What are you reading right now? (August 2019)

[Mike, Host & Producer of IRCB!]

What are you reading this month? Any comics or manga you really have been loving? Doing any binge reading? Let us know!

Starting this month, the I Read Comic Books Discord is open to the public PUBLIC. Join the group and say hi to the IRCB gang, plus other fans of the podcast! Join now!

And don't miss what the IRCB crew has been reading in our public Top of My Pile posts on our Patreon!!

[Devon]

I have two issues in the third arc of The Unwritten. I'm also planning on reading another volume of two of Chew and of Manifest Destiny (which i plan to catch up on)

[Whitney]

My reading week:

-Angel #3
-Battle Royale, vol. 11
-Fushigi Yugi, vols. 2 & 3
-Happiness, vols. 6-10
-Inside Mari, vols. 1-9
-Paper Girls #30
-Redneck #22
-X, vol. 1

[Ed]

Devon wrote: "I have two issues in the third arc of The Unwritten."

I just finished The Unwritten, Vol. 7: The Wound. When it was given to me, I was told it was the last book of the series. But it isn't! It keeps going. Which is good, but I'm not ready for more yet. Anyway, Vol 7 has more backstory on that wonderfully deranged rabbit.

I'm reading Finder: Chase the Lady, but slowly, to savor it. This volume is not yet in stores, but I know the author, so I get to see it now!

[Lenny]

Ed- I didn't make it through Unwritten, it got a little meta for me and I waited too long between trades, glad to hear it's still good!

I suffered through Fantastic Four, Vol. 2: Mr. and Mrs. Grimm and it made me never want to read capes again. (review here if you wanna see the full rant)

But thankfully I'm about to read a bunch of books I'm really excited for: Alex + Ada, Vol. 3, Black Magick, Vol. 2: Awakening II (in hardcover!), The Warning Vol. 1 (which Patton Oswalt recommends on the cover and that's all I need to know), Long Lost, Book One, and West Coast Avengers, Vol. 2: City of Evils - one of the few reasons I still want to read superhero books, and was heartbroken to hear it's been cancelled.

[Devon]

Ed wrote: "Devon wrote: "I have two issues in the third arc of The Unwritten."

I just finished The Unwritten, Vol. 7: The Wound. When it was given to me, I was told it was the last book of th..."

I've heard alot of great things about Finder and my buddy Chris loves it as well. I've also finished up Volume 9 of Chew

[Ed]

Devon wrote: "I've heard alot of great things about Finder and my buddy Chris loves it as well. I've also finished up Volume 9 of Chew ..."

Finder is difficult to understand at first, but it is worth it. I always recommend starting with Finder, Vol. 04: Talisman or even Finder, Vol. 09: Voice.

The currently easiest way to get it is in a collections with 1-4 and 5-8 all smooshed together, giving the impression that you need to read in order. You don't. Volumes 1 and 2 are two parts of a single, complicated story, but the rest are essentially independent stories with the same characters.

When you finish Chew, Farmhand by the same artist is a great next read!

[Devon]

Ed wrote: "Devon wrote: "I've heard alot of great things about Finder and my buddy Chris loves it as well. I've also finished up Volume 9 of Chew ..."

Finder is difficult to understand at first, but it is wo..."

If i get confused i can probably have my buddy Chris help me understand. And btw i have recently caught up on Farmhand, pretty good stuff and i'm intrigued with the story so far and OOH the twist at the end of the most recent issue! (Won't spoil it)

[Daniel]

Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 3: Hellfire Club
The Green Lantern, Vol. 1: Intergalactic Lawman
Justice League, Volume 3: Hawkworld
Die, Vol. 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker
Infinity Wars
Aliens: Dust to Dust

[Ed]

Last night my in-real-life comics group discussed Bone Parish Vol. 1. Interesting premise, but I need to read more than this one volume to see whether it will deliver on the possibilities.

A few minutes before we were about to leave, smoke in the kitchen triggered a fire alarm and turned on the sprinklers. We got quite a shock and went running out of the building. Luckily, no books seem to have been damaged by the water since we were putting them away anyway. ☔

[Whitney]

My reading week:

-Prodigy, vol. 1
-Fire Punch, vols. 1 & 2
-Fushigi Yugi, vols. 5-6
-Slam Dunk, vols. 19-26

[Lenny]

This past week or so I've read West Coast Avengers, Vol. 2: City of Evils, an excellent follow up to volume one and so sad it's the end of the series; Ultimate Comics Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis, Volume 2 and I'm angry at myself for waiting this long to read Miles Morales; and Long Lost, Book One, a fantastic and creepy as hell Southern Gothic horror story and my first from Scout Comics. Shout out to my LCS folks for recommending it to me.

Edit because I forgot to add - Whitney, I was a fan of the Fushigi Yugi anime growing up but never made it to the manga. Is it pretty similar?

[Ed]

Lenny wrote: "..."

Thanks for mentioning "Long Lost". Looks interesting.

