r/graphicnovels • u/AutoModerator • 6d ago
Weekly Reading Thread What have you been reading this week? 11/10/2026
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/DustDevil66 5d ago
Heartstopper vol 4
Least favorite of the series. It just sort of read like a psa or some sort of youth outreach special on mental health than feeling like natural drama and dialogue. I also just don’t think portraying everyone around Charlie as so perfectly understanding and supportive paints a helpful and realistic portrait of what kids going through stuff like depression, ocd, or eating disorders will actually encounter when seeking help. It kind of feels out of touch, honestly
I did like the dinner party at the end though. A nice return to form
Barbed Wire- Ethan Llewellyn
Kind of uninspired. Clearly Llewellyn is a big fan of traditional alt-comix and is doing his best to write in that style. Just doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. I chuckled a few times so that’s good
Moomin Adventures 1- Tove & Lars Jansson
Never read or watched any moomin stuff before but this has been quite enjoyable. I’m a particular fan of Little My and her standing in the corners or backs of panels with that mischievous look on her face
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u/XxNerdAtHeartxX 5d ago edited 5d ago
Finished Locked & Key and loved it. I was hoping for an adult 'kids in magic place' story (Gravity Falls, Fablehaven, Lemony Snicket, Mysterious Benedict Society, etc. Is this distinctly different than portal fantasy, or is it just a flavor of that parent genre?), and its pretty much exactly what I got. The way it wove the past into the present, and clearly had the entire story in mind from the start was just perfect.
I also really loved the use of creativity in the panels like when they use the giant key and each panel for the scene takes up an entire page, giving the reader a sense of scale.
Overall, would definitely recommend to almost anyone, especially if their childhood reads were similar to mine and they have a soft spot for the 'kids in new magical-but-grounded-in-reality house' genre.
Oh, also its a couple weeks old read, but I also read the first Hobtown Mystery Stories. It was an awesome read too and I really enjoyed just how weird it allowed itself to get. Im a sucker for 'small town, weird happening' stories and some don't go weird enough - Hobtown does
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u/buffalobillandted 1d ago
It sounds like we have similar tastes because I too love adult “kids in magic place” stories or “kids swept up in a surprisingly dark mystery that doesn’t shy away from gore or consequences, but is more fun than grim” lol.
Just saw the second paragraph and I like “small town weird happenings” too lol. Twin Peaks is the poster child for this I feel like; Bates Motel hits similar notes. Got any other recs of this genre?
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u/XxNerdAtHeartxX 1d ago
I'll have to think of some. Friday by Ed Brubaker has a thread on the front page right now that apparently has that vibe.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is pretty great at the cozy small town vibes. I just started the followup series, which I think does this even better because its not from the POV of the main character in the first series who is causing the 'weird happenings' in the town
Im not sure if these 100% match the criteria, but they're ones I think might have that pitch from my TBR:
Mazebook
A.D. After Death
The Forest Of Oreka (YA and reminds me of Gravity Falls)
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u/buffalobillandted 23h ago
I was looking at the Friday post earlier. I’m in the process of reading his entire catalogue and that one sounds a bit different from his usual work.
Beneath the Trees has been on my list and sounds wild as hell lol. Think the sequel is fairly recent or in progress. Appreciate the other suggestions. Now when you said Gravity Falls, did you mean Gideon Falls or is Gravity Falls correct? Thought that was a game lol Gideon Falls is on my backlog as well.
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u/XxNerdAtHeartxX 21h ago
Oh no, Gravity Falls is a tv show. Its aimed at kids, but its definitely worth watching if you like 'weird town' stories.
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u/Sairven 6d ago
Batman omnibus vol 2 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo. I really loved the first 2/3rds of this one (even Jim Gordon filling in for Batman; if it's not Terry McGinnis or Dick Grayson I usually can't stand fill-ins), but by the last story (Last Knight On Earth) I was ready to move on. I kinda liked some things that happened during that story but otherwise it was a far departure from what I LOVED about Snyder's run, which is the fact that Gotham played as integral a character as Batman/Bruce. If I were into rating things, this would be at least a whole notch lower than the first volume, which I'd give a perfect score.
Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer, Rags Morales, others. Only thing I had left to read before diving into Infinite Crisis. I actually really liked this one, they did a great job of getting me to care about a character I'd never heard of before. Great art, intriguing mystery. And some deeper, darker implications that answers a few things I'd always pondered (like, what DID happen to the villains who found out some of the Leaguers' personal identities?) while bringing a host of new questions.
World of Archie #139 by various. Confession: I never really read any Archie stuff growing up, aside from those little strips in the Bazooka Bubble Gum wrappers and maaaybe some comic strips when I was especially bored. Now I'm 40 I've been dipping my toes in a little of everything. What a fun, silly, corny, wholesome venture. I've got 9 other digests to breeze thru. Seriously considering ordering a 20-pack from their website.
The Goon omnibus vol 3 by Eric Powell, others. Not bad at all, but some of the pacing suffers from contributing writers' stories having characters and events out of order from Eric's continuity. Then again, where WOULD you put that stuff? I get it. And I did like those extra tidbits. Looking forward to continuing this series over the Spooky Season.
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u/Future-Assumption759 6d ago edited 6d ago
Sazan and Comet Girt By Yuriko Akase - The beginning is really whimsical and the panels are colored with watercolor so it looks absolutely gorgeous, the ending was a bit cliche maybe but overall I enjoyed it.
I also read Shangri-LA by M Bablet and it goes way too dark by the end for me to enjoy it.
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u/BigAmuletBlog 6d ago
Joe Matt’s Peepshow (the new collected edition from Fantagraphics).
I first discovered Joe Matt (RIP) in the early 2000s and was blown away by his willingness to expose the most intimate aspects of his life.
I had previously read The Poor Bastard and Spent, so this collection was a good opportunity to re-read those issues, as well as Fair Weather and Peepshow No. 15 (whose release sneaked past me).
Reading all 15 issues in order highlighted for me the various topics the comics cover (beyond the obvious porn addiction). These are things like hoarding, avarice, anxiety and procrastination (really noticeable when you see the release dates get longer and longer).
I will also note that the collection is really well presented, with thick pages and thicker and coloured cover pages. Each issue has the original letters page, which is fascinating to read as well.
Joe was a fantastic cartoonist, with a great sense for facial expressions and tragicomic delivery. It is a great shame that ultimately he could not overcome his personal demons. On the other hand, this makes his output an authentic cautionary tale.
Easy 10/10 for me and contender for best release of 2026!
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u/FlubzRevenge read yuichi yokoyama 5d ago
I've seen reviews of the collected edition criticising/rating it lower it for Joe being an abusive asshole. I haven't read it, but isn't that the point, to share his life completely?
I do have it ordered from IST, it's not been scanned for a week, but that's likely the large swathe of orders. I wasn't going to get it as i'm not a big fan of autobio, but Matttt's video convinced me.
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u/BigAmuletBlog 5d ago
I get someone not wanting to read it in the first place because of the subject matter, but I don't understand that as a criticism of the work. I don't think Peepshow glorifies or encourages domestic violence / abuse. I think the effect on the reader is meant to be the opposite.
Matttt's video is excellent!
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u/grave-walker13 6d ago
I’m about halfway Bendis’s first daredevil omnibus and I really love it. I like the art a lot more than I thought I would and the story is great so far. I do think some of the dialogue is a little awkward.
Friday by brubaker. Considering the last brubaker indie book I read was kill or be killed this is a pretty big departure. Still I enjoyed and it was interesting to see him tackle such different characters. The setting and the art depicting the town was by far the best part.
Redcoat deluxe edition by Geoff John’s. I enjoyed the book well enough and finished it much faster than I thought I would. While I find the premise very fun I do think the format is a little strange so far. The first half of the book was one long arc and from there it was several one offs and then a mini arc at the end. I’d say I probably like it more than Geiger so far, but I still think Hyde Street is the best ghost machine book right now.
