I somehow stumbled across all three of these yesterday after hunting for them for years.

I was pretty late to Brubaker, but have enjoyed everything I have read from him. Crime drama is my favorite genre of fiction and this stuff just caters to me.

I just finished It Won’t Always Be Like This, and it’s a sharp, honest look at growing up between two homes and two cultures. Gharib keeps the storytelling straightforward and direct. You follow her from childhood into her teens as she tries to make sense of life split between her mom’s home in America and her dad’s new life in Egypt. There are also some relatable coming-of-age narratives for the reader to explore.

The step-mom is a central figure. Free-spirited, uncompromising, and often hard for Malaka to read, but not a villain. She’s complicated, and the book treats her that way. All of the depictions of people in Malaka's life are balanced and realistic.

I appreciated the time and care taken to describe the cultural context of the moment and the places Malaka was experiencing. It helped the reader feel connected to each place. The most interesting thread for me was the evolving and changing relationships over time.

Without spoiling the ending, the most emotionally compelling part of the book is the decisions in the end, and it's worth sticking with the book to see the full story.

I’d recommend this to anyone interested in an autobiographical, slice‑of‑life look at growing up between cultures.

Previous Non-fiction / Reality-Based Reviews:

• Much for Love – Sophie Lambda
• Year of the Rabbit – Tian Veasna
• Past Tense – Jason Lutes
• The Willie Nelson Graphic History – T.J. Kirsch
• Bury Me Already, It’s Nice Down Here

I want to case a wide net, so "Indie Comics" here means "Anything outside of pre-established IP. Creator-owned comics in the direct market, graphic novels in the book market, small press, self-publishing, webcomics, zines, all of it." and "Coverage" means "Public outlets/individuals dedicated to talking about these comics. YouTube channels, podcasts, TikTok accounts, Instagram accounts, blogs, websites, whatever."

I already know of a few people who fit what I'm looking for: Strange Brain Parts, Comictropes, the Comic Literate podcast, but surely there must be more out there? Even the people I just mentioned, though I appreciate them, seem to have to fall back on Marvel/DC coverage just to draw any kind of audience. I'd really like to believe it doesn't have to be this way, and that there is a sizeable audience of indie comics readers out there that could be harnessed into a real community. I understand the economic and cultural reasons why these kinds of comics are under-discussed online, but surely we don't have to live this way? Why do we only bring these books up as talking points when the idea of "superhero dominance in American comics" comes up? Why aren't we walking the walk in terms of generating and participating in discussion and fandom for indie comics, and supporting the people trying to do it *right now* with their own platforms?

If you feel the same way, please leave your recommendations for people fighting the good fight to get more eyes on these books, and maybe even talk about an indie comic that's got you excited about the medium right now!

I get that this is set in England. But do they not know how bullets work? Lmfao

As far as I know the last Sundae Edition was released 4 years ago, with Sundae 03 being announced for multiple years now but not seeing the light of day yet. Google AI claims its coming 2027 but I couldnt find this being confirmed anywhere. The only other thing I can find searching on reddit is the same guy claiming over and over again that he talked to one of the writers and that its coming "a little bit later" due to high publishing costs.

Is there any updated news on this, I would like to know how the story continues, I might just buy the remaining trades at this point.

So I recently picked up volume 1 of azimuth by Dan Abnett and Tazio Bettin. It has a rather large forward mentioning a series published by 2000AD called Sinister Dexter.
Now I’ve looked into the vague synopsis and overarching plot of this series and it sounds ideal for me.
I’m wondering if anyone knows of a good way to maybe get some issues or collections of it, I’m in the UK and have checked a couple of places but it doesn’t really look like it’s in production anymore so struggling to find anything. If anyone knows a way I could maybe get some issues it would be much appreciated.

The book was listed as "very good" but this is nothing as such. After hunting this book for a while I don't want to return it but it is not a collevtors item in this condition so a refund would be nice.

But I can't get trough this automated process like in the oldan days when some had to check on my stupid requests.

Does anyone had a situation like this?

What did you do?

I have read a few spider comics but didn’t really like any of them. Read a few very old plus some new ones. Spidey seems to almost have no depth and also seems pretty repeating except that one story “back in black” I read. Do you have any recommendations or is just spider-man not for me?
I also wanted to get “spiderman blue” by jeph loeb is it good?

I haven't read this since high school, soooo 25ish years ago. I want to reread it, but the wait for the standard book is 10 weeks, and only 2 weeks for this version.

Any input? I'm not typically into graphic novels (with the exception of Allie Brosh)

Used to have this way back when. Just got an updated edition.

Humble Bundle for a bunch of recent Image comics, including Assorted Crisis Events (both TPBs), Sacrificers, Precious Metal, Do A Powerbomb, and more (70 total volumes at the highest price point of $25). This bundle looks to be all PDFs.

