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Deleted member 7051

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,254
I'd have to go with Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer. That manga is just the best comic I've ever read.
 

genjiZERO

Banned
Jan 27, 2019
835
Richmond
Rurouni Kenshin was perfect from beginning to end. Everything unfolded in an interesting, logical, coherent, and above all important way. It went no longer than it needed to.

It's a shame Watsuki is a pedo.
 

Midramble

Force of Habit
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
10,453
San Francisco
Not enough Gaiman Sandman.

Dream and his siblings' relationships, how human everything is while being so surreal. Hard to top.
 
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Deleted member 25606

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 29, 2017
8,973
Dennis O'Neil's The Question is perfect because of how imperfect it is, just like the Question himself. It's about both the Question's growth as a character and the author's own experimentation and exploration with Zen philosophy.
I would like to check this out. While the character has changed around and isn't just representative of his creator (though origins do tend to subtly influence things) considering Ditko created The Question in his quest to create an objectivist super hero I would be intrigued to read a run of the character that not only explores philosophy, but one so diametrically opposed to junk Randian philosophy that Ditko chose to buy into.

——

As for me I have to say Transmetropolitan, for as much as it had to say back then it's even more important now, and Ellis nails the issues he chooses to explore to the wall and takes no prisoner.

Also notable for giving real Journalism the respect it deserves, with it's notable MC Spider Jerusalem who is one Journalist you don't want to fuck with.

— —

And OP not to be rude and I like your thread but trying to backseat mod is just setting yourself up for frustration and failure, especially when the Cheetos movie thread shows over half of era doesn't know how to read the original post to begin with.
 

Deleted member 17388

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,994
ctrl + f: "nextwave"

Why, Era? :(

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RRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH! Action! Excitement! Explosions! The Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, or H.A.T.E. (a subsidiary of the Beyond Corporation) put NextWave together to fight Bizarre Weapons of Mass Destruction. When NextWave discovers that H.A.T.E. and Beyond are terrorist cells themselves, and that the BWMDs were intended to kill them, they are less than pleased. In fact, they are rather angry. So they make things explode. Lots of things. And that's only the beginning! Starring Monica Rambeau (formerly Captain Marvel and Photon), Aaron Stack (Machine Man), Tabitha Smith (X-Force's Meltdown), monster-hunter Elsa Bloodstone, and The Captain! If you like anything, you will love NextWave! BOOM!

Written by Warren Ellis and by the pencil of Stuart Immonen. Zany writing and dynamic visuals are what makes nextwave a must-read.

It takes a couple of forgotten characters and put them into a new spotlight, facing threats and plots that deconstruct and satirizes the American superhero genre.

It doesn't take itself too seriously, so it has a lot of fun being subversive.

If you haven't read it, please give it a try :D :D :D
 

Curler

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,596
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MARS

This was advertised A LOT in the back ads of Tokyopop's shoujo titles. The tagline always stuck out: "A bad boy can turn a good girl forever" or something along those lines. Wasn't a huge fan of the cover artwork used in these ads and figured "looks like a run-of-the-mill teen drama love story. MEH." Recently, Kodasha added some titles to read for free via Amazon Prime or Comixology, and all 15 volumes of this are currently up. "Sure, I guess I'll give it a go". I read through all of them pretty much in 3 sittings :x (Read late at night so got too tired to continue!) Wow, I was NOT expecting such a HEAVY story with some very mature themes (high trigger warnings, for real, with everything focused on in a very serious matter), and quite a psychological ride... Yeah, it's about older teenagers, but a lot of the things dealt with can hit just about any age. I HIGHLY recommend it, as it isn't the lovey-dovey cutesy romance that it appears to be. Especially if you have Prime/Comix, check it out! You might be hooked within 2 volumes like I was! (I still need to check out both Japanese and Taiwanese dramas of it, too...)



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Spy x Family

There's ONLY 12 chapters out of this (bi-weekly), but wow is it amazing, and I soon found out just how much it's popularity skyrocketed, too! (Usually hits NUMBER 2, and beats out MHA!) It's free on the Manga+ app, but unfortunately it might have been licensed recently, as they took out the middle portion of chapters... Anyhow, it's almost like a Mr. and Mrs. Smith sorta deal, involving spies and assassins (and a telepath!) but the main characters and their fake family is SO incredibly wholesome and enjoyable! I cannot wait for this to turn into an anime, sometime down the road when more story is done. Sure, it's still really new, and I sure hope it continues to be as amazing as it is, because every chapter is a treat! It's not to anime-ish either, so I can even see casual manga fans enjoy this.
 

