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#beautiful darkness
nonetoon · 1 year
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✨ Big Comic Recommendation List! ✨
I’ve been wanting to compile some of my favorite comics into one big list in no particular order for a while. Again, I just want to reiterate that I’m in no way any sort of comic critic and all of these are just books that I personally enjoy, and if they seem up your alley I hope you’ll enjoy them too!
I also want to state that these are definitely more adult oriented books and not for kids. A lot of these stories have pretty graphic violence and tackle more adult topics like sexual or physical assault, so I’ll also be putting content warnings for where it applies.
1. Afternoon at McBurger’s by Ana Galvañ
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Afternoon at McBurger’s takes place in a bright, colorful future where a group of young girls finally have the opportunity to participate in the Once Party provided by McBurger’s, a fast food restaurant. The Once Party offers a fantastical opportunity for anyone who turns eleven years old: the chance to visit themselves in the future!
The limited color palette of pink, teal, and yellow make for a very nice aesthetic that lends itself to the strange, futuristic world you get just a glimpse into. For such a short story there is a lot to keep track of that makes rereading fun and I felt like I discovered something new every time I went through it again.
CW: physical abuse
2. No One Else by R. Kikuo Johnson
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Another short one but is definitely one of the more impactful. No One Else is about a woman (a nurse and full time caretaker for her elderly father) and her brother (a musician who has a much more strained relationship with their father) trying to process the sudden, accidental death of their father while also looking after her son. A very honest, holds-no-punches look at family, abuse, and neglect as each character struggles to cope with this sudden situation they find themselves in.
The artwork is beautifully done and the use of blues with a splash of orange makes for a great visual impact. I’m a big fan of character driven stories, and this book provides an interesting and messy glimpse into these characters lives. Very down to earth, very honest, and nicely tied together.
CW: physical abuse
3. Birds of Maine by Michael DeForge
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A fun and meandering story about a society of birds that migrated to the moon to form their own world, away from human involvement. Birds of Maine follows both a group of young birds trying to find their place in this giant, complex world as well as gives glimpses of the many different facets of bird society and how they function.
This comic gives a very funny, matter-of-fact look into the absurd world of birds! It’s overall a great read if you like world building, and it’s presented with beautiful line work, bright pops of color, and abstract shapes that make up the bustling world and characters. The story overall feels like a stroll: it generally follows along a specific story with certain characters, but isn’t afraid to wander off to other points of interest.
4. Coyote Doggirl by Lisa Hanawalt
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Set in the wild west, Coyote Doggirl follows said character as she tries to escape a group of bandits after she kills their leader’s brother. Along the way she meets new allies and has to decide to confront the past she is trying desperately to get away from or keep on running. It’s a funny yet honest book set in the beauty of the desert.
The story and characters in Coyote Doggirl are both hilarious and crude, which makes the more serious and genuine moments even more impactful. The loose style of the watercolors throughout this comic perfectly match the beautiful colors of the desert landscape. This comic also has probably one of my favorite endings (which I’m not going to spoil here).
CW: nudity, sexual assault, graphic violence
5. Eight-Lane Runaways by Henry McCausland
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Eight-Lane Runaways follows a group of runners participating in a marathon through a fantastical and lively world. Each have their own motivations and desires for entering the race, and we get to see how each resolves as the race goes on.
The quirky and oddball characters and their ever-changing, winding landscape go perfectly hand-in-hand. It’s always amusing when clearly bizarre fantasy worlds, characters, and events are treated very plainly within the story. The characters are simple but fun to follow along with, from a character who is a frog, to a character who follows the instructions of a magical coat, to a character simply looking for two missing cats. Along with the beautifully done artwork and sprawling pages of landscapes, it feels as though you are only getting the smallest look into this big, wild world you want to learn more about.
6. The Book Tour by Andi Watson
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The Book Tour follows a rather unlucky new author as, not only is his debut book not selling well, but a string of murders is following his exact tour route, leaving all signs pointing at him as the culprit.
