A comiXologist Recommends - MANGA EDITION:
Emily Forster recommends Naruto
Ninja have seen a lot of action in comics, but no series has reimagined the idea of a “ninja” quite like Naruto. In Masashi Kishimoto’s fictional world, ninja are assigned missions ranging from pet-sitting to assassination. Naruto, an orphan with a loud mouth and a dedication to the color orange, is determined to become the most powerful ninja and win the respect of his whole village - but he doesn’t seem to have much talent. On top of that, he carries the stigma of the dreaded Nine-Tails, a demon fox of enormous elemental power that happens to be sealed inside him. Still, he won’t give up on his dream, though he soon finds himself fighting for a lot more than his own reputation.
Like other great Viz titles, Naruto is defined by the themes of friendship, teamwork, and the will to never give up. The action is fantastic - the focus on strategy and deception makes for a much more exciting read than your basic face-punching. But what really makes Naruto special is the pure heart of its characters; the kind that get under your skin until you want to cry when they’re suffering and cheer when they’re victorious.
Naruto is sometimes silly (get past Naruto’s battle with indigestion before you pass judgment) and sometimes tragic (you only have to read until Vol. 4 to know if this manga is going to give you feelings - trust me.) It’s an incredibly fun read and there’s plenty of it - dive in!
For fans of: Action, Martial Arts, Humor
Emily Forster is a Digital Editor at ComiXology and a cartoonist. She likes comics about food and fights to the death.
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Mike Isenberg recommends Big Trouble in Little China #1
John Carpenter‘s film formula is one that a lot of comic creators could learn from. His flicks tend to take cheesy B-movie premises, and then execute them with high production values, a talented cast, a good script, and a clear love of the source material; the end result is usually a film that replaces cheese with charm while still reveling in everything that was just plain fun and exciting about the original idea.
It’s a formula that translates so well to comics that many of Carpenter’s movies have actually felt like comic books. Chief among these has to be 1986’s zany supernatural martial-arts action flick Big Trouble in Little China. Apparently someone at BOOM! must have thought so as well, as they’ve just released issue #1 of a new comic based on that film.
Big Trouble In Little China #1—written by Carpenter & Eric Powell with art by Brian Churilla (brianchurilla)—picks up exactly where the movie left off 28 years ago; page one actually opens with protagonist Jack Burton’s closing monologue from the film.
If you haven’t seen the film, no need to worry; everything you need to know is explained as the comic progresses. But also, why haven’t you seen the film? Go see it. It’s hilariously fun. And the same sort of fun comes across on every page of this comic. Jack Burton (played by Kurt Russell in the film) is a charmingly bumbling hero, putting on a tough facade to hide the fact that he’s terrified, inept, and in way over his head.
This book really does everything right. The characters, the art, the humor, the action, and the dialogue all join together for an incredibly fun read. Even if you haven’t seen the film, I can totally recommend this comic. And if you’re a fan of the movie, you need to pick this up.
[Read Big Trouble in Little China #1]
For fans of: action, supernatural, martial arts, Kurt Russell
Mike Isenberg is an Associate Production Coordinator at comiXology, and the co-writer of FIRST LAW OF MAD SCIENCE. He lives in Harlem with his cats, TESLA AND EDISON
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Kate Kasenow recommends Princess Ugg #1
Ted Naifeh is already known for fantastic tales that throw fantasy tropes out the nearest window, but Princess Ugg #1, published by onipress, takes it up a notch, introducing us to a new princess that doesn’t seem to know the meaning of the word…yet.
At story’s beginning, we meet Ügla, Princess of Grimmeria, daughter of warriors, and stranger to luxury. Simultaneously, we’re given a glimpse of the Princess of Atraesca, but we need only this glimpse to see that this maiden fair is everything the stereotypical princess should be—the complete opposite of Ügla. The entire issue focuses on the dichotomy of these two girls, who are to attend the same educational institution, setting up a story that will surely be full of action as well as hijinks.
