Comics and graphic novels

[Atrophist]

Bought that Neat Stuff collection last week and was enjoying it a lot. Now re-reading my old Hate comics. Obviously over the top but still so much is very recognizable. Great fun.

Hate keeps getting better and better. Probably just about the only comics series that has managed to do that over the years and decades. Most of Bagge's later stuff is good to, Apocalypse Nerd is a standout imo. His biographical books about famous women in history not quite as much so, but still an interesting read.

[W.K.]

Not sure if already posted but I'm a big fan of Oliver Ledroit. Crazy detailed and often downright brutal work.

Sha


Requiem Chevalier Vampire

[ConcreteMascara]

A few weeks ago I finished Junji Ito's adaptation of Osamu Dazai's "No Longer Human" and wow, that was one of the best things I've read in a while. I strongly considered just immediately reading the original book afterwards but I decided to save that for later this year. Unsurprisingly it's a brutal story, yet despite tragedy after tragedy Yozo Oba's journey is riveting. Dazai's portrayal of alcohol and drug addiction is spot on nailing both the insanity and the humor that sometimes comes from it. Junji Ito also brings his A game, modifying his illustration style to fit the material and doing it perfectly. I'd be willing to call this essential for those interested in pessimistic and misanthropic literature.

https://www.viz.com/read/manga/junji-ito/product/6126

While reading "No Longer Human" I more than once thought of Teruo Ishii's adaptation of Yoshiharu Tsuge's "Screw-Style", a film I adore. Tsuge's work has been famously unlicensed for English readers but I was hoping maybe that had changed. To my happy surprise Drawn & Quarterly are publishing all of Tsuge's work, newly translated and with accompanying essays on Tsuge himself, in seven volumes over the next however many years. "Screw-Style" isn't out yet so I picked up "Red Flowers", not realizing it was the second collection and I'm about halfway through. While markedly different than "Screw-Style" and "No Longer Human", there is still a certain quiet and almost desolate feeling to a lot of the work. It's my understanding Tsuge's later works dig increasingly into the type of self-imposed isolation and social ostracism of "No Longer Human", but without the pallor of drug/alcohol addiction. We'll see. I'll definitely be picking up these volumes from Drawn & Quarterly as they're released from now on.

https://drawnandquarterly.com/books/red-flowers/

[Cementimental]

Yoshiharu Tsuge's "Screw-Style"

[Andrew McIntosh]

A few weeks ago I finished Junji Ito's adaptation of Osamu Dazai's "No Longer Human" and wow, that was one of the best things I've read in a while. I strongly considered just immediately reading the original book afterwards but I decided to save that for later this year. Unsurprisingly it's a brutal story, yet despite tragedy after tragedy Yozo Oba's journey is riveting. Dazai's portrayal of alcohol and drug addiction is spot on nailing both the insanity and the humor that sometimes comes from it. Junji Ito also brings his A game, modifying his illustration style to fit the material and doing it perfectly. I'd be willing to call this essential for those interested in pessimistic and misanthropic literature.

Read that one recently myself. Of course it deviated a great deal from the original plot, as it had to (I recall first looking at the length of it and thinking, "wonder what he's added?") considering Junji is more an outright "horror" cartoonist. But it also sticks to the plot very well and introduces some, I think worthy additions, including the change of the ending which I think was very well done (the final picture of the protagonist is excellent). As much as I love the original, I think this "horror-fied" version sits pretty well (a bit iffy about the "descent to Hell" bit, I suppose, but still...). It's been a while since I read the original anyway so for all I know Junji's just picked up on little parts of the story and extrapolated.

Only just recently been getting into Junji Ito's work anyway. "Uzumaki" is one of the best horror stories I've read in any format. "Self" obliterating stuff.

[impulse manslaughter]

Just finished rereading my old Sin City comics. Great non-pc fun and some jaw dropping drawings.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Hanna Gustavsson "Iggy 4-ever" book. I just noticed couple days ago this had come out in Finnish. 2022.  Originally Swedish edition in 2015. It is independent stand-alone sequel to life of character who was in Natt barn (Finnish translation Yölapsi). 14 year old Swedish girl going through all sorts of mundane nuisance what girls of that age tend to go through. I guess!
There is nothing really odd, nothing transgressive, nothing sweet, just... sort of daily life with very dull things happening, but I can't really pinpoint why exactly I liked Natt Barn, and but I did, and so I bought this one and liked it instantly. Neat drawing style and teen angst.

