Read Harder Recommendations: Comics Set In Another Country
The Panels 2015 Read Harder Challenge consists of 26 challenge categories spanning the breadth and depth of all things that may be considered comics. Every week we’ll give you reading recommendations from one of the categories.
Ahhh, yes! Reading deeply is great but so is reading widely. This week we’re headed across the globe to a variety of settings all over the world (assuming you, like the majority of Panelteers, are located in the United States). You may know the old saying about writing, and the same can be said of this post: it’s never done, it’s just due. I would’ve loved to dive even deeper into comics set all over the planet, but we hope you’ll help us fill in the gaps with your own recommendations. Thanks to the kind folks who chimed in on Twitter with some international favorites.
Ready? Go!
Note: Comics are clustered by continent with subheadings by country. We also broke out the Middle East into its own category.
Africa
Unknown Soldier by Joshua Dysart – Uganda (Paul)
Batwing by Judd Winick and Ben Oliver (@MrBowers)
Black Panther by Reginald Hudlin, John Romita, Klaus Janson, and Dean White (@xicanti)
Storm Volume 1: Make It Rain by Greg Pak, Victor Ibanez, and Scott Hepburn (Swapna)
Aya by Marguerite Abouet, Clement Oubrerie, and Helge Dascher – Côte d’Ivoire (Andi)
Asia
Japan
Check out our previous Read Harder Recommendations post focusing specifically on manga.
Russia:
Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar, Dave Johnson, and Kilian Plunkett (Chris Arnone)
Red Star by Christian Gossett (Chris Arnone)
Europe
France
The Spectators by Victor Hussenot (Chris Arnone)
Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh – You’ve probably heard of this comic as it was adapted for screen in 2013 and won Cannes’ Palme D’Or. Its definitely worth picking up the comic even if you’ve seen the film. It is engaging and beautiful. (Hattie Kennedy)
Les Normaux by J.J. and A.L. – Paris – This webcomic follows supernatural beings living in Paris after a human wizard moves to the city. The story is told through their diary entries. (@le_robertson)
Middle East
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi – Iran (Ardo Omer)
Chicken With Plums by Marjane Satrapi – Iran (Hattie Kennedy)
A Game for Swallows by Zeina Abirached – Lebanon (Hattie Kennedy)
Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan – Israel (Hattie Kennedy)
Egypt
Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughn and Nico Henrichon – Iraq (Chris Arnone)
Cairo by G. Willow Wilson – Cairo (Swapna)
Qahera the Superhero by Deena Mohamed – Cairo (Swapna)
Metro by Magdy El Shafee – Cairo (Andi)
North America
Canada
Susceptible by Geneviève Castrée – Susceptible is a beautiful and moving semi-autobiographical comic from Canadian creator Castree. It tells the story of Goglu, her troubled relationship with her mother and her childhood in Quebec and British Columbia.(Hattie Kennedy)
White Rapids by Pascal Blanchet – I love Blanchet’s books deeply, not only does he tell touching stories about time, change and love but his art is just divine.This is probably my favourite of his books, the story of a town in Northern Quebec that exists solely to support the workings of a Hydroelectric Dam, this is a beautiful and moving period piece that charts the rise and fall of the town in gorgeous detail. (Hattie Kennedy)
Eth’s Skin by Sfé R. Monster (@SeeYashTweet)
Mexico
La Perdida by Jessica Abel – Carla, a young American woman, heads to Mexico City in the “finding yourself” story. She goes wrong and astray in almost every conceivable way as she crashes with a former fling and falls in with drug dealers. But it’s not all harrowing danger. She also spends a good deal of time learning the language, soaking up the sites, and deciding if she’ll return to America. (Andi)
Cimarronin: A Samurai in New Spain by Ellis Amdur, Charles C. Mann, Neal Stephenson, and Mark Teppo (Andi)
The Package by Elliot Blake, Eric Bonhomme, Dave Curd, Andrea MacLean, Emma Rios, et al. (Andi)
South America
Daytripper by Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá, Dave Stewart and Sean Konot – Brazil (Brian McNamara)
