Name non-Marvel, non-DC comics worth reading that are NOT:
>licensed comics
>biographical/autobiographical comics
>movie/TV pitches or adaptation bait
>unreadable, abstract nonsense
>super shitty sex/gorefests
I'll wait.
Hard mode: From the last 5 years.
comics
What does this mean? Like comics under image/dark horse/idw/etc not allowed and only self published?
Basically no Star Wars, Transformers, Alien, Predator, Sonic, etc.
Right off hand, Blade Runner and Cyberpunk 2077. But I'm betting that those are your "licensed comics" restriction.
I wonder how many other licensed comics you think are worth reading, enough that you need to avoid the entire category to find other material.
I really enjoy Svetlana Chmakova's work. She's currently writing her Berrybrook series (Awkward, Brave, Crush, Enemies) and they're worth checking out if you like intercharacter drama. Hooky, by Míriam Bonastre Tur, is also a fun adventure story with a likeable cast. The Grémillet Sisters by Giovanni Di Gregorio/Alessandro Barbucci is pretty good as well, especially if you enjoy some surreal parts of stories, but I don't know if they have a print version.
>no Star Wars, Transformers, Alien, Predator, Sonic, etc.
These comics are good?
They're not "indie"
Saying they're indie is moronic, that's like saying the new Robocop game is an indie game just because it's done by a small studio
Hell I don't even think Image, Boom, IDW, etc are indie
Robert Kirkman money isn't fricking indie
Indie is self-published
Period
>Indie is self-published
Most of the time when people talk about "indie" comics, they're talking about work that is creator-owned. So most of Image certainly qualifies. Boom, IDW, and Dark Horse are more case-by-case since they also do a lot of licensed works.
If you want self-published comics, just say that. Or "small press" which is the usual term used by expos that host the kind of stuff it sounds like you're looking for.
>Indie is self-published
Then say self published. They aren't one and the same.
>The new Robocop game
By your metrics, that would fall under "licenced games" as it was a pre-existing IP/franchise. So it being made by a small game studio is irrelevant.
>what does "licensed comics" mean???
How new are you?
pitches or adaptation bait
Stop with this bullshit. A good story is a good story.
It's also fricking stupid because how many of those A)have movie adaptations or B) even have a shot of being adapted to a movie?
Yeah people are acting like writing a comic is a surefire way to get an adaptation and rake in that sweet sweet Netflix money. I've seen a couple of comics with an actors face on them with like 20 writers and maybe they are trying something but it's really fricking rare compared to all the other comics that roll through the shops
While it is accurate to criticise some books of just being a thinly veiled pitch presentation, it is way too much used as a lazy form of critique these days.
I disagree.
Comic books are a medium where a writer can imagine literally anything with infinite budget without little to no issues as an artist only needs pencil and paper to render. Yet, we have writers and artists intentionally scaling things down cause they know tv budgets can't handle shit. It's easy to say the writers don't have imaginations (which is true in some cases) but many nowadays are thinking "Netflix isn't gonna greenlight anything that looks too expensive".
Hence a lame storyline where people spend all their time talking and eating with low tier plots like a bunch of generic cars crashing.
NTA. As someone who typically just reads smaller indie stuff now and then from library shelves, I haven't noticed this. Although I would assume that it's a good thing generally that the plot isnt a multidimensional clusterfrick, because most of the time that stuff distracts from the more interesting personal narratives which can be told at nearly any scope. If it's still just nerdy superhero powerwankery without a deeper plot, then it could be cast aside as cliche, but there is more to it than that. I agree with the other anon that merely saying it is cliche without saying why and how is a lazy form of critique, and furthermore deprives all parties the possibility of genuine discussion.
>plot isn't a multidimensional clusterfrick
Nice strawman
>still just nerdy superhero powerwankery without a deeper plot
This is the medium that was built on meaty muscular men and sexy women in skintight costumes fighting evil. The general lack of this wasn't due to a change in market taste. It was cause doing so is "too expensive to adapt" and the TV/Movie people don't like that. This is why nobody reads comic books anymore. You can toss the same "cliche" arguments at shonen manga ("another fighting tournament lmao") but the readers want those cliches. That's what sells.
>lazy form of critique
Except anyone who points out that its just autistic diverse lesbians drinking coffee gets called "sexist", "racist", and is banned from places like morondit. Don't give me that "genuine discussion" crap.
>you can do anything in comic medium so it should be about huge scale stuff, bro!
That doesn’t make your story better or interesting.
These tend not to be good stories
>movie/TV pitches or adaptation bait
Oh come on most indie books are this.
list of random stuff that comes to mind. (mostly GA/SA as that's my forte)
everything EC ever did. (Tales From The Crypt, Two-Fisted Tales, Frontline Combat, Vault Of Horror, Haunt Of Fear, Shock Suspenstories, etc, etc.)