Naifeh’s writing is mythic in its scope but lively in its tone and each character speaks with a unique voice. What really shines throughout this issue is Naifeh’s unique artistic style, which illustrates the tiniest details beautifully. Warren Wucinich’s colors compliment both the story and the world with vibrant palettes and touches of atmosphere that draw us in, panel by panel, to this new world.
If the delivery of this first issue’s story is any indication, this series promises to be both fun and illuminating. Much like his previous works, such as the Courtney Crumrin series, Naifeh is sure to focus on the virtues his characters will learn from one another, though not in ways we might suspect.
Follow their adventure here for more action from the wee bonny berserker, Princess Ugg!
For fans of: action, female leads, fantasy
Kate Kasenow is a comics artist from Indiana currently living in Manhattan. She works at ComiXology as a Lead Digital Editor and spends most of her spare time re-reading J. R. R. Tolkien.
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Mike Isenberg recommends The Bunker #4
I love a good time-travel story. Unravelling paradoxes and reversing the expected order of cause and effect means that time-travel stories have the potential for some incredibly suspenseful and clever storytelling. But “clever” can only get a story so far; from Back to the Future to Lost, the best time-travel stories are only ever as good as their characters.
The Bunker (by Joshua Hale Fialkov (joshfialkov) and Joe Infurnari (joeinfurnari) is a time-travel story that is absolutely rooted in its characters. It features a small ensemble of five friends who begin issue #1 spending their final post-college summer together by heading out to the woods to bury a time capsule. When they break ground on their chosen spot, however, they discover their names stenciled onto the buried hatch of an underground bunker.
Like the time capsule the characters had intended to bury, the bunker is full of pictures, letters, records and memories from the time that the bunker was filled. And like the time capsule, all of these things seem to be from the characters themselves. But none of it is from the past; everything in the bunker is from decades in the future.
The letters the characters find are addressed to them from their future selves, and are full of shocking revelations. Some of these are mind-blowing: “You’re going to be president” and “You’re going to cause an apocalypse.” But, importantly, many are smaller and personal: “Your boyfriend is cheating on you.”
The commitment to the characters, their inner lives, their relationships, and their conflicts, is the glue that holds the book together, and it’s what makes the big-picture end-of-the-world part of the story matter at all to me as a reader. And boy, does it matter. I’m absolutely glued to my seat, waiting for the next issue to come out. If you have any interest at all in character-based sci-fi and time-travel stories, I can definitely recommend picking up this book.
For fans of: time travel, dystopia, action, suspense
Mike Isenberg is an Associate Production Coordinator at comiXology, and the co-writer of First Law Of Mad Science. He lives in Harlem with his cats, Tesla and Edison
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Eric Rosenfield recommends MediaEntity #06
One of the great things about digital comics is that it gives access to works deserving of a larger audience, including works from outside the United States. MediaEntity is originally a French webcomic now available in both English and French on comiXology. Like Thrillbent, MediaEntity is created specifically for the digital medium and takes full advantage of the elliptical, filmic effects of comiXology’s Guided View Native format.
The story is about a man who is framed for making an outrageous stock trade that ruins the large financial conglomerate he works for to the tune of billions of dollars. On the run from the law, he seeks to unravel the mystery of who framed him, and encounters an underground world of shadow economies and people on the fringes of society, including a homeless man with a magical affinity for pigeons. In this latest installment, our hero has found himself kidnapped to a trailer park full of people who know more than they’re letting on, led by their mysterious ‘guide’ Camille. Meanwhile, a newspaper man desperate for a lead witnessed his abduction and thinks he can find out where he is. Somewhere between a taught crime-thriller and Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, MediaEntity is a Guided View Native exploration of what digital comics are capable of.
[Pick up MediaEntity #06 here!]
Eric Rosenfield is an associate product manager at comiXology and has worked there since digital comics were read on tin cans and string.
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Leah Wishnia recommends The Package (thepackageogn)
The Package, written by elliotblake with art by Alexis Ziritt (aziritt) is a dark and gripping novel of revenge and retribution that will keep you holding your breath till the last gasp.
