Want to be that person who gives cool and unexpected books this season? Or maybe you're looking to treat yourself? Here are six titles that range from political satire to surreal manga to gentle philosophical comics:
It's the Great Storm, Tom the Dancing Bug! by Ruben Bolling will have you chuckling over the downfall of western democracy through sharp satirical comics featuring beloved characters like Lucky Ducky and the Smythe family of Chagrin Falls. The collection showcases Bolling's award-winning work, which has been delighting readers weekly on Boing Boing for over a decade.
Woman & Man + by Craig Yoe is a surreal, wordless graphic novel that marks the artist's return to comics after a 50-year career as creative director for Jim Henson and Disney. The autobiographical work blends sex, horror, and dark humor in style dubbed "Yoe-Brow." Adults only.
Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke by Sugiura Shigeru is a mind-bending 1969 manga finally available in English, following a mischievous ninja through a psychedelic journey across time and space. The story mashes up samurai, cowboys, and aliens in a visual feast that showcases why Sugiura was considered a Pop Art pioneer.
Moomin Adventures: Book One collects the charming comic strips by Tove and Lars Jansson, introducing new readers to the beloved inhabitants of Moominvalley. The volume includes the famous "Moomin on the Riviera" story and "Moomin's Desert Island," demonstrating the strip's gentle humor and subtle wisdom about life.
The Memory Palace by Nate DiMeo transforms his acclaimed podcast into a written collection of mesmerizing historical tales that read like short fiction. Each story uncovers remarkable moments in American history, from space-faring fruit flies to an enslaved man's journey to Congress.
The Sky Is Blue with a Single Cloud by Kuniko Tsurita is a collection from manga's first woman underground artist, whose surreal, dystopian work evolved from capturing 1960s youth culture to confronting mortality itself. Her tragically brief career, cut short by lupus at age thirty-seven, left behind a legacy of boundary-pushing comics that merged French literary influences with the avant-garde spirit of Garo magazine, where she blazed a trail as its sole woman contributor for half a decade.
