Been reading it lately, and it helps reduce my scrolling time. I've hardly read any, so you can recommend really popular stuff, too.
I've read Vagabond, 20th Century Boys, Claymore (years ago), and some berserk. I just finished reading Teppu, which I thought was an interesting subversion of a lot of anime tropes. I also liked that it was a short run (only 8 volumes). I guess I like seinen, but I've also enjoyed josei like She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat.
Anyway, no shonen please. Hard mode: please nothing about high school
I personally enjoyed Gunka no Baltzar, Taihou to Stamp, and War's Unwomanly Face. I generally like more silly shit so that's all I can really think of off the top of my head.
Baltzar's about a fictional 19th century Prussia from the perspective of a more pro-modernist officer being dispatched as a military advisor to one of the little princely statelettes to help them modernize their military in order to build Not-Prussia's reputation in the country and stave off Not-AustroHungary's influence in the country. I generally enjoyed it because it's the author's attempt to glean into the world of the industrial revolution era as the transition from Napoleonic tactics in warfare would slowly give away to the technological developments of the coming first world war. Also includes some hints of communist organizing in the background but since the story's obviously more centered around the militaries and the monarchies, such information's generally way-laid to simple mechanics to drive the plot forward.
Stamp's about a fictional steampunk 19th century Tsarist Empire from the perspective of a logistics officer who was dispatched towards the frontlines to assist the work of a logistics unit in one of the key supply hubs in the joint not-Tsarist Empire "Grand Dutchy" and Not-Polish-Lithuanian-commonwealth+Prussian "Empire" containment war against the Not-Ottoman-Empire "Republic". Its a more light-hearted comic that touches on the absurdities of war from the perspective of the people that build the support networks to actually make a war happen. Much like the prior comic, Communists are also hinted about in the story and at least for one of the characters becomes a plot point for character development, but is more or less that with the story being primarily centered on the characters of the military logistics of the not-Tsarist Empire and their struggles against embezzling, smuggling, banditry, spycraft, etc.
War's Unwomanly Face is a book written by an anti-communist woman who performed critical historiographical work in recording the memories of the women who fought in the Great Patriotic War. The comic primarily leaves aside the author's anti-communist ramblings and focuses on depicting the stories of the Women of the Soviet Union in a manner that no audience outside of the former USSR has ever been exposed to. Very excellent work by both the author and the comic author & artist.
This is such 20th century nerd shit
War's unwomanly face seems interesting. Nice art, too
You caught me, I am a 20th century nerd.
I'd recommend a lot of other stuff but it's way outside the scope of what you're asking for, so best I got is really esoteric nerd shit lol