I read a lot of comics this year, but didn't realise till I started compling it for this blog post!
Single Issues
Note: italics indicates series has ceased.
- Die
- Exorsisters #1
- Five Years (Terry Moore)
- Giant Days
- Hex Wives (2018-2019)
- Man-Eaters #1
- Rat Queens (2017-)
- Steeple
- Strangers In Paradise XXV
- Transformers: Lost Light
- The Wicked + The Divine
- The Wicked + The Divine: 455 AD (special issue)
- The Wicked + The Divine: 1373 (special issue)
Most anticipated read: Five Years Abstract Studio
Well this was an interesting follow up to the end of Strangers In Paradise. Five Years weaves all the storylines from every Terry Moore comic together into one giant cross over. And you know what? It's pretty good.
Most interesting read: Giant Days Boom! Box
John Allison knows how to write a good story. I've been reading Giant Days since it came out and this year sadly saw the end of the adventures. Few comics have me laughing out loud but Giant Days always managed to make me smile, cringe, and gasp.
Unexpected gem: Die Image
I started reading Die because it is written by Kieron Gillen who also wrote The Wicked + The Divine. Gillen self describes it as Goth Jumanji but it's more of a RPG than a board game. The art is amazing and matches the story expertly. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes.
Graphic Novels/Collected Volumes
- Animosity, Vol. 2: The Dragon
- Bad Girls
- Barbarella, Vol. 2: Hard Labor
- Blackbird Vol. 1
- By Night Vol. 1
- Catwoman by Jim Balent, Book One
- Catwoman by Jim Balent, Book Two
- Customer Service Wolf : comics from the retail wilderness
- Deadly Class, Volume 1: Reagan Youth
- FTL, Y'all!
- Girl Town
- Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
- Low, Vol. 1: The Delirium of Hope
- Low, Vol. 2: Before the Dawn Burns Us
- Low, Vol. 3: Shore of the Dying Light
- Low, Vol. 4: Outer Aspects of Inner Attitudes
- Ménage à 3 Vol. 7
- Ménage à 3 Vol. 8
- Ménage à 3 Vol. 9
- Monstress Vol. 3
- Monstress Vol. 4
- Moonstruck, Vol. 2: Some Enchanted Evening
- On a Sunbeam
- Outpost Zero, Vol. 1
- Outpost Zero, Vol. 2
- Paper Girls Vol. 3
- Paper Girls Vol. 4
- Paper Girls Vol. 5
- Persephone
- Scarlet (2018-) Vol. 1
- Sex Machine
- Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 4: The Catastrophe Con
- Stargate Atlantis Vol 02
- Stargate Universe Vol. 1: Back to Destiny
- Strong Female Protagonist: Book One
- Strong Female Protagonist: Book Two
- Submerged Vol. 1
- Sugar Vol. 1
- Sunstone Volume 6
- Swashbucklers: The Saga Continues
- Sword Daughter Volume 1 - She Brightly Burns
- Sword Daughter Volume 2
- The Apocalypse Suite (The Umbrella Academy #1)
- The Chancellor and the Citadel
- The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machin
- The World of Edena
- Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars Omnibus
- Unnatural, Vol. 1: Awakening
- Witchblade, Vol. 2
Most anticipated read: The World of Edena by Moebius
I absolutely love Moebius. His art and stories are that great mixture of crazy and beautiful. The Incal is one of my favourite stories and I've been eyeing off The World of Edena for years. I was gifted a copy of this beautiful hardback and read it all in one weekend.
Most interesting read: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki (author) & Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (illustrator)
This is one of those wonderful comics that uses a single colour among black and white art to highlight and showcase story and art. A slice of life love story (?) with lots of GLBTQIA+ themes.
Unexpected gem: On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
I picked this one up at the library as its art style was very interesting. What unfolded was a weird and wonderful story that spread across space and time. I enjoyed every second reading this.
Manga
- After the Rain, Vol 2
- After the Rain, Vol 3
- Again!! Vol. 1
- Banana Fish, Vol. 1
- Banana Fish, Vol. 2
- COPPELION Vol. 1
- COPPELION Vol. 2
- COPPELION Vol. 3
- COPPELION Vol. 4
- Domestic Girlfriend Vol. 1
- Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 1
- High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World! Manga, Vol. 1
- Horimiya Vol. 1
- Horimiya Vol. 2
- Horimiya Vol. 3
- Horimiya Vol. 4
- Horimiya Vol. 5
- Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 1
- Komi Can't Communicate Vol. 1
- Kuzumi-kun, Can't You Read the Room? Vol. 1
- Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun Vol. 2
- Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun Vol. 3
- Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun Vol. 4
- Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun Vol. 5
- Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun Vol. 6
- My Brother's Husband, Vol. 2
- NE NE NE Vol. 1
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project Omnibus Volume 4
- No Need for Tenchi!, Volume 2: Sword Play
- No Need for Tenchi!, Volume 3: Magical Girl Pretty Sammy
- No Need for Tenchi! Volume 4: Samurai Space Opera
- Prison School, Vol. 2
- Ran and the Gray World, Vol. 1
- Ran and the Gray World, Vol. 2
- Ran and the Gray World, Vol. 3
- Ran and the Gray World, Vol. 4
- Ran and the Gray World, Vol. 5
- Servant x Service Vol. 1
- Star Collector, Volume 1
- Urusei Yatsura Vol. 1
- Urusei Yatsura Vol. 2
- Urusei Yatsura Vol. 3
- We Never Learn, Vol. 1
- Whenever Our Eyes Meet...A Women's Love Anthology
- Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku Vol. 3
- Yotsuba&!, Vol. 11
- Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs Vol. 1
Most anticipated reads: Urusei Yatsura by Rumiko Takahashi & Ran and the Gray World by Aki Irie
When I heard that Viz were re-releasing Rumiko Takahashi's original comic Urusei Yatsura (Those Obnoxious Aliens) I have been waiting with baited breath! It is pure Rumiko and I love the craziness of it.
My second most anticipated is Ran and the Gray World. I found this title through a recommendation and wow. The art is AH-MAZING. The story is strong and fascinating, every time I finish a volume I can't wait till the next one. This is one of the rare comics that I buy digitally and physically (mainly because I can't wait!).
Most interesting read: COPPELION by Tomonori Inoue
This is an older series (2008) but I picked it up on sale to give it a go. I tried to watch the anime a few years back but didn't get into it enough, but the manga has gripped me. I'm always fascinated with the Japanese relationship to nuclear events as it is highly different from other cultures. This series is a fascinating look into a post nuclear event in Tokyo and how Japan tries to recover.
Unexpected gems: Horimiya by HERO & Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun by Izumi Tsubaki
I've been looking for some nice, wholesome manga to read this year and these two wonderful, sweet comics came across my path. Horimiya is just a sweet story about two students becoming friends. Where as Nozaki-kun is a four panel hilarious story that follows a mangaka and his friends through their daily life. Nozaki-kun has me laughing out loud quite frequently and I'm fast catching up to their current issues which makes me delighted and sad.