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u/Darth-Dramatist 6d ago
Finished Absolute Martian Manhunter the other day, it exceeded my expectations and found myself really enjoying it, was reminded of Vertigo stuff such as Doom Patrol and Milligan's Shade the Changing Man, the later of which must have been an influence on it. Haven't decided if I'll read the other Absolute stuff any time soon but was really impressed with Absolute Martian Manhunter. Also loved how trippy and experimental withthe medium the art from Javier Rodriguez can get too
On the subject of Shade, I started reading some of it again recently, Im still fairly early on but Im really liking it, Im liking the commentary Milligan does within the American Scream arc on JFK and to a degree wider American culture. I also find it interesting the aspect of Shade posessing a serial killer during his death sentence and allying with the daughter of the killer's victims, rather unsettling but also interesting. Looking forward to reading more into it
Also read a little bit of Gotham Central, quite like it so far, its interesting to see stories told from the perspective of the GCPD and having ti curtail with Batman, also liked that these specific cops in the first arc tried to hunt down Mr Freeze by themselves without aid from Batman but ultimately had to relent and get his aid in the end of this arc to defeat Freeze. Looking forward to reading more into it
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u/scarwiz 6d ago
Dressing by Michael Deforge - This man's brain is wired wrong and I absolutely love him for it. Obviously the alien landscape stuff is the best, but even his slice of life is of the weird variety. Great breadth of art style in here too
Nanbanjin by Cyril Pedrosa & Taiyo Matsumoto - an absolute banger, both art and story-wise. Two auteurs tackling opposite points of view of the same story, following a Portuguese seafarer who washes ashore a Japanese island and makes friends with a local fisherman. It's a very meditative about a pivotal point in global history. Beautiful art by both Matsumoto and Pedrosa, though I'm a little partial to latter
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u/TheDaneOf5683 Cross Game + Duncan The Wonder Dog 6d ago
Really looking forward to an ENG edition of Nanbanjin as Matsumoto and Pedrosa are two of the best comickers of the 21st century.
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u/BluWacky 6d ago
Les Enfants Perdus (The Lost Children) by Neyef (in French)
A group of disaffected abandoned children in a community devastated by a giant tornado have created their own little state, Limbo, where they survive day to day by smoking weed, stealing, skateboarding and blowing up small animals for kicks. Casper signs up to run drugs to forge a new life for his younger brother, Milo; the twins Paddy and Dany try to solve all their problems through violence, inheriting the legacy of their dead father; Rufus chases a connection with his long absent mother; new addition Wendy seeks refuge from something that sees her arrive in Limbo covered in blood. Both children who never grew up and children who grew up too fast, Limbo lets them run from a world that's rejected them - but it won't be a solution forever. To paraphrase the JM Barrie quotation that closes out the story, no child ever quite recovers from the first injustice life deals them.
Neyef's follow up to his multi-award winning Hoka Hey! is a similarly impressive album, heavily inspired by Peter Pan. While not necessarily the most subtle and sophisticated of dialogue writers, Neyef's rich, almost animated artwork and strong sense of character development carry the album; these are adolescents cast adrift in a world almost entirely crushed by a drugs crisis and a lack of hope, for whom the reader cannot help but feel empathy. Let's hope, unlike Hoka Hey!, this gets an English release in due course - Magnetic Press have been releasing a lot of Label 619 books recently, so fingers crossed.
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u/macrosby 6d ago
Sandman book 1
Nightmare world volume 2
Fables volume 11
Preacher book 1
I’m a before bed reader and just read until I’m tired, usually an issue or two does the trick.
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u/Tight-Boat-8605 6d ago
JSA compendium 1 by Geoff John’s,i really only liked the last story with Hawkman there’s a lot of random stuff thrown in like the young justice stuff ⭐️⭐️
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u/Lynch47 6d ago edited 5d ago
Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind by Hiyao Miyazaki (1988-1996): I had been reading this before bed for the last month or so and finally wrapped it up this past week. I'm a big fan of the movie and thought the books were a good expansion of that world. The last book gets pretty weird and it's interesting to see how the movie wrapped up the story compared to how it ended up being finished later on in the comics. A good read but I don't know that it needed to be as drawn out as it was, personally. 7/10
Mind MGMT by Matt Kindt (2012-2015): A thriller/mystery about an organization that trains children to use various forms of mind control techniques to influence the world. I thought this was really good when it was at it's best, but unfortunately it felt like the last 12 or so issues were delaying the end and as a result I feel like there were some wasted issues that really interrupt the flow of the story. The first half I would've given an 8, the back half would be closer to a 6 though so I'll split the difference and give it a 7/10.
