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r/graphicnovels

▲ 26 r/graphicnovels+6 crossposts

Hi everyone,

I’m the producer (and proud dad) of my 9-year-old son’s podcast, Join the Fray. We recently sat down with Dr. Ted Gervan, and I thought this community might appreciate his unique perspective on how the industry has shifted over the last two decades.

Before he became an educational leader at institutions like Sheridan, Capilano, and the Centre for Digital Media in BC, Ted worked as a prosthetic makeup artist in Hollywood. He was part of the talented team that brought the original X-Men (2000) to life. [Ted got the chance to support the super talented team of Evan Penny or Ann McLaren who designed the look for Mystique and Sabretooth!]

He contributed to the character designs (including the drawings for Sabretooth) and helped building specific costumes, pouring and coloring the silicone, painting nails, and applying the makeup once the initial sculpts were molded.

Fraser and Ted had a great discussion about:

  • The Reality of the Makeup Lab: The technical process of pouring, coloring, and detailing silicone prosthetics for a major film production, and how that hands-on experience shapes his view of modern 3D pipelines.
  • The Evolution of the Craft: How he sees the industry shifting between physical, high-touch lab work to digital-first workflows, and how education needs to adapt to teach both.
  • Advice for Future Artists: His take on "the fear of building"—how he teaches students to bridge the gap between a design idea and the messy, physical/digital reality of actually building it.

It’s a non-monetized, fun interview and thanks to the Mods here to enable me to share it.

Spotify Link - https://open.spotify.com/episode/53jpLDHotOh8mE8Vo6jgc8?si=Koxoja8jTwWTW0bBUTpLoA

Enjoy folks and thanks for the opportunity to share this fun chat!

u/keggles123 — 3 hours ago
▲ 31 r/graphicnovels

When you get excited.. Then get disappointed

This is meant to be a "new" purchase from retailer I never used before.. Never again

u/Cool-Reputation-3841 — 10 hours ago
▲ 282 r/graphicnovels+1 crossposts

Deep ecology books

I was reading Stages of Rot last night, and I realised that I have a real love of sci fi and fantasy that delves into ecological systems that are strange, otherworldly, and perhaps unknowable, where people are subsumed by the ecology. I am looking for other books in this vein.

Here’s a list of books (and some animation) give you an idea what interests me:

Stages of Rot - Linnea Serte

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - Hayao Miyazaki

Aama - Frederik Peeters

Edena - Moebius

The Extraordinary Part - Ruppert & Mulot

Ant Colony - Michael Deforge

Scavengers Reign (TV)

Princess Mononoke - Miyazaki again

EDIT: a few more that I like:

Flood (film)

Safari Honeymoon - Jesse Jacobs (honestly, anything by Jesse Jacobs)

Big Questions - Anders Nilsen

u/ArchBeaconArch — 16 hours ago
▲ 3 r/graphicnovels

Geiger and Junkyard Joe

I just bought Geiger Deluxe 1 and 2 and while I did not even open the thing, I'm already considering buying other "unnamed universe" books.

Junkyard Joe caught my attention, I sampled some issues and the art seems solid. The writing, being Johns, is undoubtedly great I'm sure.

I know the premises of each book, Geiger being in a apocalyptic post-nuclear war future and Junkyard Joe about a present time military robot, but I wonder if these two books connect somehow? I doubt there is any crossover?

I also read about the Redcoat, but this one interested me less, and I'm starting to explore Rook:Exodus.

What are your opinions about these books? I know the books are still ongoing and Johns is still sort of modelling the unnamed universe, but how are you liking it so far? Do you recommend them?

reddit.com
u/CorrectDot4592 — 11 hours ago
▲ 18 r/graphicnovels

My thoughts on the third volume of Corto Maltese

Since I read the first Corto Maltese graphic novel last year, I've really liked Hugo Pratt as a writer and artist, but man, this third volume of Corto Maltese stories (which I guess would be called "Always a Bit Further Away") really made me realize how good he was as a writer.