Vinegar Joe

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,155
Gonna join in and say Nausicaa too. I personally think it is Miyazaki's best work in any medium, which is saying something when you consider the quality of his filmography.

In a way it is a pity he hasn't done more long-form original works, because after reading Nausicaa it feels like it is so much better because it is given room to breath. And yet the whole thing moves at a brisk pace and is rarely anything short of epic.

Incidentally, if any of the recommendations have tempted anyone to try it, you can currently get a lovely hardcover complete box set for a bargain price: https://www.amazon.co.uk/NAUSICAA-VALLEY-WIND-BOX-SET/dp/1421550644/
 
Jan 15, 2018
840
Jeff Smith actually has two perfect series under his belt.

Bone has been mentioned a couple times already in here but I'll add that it's one of the only truly "all ages," comics out there. There's something for everyone, beautiful art, a great story, interesting characters, and great moments of levity.

RASL is his other masterpiece, it definitely isn't all ages but proves his grip sci-fi is as strong as fantasy. The basic set up deals with an art theif who travels between alternate realities in order to steal and resell famous paintings in his reality. It also pays a lot of reverence to Nikola Tesla.

Billy Bat by Naoki Urasawa is, in my opinion, his best work. The way he ties together nearly every major conspiracy throughout history into a gripping narrative that spans decades is incredible.
 

TwinBahamut

Member
Jun 8, 2018
1,360
I came here to mention Spirit Circle, so I am glad to see it got mentioned already. It is a beautiful work, telling the story of one person's journey through his own past lives. The story it weaves of growth, forgiveness, eternal friendship, and much more is as wonderful and profound as it is funny and exciting.

I really wish it would get an anime adaptation.
 

Qvoth

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,882
toshokan no daimajutsushi
english title is magus of the library

english translations are slower by about 15 chapters, raws are at chapter 21 now
amazing art, incredible detail, great story
 
May 17, 2019
2,649
ctrl + f: "nextwave"

Why, Era? :(

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Written by Warren Ellis and by the pencil of Stuart Immonen. Zany writing and dynamic visuals are what makes nextwave a must-read.

It takes a couple of forgotten characters and put them into a new spotlight, facing threats and plots that deconstruct and satirizes the American superhero genre.

It doesn't take itself too seriously, so it has a lot of fun being subversive.

If you haven't read it, please give it a try :D :D :D

 

AliceAmber

Drive-in Mutant
Administrator
May 2, 2018
6,657
Agreed on Sandman!

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I'd also like to add Hellblazer. It's dark, intense, and told very unique stories. John Constantine is a complex and human individual who just happens to know magick. Is a classic for a reason.
 

RecRoulette

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,044
Bastard. Psychological thriller about a boy and his dad and it starts off pretty fucking wild then just keeps building and escalating into this amazing game of cat and mouse that wraps up beautifully. At the end I was stunned at how everything tied together. Nothing felt wasted. Marathoned this over a couple of weeks reading a few chapters a day and I was hooked the entire way.

It also uses the webcomic format its in in ways I've never seen done before. The way it scrolls down on some scenes is almost flipbook like. It's so good. (It's finished and it's free to read too, been awhile since a first chapter has hooked me like this did)

 

Coyote Zamora

alt account
Banned
Jul 19, 2019
766
The Vertical imprint of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin is a boilerplate but nevertheless compelling story of youth during wartime. The enormous world it is based in is a grandiose future with lofty ideals and romantically built, but like other war stories of it's ilk it is fully aware, comments on, and paints a harrowing picture of war. It also includes goddamn giant robots.

I'm pretty sure I have echoed this on this forum, and it is one of, if not the only example I can humbly claim that elevates manga and anime to a proper art form. I'm also sure I'm exaggerating it's qualities, but it's still real fuckin' rad.
Claiming something to be a form of art isn't a humble gesture.
 