From Hell: Master Edition by Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell (1991-1998, reprinted in color 2018-2020): Well that was something. This popular Moore book lives up to it's reputation. It's rich in detail and Moore creates a world and group of characters that really felt authentic as the story played out. I had seen the movie a couple times and it definitely doesn't do the book justice, even if it's a passable movie. I didn't love the very end of the book, and in a couple chapters I was a bit frustrated with Moore having a character ramble on about something that ended up feeling unimportant to the story, but that's really a minor gripe. Eddie Campbell's art though? Sheesh.
That man was in his bag for this one, and the paints really bring the art to life in some scenes. The minimalist approach to adding small dots of yellow for a lantern seems simple, but was executed in a way that really impressed me. If anyone recommends Bacchus or anything else from Campbell please let me know what I should look out for. 8.5/10
Batman/Aliens (Vol. 1) by Ron Marz & Bernie Wrightson (1997): The first Batman/Aliens crossover is a quick 2 issue book that does about what you would expect. It's heavy on action and thin on overall plot. The highlight for me was definitely having Wrightson featured on art. I feel like some of the pages where it's more dialogue heavy were kinda of sloppy and maybe were rushed by Wrightson, but I suspect he was just way more excited to draw the action scenes and splash pages, and those are spectacular. The crocodile xenomorph was enormous and made me giggle, but moments like that are exactly what a book like this is for imo. A popcorn flick comic that I'd recommend to fans of either IP, but don't expect anything revelatory. 7.5/10
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u/ThisHumbleVisitant 6d ago
Read literally anything by Campbell. Bacchus is great. If you like semi-autobio comics, he did Alec, and the two Fate of the Artist books. All worth your attention, but all of his work is.
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u/Dense-Virus-1692 6d ago
The Color of the End: Mission in the Apocalypse vol 1 by Haruo Iwamune – Aliens attacked Earth and pretty much everyone died of a plague that turns your blood into crystals. I think the most of the aliens died too. Now there’s just a girl with a little Pikachu-like pet who goes around looking for survivors but mostly just cleaning up bodies. She has little adventures that remind me of Mushishi. She finds happens upon a new, weird situation that’s resolved in a sad way and she learns a little more about humanity. It’s kinda like Mushishi meets Biomega, although the art is more conventional. Good stuff. Can’t wait til volume 2.
Minor Arcana vol 3: The Moon by Jeff Lemire – Oh man, I kinda forget what happened in this one. Theresa is seeing more visions and the cult is doing more dastardly deeds. My favourite part was the last chapter that’s about Theresa’s grandpa. He has a pretty sad story, but he gets a chance to redeem himself. Good stuff.
The Power Fantasy vol 3: The End of History by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard – The hierarchy of power in the Power fantasy universe has changed. Maybe for the better, but I doubt it. This book goes way over my head. There’s tonnes of dialogue and I only absorb like 10% of it. But I like it. It’s super stylish and bleak. Those superpowers are jerks!
Wrestle Heist! By Kyle Starks – A former pro wrestler named Sterling Steele has hatched a plan to wreak revenge on scumbag wrestling promoter Buddy Hansen. He’s gonna rob him during the biggest wrestling event of the year, Fightsgiving. But he’ll need a team of other washed up wrestlers. I’m not much of a wrestling fan but I do have a soft spot for the 80s WWF stuff, so this book was pretty fun. I think I could spot most of the analogues. Bearwolf = The Ultimate Warrior, Grave Digger = Undertaker, etc. The heist moved along pretty well. Lots of twists and turns. It’s like a funnier version of those Ocean’s movies. Kyle Starks’ art and dialogue is always hilarious.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring by Patrick Horvath – Nature is in retreat. The territory for predators is getting smaller and smaller so they get caught easier. Sam was safe murdering in the city but with the advent of the Internet people are putting the pieces together. A duck is looking for her brother’s murderer and is getting too close for comfort. Whoa, what a masterpiece this one was. I think it’s even better than the first? It’s quite the cat and mouse game. And the ending is spectacular. I guess my only criticism is that it doesn’t do much with the Sesame Street premise but other than that it’s a great serial killer thriller.
