I think it's time the non-super hero crowd had a chance to post comments on some of their favorite books. Don't get me wrong, I love Marvel and DC books as much as the next guy, and I fully respect the discussions that go on here, but I wanted a safe haven for discussions of another sort.

So, what non-hero books are you reading this month?

I guess I should start. I just finished The Plain Janes by Castellucci and Rugg. While I wouldn't say it's my favorite book this year, I did enjoy it, and I'm about as far removed from the book's core audience (younger females) as you can get. I found it refreshing to read a book that focuses a little more on relationships and everyday hardships instead of out-of-this-world antagonists.

One thing I was surprised to learn is that this is a totally self-contained story. I'm not sure where I got the idea, but I thought this Minx books were continuing stories. I suppose that could still be the case, but I almost forgot what it was like to sit and read a complete story.

I've heard so much good stuff about The Plain Janes that I'm going to give it a try.

Anyone sort of frustrated by the latest arc in Optic Nerve? Sometimes I just want to bitchslap Ben.

Just finished the Fell trade. Thought it was phenomenal.

Can't wait for the next issue of The Walking Dead.

Umm can Y The Last Man count? Thats always good stuff

Just finished the last trade of Girls, and what a gigantic let down that was. Started strong, dragged out, then ended abruptly. I hate it when good comics crash

I'm sort of glad Y the Last Man is winding down because it's still a decent read, but not as compelling as the first couple of years of issues.

One of my best friends is the freakin' mirror image of Ben personality wise. We are both Hispanic and I don't think he's ever been comfortable in his own skin either. I too wanted to slap the crap out of Ben, but I also was feeling a lot of sympathy as his plan left NY in the end. A person like that will never be happy until they learn to like themselves.

Agreed. It's a great read.

I'm not a monthly reader, but I keep hearing good things about Fables. I know I'm a few years behind on this, but what is everyone's opinion on it? I used to love Willingham's Elementals.

I stopped reading Y monthly about 8 months ago. I plan to read the entire series via tradepaperback once the last one hits. I love the cliffhangers Vaughan comes up with, but once that series hit about issue 30 or so, I felt it started reading better in one large chunk.

I heard the last issue will feature lots of nudity. Was that a joke I heard from one of the cons, or was that in all seriousness? Anyone know?

I couldn't imagine reading Y: The Last Man monthly. It's a bit like Lost, where not much happens in one issue but a lot can happen in two or three. Even reading one trade at a time isn't good enough.

I've read the first book of Fables and I enjoyed it, although not enough to buy the next books.

The other ones I enjoy are Ex Machina and The Losers.

I read all of the trades over two sessions at a bookstore. Very compelling stuff, but a little confusing at times as far as the rules go (as in, what happens to a Fable if he/she dies, etc.).

[QUOTE=The Bus]I couldn't imagine reading Y: The Last Man monthly. It's a bit like Lost, where not much happens in one issue but a lot can happen in two or three. Even reading one trade at a time isn't good enough.

Same here, lucky for me, a friend of mine gets the trades, so i read vols 1-6 at one time

Same with Girls, couldn't imagine it in singles

I've been going monthly since the first or second trade.

I just read GYAKUSHU the other day by the insanely talented Dan Hipp. Best work he has ever done, the art was phenomenal, his panel structure was just brilliant, it's really a visual treat. I am not a Manga fan at all, I can't stand the stuff, so don't let the fact that this is published by TokyoPop scare you. For under $10 it's a fantastic read, one of the best surprises of the year. I cannot wait for volume 2.

I just found out that Ragmop got published in a collected edition earlier this year. Even better, Rob Walton added an ending. I ordered it and am eagerly awaiting its arrival in the mail.

Ragmop=awesome.

That covers looks sweet. When did that come out?

Speaking of Y: The Last Man, a friend of mine let borrow trades 1-9. I heard 10 will be the last. Is this true?

I was iffy on the first volume, liked 2 and 3, and loved volume 4. Haven't read past that yet, but can't wait.

My recent recommends are:

Abandoned by Ross Campbell (anything by Ross, really)

and

King City by Brandon Graham

Both are manga sized. Abandoned is about real people dealing with zombies (down point is that only vol 1 will ever come out, apparently), and King City is about a dude with an alien cat (I think it was alien; it was cool in any case). I think both have a similar vibe, and great art. I'll be reading these two many times.

The series will end with issue 60 if I'm not mistaken so yeah, vol. 10 will be the last trade. Book 9 collects #49-#54 which means book 10 will collect #55-#60.

I'll try not to turn this into a manga thread, but some non-superhero like manga I've been reading lately are:

Death Note, by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. About a very intelligent highschool kid who finds the "Death Note," a notebook that kills anyone who's name you write down in it, and decides to become "Kira" (Killer). It's actually very, very wordy for a manga, but it's got great art and an interesting plot. I've gotten to the point where I've heard the series does a downturn, but it's still interesting to me.

Also drawn by Obata is Hikaru No Go, written by Yumi Hotta. It's about, well, the Japanese board game of Go, which would seem to be an odd title to bring to the states, but it's entertaining.

Lastly, as a totally guilty pleasure, I've been enjoying Ma Wing Shing's Blood Sword, basically a martial arts comic.

My copy of Ragmop arrived today. Hooray! I can't wait to read it. Ragmop is awesome!



It's Looney Tunes meets Noam Chomsky meets Jack Kirby meets Dr. Suess meets X-Files meets Illuminati meets Walt Kelly. It's super awesome fun.

Buy it! Read it! Love it!

Would they ever do an Absolute Y The Last Man?