Jared started reading comics in earnest in late middle school/early high school when he found out that you could get collections of them at the library and read them for free. This was later compounded by learning that there was a comic book store called “Comicopia” near his high school that stocked superhero comics and indie books and manga and all sorts of neat stuff. Really, he had no choice but to commit himself to the medium then and there. He also like weird movies, semi-obscure music, and having too many hobbies at the same time, and if he let him he will tell you about all of it in appalling detail.
Undone By Blood #1 by Lonnie Nadler, Zac Thompson, Zami Kivelä, Jason Wordie, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
The Old West meets the Neo West in this parealle tale of revenge. Follow Solomon Eaton as he hunts through the old west for the man who kidnapped his son and follow Ethel Lane as she hunts in 1971 Arizona for the men who killed her family. An excellent start to a series that’s already filled with mystery, excitement, and blood. Be sure to read through the end for a fun prose story about Solomon wrecking some fools who tried to sneak up on him while he’s camping on the plains.
A Man & His Cat by Umi Sakurai (Translated by Taylor Engel, lettered by Lys Blakeslee, and edited by Tania Biswas)
A sweet, cute, and touching series about an “ugly” cat being adopted by an older man and the joy and happiness their relationship brings into each other’s lives. Not just a book for cat lovers, this strips collected in this manga range from ones about the silly and messy side of pet ownership to how a new pet can help someone overcome deep personal loss. This is the first series put out by Square Enix’s new North American manga division and it indicates that they’re already off to an excellent start.
What’s Michael? By Makoto Kobayashi (Translated by Alan Gleason, Hisashi Kotobuki, Dana Lewis, Jeanne Sather, Lea Seidman, Toren Smith, and Elin Winkler; lettered by L. Lois Buhalis, Amador Cisneros, Pat Duke & Radio Comix, Tom Orzechowski, and Amy Stella; and edited by Philip R. Simpon and Joshua Engledow)
The various adventures of Michael, an orange cat living in Japan. Sometimes he’s owned by a small family who he causes both joy and frustration. Sometimes he’s owned by a member of the yakuza, who’s terrified that his tough-guy image will be destroyed if anyone learns of his cat-loving ways. Sometimes he fights Godzilla (sorta). Sometimes he scares off Dracula (no, that’s not a joke, he does that). He’s a very busy cat and there’s a reason the titular question is “what is he?” not “who is he?”. Come for the hilarious antics and Kobayashi’s wonderful, cartoony yet detailed art, stay for the section that was lettered by the same guy who lettered The Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past.
Comicopia 