The first scene takes place in the desert of Mexico, at a hideaway resort called “Vista Del Sol.” We are introduced to two foul-mouthed, violent, and misogynist gang members who are given a mission to pick up a mysterious package. At this point I wonder if we’ll have to spend the whole narrative following these two bums around, enduring their sexist remarks and over-the-top Machismo-driven egos. I am then delighted to find that a twist in events reveals that Paz, a beautiful and cunning young Mexican woman with an unassuming role as a cook at the resort is the true protagonist of this story. WIth a dark past and a specific vision for the future, she reveals herself as a modern-day Bonnie with a mission to avenge her father’s death and the loss of her own childhood and innocence. She picks out her Clyde, the sole-surviving man of a shoot-out, and together they prepare to seek out the one who wreaked havoc on their lives.
Further heightening the hard-boiled yet striking nature of the story is Ziritt’s black and white brushwork, which evokes raw emotion, passion, and energy, never missing its mark. Fans of the Hernandez brothers’ Love and Rockets may find resonance with the work as well as any readers of more gritty crime novels and comics, such as Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight or From Hell. I must issue a warning, however, that there are scenes of sexual abuse and violence that may not sit well with all, and reader discretion is advised. Otherwise, I highly recommend checking out the fresh and bold take on contemporary crime in The Package, and get your heart rate thumping with it.
For fans of: crime, gangster, action, drama
Leah Wishnia is an independent cartoonist and publisher who holds the position of Digital Assets Lead at ComiXology.
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Jen Keith recommends Saga #19
From the series that brought us Lying Cat comes the next installment of the abundantly award-winning Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and fionastaples. If you haven’t been following along, it is my duty to direct you back to issue #1; you can thank me later. For those of you keeping up with your required reading, then you already know Saga #19 will be a comic treat.
Saga is your standard boy and girl meet, fall in love, betray their own species during an inter-planetary war, and run off to have what might be the cutest child that side of the universe. Narrating this space romp through lushly designed alien worlds and cultures is said cutest child, Hazel, whose impish personality shines through the re-telling of her own childhood. In Saga #19, we find our besotted heroes/haggard parents in domestic bliss – if you can call juggling a rigid mother-in-law, a messy house pet, and a live-in ghostly baby-sitter the calming, everyday life of domesticity. Work may be tough, but your kid is cute, your spouse is gorgeous, and hopefully no assassins and/or robot princes will end up on your front lawn today.
The aptly named Saga enraptures its audience with Brian K. Vaughan’s perfect balance of poignant and comedic writing and Fiona Staples’ rich, expressive artwork. If you’re all caught up on Saga and aching for more from these two wildly talented creators, Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man and Staples’ work in The Mystery Society will hopefully hold you for now.
As in every issue, Saga and its captivating cast continues the journey across the galaxy and into our hearts.
For fans of: sci-fi, diverse characters, POC leads, female leads, romance, action
Jen Keith is a Digital Editor at comiXology, comic creator, music addict, and shamelessly unapologetic Green Arrow enthusiast.
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Jonah Chuang recommends United States of Murder, Inc. #1
I don’t want to sound hyperbolic, but almost everything I believe about what makes a hero comes from Brian Michael Bendis (brianmichaelbendis). His portrayal of Peter Parker in Ultimate Spider-Man helped shape my views on what a hero should be, and, indirectly, what kind of person I want to be. And it’s not because he writes the most powerful or the slyest heroes but because he writes some of the most real and complex characters who struggle with the mundane problems we all struggle with. (He also knows how to milk the hell out of dramatic moments to really make you feel those emotional highs and lows.)
In Powers (if you don’t know Powers and its fourteen year run with its original creative team, you should), Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming (oeming) bring that same relatability to the grittier, edgier, and more ethically ambiguous characters, Detective Christian Walker and his partner Deena Pilgrim. Their stories have less to do with super heroics than with the crappy personal issues that adults have to deal with as they schlep their way through bureaucracies as small, seemingly-powerless cogs caught up in the intricate and burdensome machine known as society (but yes, there are also a lot of super heroics).
