The other comics thread is basically all mainstream Marvel and DC superhero talk, but I want a safeplace to talk about alternative indie titles that don't feature superheroes involve a convoluted continuity that I will be ridiculed for not properly learning. So, if it's IDW or Image or Aftershock or Dark Horse or Dynamite, you can safely talk about it here without fear of being bullied by Marvel and DC fans for liking obscure comics that you can only get by buying them from your crazy uncle who goes out to the comics distribution center every month to pick stuff up. But sometimes I might talk about some DC and Marvel series as long as they're not super-serial and/or offbeat enough.
Here's some of what I've been reading recently:
Monstress - This kind of reminds me of late-era Final Fantasy in a way, with the way it mixes humans with half-animal people and uses a very ornate, almost baroque-inspired art style. If I said nothing else good about it, the art is incredibly detailed and good. Some of the best I've seen in comics. But it's got an interested story, too, with lots of mystery and fantastical happenings. Only three issues are out so far and the release schedule is, unfortunately, a bit erratic.
Cry Havoc - A British lesbian who gets turned into a werewolf has to go to Afghanistan to track down a rogue American werewolf with a band of normal human soldiers and various other freaks. It's also told in three alternating plot lines: just after the MC is turned, the MC in Afghanistan searching for the American werewolf, and after the MC's encounter with the psycho American lady werewolf. It sounds a bit confusing and slapdash, but it all works pretty well and gives you hints and details about what's going on without throwing too much at you at one time. It's still early in its run, but it's got my attention and I'm really interested in seeing where things go after the reveal in the second issue. There's a lot of Apocalypse Now-esque insanity here.
Insexts: Okay...where should I start with this one? An insect lady impregnates her dirtbag husband so that she can start a new life with her insect lesbian maid. Also, it's Victorian England. Got it? So, right off the bat there's some "Down with the patriarchy!!" going on, and some serious David Cronenberg-esque body horror, mixed in a with some late-Victorian London [both high and low]. And lots of fairly explicit lesbian sex, if you're into that sort of thing. Tear away all the details, though, and the basica story is about two women who are "different" trying to make a happy life for themselves up against a world that wants to tear them apart.
Black Magick - A Massachusetts police officer, who also happens to be a witch, is targeted by a mysterious group who know her secret. This is probably the weakest of the four [for me, personally], but still a good read so far and it does a nice balance between the regular police work and magical investigation techniques. It moves a bit slower, but the end of the fifth issue final provides a glimpse into who this mysterious organization is and lets you know pretty clearly that things are about to get real.
Jem and the Holograms - It's actually, surprisingly, really good, with a very bright color palette, a lighthearted emphasis that avoids the extreme goofiness of the original series, and occasional breaks for psychedelic full-page spreads during the musical performance segments. The first volume rushed the introduction of Synergy a bit too much, but it's slowed down since then and given space for the characters to interact, allow for a bit of character development to set each of them apart. I think most people would probably find enjoyment even without having any prior knowledge of it, and if you do have any prior connection to the franchise it's probably a better modern alternative than that live-action movie.
Kaptara - Some human astronauts get sucked through a dimensional rift of some kind and end up on some totally insane alien world. The story itself isn't overly amazing, but it's got a looseness to its dialog that makes it a brisk, amusing read. The main draw, though, is the drug-induced nightmare art and the overall just sheer insanity of everything that happens. The third volume has the protagonists being captured by a village of MRA internet trolls which the comics goes out of its way to treat with the utmost contempt.
Darth Vader - Remember when Darth Vader was cool? That's basically what this miniseries is all about, and it's does a very good job of being an antidote to the awful of teenage Anakin in the prequel movies. Vader chases after his estranged son with the help of two psycho droids and an Asian chick, for some reason, while plotting behind the Emperor's back. The art's nice and detailed, but it sometimes feels like it moves through events and from one event to another a bit too quickly, more like a highlight reel for a movie than the actual movie itself. Anybody with nostalgia for the old Star Wars movies should pick it up, definitely.
Descender - Really love the art in this one, like a kind of very detailed watercolor painting applied over rough sketches [it works, though, in creating a very unique look]. Good story, too, about these massive robots appearing out of nowhere and nearly wiping out humanity in a matter of minutes. Still early on in the series, from what I can tell, but it's one that I'll stick with.
I'll post some of the other stuff I'm reading later.