Jack Cole's Plastic Man (the original Quality stuff predates the character's acquisition by DC.)
the original Whiz Comics era Captain Marvel stuff (see above)
Warren's horror anthologies (Creepy, Eerie, etc.)
Skywald's horror anthologies (Scream, Psych, Nightmare, etc.)
Dan DeCarlo era Archie
Starlight
the original Flash Gordon comics
Prince Valliant
Usagi Yojimbo
pitches or adaptation bait
Still have no idea why this is aa problem.
Not OP but one aspect is writers writing with a film or tv budget in mind
There's literally nothing. It's a shame, but it is what it is.
see:
>everything EC ever did
>Jack Cole's Plastic Man
>Whiz Comics era Captain Marvel
>Warren
>Skywald
>Archie
>the original Flash Gordon comics
>Prince Valliant
Major publishers.
>Starlight
An admitted pitch. Mark Millar openly admits that 100% of his comics without exception are created ONLY as pitches.
OP specified non-marvel non-dc.
they're all non-marvel and non-dc
He also specified "indie".
There are independent studios that can be very well known/major. This applies to all areas of media.
Speaking of which, what does Cinemaphile think about this idea:
We should try to get the mods to ban all discussion of post-New 52 DC and post-NOW Marvel.
That should fix this board completely. Only pre-2010s American comics are even worth acknowledging anyway.
You want to fix the board? Ban everything related to animated cartoons, then install good moderation.
There needs to be a board split.
this. cartoon trannies ruin everything. And i like cartoon.s
Although there can be a bit of overlap at times, it's been a long time coming. The western comic and animation industries aren't tied to each other nearly as much as the japanese ones are, and at times it feels like co is two different boards with two different userbases.
you think animation companies should create comics to stir a type of user base or some indy comic companies have a pipeline to established animation companies?
>animation companies creating comics
If it's good? Sure. Some B plot or filler that got cut from the main series could find a home in a companion comic series. Or pull a NGE and just adapt it with a different ending. Feels like it would kind of go the way of video game comics (e.g. general mediocrity) due to not really being able to actually give the main character an arc though. Considering the demographic size for cartoons dwarfs comics in the states though, probably not the best move from a financial point of view unless things change drastically.
>indie comics into animations
There should be more indie comics getting out there on the small screen for sure. I heard from my local comic shop that when The Boys show was the new hotness, people bought a crap ton of it. I know personally Invincible the show has me way more interested in Invincible the comic, and I'd reckon that that's contributed to an increase in sales of the omnis or the trades or whatever. The trick is to make sure that the adaptions are good enough for new viewers to buy into the ip, then you can merchandise the hell out of it. A battle tested ip that has a pre-established look, plot, setting, and fanbase that you can disragard any and all of at your choosing is nothing to sneeze at. Unless you're looking for huge mass appeal. "Huge at Comic Con" does not translate to huge as proven by Scott Pilgrim.
Moot didnt care about western material which is why these two different industries were put under one board. But of they did split a comic board would be Big 2 shitflinging and then like on indie general that becomes increasingly stuck up.
>ban /misc/shit
>ban Cinemaphileshit
>ban AIshit
>ban twittershit
There you go, board saved.
How about we just permanently ban everyone who posts here?
I've really liked Damn Them All. It's basically female Hellblazer but manages to do its own thing. Crimson Cage if you don't mind some wrestling horror.
>female Hellblazer
Pass.
>From the last five years
There aren't any.
>Whatabout crowdfunding
The problem with crowdfunding in general, aside from the difficulty of getting the comics, is a lack of objective meter. People who crowdfund books seldom say anything negative about them for various reasons.
The Spawn books are worth reading but if you don't like Spawn, they won't change your mind.
Ronin:Book II is also alright but not for everyone. There's also a chance of it shitting the bed later.
And that's all I've got.
Imagine speaking with this much confidence while not reading comics.
>Projection
You can't name anything in the past five years, boy I wonder why?
You would just call it shit anyway, so why waste the time? You people are dishonest and not interested in actual discussion
>More projection
It's only a "discussion" cause you don't have REAL sales data to point to. At least with Crowdfunding we KNOW what was actually a hit (Cyberfrog, Graveyard Shift, Zombie Tramp).
FYI, Spawn is still the big winner in that regard.
There have been about 30 comics from the last 5 years posted in this thread. I really want to understand why you post about things you don't read while acting confidently.
>Continued projection
You can name comics you got from a google search like say "The West Moon Chronicle", and I won't believe you cause the West Moon Chronicle is bad (WTF are Korean demons doing in Texas lol).
Or just have no standards.
How is Groo, Love and Rockets, Usagi Yojimbo, Hellboy, Judge Dredd low standards? You obviously haven't read any of their recent offerings.