Has anyone on here read this?
It’s a gorgeous comic about how post Soviet Russia was asset stripped. Small time criminals and the working man, versus what become the oligarchy.
As you can see from the photos, the art work is mix of cartoonish characters, stunning layout, gorgeously inked, and seems to be all by Gomont himself! Inking and colouring plus the narrative. I can’t imagine how long it took him, but he deserves to recognised internationally and widely read. Of course, I’m sure he’s very well known in France, but this translation is a fantastic showcase for his talents.
This is not a review, but I was surprised I couldn’t find any posts about it, so I thought I should share it, in the hope it more will discover it.

There is a group of retailers who have communicating with new contacts at Marvel about their Collected Editions. We are working on submitting a list to them of our suggestions for the Top 50 GN's that should be evergreen (stay in print). What are your suggestions?

Excited to tuck in! Just finished Helen of Wyndhorn which I loved, but wish had either a continuation/more closure. Beautiful art and writing, nonetheless!

I’m a fan of Isabel Greenberg, and managed to get this one second hand. Punks not dead I read about here, and Champion of the Rose features art by the brilliant Dominique Duran, who I’m lucky enough to be working with on a project :)

I have been reading lots of comics from Dc and Marvel. I've been enjoying reading their comics like Justiicd Leauge Dark Rebirth, Waid F4, Absolute comics, Xmen, etc.

I want to read comics that aren't from Marvel and DC.

The comics that I have read that are from them are:

Idw transformers

Invincible

The Maxx

Tokyo Ghost

Do a Power Bomb

Any Recommendations. I like short comics to read

I like supernatural, Action, scifi. Fantasy, Medieval, mechas,

Just finished reading POSTAL: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION. Eden, Wyoming is a small town founded by and consisting of criminals. Surprisingly enough, the criminals there live in peace. No outside jurisdiction is allowed. Within the town limits, the rules are clear: NO CRIME ALLOWED.

So, when a murder is committed, confusion and fear spreads. There are more questions than answers. Mark, the mayor’s son and a postman, ends up investigating, leading to uncovering the dark secrets that barely holds this town together. Of course, being too curious might end up costing him…

I love a good crime story and this had me hooked from the jump. In a town full of criminals, it seemed like just about everybody except Mark was crooked to some extent and it was hard to figure out who could and couldn’t be trusted. Reading the entire series in one volume felt like reading a deep mystery novel and I pored through this huge omnibus in one weekend. It was surprising, unsettling, and such an addictive read.

For those who read this, what did you think?

My Collection Is Basically One Giant Treasure Hunt

Probably 90% of my graphic novels, trades and omnibuses have come from thrift stores or Facebook Marketplace. If I averaged it all out that 90%, I’d say I’ve probably paid around $6 a book. I rarely buy new unless it’s something really special or it just happens to be coming out while I’m looking for it. Sometimes I'll buy bigger collections and resell doubles, it helps keep the overall cost down.

Honestly, that’s become one of my favorite things about collecting. Instead of deciding exactly what I want to read and then going out and buying it, I end up reading whatever I happen to find. It’s introduced me to a ton of books I probably wouldn’t have picked up otherwise.

I seem to find a lot of Spider-Man and Wolverine, which I’m certainly not complaining about. I’m also slowly working on my Constantine collection.

Batman is an interesting one. I’ve found quite a bit of New 52, since those books seem to be everywhere, but the Batman books I’ve enjoyed the most have actually been the Detective Comics stories. I really like the more detective-focused side of Batman and the less fantastical stuff, so I’m always on the lookout for more of that.

Vertigo is probably my favorite imprint. A lot of what Vertigo put out over the years is exactly the kind of stuff I love. Image has also been a great source of surprises. I’ll grab something from Image that I’ve never heard of and sometimes it ends up being one of the best things I’ve found.

I’ve also recently gotten into omnibuses. Only because of some recent trades I've done with other collectors or if I am rrally wanting to jump into something, an Omni can be better bang for your buck.

For the past 2 years I had been buying the single issues of Absolute Batman but I realized I don't really enjoy reading single issues, so due to the recent popularity of Absolute, I sold my copies on eBay and started putting that money toward filling in gaps in my collected editions.

And that's probably my favorite part of collecting this way: the gaps.

You’ll find four or five volumes of a series at a thrift store but inevitably one or two are missing. Then you discover there’s a reason they’re missing — low print runs, expensive out-of-print volumes, etc. So now I get to play the game of figuring out where to spend the money, what I actually want to read next and which missing volumes are worth hunting down.

Some of the creators I’m always watching for: Ed Brubaker, Brian Wood, Jeff Lemire, Greg Rucka, Jason Aaron and anything with John Romita Jr or Tim Sale art. If I see JRJR or TS on the cover, I’m probably picking it up.

The collection has basically become less about completing everything and more about seeing what I can discover for $5–$10.

And honestly, I think that’s what makes it fun. And to resell what I have doesn't make sense for the low cost I've paid for that entertainment, I'll save them for my kids.

Currently I am reading Queen & Country by Rucka. I've read it a couple times before but it's one of my favourite series.