RuffMadman

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
2,258
USA
Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue
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One of the few Manga/comics I've ever read where there isn't a dull moment throughout. The ending to this had me in tears and my only regret is that it ended. I read this once a year and it's still hasn't gotten old. To anyone who hasn't read this I suggest you do and get ready to fall in love with Hanamichi Sakuragi aka The Tensai.
The greatest sports manga ever. Nothing I have read has beaten it in terms of story and art. And everything is at least in the realms of realism compared to Kuroko. Next best would be Hajime no Ippo.
 

pochi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,133
Steel Ball Run is fucking amazing.
It really felt like a journey. It has great art and characters. Ending still gives me feels.
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Attack on Titan
Excellent world building and good characters. Art is rough early but you get used to it.
It's still ongoing but It's definitely up there as one the best mangas.
Anime watchers gonna in a wild ride in the coming season.
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Saturday

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
6,321
Claiming something to be a form of art isn't a humble gesture.

... shit yeah when you say that out loud it sounds dumb. I suppose what I meant to say is that for as much as I'm praising it (and I realize this undermines my post) it is something I would claim to be close to be perfect as per the intent of the OP but I'm not really gonna shout this out from the rooftops, you know?
 

Deleted member 25606

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 29, 2017
8,973
One thing I really like about Ellis is even though he hates superheroes unlike Ennis who also hates them and anytime he has to write one relies on edge and beating the hero's up and shitting on them, Warren tends to be a lot more subversive and humorous, making his forays into cape comics endearing as much as disdainful, not just stopping to abusing the hell out of the characters just for giggles (though there is plenty of that too.
 
Oct 27, 2017
42,700
Pluto by Naoki Urasawa is probably the best manga I've been read. It's a sort of retelling of Astro Boy, except with a massively expanded story and it's done EXCELLENTLY
 

Coyote Zamora

alt account
Banned
Jul 19, 2019
766
... shit yeah when you say that out loud it sounds dumb. I suppose what I meant to say is that for as much as I'm praising it (and I realize this undermines my post) it is something I would claim to be close to be perfect as per the intent of the OP but I'm not really gonna shout this out from the rooftops, you know?
I'm just screwing with you don't feel like you have to defend your position. My humor came across poorly.
 

Grahf

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,664
I'm totally down with some of the recommendations : Attack on Titan (but I'll pronounce when it's all done, last chaps a little too crazy), Steel Ball Run, Golden Kamuy, Urasawa's works... OP is too goofy though and full of holes, the fruit system is beyond broken and that makes it too "not believable" for my taste, I need to feel invested a bit ! Still good though.

I'll go with Hunter X Hunter.
The way the plot plays, betrays and exceeds our expectations.
The "special power" system is rich, has limitations and is fully detailed.
The dynamic and action packed fights, perfectly transcribed on paper.

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Special mention for Kingdom, a retale of China's unification from the point of view of a lowly chinese aspiring to become the greatest general of these lands. I reread this beast like 3 times a year and still have goosebumps.

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Second special mention to Gunnm Last Order and Gunnm Mars Chronicles currently. 10/10 story, 11/10 characters and 12/10 fights. And the art...

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HeyNay

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,495
Somewhere
Probably the Watchmen. The script is insightful and inspiring from beginning to end, but not enough credit is given to Gibbons, who masterfully constructs scenes and transitions in such a way that reading it feels like watching a movie in real time. It's an engrosing experience that transcends the medium.
 

RedSwirl

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,051
I'm gonna put another one down for the Nausicaä manga. Its combination of depth and epic scale is honestly unbelievable. I can understand if it had a massive influence on post-apocalyptic Japanese anime and games going through the 90's and 00's.

The first bits of Lone Wolf & Cub I've read so far are getting there too. Reading it in ComiXology's guided view mode is like watching a stop-motion chambara movie.

Gundam: The Origin is the perfect and best sci-fi war story, it takes the idea and overall story/characters of the original anime series and deepens the concept, expands on the characterization, and makes the whole universe feel ten times more realistic and thoroughly thought-out.

Is it worth it if you've seen the anime?

What about Thunderbolt?
 

Saturday

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
6,321
I'm just screwing with you don't feel like you have to defend your position. My humor came across poorly.

Lol s' all good like I said you actually phrase what I wrote out loud anybody'd be like '..... yeah?'

And to not derail the thread anymore I'd chuck in All Star Superman to balance my manga pick but man this would be subjective.