I just read The Boys Omnibus, Vol. 1, since that suddenly became popular again. (Due to TV show.) Love the art in it!

[Marian]

I liked "Long Lost", too.

This week I started Esemtu vol. 1 Esemtu Vol. 1and I'm totally hooked. I love the art style and the whole mythological backgrond!

[Daniel]

Red Hood: Outlaw, Volume 1: Requiem for an Archer - Idk why i like Red Hood so much but Ia really enjoying this story, also the stuff With Roy :'(

Prez, Vol. 1: Corndog-in-Chief - I read this for the Book v Book episode, Really enjoyed this book, and I am sad it was cancelled.

[Ed]

Daniel wrote: "...Prez..."

If you like that, you should like Mark Russel's take on the Flinstones and/or Snagglepuss.

[Chad]

Ed wrote: "Daniel wrote: "...Prez..."

If you like that, you should like Mark Russel's take on the Flinstones and/or Snagglepuss."

I'll second those recommendations.

[LucWhatIRead]

Finished and reviewed Batman Court of Owls tpb recently and will be on to the 2nd tpb, The City of Owls.

Started on:

•Criminal Vol 1

•I am a Hero Omnibus 1 (I’ve never been a manga reader, but this one’s storyline and artwork caught my attention)

•If (2016 anthology collection)

• Wolverine: The Best There Is (Contagion)

• Tales From the Crypt #1 (64 page EC collection)

[Erin]

I haven't been doing a ton of non-school reading, but I did take time this month to binge all of Rachel Rising - I definitely pre-judged it by it's boring cover, but I blew through the whole thing in a week. I loved it!

[Nancy]

Ed wrote: "Last night my in-real-life comics group discussed Bone Parish Vol. 1. Interesting premise, but I need to read more than this one volume to see whether it will deliver on the possibi..."

I adored Bone Parish (tho I did have some nitpicks)! I believe this new series has a lot of potential for growth and I absolutely will be reading future volumes, as I wish to find out what consequences are in store for the Winters family and those who choose to take the drug.

[Devon]

I finished Boy-1 by H.S. Tak & Amancay Nahuelpan today. I am almost done with Curb Stomp by Ryan Ferrier & Devaki Neogi and Strange Girl, Vol. 1 by Rick Remender & Dustin Nguyen. I'm also in the process of a chunky graphic novel titled Sacred Heart by Liz Suburbia

[Whitney]

The last two weeks:

-Buffy #7
-Dead Tube, vols. 1-10
-Dorohedoro vol. 1
-Fushigi Yugi, vols. 7 & 8
-Pandora Hearts, vol. 1
-Slam Dunk, vols. 27-31

[Daniel]

Chad wrote: "Ed wrote: "Daniel wrote: "...Prez..."

If you like that, you should like Mark Russel's take on the Flinstones and/or Snagglepuss."

I'll second those recommendations."

They are definitely on the list!

[Ria]

Just finished the series of paper girls and x-23, catching up with all-new wolverine, giant days, batgirl, lumberjanes, black hammer and TWD.

[Ria]

@erin I loved Rachel rising!

[Nancy]

This month I read:

Pumpkinheads- An adorable coming of age story about two teens who work in a pumpkin patch
Aquaman: Unspoken Water- Arthur has amnesia & story has The Odyssey overtones
Heathen- A fresh take on Viking mythology with a welcome LGBTQ+ storyline.
Middlewest- Mash-up of the classic hero’s journey, steampunk and The Wizard of Oz.
Where We Live- A riveting comics anthology that benefits survivors from the horrific shooting in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017

[Devon]

Nancy wrote: "This month I read:

Pumpkinheads- An adorable coming of age story about two teens who work in a pumpkin patch
Aquaman: Unspoken Water- Arthur has amnesia & story has The Odyssey overtones
Heathen- ..."

Heathen looks pretty cool, i'm also planning to read some booka from Vault

[Lenny]

Nancy wrote: Pumpkinheads- An adorable coming of age story about two teens who work in a pumpkin patch

Nancy - SO glad to hear Pumpkinheads was great!! I love Rowell and Hicks so it's at the top of the list for me - I think it was mentioned on the most recent podcast too :) And thanks for mentioning the Where We Live anthology, didn't know about it, I have extended family members who were there.

This past week I've been stressed with work and not reading as much as I'd like. I finally finished Alex + Ada which made me cry A LOT (in the best way possible) and then needed a break from my feelings, and Gwenpool volume 2 was a great remedy for that.

I have a bunch of stuff to choose from next (it's all on my 'currently reading' shelf) and I'm having trouble narrowing it down (unless Brazen wins book of the month). If you have any recommendations they'd be much appreciated!!

[Ed]

I greatly enjoyed The Hunting Accident, more for the art than for the story. The art is all done in black ink cross-hatching, reminding me a bit of My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1

Examples of the art are available on the artist own website here.

[Ed]

Lenny wrote: "I finally finished Alex + Ada which made me cry A LOT (in the best way possible) ..."

It didn't make me cry, but I did like it a lot.