Indie comics thread

[kneeblock]

Hi all, one of my favorite things to discuss has always been the oft overlooked work of indie/alternative comics creators.

As I've gotten older many of the truly entertaining superhero and genre works that I loved in my youth just no longer do it for me, but I still love medium. I will never stop believing that comics can be just as powerful as any novel, play or film.

In this thread, when I use the term indie comics, I'm referring to what most people call Graphic Novels. I hate that term because if you know the history of it, it was deliberately created by publishers looking to dissasociate themselves from the kiddie perception of comics so they could get into bookstores. It's selling out to be cool.

Generally, the indie comics I'm talking about are classed as literature, not genre work, so no sci-fi, horror, westerns, superhero stuff, ninja turtles etc.

Examples of some of my top picks include:

Fun Home/Are You My Mother by Alison Bechdel
Habbibi by Craig Thompson
Essex County by Jeff Lemire
Bottomless Bellybuttom by Dash Shaw
Optic Nerve by Adrian Tomine
Palomar by Gabriel Hernandez
Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson
La Perdida by Jessica Abel
Berlin by Jason Lutes
Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware

And the list can go on and on...

 

[soundoff71]

While I still love superhero stuff & sci-fi (just started reading "Transmetropolitian" & I'm hooked), I also love the medium. Comics have been in & out of my life since I was 7. Now my 10 year old is into them, & they're back in. This time, they're going nowhere, cause like you said, the medium can be ust as powerful as any novel, play or film. For better or worse, they're also the backbone of a billion dollar TV & film industry.

This may be classified as fantasy/sci-fi, but check out "The Wrenchies" by Farel Dalrymple. (Initially I thought the dialogue was a bit weak, but when you put it into perspective, it's an accurate depiction of how kids that age talk. It also deals with growing up, & the challenges of adulthood.

***SPOILER WARNING: this AV review contains major spoilers, but IMHO it's not the kind of story with gotchas or plot twists.***

Farel Dalrymple’s The Wrenchies saves the world with the magic of comics · Big Issues · The A.V. Club

 

[Super Dave]

@soundoff71 if you're into sci-fi try Black Science. A current on going from image comics by Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera. Easily my favourite book going right now. Saga by Brian K Vaughn and Fiona Staples is another great sci-fi

 

[soundoff71]

@soundoff71 if you're into sci-fi try Black Science. A current on going from image comics by Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera. Easily my favourite book going right now. Saga by Brian K Vaughn and Fiona Staples is another great sci-fi

S @Spider-Dave thanks for the Black Science recommendation. I've just picked up the first couple of trades for Saga, & finished Chapter 4. I love Saga, it's great so far.

 

[Super Dave]

S @Spider-Dave thanks for the Black Science recommendation. I've just picked up the first couple of trades for Saga, & finished Chapter 4. I love Saga, it's great so far.

No problem. I love Black Science (even got a tattoo) so I'm happy to recommend it to anyone

 

[Super Dave]

Chrononauts is another one I really enjoyed if you're into time travel and buddy comedies. It's being developed as a film. Written by Mark Millar and art by Sean Murphy. I read a lot of comics.

 

[soundoff71]

Chrononauts is another one I really enjoyed if you're into time travel and buddy comedies. It's being developed as a film. Written by Mark Millar and art by Sean Murphy. I read a lot of comics.

Just finished Chrononauts - loved it. The way I describe it to people is a hard sci-fi time traveling bromace, with a quick splash of vinegar water. It'll make a fun film if they do it right.

Speaking of Sean Murphy, have you read The Wake, written by Scott Snyder? It's sci-fi/horror that has to do with the ocean, evolution, & chronicles both a pre & post apocalyptic world. The first 3/4 is incredible, but the end kind of peters out. It feels like Snyder & Murphy ran out of time & had to go on to their other projects. If ever a series should've been extended, it's The Wake.

Here is a review (with some spoilers):

Review: Scott Snyder's The Wake a game-changer for all its genres

 

[soundoff71]

My apologies to @Kneeblock for hijacking the thread. We just went on a nerd tangent & went full retard from there.