With United States of Murder, Inc., Bendis teams up with Oeming again to tell the story of an America run by gangsters. The story follows one mobster as he attempts to uncover the secrets of the organization he works for. Though this sounds like quite a departure from the superhero stories I just praised Bendis for, it still possesses the same complexity, intrigue, and dynamic/relatable characters for which Bendis has come to be known, with even more shades of gray. If all that’s not enough to sway you, then just know it’s twice the amount of comic from two of today’s greatest talents for regular price.
[Pick up United States of Murder, Inc. #1 here!]
For fans of: action, crime, mystery
Jonah Chuang is a Production Coordinator Assistant and 1:1 time traveler. He’s just trying to get to 88 MPH.
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Kate Kasenow recommends Shutter #2
In just two issues of Shutter, Joe Keatinge (joekeatinge) and Leila del Duca (assortedfoliage) have captured the imagination that epitomizes fantasy, sci-fi, and futuristic comics. Alongside other fresh Image titles like Pretty Deadly and Rocket Girl, the pages of Shutter #2 give readers a thrilling female-driven tale.
Keatinge’s writing is fast-paced and quirky—a perfect fit for the colorful world he’s created to support his cast. When the story began, our star Kate Kristopher was already a seasoned professional when it came to danger; in fact, she seemed pretty bored of it all. In the second issue, escaping a kidnapping attempt and the mysterious mention of possible siblings intrigues her, making it look like Kate might be back in action. With every issue, the breadth of this comic expands and delights. Not only do we have a fascinating female protagonist, but we have an ever expanding cast of interesting friends, enemies, and yet to be revealed characters that may just be a little of both. Keep an eye on Kate’s sentient clock-cat—he’s my personal fave!
A perfect compliment to this incredible world is del Duca’s fantastic illustrations paired with Owen Gieni’s vibrant colors. What has been set up in this story is any artist’s dream—a vast canvas filled with anything and everything from Irish gangster lions to ghost ninjas—and both del Duca and Gieni illustrate it all with grace and strength reverberating through every panel.
Keatinge and del Duca have not only introduced a new version of reality, they’ve also hooked this reader into a massive and mysterious adventure. Jump into the story now to follow this amazing series!
For fans of: action, female leads, fantasy, sci-fi, mythology, mystery
Kate Kasenow is a comics artist from Indiana currently living in Manhattan. She works at ComiXology as a Lead Digital Editor and spends most of her spare time re-reading J. R. R. Tolkien.
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Kate Kasenow recommends Ms. Marvel #3
As a recent reboot, the new Ms. Marvel series from Marvel Comics has quite a history to live up to, but the newest issue does not disappoint!
Written by seasoned comics novelist G. Willow Wilson (gwillow) and illustrated by the talented Adrian Alphona with beautiful colors by Ian Herring (iherring) , Ms. Marvel #3 is the ongoing exploration of what it means to become a hero in a world already inundated with superhero culture. In this issue we are carried along with lead protagonist Kamala Khan as she explores the boundaries of her newfound powers. Tensions are riding high as Kamala’s ongoing struggle to discover who she is bombarded by parental expectations and cultural obligations.
There have been a lot of great things happening in this series from the start. Firstly, we have a new female, Pakistani, Muslim superhero. Second, we have a diverse cast full of great characters who are given their own chances to shine and develop in each issue. Lastly, we are viewing the established Marvel universe through the unique lens; Kamala herself has long been a fan of the superheroes we know, but is a newcomer to their inner workings. That itself is what makes this series perfect for old fans and new readers alike.
So, if you haven’t been reading, now is a great time to get started!
For fans of: Action, Female leads, Superheroes
Kate Kasenow is a comics artist from Indiana currently living in Manhattan. She works at ComiXology as a Lead Digital Editor.