Task #18: A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image

[Book Riot]

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the 18th Read Harder task.

[Jordan]

I'm thinking maybe Misfit City Vol. 1 for this one, although I've got quite a few that are also contenders and I will probably be reading anyways.
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World
Pashmina
Tomb Raider, Vol. 3: Survivor's Crusade
Valerian: The Complete Collection, Volume 1
The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars Part One
Doctor Who: Supremacy of the Cybermen
SLAM! Vol. 1
Giant Days, Vol. 6
Lumberjanes, Vol. 7: A Bird's-Eye View
Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong
Ares: Bringer of War
Princess Princess Ever After
The Secret Loves of Geek Girls

[D.L.]

iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World for me!

[Kate]

I'm using Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang for three of the tasks (4, 8, and 18) and it would also fit for 5. I've always meant to read it but have never gotten around to it and as someone who generally doesn't like comics/graphic novels, I'm happy to be able to knock out all the graphic novel challenges at one pass!

[Kelli]

Jordan wrote: "I'm thinking maybe Misfit City Vol. 1 for this one, although I've got quite a few that are also contenders and I will probably be reading anyways.
[book:Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Roc..."

Ooh, thank you for the suggestions! The Mystery Loves of Geek Girls looks so good!

[Amber]

I feel like every year there's a challenge prompt where I can fit in Lumberjanes, it works for so many categories! So for this challenge I'm going to read the next installment.

[Sarah]

I think I might go with My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 by Emil Ferris.

[Teresa]

I'm probably only reading one thing for all the comic/graphic novel tasks because they frequently strain my eyes and produce headaches. Nimona, Embroideries or Adulthood Is a Myth.
I liked the Blacksad series but I read them all this year.

[Alex]

It's not due out until July, but I'm looking forward to The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins

[Cassandra]

Hoping to use Archie, Vol. 1: The New Riverdale I’m not really into comic books so these 3 prompts are going to be difficult for me.

[Jessica]

Not much into comics/graphic novels, but do like games so will try Dark Souls: Winter's Spite, and it exists at my local library so easy to get! Maybe I'll even start playing the game as well.

[Theresa]

I recently learned of this series, so I'm going to give it a try - The Stuff of Legend, Book 1: The Dark

[Bonnie G.]

Hark! A Vagrant looks fun even for someone like me who does not like comics.

[Carolina]

I like Strong Female Protagonist. Book One but I'm up to date with that one.

[Andrea]

Lumberjanes is awesome! For written and illustrated by same person, I suggested Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth, Volume 1: Out of the Deep Woods and Essex County. They fit here as well.

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things and Lady Killer are also good.

[Rachel]

March: Book One has been on my to be read list for an embarassingly long time.

[Riah]

I'm going with Aya, which I'm really excited to finally get around to reading, especially since I live in Cote d'Ivoire. I'm also likely to read My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 for my comic written and illustrated by the same person, which would also count here. La Boriqueña by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez (http://laborinquena.somosarte.com/), an indie comic about a Puerto Rican superheroine that's not on goodreads yet is also on my TBR list. I also haven't read Kill Shakespeare, Vol. 1: A Sea of Troubles or The Complete Persepolis yet, but I've considered them too.

Comics (actually mostly graphic novels) I've read in the past from other publishers include The Best We Could Do, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, March: Book One, Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too, 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente, Princess Princess Ever After, Orphan Black, Vol. 1, Nimona and Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened.

If you want to go with one from a really tiny publisher, I read Deer Woman: A Vignette as my micropress book last year. It's available online for free here: https://www.nativerealities.com/produ...

[Jacqueline]

Footrot Flats by Murray Ball. It's the adventures of a Border Collie named Dog (not his real name but he's too embarrassed to let you know his real one) and his life on a farm in New Zealand with his owner Wal and all of their friends. Don't even know if it's on Goodreads but I'm sure I'll work it out.

[Robin]

I'll be reading Lumberjanes #1. I found it on Amazon's Prime Reading for free.

[Hafsa | حفصہ]

I'm going for Archival Quality published by Oni Press. (Bonus: Knocks down challenge #8 because the illustrator (Steenz) is black!)

[Riah]

Wayne wrote: "I'd like to recommend The Sandman: Overture. It was published by Vertigo in 2015 as a prequel to the original series, so it has no connection to DC."

Vertigo is an imprint of DC, and publishes books that are part of the DC universe, so I don't think that would count for this.

[A Million Pages]

Would Hyperbole and a Half count? I've never read a comic before but I'm guessing a graphic novel counts here?

[Stephen]

A Million Pages wrote: "Would Hyperbole and a Half count? I've never read a comic before but I'm guessing a graphic novel counts here?"

For current intents and purposes comics and graphic novels are the same thing. In part graphic novel is a rebranding to let people know that the format can be more serious, and in part graphic novels are typically longer than single issues on going monthly comics--though graphic novels might collect single comic issues.

But, unless you are deliberately making a distinction, or talk to the wrong person, they're interchangeable.

[Bonnie G.]

Book Riot has said countless time, tjis yeat and last, and in tjr actual challenge post, that graphics count as comics.

[Karen]

And here we are stuck with three comics......

Just complaining...because while I see the "stretch"....it's not reading harder. So I am a little peeved with Book Riot for including so many.

JMHO....

[Gerri]

I've recently started reading the Outlander series for the first time and just finished The Exile, which is an Outlander graphic novel. Had I seen this challenge a little sooner I may have waited to read it.

But Book Riot just posted an article about 10 NSFW graphic novels you should read and I think I will pick one from there. https://bookriot.com/2017/12/20/10-ns...