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u/BigAmuletBlog 6d ago
Well, you've just persuaded me to read Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring! I liked the first one, but felt the ending was very weak. Sounds like the sequel sticks the landing.
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u/DarwinofArabia 6d ago
Free Planet:
This should be a novel rather than a comic. We all love deep characters and well built worlds but there are limitations to what you can do in the comic format. I know the Song of Ice and Fire novels have comic adaptations and I can only assume the pale in comparison to the detailed level of storytelling of the novels.
I’m about 3 issues in and struggling to progress , and being honest it would probably need another read the fully put all the pieces in order so would be interested in hearing from someone who has read it if it’s worth persevering with.
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u/danteholdup 6d ago
right there with you, comics are supposed to be different from novels, not stitched together with a chapter every issue to read, made it feel like homework 💀 and the art style isnt doing too much for me either
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u/DarwinofArabia 6d ago
Glad it’s not just me. I agree with the add ons at the end of each issue, that mixed medium never worked for me, didn’t enjoy it in Watchmen, and as much as I enjoy Hickman’s work he relies on it too much.
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u/Charlie-Bell The answer is always Bone 6d ago
The Twilight Zone by various. I don't imagine this needs much explaining to anyone. An anthology of weird sci-fi tales by creators such as Dan Watters, James Stokoe, Nate Powell, Francesco Francavilla and more. Funnily enough, I've never seen the show because we didn't get it here, but I'm more than familiar simply from homages in many other shows. Though I can't compare how well the themes and ideas for with the kind of thing seen on the original show, it's a decent little selection of quirky tales and inevitable doom.
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u/TheDaneOf5683 Cross Game + Duncan The Wonder Dog 6d ago
Shadows of the Sea by Cathy Malkasian. Another off-kilter fablescent voyage of discovery, rumination, and reconcilement from Malkasian. I say another, but I've only otherwise read the delightful Eartha, so I'm only presuming this is a Thing with her. Shadows Of The Sea often feels like it must be allegory but instead it only piles up a collection of things that put you in mind of things in the world. Shadows is critical of the world but neither as dull as allegory nor so sharp as critique, occupying instead a space that allows it to poke at many of the frictions native to the daily living without commiting itself to being A Work About ____. It's also warm and heartfelt and steadfast and I found myself surprised to discover my heart lumped up all plumply in my throat as the main character, a champion fish gutter, comes to reckon via forced flashback, with a True Thing She'd Been Avoiding.
Carrie & Mollie by Caitlin Cass. Continuing the project of Women's Work/Suffrage Song, Cass presents the contracted story of romantically paired suffragists, Carrie Chapman Catt and Mollie Garrett Hay. As with the rest of her ongoing Western Civ project in all its incarnations, Cass is interested in both the wonder and the folly of our historical antecedents, the follies usually rooted in patriarchy but also often enough in privilege as well. Cass remains clear-eyed about the heroes she features in her project, outlining both their moral successes as well as their moral failings. Carrie & Mollie describes other women who love women throwing other women who love women under the bus (an old story that remains imminent).
[ASIDE: Cass within specifies "women who love women" and "lesbian-like" relationships, and I don't know why. I suspect it has something to do with the cultural meaning to "lesbian" as a denominator and perhaps those cultural attachments are anachronistic when applied to 1900 relationships? maybe??]
And as with many featured in Cass' recent Women's Work/Suffrage Song, Catt here (not Cass!) is more than willing to throw others under the bus by using eugenics as a cudgel for her women's rights. Disgusting and almost unbelievable but for that it happened again and again. I've been subscribed to Cass' bimonthly minicomics for 13yrs now and it's always worth it to find a new Postal Constituent envelope in the mail. Carrie & Mollie was vol 15, iss 3, meaning I must have started my sub in the midst of vol 4 after having bought a bunch of her previous work at SPX 2013. Every year I think, "I don't have money for this, I should stop," but I can't. Getting these in the mail is too dear.
