I accidentally read the afterword to this book before reading the story, and it made me a bit afraid of what I was about to read.

This book is definitely not meant to be a pleasant read but it is in no way trying to depict Beaton’s two years in the oil sands as a horror story. It is story about real people, complex and nuanced and I really liked it and recommend you read it, if you are not afraid of stories about trauma and are curious about environments you are likely to never see yourself.

Also read 2 things online, waiting for absolute martian manhunter vol 1/2 and under the red hood to come with the mail.

Next month I want to expand outside DC and read more stuff from image and dark horse.

I'm reading Animal Man for the first time and so far loving it, it's fun, different, bizarre, all the good stuff, so i wanna know is it still good after Morrison left? There are about 60 more issues, couple of spin offs, so i really wouldn't wanna continue if quality drops drastically, there are many more comics to get into :)

(The middle book pictured is Duncan the Wonder Dog)

Managed to snag an almost pristine copy of Duncan the Wonder Dog from eBay a week or so ago for $60 ($66 with shipping added in) and it's finally here! Besides a few knicks it's in great shape for a book that's been out of print and I did not expect it it be such a big book. It's been on my radar for a bit for how praised it is on this sub, but paying +$100 dollars seemed to rich for my blood. Excited to dig into it this week!

Pretty happy with this month’s haul, although the Preacher omnibus was a bit of a pain 😂 Got Preacher: The 25th Anniversary Omnibus Vol. 1 used from an Amazon third-party seller for ~$99, but got finessed because it arrived without the dust jacket. 🥲

On the other hand, I scored Fatale, Where the Body Was, and God Country from a local collector, all used like-new, for ~$64 total.

Been getting into more Ed Brubaker lately — finished Pulp and Kill or Be Killed, and next up are Fatale and Where the Body Was. Still hunting for a decent copy of Criminal Deluxe Vol. 1 though.

Also found a brand-new OOP Spider-Man by Todd McFarlane Omnibus at a local shop for ~$78. I know this one is divisive 😂, but growing up in the ‘90s, Todd’s Spidey was the Spidey I grew up with, since that version was basically everywhere in Indonesia. So yeah, nostalgia got me. And it’s my first Spidey omnibus — mostly because the other ones I want are OOP anyway lmao.

Also picked up Eightball, Persepolis, Yoshihiro Tatsumi: Short Stories, and The Department of Truth, all brand new from amazon.

Just finished reading the collected edition of DEAD INSIDE. It’s about this detective, Linda Caruso of the Jail Crimes Division, who investigates what appears to be the stabbing death of an inmate. However, upon closer inspection, a simple murder is the foundation for an even darker, more dangerous crime—one that no one else seems to take seriously except for her, but it’s one that needs to be solved before the body count rises significantly.

It’s an unsettling yet gritty murder mystery. Wasn’t a huge fan of the art (though the violent scenes definitely delivered in its grisliness). Ended as one huge story, but it just as easily could’ve been an ongoing series.

For those who read this, what did you think?

Miss Misery is the most hardcore female villain.

Can you think of a more evil female villain than Miss Misery and why?

I've been collecting EC Science Fantasy comics lately and noticed that they had a bit of a niche audience. Do y'all have any recommendations for graphic novels with low volume counts with striking/excellent visual imagery? Preferably, in the realm of science fantasy/science fiction/horror. I enjoy Junji Ito, Beneath the Trees Where No One Sees, and the aforementioned EC Comics.

I've read most their work and I think this is my favorite now?? I've read Criminal, Reckless, Pulp, Fade Out, Sleeper, and Fatale so far. All great reads, talk about consistency.

Screenshot from instagram

I think Cannon by Lee Lai was recommended in this sub, and I can only do the same. Very likeable main character whose development from suppressing everything to finally reacting is so beautifully described. Now I’ll have to find Stone Fruit, because it seems Lee Lai’s writing is just right for me.

I'm a bit out of the loop on graphic novels and looking for recommendations similar to the titled post. Specifically something over the last 15 years that my fellow community really enjoyed and would recommend

Just finished reading the collected edition of the original Kree/Skrull War. I’ve known about the importance of the Kree/Skrull War in the comics, but have never read the original storyline until now.

It’s a huge cosmic war between two of the biggest alien races with Earth stuck in the middle of the intergalactic violence. There’s also much internal conflict within the Avengers—between the original Avengers and the newer members—and Captain Marvel’s alien heritage becomes a point of contention for the “Alien Activities Commission” led by the McCarthy-esque senator H. Warren Craddock. The whole committee and the intense public criticism is eerily similar to the anti-mutant hysteria (and this is referenced in the text).

There’s a huge cast here—the Avengers, the Kree, the Skrulls, the Fantastic Four, a few humans, and even some Golden Age heroes in the mix—and it somehow doesn’t feel crowded. This is the comic equivalent of a big-budget blockbuster and there’s this huge emotional weight behind the story that fully immerses you in the narrative.

Not to mention the art by the Buscemas and Neal Adams is incredible here, and you can’t help but really take the time to admire the intricate details in so many panels (especially the issue where Ant-Man explores Vision’s body—I spent much time poring over Neal Adams’ work on each page).

Overall, it’s a comics story that still holds up all these years later as some great classic storytelling and had huge ramifications for the Marvel Universe (especially its cosmic side). For those who have read the Kree/Skrull War, what did you think? And where do you rank it amongst Marvel’s greatest stories?

I'm definitely happy I cracked this open tonight. Love me some vintage cosmic Marvel!

Exquisite Corpses by James Tynion

13 wealthy families that basically control the world pick 12 of the world's most deadliest killers to participate in this game of theirs. Unbeknownst to this small town of Maine, each killer gets dropped in to take each other out. A "Battle Royale" style game with a horror slasher vibe. The first issue is 60+ pages of world building that introduces the families and each of the killers they chose. The art is dark/gritty and fits the tone of comic well. Pacing is nice and doesn't drag. It's like if Squid Game and The Purge had a baby, lol.

4.5/5 imho.

Worth a read if you like survival slasher stories.

Hey guys, so I have always enjoyed comics books but I was always put off because there are so many and it is hard to follow some themes from the beginning because it goes back many years and they cost a lot. Then, I got a bit into Graphic novels as it seem easier. However, I am finding some cool graphic novels at charity shops like The amazing spider-man Big time ultimate collection but I am always worried that I won't understand it because I don't know if there are graphic novels before that, that I need to read or if I am going to be left on a cliff hanger because there are a lot more volumes to follow after that. I always thought graphic novels would be stand alone that I could enjoy the read without worrying about chapters before or when the next chapter is going to come out.

So, my question discussion is how do you advise a casual reader to go about this dilemma?

I got a colour e-reader recently and have been burning through graphic novels! I'm a huge horror fan and am looking for some recs, anything really, but if possible I'm looking for certain themes in particular.

One theme I really like is the classic isolated town, surrounded by forests (in the winter is even better). Maybe this town has a dark secret? Or maybe there is something not right with the woods surrounding the town? Or maybe a creature is lurking in those woods? Bonus points for Wendigo or Skinwalker stories.

Another one I'm interested in is, for any of you Warhammer fans, something that has Khorne-ish feel. Slaughter, blood, gore!

Anywho, like I said I'm open to anything but these topics, the first in particular, really scratch that itch.

Here's what I've read so far

Harrow County

Gideon Falls

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees

I like to read in my pitch-black bedroom before sleeping — I currently have an Amazon Fire 10 & while it works well enough for night reading, I do find myself wishing it was larger so I didn’t have to zoom in. Some have recommended the NXTPaper 14 while others have said an OLED is a game-changer. Looking to get yalls opinions.