It takes a superhero, an all-american icon at that, and imbues him with almost mythic qualities- superman's character seems grand in scale, the adventures are wonderfully imagined with the looney qualities you expect from comic books, and framed as part of a great journey- these, as well as being a great introspection on the character himself, makes me extremely fond of the book.

Is it worth it if you've seen the anime?

What about Thunderbolt?

The Orgin would be the definitive way to expierence the original MSG series and absolutely worth it if you watched the anime. Thunderbolt is also rad as hell and worth reading or watching.
 
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R0b1n

Member
Jun 29, 2018
7,787
Daytripper is honestly perfect. It's not my favourite, but I can't think of a single flaw
 
Oct 25, 2017
10,751
Toronto, ON
Is it worth it if you've seen the anime?

What about Thunderbolt?

You mean if you've seen the original anime, or if you've seen the The Origin anime adaptation? Either way, YES, for sure. The Origin anime only adapts the flashback storyline, but the books are a complete retelling of the entire series, with a whole new depth, plus that huge flashback section. If you're interested in Gundam, it's my highest recommendation.

Thunderbolt is cool...story is a little grim for my taste, but it has some killer art, awesome mecha designs, good music. I'd say it's a must-watch if you like the UC timeline stuff.
 
Oct 29, 2017
1,681
I would go for "Blankets".

It's been years since I've read it, and I've really not read my graphic novel's at all. But what I do remember is .... a really odd feeling at the end of reading it. I'm pretty sure I got teary-eyed and just felt an overwhelming feeling of appreciating my life and everyone in it.

I should definitely read that again.

Regarding the manga posts in here, what's the best way to read them, digitally if possible? I'm in the UK and a quick look on ComiXology doesn't have the likes of Monster (which I'm particularly intrigued by).
 
Apr 11, 2018
2,437
Sweden
I don't read manga much these days, but I have three mangas in prticular that stands above everything else.

One Piece is perfect in story, worldbuilding, characters, character development, setup (years in advance)

Vagabond is unparalleled in its art, every page looks like a masterclass painting, the story is amazing and if you're into Samurais and history I don't see a world where you won't enjoy Vagabond. Also has a better "one man vs loads of people" than Berserk, fight me.

Haikyuu is a simple shounen sports manga, yet its so much more than that. From someone that isn't particullary intrested in any sport outside of Hockey, and definitely don't read or watch Sports manga, Haikyuu is just perfect. From solid character development, from beautiful art, to some of the hypest moments ever, it has really sat its roots in me. The latest like 7 chapters have all been "Holy shit, how was this better than last weeks chapter"
 

DonaldKimball

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,413
I read Naruto as a kid but looking back, the writing was pretty cringy, especially anything with Sasuke in it.

Nowadays I only read Berserk. The story is easy to digest, just a guy with a big ass sword seeking revenge.
 

BrickArts295

GOTY Tracking Thread Master
Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,731
I recently got into reading both mediums, these are the ones I really liked so far:

Comic
-Killing Joke
-Hush
-Long Halloween
-Court of Owls (yeah I'm kinda biased)
-Maus

Manga
-Attack on Titan (thus far)
-Berserk (thus far -_-)
-One Piece (thus far)
-Fullmetal Alchemist
-Goodnight PunPun (haven't finished it but I think it's a masterpiece thus far).
 

Parcas

Member
Dec 12, 2017
1,735
20th Century Boys - It is an amazing ride while you read it and I just love the thematics that it touches.
 

terric101

Member
Jan 7, 2018
37
The Sandman for me personally is still unmatched. One of the most beautiful stories about stories and the wide range of characters that live them, dream them, and/or tell them.
 

Modest_Modsoul

Living the Dreams
Member
Oct 29, 2017
23,544
LONE WOLF AND CUB
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Being an action story fan, this title has it one of the best.

A 1970 published manga didn't stop it to become one of the greatest manga I have ever read.

Gorgeous art, gripping storyline, well written characters, amazing action scenes, etc.

Always recommend it to anyone into action, Samurai, Ninja, assassinations, things like those.

If Azumi manga fans translation already completed in the future later, I would recommend that too.

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Oct 29, 2017
4,450
Australia
ERA.

HEY ERA!

What are you doing?