Nina Hemmingsson "Minä olen sinun tyttöystäväsi nyt" book.
Originally "Jag är din flickvän nu". Not sure if English versions exists? This was her 2nd book as far as I know, found 2nd hand copy from 2nd hand bookstore, and browsing a bit of 2011 Finn edition made of 2006 Swedish original, and when you got alternative comic artists, who focuses on mental health, obsessive sex and various dark moods, it can be either totally sucky, or totally rule. This one is more of the latter. Lots of one picture black humor jokes, but also plenty of actual graphic novel type of things. One of best being disappointing relationship with overly positive buddhist boyfriend, who is way too understanding for deranged and destructive girl to stick around with.

More feminist spiced Swedish alternative comics? There should be plenty and some of them make it to Finnish translations when I tend to pick them up..

[FallOfNature]

Just finished rereading my old Sin City comics. Great non-pc fun and some jaw dropping drawings.

I do the same about once every 5-10 years. Some of the best stuff ever written.

[PeteHarma]

Been reading Crossed for 3 days now and i think its fucking great,i can understand the reference to walking dead but the latter misses all the fucking rapes,necrophilia,animal fucking etc what Crossed has,Walking dead is bitchy crying bullshit,Crossed is fucking awesome.

[KillToForget]

Faust, by Tim Vigil and David Quinn, seems to be getting a collected edition soon. It's some really great stuff

[FallOfNature]

Faust, by Tim Vigil and David Quinn, seems to be getting a collected edition soon. It's some really great stuff

total 90's nostalgia!

Frank Thorne's Iron Devil is getting the same treatment

[Manhog_84]

Been reading Crossed for 3 days now and i think its fucking great,i can understand the reference to walking dead but the latter misses all the fucking rapes,necrophilia,animal fucking etc what Crossed has,Walking dead is bitchy crying bullshit,Crossed is fucking awesome.

Have you seen the film Atroz? Watched it recently and it reminded me of Crossed with it's perverted violence. Especially one long scene towards the end.

I read the first five trades and Crossed+100 volume 1. For the gore, best was part three, The Psychopath. Amazing artwork and it felt darkest and vilest. Alan Moore's Crossed+100 was the best in this franchise for me though. The violence was put more to the background but it had some great writing. Probably need to check how the series continue from there.

[PeteHarma]

Been reading Crossed for 3 days now and i think its fucking great,i can understand the reference to walking dead but the latter misses all the fucking rapes,necrophilia,animal fucking etc what Crossed has,Walking dead is bitchy crying bullshit,Crossed is fucking awesome.

Have you seen the film Atroz? Watched it recently and it reminded me of Crossed with it's perverted violence. Especially one long scene towards the end.

I read the first five trades and Crossed+100 volume 1. For the gore, best was part three, The Psychopath. Amazing artwork and it felt darkest and vilest. Alan Moore's Crossed+100 was the best in this franchise for me though. The violence was put more to the background but it had some great writing. Probably need to check how the series continue from there.

Haven't seen Atroz,thanks will check it out.

I read them all now and Psychopath,Family values and Wish you were here was maybe the best comics i've ever read,brutal as fuck and amazing art.

All the issues are online too : https://readcomiconline.li/

[FallOfNature]

Anyone read Dead World? Covers that I've seen online look like Cannibal Corpse album covers, pretty cool.

[AdamLehrerImageMaker]

Kentaro Miura's Berserk is, arguably, one of the greatest works of art since its inception decades ago.

Other favorites:
Transmetropolitan (Warren Ellis)
Fritz the Cat (Robert Crumb)
The Man Without Talent (Yoshihuru Tsuge)
Vagabond (Takahiko Inoue)
Panorama of Hell (Hideshi Hino)
Chainsaw Man (Tatsuki Fugimito)
Orochi (Kazuo Umezz)
Pork (S. Clay Wilson)