This volume is comprised of 5 short tales that take place around the northern region of South America and in the Caribbean. In these pages, it became more clear to me how important the search for freedon is to the author, be it through armed rebellion against oppressors or in the mobility that a boat affords an adventurous man. Corto Maltese remains a lovable rogue, although he is often a vehicle for stories focused on other characters, which are often tragic, strange, oniric and lyrical. This comic really succeeds at transporting the reader to the locales it portrays, which is aided by Pratt's straightforward storytelling that doesn't hold your hand, he just takes you into these romantic historical dramas and makes you learn about the characters and world through actions rather than through exposition.

Something that I realized as I was finishing this book was that the appearamce, disappearance and reappearance of some plotlines reminded me of seawaves, receding, rising and crashing, then receding again. This plot structure, besides being very appropiate for a swashbuckling maritime comic, enriches the world and makes the character seem more real, how some people will take on some task, but their mind will still be focused on the real object of their interest.

A real stand-out for me in this volume was "The Lagoon of Beautiful Dreams", an extremely well-crafted tale in which a character is characterized entirely by showing the opposites of his current situation. The whole book is full of great moments and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in comics that trabsport you into their worlds and that are deeper than they first appear.

u/Locohenry — 10 hours ago
▲ 3 r/graphicnovels

Gay comics to read for pride month

Gay comics worth reading during pride month across a bunch of formats, I tried to cover the genre well for people who arent deep in any one publisher's continuity. Five categories: literary indie graphic novels, accessible single volume picks, mainstream superhero runs with queer leads, BL/GL manga, and where to actually read all of it

Literary indie graphic novels for pride month

Fun home by alison bechdel is the canonical literary pick, memoir that won multiple awards including the eisner and got adapted into a tony winning broadway musical. Sets the bar for autobiographical lgbt graphic novels. Stuck rubber baby by howard cruse is the foundational gay graphic novel that proved the genre could carry literary weight a full decade before fun home. Blue is the warmest color by julie maroh is the canonical translated french entry, beautiful art and emotionally devastating

Accessible single volume gay graphic novels

The prince and the dressmaker by jen wang is the gentlest entry point for casual readers, self contained with gorgeous art, no prior knowledge needed. Bingo love by tee franklin follows two black women reconnecting decades after being separated as teens, really sweet and moving. Heartstopper by alice oseman is probably the one most casual readers already know from the netflix adaptation, five volumes covering the full webcomic run

Mainstream superhero runs with queer leads

Iceman solo run by sina grace at marvel, two volumes following bobby drake after coming out, self contained without needing deep x-men continuity. Young avengers 2013 by kieron gillen and jamie mckelvie is the 15 issue wiccan and hulkling run most people mean when they recommend the title for queer focus. Midnighter and apollo at dc is the canonical openly gay superhero couple, the 2016 steve orlando run is the accessible entry point

BL and GL manga for pride month

Given by natsuki kizu is the most recommended BL entry point, nine volumes that cover grief and queer adolescence with way more depth than the genre's reputation suggests. Twittering birds never fly by kou yoneda is the heavier yakuza BL pick. 10 dance by inouesatoh is the ballroom dancing BL, eight volumes. For GL/yuri the canonical recent pick is bloom into you by nakatani nio, eight volumes

Where to read all of this

GlobalComix is the best one right now bc their catalog is huge. They have a dedicated lgbtq+ tag with hundreds of titles (romance, BL, GL, etc). And they also cover indie graphic novels, western comics, and manga. They have a lot on their free tier and if you want the sub it's only like 7 bucks.

Webtoon is similar like that, solid second best, has a massive audience and lgbtq+ stories, they have free stuff with optional paid early access, its good for romance and slice of life stuff tho they do censor some explicit content.

