Just on the superhero vs indie criticism point, one of the things I heard a lot from mainstream comics fans was, nevermind that the books were always called “weird” but that black and white comics weren’t even considered “real” comics from the superhero crowd. So from my perspective the harsh criticism of the superhero fans comes as a backlash to some degree. It’s a bigger conversation as to what I agree or disagree with in those kinds of takes but that’s my memory of that time period.

Fun fun video! You did a great job tackling a giant octopus of a subject!! :)

So I have an important question - I'm not debating the merits of Love and Rockets - my only question is are most of these stories centered around female vs male protagonists? At this juncture of my bruised up banged up life with battle scars I'm mitigating all stress and irritation potential in that I don't want any women as part of it . The pages and covers I saw appears there's a heavy influence with them with some stories being solely about thier lives which I don't care about. So please be so kind and let me know I truly don't wish to purchase any of your volumes you recommended only to be surprised and disappointed? Thanks !!!!

FTLOC: Concrete in DHP is first thing Dark Horse published. Boris the Bear: What am I, chopped liver? The rest of us: Yes, yes Boris, nobody cares about you.

I wouldn't call Saga science fiction, but rather space opera (which is really just another way of saying fantasy set in space). It was nice to see Sleepless get a shout out. That's a book I wish got more attention.

I'm going to select Yoshitoki Oima's A Silent Voice. That series hit me hard.

My grandparents had a book version that I loved as a kid. I am old and my grandparents were both born pre 1900. It connected me with the world in the 1900s. I love the aesthetic

At around 6:30 the video highlights a few ligne claire creators: Peyo, Joost Swarte, Chris Ware, ???. What creator follows Chris Ware? Thanks.

Dude, your channel is underrated: the way you analyse the books you choose AND the books you choose are always sooooo good. Not only that but there is also so much variety in the graphic novels you pick! Love love your channel, you deserve the best!

I too can't think of a comic for this prompt, especially since rereading comics is such a joy for me. I can't really think of any media that falls into this category except Grave of the Fireflies, a film I loved when I first saw it in 2005, but I've never watched since... but then I recently bought the blu-ray because I've begun to feel like I'll change my mind at some point.

Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea by Mike Mignola and Jesse Lonergan. I'm not sure how I can talk about this one, because it's not a single plot twist. This story recontextualises the Hellboy Universe. It does so on a plot level, on a character level, on a thematic level. It makes stories that preceded it richer.

There are many comics I could pick, but my heart lies with a short story, only eight pages long. "The Christmas Spirit" written by Mike Mignola and drawn by Guy Davis. It features my favourite portrayal of Father Christmas.

I'm also going to push the category a little. I'm choosing to also read "old" as a comic that has had a long life, a comic with a long run. In fact, the longest run, from 1950 to 2000, by a single author. I'm selecting Charles Schultz's Peanuts. It probably also feels especially old to me because it was the first comic I ever read. It feels like it has always existed in the way that mountains feel like they've always existed.

I'm going to select a scene that is beautiful to look at, and those visuals reflect a beautiful character moment. It's in Tyler Crook's The Lonesome Hunters, which at this point has been dominated by greys, reflecting the dullness felt by both Howard and Lupe in their lives, yellows, which is the colour of trauma in the story, with punctuations of austere blues for intrusive and hostile magical forces. The colour palette has been deliberately restrained up to this point. Howard and Lupe are in a car, driving along and talking, and they simply understand each other. And the sky above is full of colours as the sun sets. The outer world reflects an inner beauty as these two become friends. It is understated, but that's part of what makes it so beautiful.

Sir Edward Grey: Acheron by Mike Mignola with colours by Dave Stewart. I mention Dave Stewart, because the colours of that particular comic were a key part of blowing my mind. Throughout the comic, he taps into 30 years of colour motifs across the Hellboy Universe, weaving them into each other. All this builds to a crescendo near the end of the comic. I've never seen any colour storytelling before or since as mind blowing as what Stewart did in that issue. It's little wonder he's won roughly a third of the Eisners ever awarded for best colouring. Dave Stewart is to comics colouring as John Williams is to film scores.

I'm going to pick a comic I pursued precisely because it was gorgeous. I patiently awaited for it to be released in English for many years, then finally buckled and picked up a deluxe French volume. It is Alain Ayroles and Juanjo Guarnido's Les Indes Fourbes. It is a stunningly gorgeous book, and if it is ever eventually translated to English, I will undoubtedly buy it again.

It's Giant Days. This comic feels like hanging out with my friends. I love it so much. It's the kind of book I can't help but physically hug. Also, I didn't really find my people till university, so I have strong nostalgia for that period of time. Calvin and Hobbes would be a very close second, but I already selected it for Day 2.

I have to agree with you. Considering the way this prompt is worded, Understanding Comics just feels like the right choice. For someone that already reads comics, it's only going to enrich their experience of medium.

The Adventures of Tintin. Of course, it's Tintin. How could it be anything else? I was given lunch money once a week, and I would pocket the money and skip lunch. After a few months of that, I could buy a new Tintin album. Not only was it the first comic series I pursued, it's also the comic I've pursued the hardest.

I feel like this is a genre I've under-explored in comics (even though Pride and Prejudice is my favourite novel). I very much loved The Prince and the Dressmaker and Always Never, which have both been mentioned quite a bit in the comments. I think I have to go with Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks though. Strangely, my favourite scene expressing love isn't even about the titular couple, but rather the love of a mother for a daughter.