 

[Super Dave]

@soundoff71 yes I loved the wake. Snyder seems to have troubles with ending but Im a big Murphy fan. He has an ongoing at image with Rick Remender Tokyo Ghost. Really cool and he wrote and drew a book a few years ago Punk Rock Jesus which I really enjoyed.

 

[soundoff71]

S @Spider-Dave, funny that you mentioned Punk Rock Jesus. I haven't read that, or American Jesus by Murphy. Both sound like they're wild & fun, but Punk Rock Jesus sound a bit more compelling. Then again, Murphy's fantastic writer. Did you read both? If so which did you enjoy more?

Right now, I'm balls deep in Transmetropolitian & Saga. I picked up digital versions of Jodorowsky & Moebius' The Incal (just started "Before the Incal"), & am reading the trades of Scott Snyder's run of Batman with my son. In between, I've read Chrononauts, Fight Club 2 (decent & worth reading but not great IMO), & Greg Rucka's Star Wars Shattered Empire (which is pretty good, but not spectacular).

Which Jesus comic do I go with?

 

[Super Dave]

@soundoff71 haven't read American Jesus so I can't speak for that. I collected the issues plus bought the regular trade and colour version of Punk Rock Jesus so my opinion might be biased. Haha.
I've been collecting everything Star Wars from Marvel. If you're not reading the main book by Jason Aaron I recommend that. Unfortunately Stuart Immonen isnt on much longer because he has been killing it on art.

 

[soundoff71]

@soundoff71 haven't read American Jesus so I can't speak for that. I collected the issues plus bought the regular trade and colour version of Punk Rock Jesus so my opinion might be biased. Haha.
I've been collecting everything Star Wars from Marvel. If you're not reading the main book by Jason Aaron I recommend that. Unfortunately Stuart Immonen isnt on much longer because he has been killing it on art.

Collected the issues & then bought both the regular & color trade, eh? So you're saying that Punk Rock Jesus is good ?

 

[Super Dave]

Collected the issues & then bought both the regular & color trade, eh? So you're saying that Punk Rock Jesus is good ?

It's not for everyone but I enjoyed the hell out of it. They kept adding new material to the trades so I got suckered in. Haha

 

[Super Dave]

Im guilty of doing the same with Black Science. Collecting issues, trades and pre-ordered hardcover deluxe edition. Comics are my biggest hobby so when I find a series I like I go all in. Haha

 

[soundoff71]

It's not for everyone but I enjoyed the hell out of it. They kept adding new material to the trades so I got suckered in. Haha

Didn't know about the new material in the trades. The black & white panels that I saw, plus the little that I know about it & the fact that it's Murphy? Yep, that's for me...

 

[Super Dave]

Didn't know about the new material in the trades. The black & white panels that I saw, plus the little that I know about it & the fact that it's Murphy? Yep, that's for me...

He and Matteo Scalera are two of my favourite artists right now so I'll grab anything that they are attached to

 

[Haulport]

After reading the thread just bought Black Science Vol. 1 on Comixology (having an Image 50% sale right now). Thanks!

A couple of off-the-radar recommendations in return:

• The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones (old Alan Moore from 2000 AD - a British anthology series)
• The Birth Caul (Alan Moore - one of the best things I have ever read)
  
• A Complete Lowlife (Ed Brubaker)
• Miss: Better Living Through Crime
• The Life Eaters (David Brin - sci-fi novelist - adaption of his novella)
• Irredeemable (Mark Waid - super hero stuff though)
• Chew (very fun but super goofy)
• Sex Criminals (Matt Fraction)
• Boxers & Saints

I bought a ton of indies with all the CRAZY sales they do on Comixology recently so I'll update if there are any really good ones.

 

[Super Dave]

We Can Never Go Home and Airboy were some fantastic reads that came out this year as well.

 

[Haulport]

We Can Never Go Home and Airboy were some fantastic reads that came out this year as well.

Cool, that's good to hear. I bought WCNGH and it's sitting in my Comixology library waiting to be read.

 

[Super Dave]

Cool, that's good to hear. I bought WCNGH and it's sitting in my Comixology library waiting to be read.

I tried it on a recommendation and really enjoyed it. It's like true romance with super powers. I had to buy it digitally cause I couldn't get it in print anywhere at a decent price. Hope you enjoy it!