Tapas is similar vibes but a bit more indie and it also has a lot of lgbtq+ focused stories in my experience, good mix of free and paid series on there

SuBLime is fine if you want the official licensed BL translations specifically, given and twittering birds are both on there, you buy per volume tho so costs add up if you read a lot.

reddit.com
u/Scawwotish_owl88 — 11 hours ago
▲ 6 r/graphicnovels

Magnetic and Oni are releasing the Complete Urbance!

IGN published a great preview of Joel Dos Reis Viegas's Urbance today, and it looks amazing. I wasn't originally familiar with his animation work, but it all looks incredible, and these comics have a really slick, energetic style. I was just thinking I needed a new scifi series! Viegas's interior art has the same manga-inspired style as this gorgeous cover. I can't wait to read these books!

Check it out!

https://www.ign.com/articles/urbance-cyberpunk-manga-series-preview

u/dholland_76 — 11 hours ago
▲ 61 r/graphicnovels

The Bat-Man: Second Knight by Dan Jurgens & Mike Perkins

Just finished reading the collected edition of THE BAT-MAN: SECOND KNIGHT. Even though it’s a sequel to the previous miniseries THE BAT-MAN: FIRST KNIGHT (which I read and enjoyed as it was coming out), it’s not entirely necessary to have read it prior to reading this (though I recommend doing so).

Just know this is a story of “Golden Age Batman”: Batman when he first started out—no Alfred, no Batmobile, no Robin, and the gadgets weren’t that fancy yet. And he’s more of a masked detective than a superhero.

It’s 1940, and he’s a bit more experienced. Only his girlfriend, Julie Madison, knows his identity and, though she’s not particularly thrilled at him risking his life like this, she realizes that he is who he is.

Anyway, long story short, in an America that’s not quite entering World War II yet (but getting close to not having any real choice), Gotham is overrun by fear. This is due to a rising fascist cult spreading violence and paranoia among its citizens, led by the malevolent Scarecrow.

However, Batman is not fighting this alone. He ends up getting assistance from a next-door neighbor from Metropolis: Superman.

As somebody who has a special love for both Golden Age Batman & Superman, this story was an incredible read. It was dark and suspenseful (Scarecrow in this story is one of the most unsettling portrayals we’ve seen in a while, a real menace) and the dynamic between Batman & Superman here was great to see.

Will there be a third part to this story? Who knows? But I wouldn’t be opposed to it.

For those who read this story (and its predecessor), what did you think?

u/These-Background4608 — 23 hours ago
▲ 0 r/graphicnovels

Gay comics to read for pride month

Gay comics worth reading during pride month across a bunch of formats, I tried to cover the genre well for people who arent deep in any one publisher's continuity. Five categories: literary indie graphic novels, accessible single volume picks, mainstream superhero runs with queer leads, BL/GL manga, and where to actually read all of it

Literary indie graphic novels for pride month

Fun home by alison bechdel is the canonical literary pick, memoir that won multiple awards including the eisner and got adapted into a tony winning broadway musical. Sets the bar for autobiographical lgbt graphic novels. Stuck rubber baby by howard cruse is the foundational gay graphic novel that proved the genre could carry literary weight a full decade before fun home. Blue is the warmest color by julie maroh is the canonical translated french entry, beautiful art and emotionally devastating

Accessible single volume gay graphic novels

The prince and the dressmaker by jen wang is the gentlest entry point for casual readers, self contained with gorgeous art, no prior knowledge needed. Bingo love by tee franklin follows two black women reconnecting decades after being separated as teens, really sweet and moving. Heartstopper by alice oseman is probably the one most casual readers already know from the netflix adaptation, five volumes covering the full webcomic run

Mainstream superhero runs with queer leads

Iceman solo run by sina grace at marvel, two volumes following bobby drake after coming out, self contained without needing deep x-men continuity. Young avengers 2013 by kieron gillen and jamie mckelvie is the 15 issue wiccan and hulkling run most people mean when they recommend the title for queer focus. Midnighter and apollo at dc is the canonical openly gay superhero couple, the 2016 steve orlando run is the accessible entry point