How in the fresh brown hell has Berserk barely even been mentioned in here? Not only is it the greatest manga of all time, but it's quite simply the greatest piece of fiction full stop.

Incredible story.

Incredible writing.

Incredible pacing.

Incredible cast of characters.

Incredible character development.

Incredible world building.

Incredible attention to detail.

AND DAT ART!

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Berserk is truly the pinnacle of excellence...it's the very definition of a masterpiece. Shame on you ERA for not mentioning it more!

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EccoCid

Member
Mar 7, 2018
703
London
Akira... for me its like a perfect template of high octane story telling with great characters and not a single filler frame in it. Hundreds of pages and it just keeps going up and up.
 

luffie

Member
Dec 20, 2017
798
Indonesia
This is my kind of thread.

It's kinda hard to mention all of my favorites but let's pick a few for mangas

1) Billy Bat (Naoki Urasawa)

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This shit here is legendary, in terms of genre/style, nothing in the market comes close to it, nothing is comparable.
It can be said it falls under "conspiracy/thriller/mystery", but I don't think those category are sufficient enough to explain it's brilliance. The story spans across generations, and wove in reality with fantasy seamlessly that it is believable. The plot also comes to a nice conclusion. While his other works are also amazing, like Pluto and Monster, Billy Bat shows all the improvements of him as a storyteller and a manga artist.
Pluto was amazing, but it is an adaptation, monster was also great, but monster imho suffers in terms of storytelling continuity and panel readability. This one here suffers none of that, that's why it is legendary. They should make a HBO series out of this.

2) Attack on Titan

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Man, this is everything I want in a fantasy manga, action, suspense, drama, cool styles, kawaii characters, and most importantly, a superb plot to tie them up together.
This is manga's Game of Thrones, and I'd argue it's better than GoT. The characters are believable, they have character progression, their motives are believable and relatable, and the mind games among all the players are really intriguing. All the deaths are important and impactful, which serves to move the plot forward. The story was planned from the beginning and all the way to the end, so looking back, each event and interaction becomes meaningful, and every chapter released tells something and move it forward, not some filler stories. Hajime Isayama is GOAT.

Also great but no space to elaborate: Shin Sekai Yori, Dragon Ballz, Hikaru No Go, Slam Dunk, Pluto, Monster, One Piece, Naruto.

For comic, I felt there are few, if any, that stands in the same quality as manga in terms of script and smooth panel drawings (storytelling). But there are a few which really stands out, which are:

1)The MetaBarons

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Really, one of the most ridiculous scifi comic in existence, a plot so ridiculous, it's great. Metabarons seems to be created in a time where the author and the artist care not about the market tastes and the pressure of corporate overlords, it's creative juice is just pouring everywhere. The art style, while not exactly what I like, is really immaculate, extremely detailed, you can feel it's crazy universe come to life. Juan Gimenez's level of details cannot be found in comics today.
But the story though, the story, it's crazy, absurd, yet makes sense, and fun. The dialogues are top notch.

2)Lucifer

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I will say, easily the best kind of depiction about the Prince of Hell across all comics/manga involving the fallen angel. The art style is again, not my thing, but the plot is too good to be ignored. I love how they don't portray him as this one dimensional evil being, and his motivations are unpredictable, and his character are charming, he is the bad guy, the good guy, and the only guy at the same time. It also has the best portrayal of God in any comic I've read, truly omnipotent and omniscience, not the kind that talks about balance and shit. Plus, the ending is great, makes total sense, not abrupt, like many comics do.

Also great but no space to elaborate: Fables, Alex Alice's Siegfried.
 

elyetis

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,550
-kyou kara ore wa : best comedy manga ever made ? makes me laugh to tears. The whole cast is awesome.

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-Cross Game : ( could also choose Touch from the same author, most of his manga are very very similar )
how could one describe it, a slice of life/baseball manga ? based on that you would expect it to be the most boring thing ever, but the auhor is a master at making you invested in both the characters life, and the team achievements/match.

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- Angel Densetsu : the drawing start of a little rough but it kind of help the story, which is about a nice new student who becomes the most feared delinquent just because his face is frightening which keep causing misunderstandings. Like my first recommendation, it mostly focus on comedy, and an amazing cast in general.

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( I'm very bad at explaining, why I like something, it's good because it's good :p )