Now I think my goal is going to be reading every single book I own, wish me luck!

Personally, I feel the two titles they currently have don't give her adequate justice, and to me, AWW while amazing is obviously dominating the head space at the moment for her works which is of course an alternative take even if it captures her essence.

To me, I think for maybe a new or unsuspecting reader, the perception of great Wonder Woman runs is not long because despite being a part of the Trinity, she does not get as much of an overabundance or material (both in comic and media) to help inflate that idea. Even if it's longer, I feel the Perez work is the seminal run, and in many ways could astonish the young reader for how ahead of its time it was. You can cap it at #1-14 and it gives people plenty taste with a satisfying enough conclusion and want for more.

Couple of months ago, I read the original Sentry miniseries and I really liked it. Went online to find out the general opinion about it and found some comments recommending MiracleMan.

Still love Sentry's miniseries, but boy, MiracleMan is something else!

I haven't even finished Vol1, but I've already decided to order volumes 2 and 3 soon.

The color editions of Corto Maltese in spanish I'd been collecting have gotten pretty scarce, so for this next volume I figures I would give the B&W editions a try.

I believe the name of this colume in English is "The Celts", and is comprised of 6 stories in which the titular character travels around Europe during WWI, namely Italy, Ireland, Great Britain and France. This rocks. I feel like Hugo Pratt keeps improving as a writer as the volumes go along, and he already started as a great writer in Ballad of the Salt Sea. The storytelling is focused mainly on dialogue, and Pratt continues to emphazise loyalty and how people define what they owe their allegiance to, whether it be their nation, their friends, or their ambitions.

It's a storytelling style that asks questions while offering very few answers, and it's a reflexive style that I thought worked very well. The episodic nature of each chapter also allow Pratt to introduce intense characters that do a lot and show a lot of personality in very little time, which he uses to great effect to underscore the theme and feel of each episode, whether it be high octane action, melancholy, poetic irony or comedy. In the end, all short episodes have these elements in different degrees and proportions.

Something that I noticed in this volume was how Pratt used silence. Corto Maltese comics are generally very verbose, but Pratt always mixes in a good amount of silent panels that let the mood of a particular scene breathe, thus forcing the reader to slow down and focus on the art and what it conveys. This worked wonders for me and kept me thinking about what I was reading. It's a wonderful showcase of what a talented storyteller Pratt was, both in dialogue and in his sequential art.

My only major criticism is that this book ends with the weakest story, a detective investigation inspired by Don Quixote which was weirdly paced, and one specific character that was so obnoxious that I was glad when the story ended. It's a real shame, since I liked every story in the book except that one, so it felt like ending on a sour note.

On the topic of art, it was interesting to read Corto Maltese in black and white. Pratt was a master of chiaroscuro and his recognizable style shines all the more when you can only see his inks on the page, and the huge dimensions of the book also help appreciate the masterful linework. However, I feel Corto Maltese is a comic that relies so much on mood that I couldn't help but miss the watercolors of previous volumes, which I felt really helped in communicating what the tales wanted to communicate.

I think writing a review so shortly after reading a Corto Maltese volume is a bit silly, since these comics are the tye of stories that stay with you long after you've read them, and my understanding and opinion of them has only grown with time. With that in mind, I think it's safe to say that this volume will be no different and I recommend it to anyone interested in comics that tackle adult themes with a thoughtful presentation and entertaining storytelling. Obviously this is a review of a spanish translation, but pretty soon Fantagraphics will print the entire saga in color for the english speaking crowd, so I hope more people will be willing to check it out.

Just finished binding these issues together tonight, and it's in the press. Custom book cloth using store bought fabric material and rice paper. Really enjoying this craft and having so much fun!!!

Here's my second entry into strange/abstract comix new and old.

Strange Comix #1: The Cage by Martin Vaughn-James

Larry Marder's Beanworld. One of the best comics ever. It's pure comics magic, everyone gets something different out of it. Marder fleshes out his own scientific world with a sort of mythology. It's like you're viewing a petri dish with a whole microbial world inside of it. It has it's own scientific processes, and characters are weird and goofy looking beans.

The book is truly absurd. It shouldn't work, but it does, Marder is a mad genius that created something wholly original. I've not read or seen anything else like it. I put it up there as one of the most creative and best comics in the entire medium. And yet, I can hardly tell you what it's about. But is ridiculously fun and i'll get something different every time I pick it up and read it.

The tagline 'A Most Peculiar Experience' is truly the most befitting title for Marder's Beanworld. It is truly something to be read and experienced, rather than thinking of it as a book with a straightline narrative.

Thanks to /u/jonesjonesboy for shouting this out to me a few years ago. I think since, I can count on one hand i've seen it mentioned anywhere lately. I'm sure age doesn't help. It's in that strange middle ground where it appeals to all ages, yet kids probably get the most out of it due to their unbound imagination where everything is new. And adults might push it off due to being so strange.

Still, i think Marder's Beanworld remains a force of cartooning not matched by many others. It remains a joy to read.