BL and GL manga for pride month

Given by natsuki kizu is the most recommended BL entry point, nine volumes that cover grief and queer adolescence with way more depth than the genre's reputation suggests. Twittering birds never fly by kou yoneda is the heavier yakuza BL pick. 10 dance by inouesatoh is the ballroom dancing BL, eight volumes. For GL/yuri the canonical recent pick is bloom into you by nakatani nio, eight volumes

Where to read all of this

GlobalComix is the best one right now bc their catalog is huge. They have a dedicated lgbtq+ tag with hundreds of titles (romance, BL, GL, etc). And they also cover indie graphic novels, western comics, and manga. They have a lot on their free tier and if you want the sub it's only like 7 bucks.

Webtoon is similar like that, solid second best, has a massive audience and lgbtq+ stories, they have free stuff with optional paid early access, its good for romance and slice of life stuff tho they do censor some explicit content.

Tapas is similar vibes but a bit more indie and it also has a lot of lgbtq+ focused stories in my experience, good mix of free and paid series on there

SuBLime is fine if you want the official licensed BL translations specifically, given and twittering birds are both on there, you buy per volume tho so costs add up if you read a lot

reddit.com
u/Unlikely-Cry78 — 20 hours ago
▲ 100 r/graphicnovels

Check out the library haul got in my hometown today. 🤤🤯

Library haul. Few days worth of reading👹🫶

u/saytan66six — 1 day ago
▲ 5 r/graphicnovels

I’d love some suggestions

Hi, I’m getting into graphic novels and I would love some suggestions based on my taste so far. My all time favorites are The Long Halloween, Watchmen, and V for Vendetta. I did not enjoy All Star Superman.

I did like Daytripper, The Court of Owls Saga, and The Killing Joke.

I realize there’s a lot of Batman on here and I would love to hear more of those I should check out but I’m open to trying new heros and other styles too.

I prefer escapism and epic artwork. I‘m not a fan of gore, especially body horror.

I’m a cinephile and love action, adventure, noir, and sci-fi movies.

Thanks for your time! Looking forward to hearing hour thoughts.

reddit.com
u/Smart_Complex_2226 — 1 day ago
▲ 56 r/graphicnovels

What's a book! I couldn't help the tears!

When you say it's a graphic novel about a photographer sent to photograph the dust bowl, it's not the most compelling story, but my god, Aimee De Jongh commands the page like no many others.

Not being able to open the window and the blowing on her to cool Betty down, is my Old Yeller, just a heart-breaking beautiful moment.

This I would suggest as a MUST READ!

u/Signal-Tangerine1597 — 1 day ago
▲ 57 r/graphicnovels

Collection of 3 years

It's not a lot, I pick up books when I can and read them. Also I am also short on money most of the time so I can't buy everything and I have a lot of series to finish.

u/Ishuda007 — 1 day ago
▲ 59 r/graphicnovels

Most anticipated trade drop of this week: Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League

This series was so fun in singles and I couldn’t wait for the trade to come. The writing is so clever by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott is one of those artist that whatever she’s working on I feel compelled to buy. Strongly consider this for your collection!

u/Artseid — 1 day ago
▲ 5 r/graphicnovels

Thoughts on Sweet tooth ending

I love Jeff Lemire and his work and I really liked the darkness of sweet tooth but that ending was just so cheesy, all of the sudden I felt like was reading a kids comic and it just kinda ruined the whole series that I otherwise thoroughly enjoyed…

I think in the end it was because I didn’t root for any one except Jepperd. I just didn’t care enough about Gus and rest of the animal hybrids. Did anyone else feel the same or did you like the ending? Should I read The return sequel?

reddit.com
u/kaaaasper — 1 day ago