Copra, vol 1 by Michel Fiffe. Okay so we all know how I'm not into superhero comics, right? That should be pretty obvious. Does Copra change that? Not really. Is it good? Yes, I think it probably is. So now when people ask if I can recommend any superhero comics, I can say: Yeah, Astro City, a couple runs of Daredevil and Thor and whatever, mid-80s X-Men, maybe Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man, and yeah, Copra. Copra reads like what I'd imagine Suicide Squadron must have been. Like a dirty dozen kind of set-up. Rough riders and dire stakes. Only it's missing a lot of the corniness that governs the genre. It's got that intentional absence of preciousness that you'll find in, say, Grand Budapest Hotel. I'll also say that for whatever reason, I get Mind MGMT kinship vibes from the book. Like if you like one, you'll probably like the other well enough. And what the heck, my library has the rest of the series, so I'll probably check it out.
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u/BigAmuletBlog 6d ago
I found I liked the look of Copra - the art and colours are wonderful. But the story felt derivative and uninspiring.
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u/FlubzRevenge read yuichi yokoyama 5d ago
It's his ode to Ostrander's Suicide Squad. So yes, of course. Fiffe is one of the greatest cartoonists ever, though.
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u/TheDaneOf5683 Cross Game + Duncan The Wonder Dog 6d ago
I'll reserve judgment til I finish the series, but yes, it's definitely telling a version of a kind of story that feels very familiar. Though at this point, I don't really know how possible it is to tell a superhero story that doesn't feel that way. So the main question would be How well does it tells this story we've seen before?
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u/BigAmuletBlog 6d ago
Do you not think that, say, Moore and Morrison (just to name the obvious) showed how you can use superhero tropes, but take the stories in completely new directions?
(PS to be fair, I only read vol 1 of Copra, so perhaps it does get better, but I read some other reviews and was not convinced)1
u/TheDaneOf5683 Cross Game + Duncan The Wonder Dog 6d ago
I don't really know. Moore in, say, Watchmen is playing with classic adventure serial themes but layering on the existentialist reevaluation found earlier in noir and '70s cinema. It wasn't so much a fresh take (as it had been applied already in film and lit) as it was a fresh take in the niche of superhero comics. Storywise there's nothing fresh in Watchmen, but it's in the motifs and manner that we see some interesting stuff going on.
It's kind of like how the entirety of Fraction/Aja's Hawkeye freshness rests in Aja's heavily design-centered art on the book and Fraction's writing in the non-superhero portions. Aja's art finds precedent in decades of designwork but (on top of being really well done) isn't something we regularly see in superhero comics. Fraction's relational writing is just talky indie comics/film writing but again isn't something we see much of in Marvel comics. Storyline-wise though, the superhero plots are pretty tepid. It was the no-stakes moments of interactions between Kate and Clint that felt fresh.
All that to say, I don't know that freshness (or the veneer of it) is as important to a book as making something well.
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u/BigAmuletBlog 5d ago
Sui generis freshness seems like a very high bar! I think all art has precedent or inspiration - the novelty comes from unique combinations of material, especially if the building blocks are themselves obscure and unfamiliar.
I agree with you regarding quality being more important than novelty. But I wanted to emphasise how superhero comics do get reinvented and reinvented well. The British Invasion was all about taking familiar tropes to unexpected places. I'm thinking of Miracleman, Swamp Thing, Animal Man, Doom Patrol etc.
Out of curiosity, were you a fan of superhero comics growing up?
PS I am one of the seemingly rare people for whom that Hawkeye run did absolutely nothing. Aja's designs were nice, but the repeated "bro" joke got stale very quickly and Kate's separate adventure was dire.
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u/TheDaneOf5683 Cross Game + Duncan The Wonder Dog 4d ago
Yeah, I adored superheroes growing up. Power Pack, Uncanny X-Men in the Paul Smith/JRJR/Silvestri era, New Mutants, Nocenti's Daredevil, Simonson's Thor, Gruenwald/Dwyer Captain America, Strikeforce: Morituri, etc. The genre left me behind around 1992 with the rise of Image Comics -- the rise of hyperbolic artistic dynamism over storytelling chops etc. (Probably not coincidentally, I graduated high school in 1992, and the form of the genre was feeling rather too infantile to last-year-of-high-school me.)
