Manga Fan Tries American Comics

My story of trying to get into comics. It didn't go well. Whose fault was that?!? Probably mine
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[@TrashCanSensei]

As someone who's primary source of entertainment is manga, I'll go ahead and shoot out a few american comic runs I enjoyed; The Walking Dead, Invincible, Batman Year One + Long Halloween (and from there I kinda just followed the recommended reading order for Batman for a while). For some more fantasy/adventure stuff, I've honestly enjoyed the various D&D comic runs of Fell's Five, and all of the runs including the Heroes of Baldur's Gate.
Been meaning to get into more american comics, though the drive to swap to them from manga tends to be on a whim. Like once a year for like a month I just binge something different sorta whim.

[@CaribouCoon]

Check out BONE by Jeff Smith, it's currently on Internet archive as one full tome. 55 "issues" or 1300 pages total (I read it as 9 graphic novels).
I think it's similar to navigate comics by their authors/artists as it is with manga. While manga does the "platonic ideal" of one author writing THEIR manga (or several series), with comics you sometimes get that but most often an author or artist's "take" on such and such character. If you enjoy Watchmen by Alan Moore which was his own creation, he also had his own take on The Swamp Thing (regarded the best iteration of the character), or Miracleman which was this forgotten pulp character that Moore subverted into it's own metatextual masterpiece. My favorite Batman series are the ones done by Tim Sale and Jeff Loeb (Long Halloween and Dark Victory).
I think it'd be crazy cool to not just see manga artists drawing each other's characters in their style, but what might they do on a narrative basis? You get Kubo to write a JJK one-shot? Rumiko Takahashi's spin on a Moto Hagio series? Heck Urusawa basically did that with Pluto!

[@1000StupidWords]

I definitely like seeing other mangaka's takes on others' manga when I see it. Pluto's great, the Hisoka story by Sui Ishida, or the Sanji story by the Food Wars creators, so I get the appeal.
At the same time, I don't like that this seems to be considered the standard in comics. I've had a lot of issues with how fast the percentage of media that's "iterative" rather than presenting new ideas is growing, so that's a growing bias against a lot of comics, especially superhero stuff. Not that I'll never read that stuff, I just prefer original concepts
Also, I totally forgot bone even existed, that definitely looks like it'd be up my alley!

[@Orcimusprime]

I grew up with western comics, but mostly from second-hand shops (that could be a good source by the way, depending on your area)
But what I was gonna say is that while I most comics i read these days are manga I've found a number of western comics that I really like, but it's always been in the form of finalized stories that I've bought as a complete set; Watchmen or V for Vendetta, for example (though they're probably not to your tastes).
Scott Pilgrim, or other works by the same author, might be more up your alley - artstyle and tone would feel familiar to manga-readers.

[@HarrysFiddlesticks]

Maybe check out the European comic world like Tintin? ;)

[@renoog]

Tintin and Lucky Luke were my childhood, i read every book my library had of them

[@Zanza20]

You should try Tintin, it's a fun adventure mystery series. A good indie comic is I Kill Giants, but the subject matter is a little heavy. Valerian and Laurelie is also very good. A great lighthearted fantasy comic is Bone

[@bat9056]

Maybe try a webcomic that way you could read it before buying a hardcover? Id recommend Girl Genius. Also maybe something transitional with some similarity to manga like Usagi Yojimbo. Its an slice of life story about a masterless Rabbit Samurai wandering around doing good deeds. it's very much a western comic book in style and it even has occasional cameos by the ninja turtles (magic portals) but its based on Japanese history myth and samurai movies.

[@Froban]

For me, I got Superhero fatigue way earlier than most, so I stopped watching the movies after that. A few years later, I took interest in superhero stuff but rather than watching the movies, I wanted to go to the source. My first comic I picked up was The Killing Joke Noir Edition and started from there, got some recommendations for Batman comics as it was the only superhero that I liked and from there I found other heroes I liked including the Fantastic Four, The Punisher, Daredevil, Sgt. Rock, Sgt. Fury, etc. There's the rare indie comic I like but they're very rare. I like both manga and comics but I do have to agree that manga offers way more for your money than a 20+ comic issue. Anyway, very insightful video.