Comics I’ve Read in 2022 - Part 1
1. I Want to Be a Wall Volume 1 by Honami Shirono
I’m really fascinated by Japan’s exploration and media representation of asexual characters so I when I found out about this manga, I had to get it. It’s cute too because the premise is that Yuriko and Gakurouta are married to each other due to societal pressures and the fact that they can’t have what they really want. Gaukrouta is gay and in love with his childhood best friend who is oblivious and Yuriko is ace and on the aro spectrum because she doesn’t want anything if it involves her, but loves Boys Love manga. Since this was the only first couple chapters it was really just an introduction, but I want to see where this goes and continue exploring Japan’s media representation of ace characters.
2. Lore Olympus Volume 1 by Rachel Smythe
I keep up on this on Webtoons, but when I found this cheap are Heroes Con I had to have it and of course than I sat down and binged this whole volume when I got home. I just love the art and the story is so well done for a modern audience to not only tell the tales of Greek Mythology but introduce concepts of concept, body autonomy, sexual violence, and mental health. Can’t wait to own more physical copies and I hope other webtoons do this too.
3. The Sandman: The Doll’s House by Neil Gaiman
Continuing on with the series, as it was something I always wanted to read, I was grateful to get through volume 2 before the show came out. What I love to is the comic was great on its own and the art is fantastic to tell the story, but seeing it come to life through the show made it feel more magical. I really enjoyed it and now I can’t wait to continue with the series as the show continues on in production.
4. Primal Warrior Draco Azul Issues 1-3 by Andre Perez
I met Andre early Sunday morning at Heroes Con as I was going through the artist alleys to see if I missed any gems and all because he said hello and good morning to me as I walked by I discovered this cool comic. Taking a love of the Japanese monster films and mecha warriors, Andre has put his own personal twist on them and introduced his Mexican Heritage to the characters and the setting. Its really fun and I can’t wait to see more of the story as more comics keep coming out.
5. Tuskegee Heirs Volume 1 and issue 5 by Marcus Williams and Greg Burnham
Another cool find at Heroes Con this year, I got to talk with Greg Burnham about how they came up with the idea to take the historical stories of the Tuskegee Airmen and reinvent in a way to still honor Black History while also giving them a sci-fi twist. Set in the far future these brilliant kids are the best fighter pilots of their age, saving the world from alien creatures and learning more about the organization that made them heroes. A really fun and adventurous story.
6. Maus by Art Spiegelman
Given all the hubbub about banning this book I wanted to read it because I’m of the belief that if people are trying to ban something it must be something they are trying to hide. And really the reasons for banning this book are incredibly frustrating because it ignores the history and the reason behind this comic which is to tell the tale of a son learning his father’s history of Jewish internment in Nazi internment and how that also affected some of his relationships and mannerisms after the war. Its not an easy read but an important one.
7. Neil Gaiman’s Teknophage Volume 1 by Rick Veitch
Picked this up on my annual second hand book shop splurge for my birthday and mostly because I had never heard of it even though Neil was accredited for it. And while he didn’t write this comic, it was interesting how other authors adopted his work to create a villain in a sci-fi universe with absolutely no moral background and still make him interesting. And that’s not just because he reminds me of my own sci-fi lizard villains.
8. The Legend of Wonder Woman Origins by Renae De Liz and Ray Billon
I really enjoyed this retelling of how Wonder Woman came to be and how she interacts with the Amazons and also meets people like Steve Trevor. And while this one shares some of the same aspects of wonder woman and the timeline of the first DC Universe movie that made me fall in love with her to begin with, I really appreciated the twists and the fact that while Steve Trevor was there, they weren’t the stars. Instead, Etta Candy is her best friend and helps her develop Wonder Woman in a very friends forward story.
9. Ms Marvel Volume 1: No Normal by G Willow Wilson
Even though I fell out of the MCU a long time ago, the ideas behind the new heroes has always been an interest for me so when I got the chance to pick up Ms Marvel I was excited. I love the story too of Kamala gets her powers but is such a geek about super heroes that half the time instead of fighting she just geeks out about stuff. I especially enjoyed her teaming up with Wolverine and giving him a piggy back ride.
10. Doctor Who Classics Volume 4 by Dave Gibbons
Doctor Who is one of the best comics mainly because you can literally jump in whatever and while there might have been some backstory, you can easily hop to later volumes and figure out what’s going on pretty quick. In this one we see the 4th and 5th Doctor tackle Cybermen, The council of timelords and masters of the universe to of course save the day. Pretty fun and I can’t wait to collect the rest.