>Names only old stuff
Yes, old legacy indie books like Spawn are good. Good luck naming anything new in the past five year i.e. hard mode. On that note, I've never cared for Love and Rockets.
Spawn is good? Is this a joke? It's one of the worst written books in the market. Regardless, I don't care for your goalpost moving. Many original comics from the past 5 years have been named (Monica, Megg Mogg and Owl, Always Never, One Beautiful Spring Day, Monsters, Alone). Your claim was "there aren't any indie books from the last five years worth reading." As you haven't read any of the comics I've listed, why did you even enter this thread?
Yes, none of those are worth reading. Spawn on the other hand is worth reading. That's why it expanded with Spawn universe recently and has multiple ongoing series. Say you don't like it, fine. Doesn't change that lots of people do.
You remind me of people who claim "There's something wrong with Patrick Todd" was some amazing thing when it was just a safe netflix pitch. I'm reminded of why Fantagraphics had to do crowdfunding: crap books, Lots of artificial word of mouth, no actual sales.
You're going on a tangent about sales and popularity. Stay focused, sped. I asked you a question. Why did you claim there are no good indies in the last five years if you haven't read any of the dozen I've listed?
I fricking hate these people.
planetary
thats dc
I'm really liking this so far.
Here are my favorites from the 2020s (ignore Goodbye, Eri).
Wish I could find more indie comics that have pic related vibes without being moronicly ironic.
Have you read Faust?
Is a fantastic comic, the covers are really ugly though.
Not really indie since it's by a major publisher in France.
Monsters by Barry Windsor Smith came out in the last 5 years.
...granted he had been writing it for the last 40.
Wasteland by Anthony Johnston was really good too.
I havent really read much modern indies and 90% of the ones i did are from vertigo so dont know if they even count.
Debating if I want to give Birdking Vol 2 a try.
Read the first one, it was alright but alot of glaring issues with the writing. Kinda wondering if Vol 2 improved on that but honestly I doubt it.
Does Vertigo count? I know this is annoying,but I'm a tourist hoping for a favor,and I think this is the board most likely to have what I'm looking for. I'm looking for a page from the Preacher comic about the KKK,where 2 of them complain about how one guy only hates n-words and they wanna talk about tractors sometimes.
Also, Preacher is on my backlog after hearing Cinemaphile talk about, just gotta get caught up on Junji Ito and my light novel.
TYSM
>Name ONE comic!
>…and here’s an arbitrary list of things I will disqualify immediately from being mentioned, just because
>Hehehehe, checkmate, see, I knew all comics suck!
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/You-ve-Been-Cancelled
You've been cancelled by mad cave studios.
Been a pretty fun read.
This is better than it should be lol
yeah! Good fun read. Glad ya liked it.
the wrong earth
second coming
kaijumx
there, I broke your mouth, with 3 recent comicbooks
You forgot
>worth reading
>Cerebus,
>Prince Valiant,
>Little Nemo in Slumberland,
>Tintin,
>Asterix & Oblix
>Metabarons,
>Poison Elves,
>Elf Quest,
>Astro City (although this did go to DC for a bit)
>Ellis Storm Watch and his Authority,
>Kill Shakespeare,
>Airboy,
>Terry and the Pirates,
>Calvin & Hobbes,
The list can go on and on.
Good stuff coming out in 2023
Groo, Usagi, Love and Rockets, Hellboy, Vampirella, The Wrong Earth, the Bone Orchard Mythos, Alone, the Holy Roller, Ribbon Queen, Judge Dredd.
Nah it’s all bad and woke and inferior to manga.
>The Wrong Earth
I love it, kudos anon.
Copra is the only indie comic (and comic in general really) I've been consistently reading over the years.
I fricking loved Adam Warren's Dirty Pair and would have continued to buy it if he simply continued to make it.
>From the last 5 years.
I got nothing.
These are pretty good. Hated In though.
That's different.
I thought hard mode was name 5. But these are all from the past 3 years.
No, I mean they look interesting.
Oh word. Yeah, slice of life about obsession, fast-paced sci fi, super kid cartoon, seaside magical fantasy. But it doesn't matter to OP. It's clearly the "sci-fi" gay. It doesn't matter what's recommended, they just perpetually reject examples and move goal posts and complain.
Aside from the homosexual OP, these threads usually turn out well for people actually looking for stuff.
Sci-fi, you say?
>Tyler Landry
I thought I recognized that name. Now I can't remember where I picked this up. I'm guessing it was from Retrofit having a publisher's booth at a show I went to instead of the artist himself.
Oo neat. The art in Old Caves was super sparse, but that seemed to be a moody choice in service to the story. I wonder how similar this is.
I would name something but you just complain about it anyways so frick you op.
>unreadable, abstract nonsense
That's most of the shit Moebius and Edika did but i would still definitely recommend those to anyone.
For me it's Prison Pit.
Thats a good read.
Copra.