I love Manga but honestly I’m not in the mood

Give me your (non Japanese) comic book recommendations

  • theposterformerlyknownasgood
    ·
    3 months ago

    Ogre Gods is really, really, really, really, really good. It will never be finished because the author died. It works both as a modern take on fairy tales, it's a generational story, it's a very deep and very thought out fantasy world, and it's just a good story with characters who are worth spending time with. CW for Ogre Gods: Very graphic violence including dismemberment, torture and cannibalism. These are on basically every page. Direct comparisons are made between humans and livestock bred for slaughter and humans are subjected to similar conditions and demises. Sexual violence and sexual assault are both portrayed.

    His other works I've read were also pretty cool (Except Miss Don't Touch Me. The ending and time really soured me on that one. Also I didn't really vibe Monsieur Désire. It's custom built for the guys who wrote "Mrs Darcy" as their name with little hearts on their diary) are also worth checking out
    In Shadow is a pretty generic action fantasy eurocomic, but it's a really good one.
    CW: Violence. It also has graphic nudity and sex but all the sex is consensual and kinda sweet iirc. Also parental neglect and abuse fairy tale style.

    Beauty is a pretty cool take on a Bande Desinee fairy tale.
    CW: Domestic abuse, bullying, and child neglect. Also some violence but it's cartoony iirc.

    Peau d'homme also looks really cool but I've yet to actually sit down and read it.

    Getting away from that guy:

    Mauvais Genre. Okay so yes I like eurocomics about gender, fucking sue me. CW: A lot of sexism, discussions of sexual violence (I don't remember it being portrayed but it's been a while). Violence and war is discussed but not really portrayed in much detail iirc.

    The Old Geezers is a pretty fun comic about old people. There's nothing else to it. CW: Sometimes the old people have shitty social attitudes.

    Blacksad is a noir detective take on Zootopia is the best way I can put it, except no consideration of the fact that these characters are animals is made and it's played totally po-faced despite the ridiculousness of the whole thing. Somehow it sorta works.
    CW: Sex, graphic violence, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, drug use, alcohol use. Violence against animals is obviously wide spread.

    Something Is Killing The Children is also good. It's an American serialized comic so the plot never fucking gets anywhere and it has a bunch of spinoffs, but what's there is pretty cool. What if Supernatural really leaned into its themes about the cycle of neglect and didn't lose the plot completely after episode 1.
    CW: Look at the title. It's graphic. Also torture, child abuse, just don't be a child in this universe. Alcohol abuse, drug abuse.

    The Nice House on the Lake is written by the same guy as Something is Killing the Children and since it's not a serialized comic stuff can actually happen. It's sort of a weird surrealist kinda horror kinda not comic about friendships, house vacations, the end of the world and what defines humanity.
    CW: Body horror, drug abuse, the end of all human life is discussed repeatedly, you're kinda supposed to be seeing humans burning to death but you don't really.

  • LGOrcStreetSamurai [he/him]
    ·
    3 months ago

    Hellboy and BPRD comics are always rock-solid reads, I will forever and always advocate people read Hellboy and/or BPRD comics.

    Also check out "Black Science" it's really good twist on the classic "mad scientist" trope, also the artstyle rules.

      • LGOrcStreetSamurai [he/him]
        ·
        edit-2
        3 months ago

        BPRD is a the fictional organization that Hellboy works for/with in the comics. They are like a your typical shadowy comic book organization but fight against the bad guys. BPRD is also conically not friends with the CIA, as well as overtly anti-Nazi, so those two things are always a plus.

        • MohammedTheCommunistPalestinian [he/him]
          hexagon
          ·
          3 months ago

          a your typical shadowy comic book organization but fight against the bad guys. BPRD is also conically not friends with the CIA, as well as overtly anti-Nazi, so those two things are always a plus.

          cool

  • Robert_Kennedy_Jr [xe/xem, xey/xem]
    ·
    3 months ago

    https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Briar/Issue-1?id=206170

    And I know it's almost a cliche to recommend it but Saga is really fun.

    https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Saga

  • D61 [any]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    Scud: The Disposable Assassin

    Wild art style. Interesting history behind its beginning and ending.

    Irredeemable

    What would happen if a Superman analog just got fed up with being a "good guy" and decided to slowly destroy the planet? (Never got around to finding all the collected volumes to finish the series... this is reminding me to go do that).

    Incorruptible

    In the above universe, what if the Superman analog's most persistent opponent, witnessing the slow burn apocalypse decides to stop being a "villian"? (Also never got around to finding/finishing the series)

    Y: The Last Man

    What if all the men except for one, suddenly died in a pretty unpleasant way? I watched the Hulu live action adaptation about a year before reading the series... this version is only good for rage bait. The comic series is actually a pretty solid read, I was very surprised that I liked it after watching the Hulu adaptation.

    The Boys

    A very dark take on the whole "what does a world with super powered people look like?" and "how does that world keep the super powered people in check?" Solid story, very graphic, brutal at points.

    And if you're just wanting some completely mindless junk food short story reads about Marvel comics characters there is, "What If"

    SA Content Warnings... from memory, so if there are things you'll need to avoid, do some digging for detailed CW's if you need before reading.

    I'm 100% certain that Irredeemable and The Boys has sexual assault both shown and a significant part of some of the story plots. As Incorruptible is set in the same universe as Irredeemable, and its kinda grim dark, I'll bet that there's some SA references in there as well

    I'm like 75% certain that Y: The Last Man has some SA in the plots and 100% certain that there are references to SA by characters.

    I don't remember anything in Scud and What If that stands out as CW'able.