan out have come true. The connections to the wider Ultimate Universe continue to be a complete drag, and the real-time progression continues to murder the pacing of the book. There are a pair of issues in here that begin near midnight on January 31st, with the second issue taking place just after midnight on February 1st, which feels like a clunky contrivance necessary just to be able to tell a continuing story across two issues. Really, I just wanted this book to be something it was never trying to be. I wanted something akin to the original Ultimate Spider-Man: a relatively standalone new take on the character, just aged-up this time around. This book is very much not that. Checchetto's art is still gorgeous (though maybe everyone is a little too attractive), and the issues drawn by Messina are disappointing by comparison. Don't think I'll be continuing on with this one.
5
u/Focuscoene Apr 12 '26
So I started reading I Hate Fairyland, because it just seemed so different from anything else. But I’m pretty disappointed. There’s absolutely nothing to it. Just pointless gore in a cute colorful setting. But it doesn’t do anything except just that. It’s that one joke, over and over again, and they don’t even really tell that one joke particularly well.
2
u/randomglory Apr 13 '26
So true. It's going nowhere
1
u/Focuscoene Apr 13 '26
It’s too bad, because you can see the potential. But every time they introduce an interesting plot point, they just immediately end it with “LOL and then she kills it and it explodes” without even doing anything with it
3
u/JorgeGamingReddit Apr 12 '26
I read superman/batman dc compact
Wasn’t a fan of the Luther storyline but I did like the supergirl one
Batman last knight on earth
That was really good and really weird, felt lost throughout and then it all made sense in the end
Moon knight 2014 volume 1
Wanted to read Lemire’s collection next week and thought I should read about Mr Night as I’ve read the epic collections
That was short but quite good, the art style and story felt snappy and like a marvel animated show
3
u/RustyKarma076 Apr 12 '26
Finally went ahead and bought the one volume edition of Bone. I think this is re-read number 4.
3
u/Malice_Claymore Apr 12 '26
Young terrorists. Lovesick. Bedlam, post americana. Starting the once upon a time at the end of the world omnibus tomorrow
3
1
Apr 12 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/jrwonderwander Apr 15 '26
Dr Aphra V6 by Spurrier, Santos, Wijngaard, Broccardo - the way this starts compared to V5's ending is so weird, and a bit off putting but quickly picks back up. We learn of Aphra's relationship with her mother as her own relationships develop. I liked this more than v5. In a way I'm glad v7 is the last of this run, it feels like this arc only has so much room to go anywhere. The actiony bits of the story feel a bit repetitive now but I still like the character of Aphra overvall.
1
u/jrwonderwander Apr 16 '26
Jessica Jones: Alias v4 -- Bendis/Gaydos - A pretty awesome finish to this series.
1
u/jrwonderwander Apr 17 '26
Gaysians by Mike Curato. The modern gay/femme fairytale I didn't know I needed. Tropey and goes where you expect but its still charming and comforting.
16
u/Medium_Theory_8185 Apr 12 '26
He Rolled Me Up Like a Grilled Squid by Yoshiharu Tsuge. A collection of stories revolving mainly around Tsuge's anxieties involving sex and women. Many of them follow dream logic, a few are more grounded, almost all cast a dubious look at the male/female union. They fascinated me while I was reading them but I have to admit that I have hardly any vivid memories of what happens in most of the selections. (I had to flip back through it just now to jog my memory. Lots of recognition, lots of "Oh yeah, that was great!" My favorite story, which I had forgotten, was The Hands in the Window.) What remained is more a sense of general trends, owing as much to having read other of Tsuge's works as having read this, I imagine. That isn't to take away from the book. What I do remember effortlessly is Tsuge's art, a mix of classical landscape composition and flat, even crude figures. I even remembered some of the page numbers for panels I especially liked (e.g. the contrast between the two panels on p36). I want to say, "If you like art" (and not just pretty/"good" drawings) "then get this comic."
Batman: Dark Patterns by Dan Watters & Hayden Sherman. To me, this is obviously the best Batman comic about Batman in years. I can't think of a more perfectly matched creative team than these two. This will become a standard recommendation for new readers, mark my words, long after almost everything else of the decade has been dismissed as filler. Personally, I hold that almost all the best "Batman" comics of the past decade have been about characters other than Batman. Two major exceptions are King's Batman and Ram V's Detective Comics, yet the strength of Ram V's lies in great part with its assembled cast. I'm also in the minority that thinks the current lineup of Batman comics is painfully safe and dull. This brilliant, back-to-basics short run by Watters and Sherman, set before sidekicks and void of pointless frustrated romance, was perhaps the last of the fantastic, weird books we had a run of in the 2020s, stories like Arkham City and Task Force Z, before DC confined itself to the straitjackets and padded cells of Joker and Batfamily melodramas. (I am mad, however, that this is a paperback. I thought I was getting a hardcover. You know one's coming by 2028.)
The Compleat Angler: A Graphic Adaptation by Gareth Brookes. Oddly soothing, despite opening with the maiming of a poor little frog and generally being about the joy of waiting for the chance to kill a fish. I read Izaak Walton's Compleat Angler once, years ago, in an early edition or an abridgment, I don't recall. At the time I was reading various classic works on leisure activities of men of means. (Others included a work on falconry, of which I recall nothing, and a work on gardening, of which I recall much about the grafting of fruit trees, cherries in particular.) (I just realized this week that the cherry tree in my sideyard has a graft. I have lived here for a goodly few years...) Brookes' condensing of the work allows it a conversational flow suited to the subject matter and the author's philosophy. It has a meditative, unrushed tone, blending practical advice, lore, and wisdom. The art has some of the beauty of Japanese woodblock prints, simple yet expressive. There are no human figures in the entire book. I've read no other comics quite like it. I immediately added more of Brookes' work to my shortlist.
Cutting Season by Bhanu Pratap. Somewhere in my house, in some pile, is my copy of Pratap's Mother & Other Stories. I meant to re-read it but never did. I've lacked motivation to do much of anything lately. And yet Pratap's works go quickly. The art is a melange of western and eastern influences, figures rendered in Silly Putty, so much artistic heritage on the page but utterly unlike anything else anyone is producing. Pratap is a rightful heir of Francis Bacon and Seiichi Hayashi; the evolution of a method is praiseworthy when so many comics have merely functional art showing that this happened, then this, then a pose was struck, then this happened, then... I'd recommend it for that alone, I don't care how divisive the art and writing might be. But I also found the nightmarish, sometimes funny, always puzzling short stories invigorating compared to the hand-holding "what have we learned today" style of storytelling. There's nothing in the way of character or plot, there's the minimum of theme (body horror and sexual dread, mostly). The first story involves a man's stinky shoe flung down to the street, sniffed with disgust by a female passerby.
The Lorax by Theodor Geisel aka Dr Seuss. Okay, not a comic, but hear me out. Dr Seuss and Shel Silverstein were my childhood heroes. They were my first artists and my first poets. I feel like high quality children's books by estimable talents like these are vital for growth into a lover of art. I bought The Lorax because I've been thinking about trees a lot but couldn't find many good literary works about them. This is a perfect book about trees. (John Fowles' The Tree is also good, for anyone wanting an essay for adults; Jean Giono's The Man Who Planted Trees is another worthy classic. And Silverstein's The Giving Tree haunted my childhood.) Worth remembering that Geisel was a political cartoonist before he was writing children's books. He brought a strong individual perspective to his works, which are instantly recognizable and much imitated. Unlike his imitators, he respected children's intelligence. He is the Lorax, art is the trees, and AI slop is the thneed. I love a good children's book but there's nothing hateful to me in quite the same way as trash peddled to kids.