It’s a very dry but still incredibly entertaining and suspenseful story. It’s hilarious, quaint, and baffling to watch the poor man get hit with bad luck after bad luck, only for him to be very proper, if not completely lost, about the whole ordeal. There are also many moving parts and details going on in the background that make for a great murder mystery story, definitely deserving of a reread to connect all the pieces that might have been missed on the first read through (I know I definitely did).
7. Heaven No Hell by Michael DeForge
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A collection of 17 amazing short stories looking at a variety of characters and concepts. Everything from a woman pretending to be a surgeon, a karaoke party, a family killed in a car crash, and the creation of a hypothetical child.
My favorite stories of the bunch are “One Of My Students Is A Murderer… But Which?”, “Surprise Party”, “Album”, “Road Trip”, and “Soap Opera.” All of the stories in this comic are perfectly bite-sized looks into a variety of interesting visuals and concepts that keep you engaged from segment to segment.
CW: mild nudity
8. Flavor Girls by Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky and Angel De Santiago
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In Flavor Girls, a mysterious alien ship appears in Earth’s orbit, and its passengers cause death and destruction for life on earth. Luckily, a group of women dubbed “Flavor Girls” by their fans are gifted magical, fruit themed powers that aid them in fighting off the alien army. The newest, unexpected member of the group, however, is having trouble catching up.
By far one of the most visually stunning comics I have ever read. Very, very reminiscent of Sailor Moon in its characters, aesthetic, and story. This comic has some of my favorite character designs, the alien designs in particular are extremely fun to look at. Unlike the other comics on this list, it is not a complete story but at least it gives you something to look forward to!
CW: mild graphic violence
9. Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoët
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Last but absolutely not least, Beautiful Darkness is a surprisingly horrifying and violent story about cute and fun looking fairy-like characters trying to survive out in the woods. The less you know going in to this comic, the better.
The incredible beauty and meticulous detail of the environment in this comic lends itself well as a stark contrast to the horrific deaths littered throughout this story. It is bizarre watching how unfeeling and unbothered these cutesy fairytale creatures are with their friends dropping around them like flies, but it’s impossible to look away. Seeing how all of it shapes and warps the genuinely kind main character, Aurora, and the darker implications going on in the background make this a must read. By far one of the best openings to any comic I have ever read.
CW: gore, body horror
(That’s all I have for now! Hope to recommend more in the future ✌️)
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darkrebelkat · 3 months
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kissesfromkriss · 10 months
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Dream girl🧚‍♂️
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kereonn · 6 months
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☆ Contemplation
©Kereonn ☆View here
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balu8 · 2 months
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Beautiful Darkness
by Fabien Vehlmann/ Marie Pommepuy and Kerascoët
 Drawn & Quarterly
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refail · 9 months
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Taylor Swift's "Haunted" is for Lena Duchannes and Ethan Wate
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rainybraindays · 3 months
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Saw someone complaining about Lena being written as "not like other girls" and they hated it and how she's such a bad character when like,,,dude she wants desperately to be like other girls?
She wants to be mortal, she doesn't want all that comes with being a caster, but doesn't have a choice on top of the whole being cursed thing? Like Lena in the first book is constantly trying to be a normal 16 year old, and is constantly being stopped. In beautiful darkness Ethan talks about how much he loves her while also talking about how much easier his life would be if she was mortal like him, and him hanging out with Liv after lena basically abandons him after the lake makes her jealous because shes convinced he'd prefer her because she's mortal. It doesn't matter that hes desperately in love with her, or that he only knows Liv because they work together and that she had disappeared out of his life for a while, despite him not wanting her to, Lena wants to be normal and because he acknowledges it would be easier on both of them, she assumes he'd rather be with literally any mortal girl over her.