A few immediately jump to mind, but I think I have to go with Ryan North and Albert Monteys' adaptation of Slaughterhouse-Five, because it adapts the story in a way that only a comic can do. It unfolds time on the page to express ideas from the novel that prose simply can't do. We can turn a page and in an instant take in an illustration of Billy Pilgrim at various ages from infant to death, whereas the novel has to describe each one by one, slowly painting that picture. The comic allows us to see Pilgrim as the Tralfamadorians do. It really is a special book. EDIT: I should add, it doesn't meet your criteria of being better than the original work. That's less important to me. I think it works best in tandem with the original work. Reading both the comic and the original novel is a richer experience than reading either one alone.

It has to be Calvin and Hobbes for me. The caveat "for anyone" really removes a lot of options, especially since I know so many people that refuse to ever read comics and I feel like the only way I could convince them otherwise is with an extremely targeted selection. So, accepting that some people are just going to refuse to read a comic, I chose a comic that I figured the remaining people would enjoy, and wouldn't be too difficult for people unfamiliar with the visual grammar of comics.

I approach my comics reading with the mindset that I am yet to read my favourite comic. However, if I must pick one out of all the comics I've read, I think I must Hellboy (though I feel that this judgement is likely affected too heavily by its associated universe of books).

Wow. Very helpful. Thanks for all your hard work and the great introduction.

I think the only way you can read the entire Dungeon is in French. Between all the spin-offs, it's now going on 57 albums and counting. NBM seems to be doing double albums. Yes, bigger is the proper European format, although soft cover editions are rare in France nowadays.

I'm a Dugeon fan too, and had a similar reaction to the bigger size. But I haven't double-dipped... yet! You make a good case for it!

I conciously avoided Usagi for years. Starting to read it was your fault but since I like it I have forgiven. Made my friend read it and now he’s a fan too🕺I do like to hear you talk about the shrinking of books and the superior format size that album is. Sounds like an echo of my own voice. And that’s a healthy pile of Dungeon! I’ve read two of those big double albums and def want more. Some day I’ll be on time for the stream but until then I’ll watch them anyway only later.

Ty

Hi😊 I am also a big fan of Usagi, and have followed you on youtube nearly from the start. I have checked on Amazon, and they write that the first new trade from Dark Horse, are first coming out around september 10. Greetings from Denmark.

I'm definitely in read from the beginning trap now but my whole teen years was reading a handful of issues here and there of the vertigo series of the 90s. It certainly didn't sour me.

I love the passion and detail evident in this video. Thanks for doing this.

So glad you enjoyed Friday. I’ll recommend you check out ‘Where The Body Was’ That is a Coen Brothers like murder mystery with multiple perspectives including that of a teen girl, a neighbourhood vigilante.

I actually really like Usagi in color . I wish they would have made HC in colors or at least reprint the omnibus in color

So just starting to catch up with the Livestream after a busy ol' day meant I was only able to get in briefly before . Not even finished watching yet, but wanted to confirm that even during the IDW run of Usagi Yojimbo anyone could just jump onboard, as that's when I finally starting reading the comics. Got on as late as issue 28 - after trying the Colour Classics as a taster. I got on absolutely fine with it, loved it in fact. Don't get me wrong I've caught up with the whole IDW run since and have started to work through the Saga volumes. But yeah I got on board very late and have loved doing so and am very much loving catching up!

Just the push I needed to start Heartbreak Soup and Human Diastrophism, the only L&R books I own and had bought randomly.

Me is noob when it comes to Love and Rockets. I get daunted when thinking where to start, where to find everything, and how to read it. This video, sir, is an excellent guide map <3 Btw, I still have to send you the names of those UK comic books I mentioned, been a busy month

Compelling recap! I fully appreciate the difficulty of truly capturing the unique and ephemeral depth of such a fascinatingly broad yet incisively focused series. I very briefly explored an issue from the series back in the 80s, initially drawn in by the unique art and mood of the era, but for whatever reason never delved further. The slice of life vibe likely didn’t really resonate with me at the time. Thankfully times change and perspectives shift. Decided to reengage with the series, enjoying much and wondering to myself “why did I wait so long!” Not everyone’s cup of tea of course but well worth the exploration for those willing to venture in. As always many thanks for your review and take! 👍

What a collection, it's like a book store, an emporium of treasures. It's always fun to spot a book I own but don't see often in other collections .. ZOT!

The first few minutes of your excellent description of Love & Rockets is almost word-for-word how I have tried describing Cerebus (excepting for the story/creatordecline near the end) when people see the books or comics in my library. This was a very enjoyable watch and I am now an eager subscriber, thank you for sharing your knowledge and the attention to detail.

I didn't really know about Love and Rockets - now I'm hyped to read some! ❤

My absolute fav is The Calculus Affair. It was my first Tintin comic, which my great aunt gifted to me on my 7th bday. I immediately loved the art style. Although the story felt a bit complicated at the time given my age lol. But it helped me improve my vocabulary and learn English better. Calculus Affair, Black Island and Prisoners of the Sun are my top 3 fav Tintin comics.

For me, the absolute best comics ever. Great breakdown so far. Looking forward to the next one!

My entry to these creators was Blubber and I LOVED it. So purile and lewd and explicit. Great fun.