I largely abandoned my visits to comics stores until the late '90s rolled around, only visiting occasionally to catch up on Hellboy or Stray Bullets. When I returned in the late '90s, I leaned more into the black-and-whites, Palestine, The Waiting Place, Usagi Yojimbo, Jar Of Fools, Bone, etc. Having enjoyed Bendis' crime comics, I gave Powers a shot and enjoyed it. Then when he was brought over to Marvel, I picked up his Daredevil and Alias and that gave me a brief window into superheroes again (those plus Batgirl and USM and Brubaker's Catwoman, and various abortive attempts at other books). Civil War was what convinced me I no longer needed to pay attention to the legacy hero genre.
For me, my abandonment of the genre (and then later its abandonment of me) is so closely tied with me growing up that I have to be careful not to couch it in terms entirely of me outgrowing superheroes, which would imply the real possibility of others not having grown up enough -- which is NOT what I'd like to say, since I very much do believe that people are allowed to enjoy simplistic story motifs and find joy in those things that avoid the complications of real life situations. (For myself, I was pretty excited by the early chapters of My Hero Academia, which looked like it was going to seriously interrogate the very concept of superheroes; it ended up only paying that discussion lip-service and so ended up being uninteresting to me, but I was excited for a moment.)
As to Hawkeye, yes, the Bro bro bro stuff was a huge turn-off. And the second Aja was off the book, it lost any enchantment for me. Wu is fine for your run-of-the-mill superhero book, but it really did highlight how Aja was the only thing keeping the book afloat. Not Enjoying Hawkeye Very Much was one of my least liked opinions at the time. Up there with feeling that Saga was DOA lol. (I'm the exact picture of Critics Are Out Of Touch With The Average Fan.)
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u/No-Play-9354 6d ago
Oh i loved Eartha, still think about that book sometimes. Never read Shadows of the Sea but your description got me curious, that feeling of a book piling up things that remind you of things without being heavy handed about it, thats rare
The Carrie and Mollie one sounds complicated, like the kind of history that makes you uncomfortable in a necessary way. I always appreciate when creators dont try to make their heroes perfect
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u/TheDaneOf5683 Cross Game + Duncan The Wonder Dog 6d ago
If you haven't read it, I'd recommend Caitlin Cass's Suffrage Song. I believe but haven't confirmed that she's including the Carrie & Mollie segment in the new paperback edition of the book. In any case, Suffrage Song is all bout the heroes of the suffrage movement and how very clay their feet are.
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u/NeapolitanWhitmore Detective Beans! 6d ago edited 6d ago
Absolute Batman, Volume One (By Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Gabriel Hernández Walta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles): Reread. I don’t think that this book would be as good if Dragotta wasn’t the artist. Dragotta’s over the top art really takes this book to a better level. I enjoy the hell out of this series, more than I have any other version of Batman.
Absolute Batman, Volume Two (By Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Marcos Martin, Clay Mann, Frank Martin, Muntsa Vicente, Ivan Plascencia, and Clayton Clowes): Another reread. I have two main complaints about this volume.
1)I don’t like the feel of the book when Dragotta isn’t illustrating. Marcos Martin may be a comprable counter part to Dragotta, but Mann isn’t. Mann’s Bane just feels like a body builder. And I know that Mann illustrates Bane’s backstory story, but when you finally see Bane, it didn’t feel the same. I do think that Marcos Martin did a great job with Freeze and illustrating the tank of a man that Bruce is.
2)I don’t like that Bruce had the venom removed. I think that would have really set up something more interesting down the line for Bruce. Having this possible time bomb could have led to a more interesting Batman. But Snyder did the classic “Batman plans for everything” that I don’t like a ton. I really love this version of Batman, I am slightly afraid that Snyder will turn him into the Batgod that I hate.