Lenas not like other girls, but its not because shes trying to be or wants to be, she's no like other girls because shes a caster, and they're not like other people
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skullchicken · 12 days
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it is a Saturday and I am high on caffeine and sunlight - time to make a miscellaneous "comics I love" list! (Note: I'm grouping by layout, not country of origin)
Manga:
Aharen-san wa harakenai (Aharen-san is unfathomable): gag-comedy about a very stoic school girl and the equally stoic classmate who wildly misinterprets what she does. (Very sweet, absurd humor, a bit of romance, you will learn so much trivia)
Angel Densetsu (Legend of an Angel): gag-comedy with some martial arts tropes. A guy with the face of a thug and the heart of a saint stumbles into many a misunderstanding (and gains a few true companions along the way) - Bonus: you get to see the artist grow as the series goes on
Kouishou Radio (After effects Radio) - a collection of horror vignettes around a "God of Hair" which start coming together slowly to a very "oooh Fuck" effect.
Seihantai Kimi wa Boku (You and I are polar opposites) - very sweet and funny, cozy rom-com slice of live. A gyaru and a stoic loner fall in mutual love and navigate this first relationship together, helped by their friend group.
Radiant - action-fantasy. Imagine One Piece with witches, an inquisition, curses and it taking place in the sky. The MC is a lil shit for 1 1/2 volumes but my god if you like shounen-style fantasy-action, you're in for a treat.
Webtoons:
Cursed Princess Club - fantasy-romance-dramedy. "you're ugly" having her heart broken by these words, the sweet but not traditionally attractive youngest princess of the pastel kingdom runs into the forest and stumbles upon a club full of cursed princess. Deals with finding self-love in many, many forms. It is also "send screenshots to friends"-HILARIOUS.
The Dummy's Dummy - urban fantasy with horror elements. A monster of the week style story with a psychic girl and the monster-fighting marionette at her side. Has a lovely goth vibe.
... oh no the caffeine has ran out, so I'll add a few shorter entries:
Webcomics:
Fairmeadow (fairmeadowcomic.com): ex-soldier Orc meets pacifist commune. Hilarity(?) ensues. If you like dissecting interpersonal conflicts and gorgeous nature drawings, you will have a field day (hah).
Tiger, tiger (tigertigercomic.com): seafaring adventures with eldritch monsters, some romance and a great cast of characters (absolute nerd for sea sponges, a pirate with very healthy self-esteem, a mustachioed himbo and an anxious boye who does not deserve any of this)
Other comics:
Beautiful Darkness - hey, wanna remember how fucked-up yet whimsical childhood was?? NO??? well too bad, get shrinked to 2 cm size and try not to die in the wilderness.
Une semaine the bonté - surrealist collage work. Makes no sense and I love it. It feels like someone is pouring melting butter over my brain.
Hitman (DC) - vampires, superman, family drama back in ireland, zombie seals, demons and a surprisingly hard-hitting (and surprisingly funny) comic series. Gritty, grimy, tasteless in its humor... and very unapologetically so. Very of its time, but also very entertaining and varied.
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daniellesreadingnook · 6 months
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I finally get to start on “Beautiful Darkness” and get to see where Lena and Ethan’s story takes me!!
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followtheechoes · 2 years
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lena: I'm cursed :(
ethan (grabbing her hand) no. WE'RE cursed
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some-rand0m-spazz · 1 year
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Hi, I'm always caffeinated, & I draw to cope, so enjoy! or don't, I'm not the boss of you
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darkrebelkat · 1 month
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kereonn · 5 months
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☆The Golden Tree ~ Wood of Tears Series
©Kereonn ☆View here
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rottenroseraven · 2 months
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people who are different
who are hurt inside
are so beautiful to me sometimes
I want to know every detail
of what’s going on in their minds
every feeling they try to hide
every memory they want to forget about
I want to love people
even when they are so so dark inside
maybe that’s because I like you so much
in recent times
I noticed how deep you go
how broken you seem to be
I want to know everything
to be there when you heal
to listen when you feel
and to know all of your
darkest secrets
I truly admire you
for your strangeness
and your weirdness
I believe there is
kindness and compassion behind it
and I want to explore it
every little bit of your head,
your soul and your heart
to be a part of your mess
forever and ever
together in the dark
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popocorn · 1 year
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wanted to figure out how to draw aurora
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