Thanks for continuing to do the monthly threads, Messi. I've started keeping track of all the comics I've read in 2021 so I could refresh my memory when voting for Comics of The Year. It's been useful to refer to.
I never heard of Stray Dogs but I saw that little trailer and it looks cool. It reminds me of Beasts of Burden. I'll give the creators a follow. Although the Stranger Things typeface is driving me nuts. I'm looking forward to more Abbott and Monstress in February. And Scales & Scoundrels' return.
Anyway, I finished reading Super Mutant Magic Academy on Libby today. I think it's Jillian Tamaki's best work. It was confusing to follow at times though given all the characters it follows. I found some of the self-contained comics were hit or miss. Other comics were funny. sad, poignant, and absurd. I think the best thing was Tamaki's use of different art styles and selective coloring.
The loosely drawn comics while simple was kind of hard to read. But as a whole, I liked the riff on Hogwarts meets Charles Xavier's School of the Gifted. And the way Tamaki made cool use of 6-panel grids. I took screenshots of a bunch of them to incorporate into my own art. Compared to Skim and This One Summer, SMMA feels more adult. Although it explores similar themes e.g. loneliness, sexuality, and friendship. I really enjoyed it a lot and would re-read it again to fully appreciate the wit and craft more critically.
I found most of the Future State stuff I read hit or miss. I love Dan Mora but I find Dark Detective a drag. My favorite books were Abbott 1973 #1, An Unkindness of Ravens #5, and Monstress #31 (that cliffhanger tho).
Has B-Dubs taught PoodleStrike nothing about the art of physical comics as the manga guy? lol.