12/12-2022 - Monday
2022 in comics - Part one
EDIT: This showed huge signs of being written at 1AM, so I went back and addressed typos and poor sentence structure. Apologies for the spam!
While this year has been many things and a lot of them questionable at best, I’ve finally allowed myself the space to read comics again. For the longest time I had a bad habit of picking up comics only to never read them (much to the appreciation of my niece who’s gotten boxes filled with unread comics over the years.) This year my body finally caved in under the pressure of non-stop working. I got really ill several times due to psychological hardships and was forced to slow down. That’s when I finally accepted that I too am allowed a treat for no other reason than rejuvenation. Not to mention it’s important for a storyteller to constantly refill the knowledge and inspiration cup with new impressions. So here’s part one of two posts covering everything I’ve read this year.
The Girl from the Sea
Now I have to come clean straight out the gate; some of these may have been read last year, but A: I can’t separate time anymore and B: It’s not like I previously did a write up like this, so here goes.
This is a sweet story about self discovery and self acceptance. When the main character gets in touch with a supernatural girl, she’s forced to accept that her view on the world is monitored by her own insecurities. There’s a visible moral of how through introspection, you will also practice a broader understanding towards others. Which in itself is an important lesson, but perhaps mostly aimed towards younger people. The art style is very charming and if you’re looking for comic material aimed at the kids in your life, this is a solid choice.
Gleipnir Vol 1
Do you ever see a cover of a book and go “now this looks fun?” only to read said book and wonder what the hell you were expecting? That was my reaction to this perverted, tropy mess. Should you have any prior experience with manga, and especially manga aimed at boys/men, you know what I say when it’s exactly what you expect. Objectification of women married with pretentious, deeper themes. I’m sure teenagers can at some level resonate with this, but let me tell you, when you’re adult it’s cringe at best, uncomfortable at worst. In Gleipnir the main character, Shuichi Kagaya, shifts into a fur suit monster. He doesn’t know why and a girl, Claire Aoki, at his school happens to be obsessed with this phenomenon, because apparently several people have this ability. When Shuichi Kagaya, in his monster form, saves Claire Aoki from a burning building, she discovers his secret and threatens to expose him. That is unless he teams up with her to hunt others just like him. If male gazing and trope galore isn’t your cup of tea (hey, not judging), I’d say stay clear of this one.
Pixels of You
This one was gifted to me by a good friend and I always feel bad when I’m gifted something I don’t quite enjoy. (Thanks anyway, Vid, you’re the best.) The art style is hands down gorgeous, but I struggled with feeling invested in the writing. The premise is a near future with advanced technology, enemies to lovers and what it means to be human all mixed together in what reads as an abridged presentation. A reoccurring opinion I’m left with when reading comics is that they don’t take enough room to breathe and live. If I were to guess, this is often a budget/time restraint. Sadly the story and pacing then suffer due to this and in turn fails to provide enough world building for me to care. Where the main story is concentrated around two people, I personally believe more time should be granted for these characters to feel alive and relatable. Plus for being LGBTQ.
Haru’s Curse
One of the more recent additions to my collection. Natsumi lost her sister, Haru, to illness and agrees to date her late sister’s fiancé as a way to reconnect with said late sister. The premise sounded just weird and interesting enough for me to pick it up. Grief is a known connector between the people left behind. But again it’s “too manga” for my taste. The ending felt forced and sometimes these characters doesn’t act in accord with how they’re previously presented. There’s nuggets here and there but overall it left me with the everlasting impression that straight people are not ok. Minus points for vaguely addressing a LGBTQ theme only to immediately drop it.
Lore of Olympus Vol 1
I kind of feel like I’ve lived under a rock when it comes to this comic. Sure, I knew it existed because it’s impossible to avoid fan art. But I don’t enjoy reading webcomics, so I was glad to discover it’s in print to finally read what the fuzz was about.
In this modern retelling of Greek mythology, the reader explores the relationship between Hades and Persephone. The broader Greek pantheon is also present. I really want to praise the art and the layouts are incredibly imaginative. Despite the story not really being my cup of tea, I found myself excited to turn the page. There’s not really anything wrong with the comic, it simply isn’t for me. This is possibly due to the fact that I’m tired of straight presenting relationships in media. If you think the premise sounds interesting, it’s absolutely worth checking out. It does explore some difficult themes however, so I suggest reading the trigger warnings before you dive in.
Dai Dark Vol 1
Like everyone else, I wanted to get my hands on Dorohedoro. Which has proven incredibly challenging (why no, I do not wish to spend 50$ on shipping from the states or buying an overpriced, used edition on ebay.) So instead I went for the author’s next project, Dai Dark. The less you know about this, the better, so I won’t give away too much. Zaha Sanko is haunted by the legendary rumor that possessing his bones, will grant the owner any wish they desire. So you can imagine he’s frequently chased down and in turn is seeking out the instigator of this rumor. Just know that it’s violent, weird and intriguing. There’s something incredibly refreshing with women writing these kind of stories. If you, like me, find yourself exhausted by most manga because it’s all kind of blending together, give this one a try.
I am a Hero Omnibus 1
This manga was recommended to me by a twitch viewer. Usually I’m not easily won over by the recommendations of others; because despite all the diverse stuff I end up sharing in this post, I’m one picky person. I prefer the trials and errors of my own choices, because at least then I can only blame myself. But one stream I mentioned my love for horror and Junji Ito and a viewer asked if I knew of this manga. While the idea of yet another zombie story did not remotely intrigue me, the idea of an unlikable main character plagued by hallucinations suddenly becoming the main character in an apocalyptic setting did. The art style is crisp and a couple of pages genuinely scared me. (If you’ve read this, you know the ones, but all I’m gonna say is don’t have mail slots through your front door!)
Step by Bloody Step
A very unique and refreshing concept where there isn’t a single readable speechbubble in the entire comic. The few times people talk, it’s through a made up language. This is yet another comic where knowing as little as possible is the best solution. The art is breath taking and it reminded me a little bit of going through a story board. I have to admit I did miss a couple of lettered sound effects here and there, but that’s purely a personal preference. If the concept of giant guardian + small precious rocks your boat, this might be for you.
Dorohedoro Vol 1
Luckily I happened to get my hands on the first volume without paying a fortune. (Volume 2 and 3 however seems beyond my grasp at the moment.) If you like Die Dark, you’ll enjoy Dorohedoro and visa versa.
After being cursed by a sorcerer with a reptile head and no memory of his former life, Caiman searches for his true identity. This is done by shoving the head of any sorcerer he comes across into his reptile mouth. Because inside him there’s another strange head able to tell if he’s found the culprit behind his curse. All of this plays out in a post apocalyptic setting and the character designs are delicious. I really want to be able to read more.
Did you read any of these? If so please let me know your thoughts!
-Jaws