If all else fails, I will probably choose one of the new Riverdale comics. My niece is always borrowing them from the library anyways!

[Krys]

Well, now I have no excuse not to dive into either One Soul or Finder Library Volume 1.

For those of you who aren't into comics, I would recommend checking out Another Glorious Day at the Nothing Factory; the layout has more in common with children's picture books than the panels of conventional comics.

[Rayne]

My 11 year old daughter loves graphic novels so I may just grab one of hers and read it.

[Karen]

Krystina wrote: "Well, now I have no excuse not to dive into either One Soul or Finder Library Volume 1.

For those of you who aren't into comics, I would recommend checking out [book..."

Thanks! I appreciate the rec. I HATE comics....lol

[Karen]

Gauguin: The Other World: Art Masters Seriesis my pick. if this publisher works in this category.

[Octavia]

Jacqueline wrote: "Footrot Flats by Murray Ball. It's the adventures of a Border Collie named Dog (not his real name but he's too embarrassed to let you know his real one) and his life on a farm in New Zealand with h..."

I thought Footrot Flats as well! They're absolutely hilarious, and - if you're in NZ, as I am - have the shining virtue of being easily accessible.

[Catie]

Echoing suggestions for Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy!

Giant Days, Vol. 1 would be another great pick for this category, especially if you want something free of superheroes and supernatural stuff.

I think I’ll be going with My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 for this task.

[tif]

Karen wrote: "And here we are stuck with three comics......

Just complaining...because while I see the "stretch"....it's not reading harder. So I am a little peeved with Book Riot for including so many.

JMHO...."

The fact that so many people are saying they hate comics/graphic novels makes me feel like this is going to be a stretch for a lot of people to get out of their comfort zone and read something they wouldn't normally read. That's how I interpret the hard in read harder, as something that pushes you out of your comfort zone.

[Elizabeth]

Karen wrote: "And here we are stuck with three comics......

Just complaining...because while I see the "stretch"....it's not reading harder. So I am a little peeved with Book Riot for including so many.

JMHO...."

Other than it being "harder" reading simply because so many people seem to be commenting how much they can't stand comics (which honestly just baffles me, like how do you not like literally an entire medium, that's like saying you don't like movies or music??), this honestly seems to stem from the belief that comics make for "easy" reading. Some of them, sure. But many of them are challenging in terms of style, content, concept, etc. It's why categories for comics are ones like this, where they are pushing us to read comics from lesser known publishers. The number of categories makes sense, because it isn't just "read three comics", it's about reading different kinds of things.

[Catriona]

Are graphic novels counted as comics? I want to follow the challenges as closely as I can and a lot of these recommendations are graphic novels

[Rainey]

Catriona wrote: "Are graphic novels counted as comics? I want to follow the challenges as closely as I can and a lot of these recommendations are graphic novels"

Yes they count graphic novels

[Anne]

I'd recommend Angel Catbird, Vol. 1 by Margaret Atwood. I think there are 3 or more volumes at this time, but they are all standard-format comic books (25 pages). I've only read Volume 1 but I really enjoyed it. It felt like a traditional comic but was more fun.

[Jennifer]

Found a list of 100 best comics and graphic novels on NPR. Mouse guard looks interesting. I enjoyed the Redwall books...

[Kireja]

Any comics by Joe Sacco will work. I'll be reading Palestine which is published by Fantagraphics Books.

[Marie]

Elizabeth wrote: Other than it being "harder" reading simply because so many people seem to be commenting how much they can't stand comics (which honestly just baffles me, like how do you not like literally an entire medium, that's like saying you don't like movies or music??)

Maybe it's difficult to translate the medium if you're not used to it? I mostly read comics in the "old days" and I can get confused with newer comics that get creative with their panels (L-shapes, circles) - I can't tell which panel to read first. I can only imagine what it's like for someone who never read comics. If you're focused on *how* to read something, you're probably not able to get involved in the story.

I've found the comics challenges helpful. It took a few tries with the "adult comic" genre, but now I'm finding all kinds of interesting stories. Persepolis was great, and this year I'm reading The Eternaut, MIND MGMT, and Dragon's Breath.

[Octavia]

Task complete! It's one of the many collections from Murray Ball's Footrot Flats series, published by some tiny outfit in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. They've Put Custard With My Bone!

23 tasks to go...

[Zoe]

I'll be reading Le bleu est une couleur chaude

[Rachel]

To clarify, comics are the medium. Any sequential art counts for these tasks: graphic novels, graphic memoirs, comic books, web comics, etc.

[tif]

for a bit of fun I read Bill and Ted Save the Universe (published by Boom). great for anyone who wants a bit of nostalgia from the 90s :)

[Erika]

I'm reading Sing No Evil by JP Ahonen and KP Alare for this one. Publisher is Abrams Comicarts.

[Chinook]

I read the first volume of Lumberjanes, which has been on my shelf for ages. Loved it.

[willaful]

I sometimes find graphic novels quite challenging to read. There's a lot of visual interpretation.

I think it would be pretty doable to "triple-dip" for the comics. Pick one that's written and illustrated by (one) person of color, and not published by the big guys. Then you only have to read the one.

[Wellington]

I read Princess Princess Ever After for this challenge. I liked it a lot and I loved the unicorn!

[Christine]

willaful wrote: "I think it would be pretty doable to "triple-dip" for the comics. Pick one that's written and illustrated by (one) person of color, and not published by the big guys. Then you only have to read the one. "

That's what I did. I read Your Black Friend and ticked off all three tasks.

[Henriette]

I let my husband, the comic book/graphic novel nerd, pick this one for me and I will be going with Tribeca Sunset, a Story of 9-11