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u/danteholdup 6d ago
did they remove the system too, or just the venom? I feel like if he still has the system in his back, it might come into play later 🤔
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u/Siccar_Point No capes! 6d ago edited 6d ago
Solanin by Inio Asano. A slice of life story about entering adulthood, growing up, and navigating real life’s first real shocks and disappointments. This is a very cleverly put together little book. Knowing exactly where it goes will rob it of some of its impact, but the book’s focus changes quite sharply for the better at the midway point. The characterisation and character arcs are done beautifully, and the back half redeems what first comes across as quite a static, self-indulgent front half. This is also a book about making music; this is shot through the whole thing and gives it its soul. It makes you wait and wait for an actual band scene, and eventually deploys it to hugely cathartic effect.
Good stuff if you’re looking for some un-cozy slice of life manga, for once not set in a school. Also, only one book, binding two volumes! I love a short manga.
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u/TheDaneOf5683 Cross Game + Duncan The Wonder Dog 6d ago
I'd also recommend the very short 10-years-later sequel, Solanin: An Epilogue. It's done well and getting to see the characters after a decade more of life is pretty satisfying.
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u/Siccar_Point No capes! 5d ago
That was indeed well rounded off. Especially the intro there with new characters!
I had not twigged that Asano was the Goodnight Punpun guy. I have been avoiding that as it sounds a bit too bleak for my taste. But this was a good sweet spot.
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u/TheDaneOf5683 Cross Game + Duncan The Wonder Dog 5d ago
Yeah, I think Punpun might be his best work in terms of pure craft but man, I hate it so much. Just bleak with a vile protag. It has stuff to say, but I don't enjoy being there while it says it.
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u/Timely_Tonight_8620 Shop Local! 6d ago edited 6d ago
Heaven No Hell by Michael DeForge: Another delightful and trippy anthology book from DeForge which mixes psychedelic art, dry humor and existential themes (like purpose, choice and the anxiety of living in the digital age). DeForge is always a fun read with the absurdity and strange situations our characters get in making for a very fun read. I’d love to highlight two of my favorite stories from the book with the first one being called “Roleplay”. It involves a surgeon teaching a class who turns out to not actually be a doctor, she’s pretending to be one and it turns out many other people are doing the same with their jobs. The second is my absolute favorite and is called “ One of my students is a murderer...But Which?” that is a murder mystery story of a federal agent going undercover in a school as a teacher. All the kids act like suspects in a noir film and it’s so ridiculous and fun! (Also as a sidenote DeForge has some of my favorite book spine designs).
Light It Shoot It by Graham Chaffee: A 70s noir thriller that takes place in the seedy underbelly of 70s Hollywood, our focus character Billy Bonney a convicted arsonist and pyromaniac who’s just been released from prison at the age of 20 after nearly 6 years locked up. He feels out of place in a town that hates him so the only thing to do is leave for Hollywood. This is the much less glamorous side of Hollywood filled with exploitation flicks, washed up actors and a mob plot to burn down the studio for the insurance money. Billy gets a job being the handler of one of these washed up actors (who almost kills him in a drunken rage with a revolver). It has that pulpy noir feel to it and really feels like a Tarintono movie in my opinion with it being quite the fun read. Also painted black and white art is always welcomed with it adding more to the throwback noir vibes.
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u/Alone-Possession-591 4d ago
Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo (by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta) flips the classic mythos on its head by stripping Bruce Wayne of his wealth and aristocratic privileges. In this DC Absolute Universe reimagining, Bruce is a working-class Gotham city engineer who relies on raw physical power, practical technical expertise, and improvised gear rather than a billion-dollar war chest. When a terrifying terrorist syndicate called the Party Animals—led by a lethal iteration of Black Mask—begins tearing the city apart, Bruce steps up as a radical, blue-collar Dark Knight to fight back with sheer grit and underground tactics.
Unknown Soldier (the 2008–2010 Vertigo series by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli) is a gritty, morally complex thriller set in 2002 during the war in Northern Uganda. It follows Lwanga Moses, an idealist Ugandan-American doctor who returns to his homeland to provide humanitarian medical aid to civilians terrorized by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army. After a violent ambush leaves him horribly disfigured, Moses succumbs to a dark, voice-driven psychological awakening, wrapping his face in bandages and becoming a ruthless killing machine to fight fire with fire while losing his humanity in the process.