A long journey is ahead for the characters in this week's Fresh Friday Features; so grab your best walking shoes as you set out on these adventures! From being cursed to roam the Earth forever, seeking out a magical artifact, or a place to call home, these stories are sprawling adventures that will keep you engaged with the turning of a page.
- Comic - The Goddamned: It's 1,655 years after Eden, and life on earth has already gone to hell. The world of man is a place of wanton cruelty and wickedness. Prehistoric monsters and stone-age marauders roam the land.
- Manga - Lone Wolf and Cub: An epic samurai adventure of staggering proportions—over seven thousand pages.
- Webcomic - The Misadventures Of Misfit And Mieko: Misfit is an ill-fated black cat cursed with bad luck. His best friend, Mieko, is a beckoning cat blessed with good fortune by the seven spirits of luck. Journey with them through the seven kingdoms of Misako as they try to remove the curse and search for the mysterious Torii gates.
- Webcomic - Kinsetsu - Kintsukuroi no Densetsu: Four unlikely Adventurers - Syntaris, Gun’Ghaol, Froggit, and Yuzuki - must embark on an adventure to save the Kingdom from the corruptive and destructive power of Mahou and the mysterious threat behind it.
The Goddamned, 309 pages - Published by Image Comics, (cc/ @GCpartnerships)
"And the earth was filled with violence." (Genesis 6:11). It's 1,655 years after Eden, and life on earth has already gone to hell. The world of man is a place of wanton cruelty and wickedness. Prehistoric monsters and stone-age marauders roam the land. Murder and destruction are the rule of the day. This is life before the Flood. The story of man on the verge of his first apocalypse. Welcome to the world of The Goddamned. Collects THE GODDAMNED #1-5
Story and Art by Giulia Brusco, Jason Aaron, R.M.Guéra
The man who invented murder must wander the Earth forever. Life is cruel and the artwork in this reflects that brutality. It's not a story for the faint of heart, but it's am emotional rollercoaster with the occasional oasis. I think it's a great read the brings to light how to find something to live for, how to keep moving forward in the face of negativity, betrayal, pain, and loss. There is always light and peace out there somewhere.
Lone Wolf And Cub, 8399 pages - Published by Dark Horse Comics, (cc/ @GCpartnerships)
Dark Horse Comics is proud to present an authentic landmark in graphic fiction, Lone Wolf and Cub. An epic samurai adventure of staggering proportions—over seven thousand pages—Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure okami in Japan) is acknowledged worldwide for the brilliant writing of series creator Kazuo Koike and the groundbreaking, cinematic visuals of Goseki Kojima, creating unforgettable imagery of stark beauty, kinetic fury, and visceral thematic power that influenced a generation of visual storytellers both in Japan and in the West.
Story and Art by Kazuo Koike
This was one of my most anticipated titles for the Dark Horse Comics launch in September, and I've been taking time to read this title again. There are few gekiga (a form of alternative manga) that I really enjoy, and this is one of them. Like the previous title, it has a sense of brutal honesty of how cruel, and beautiful life can be. It's a very realistic portrayal of life, and I think that's what I really like about this. Like other gekiga, it feels very cinematic in its paneling. It's a beast of a story, with over 7000 pages, but I think this journey is well worth the rewards. If you enjoyed Vinland Saga, Vagabond, or Usagi Yojimbo, you'd enjoy this one as well.
The Misadventures Of Misfit And Mieko, 443 pages - Published by ParisEdoodle, (cc/ @parisedoodle)
Misfit is an ill-fated black cat cursed with bad luck. His best friend, Mieko, is a beckoning cat blessed with good fortune by the seven spirits of luck. Journey with them through the seven kingdoms of Misako as they try to remove the curse and search for the mysterious Torii gates. Beyond the gates lies the realm of spirits and monsters in which the seven dwell. Posted every other Friday at 10AM CST.
Story and Art by ParisEdoodle
Misfit and Mieko was featured in our very first edition of the Fresh Friday Features, and it's come an amazingly long way. It's often the highlight of my day when I see an update, and the art, characters, and storytelling has evolved incredibly over its time here. I wanted to revisit this work and encourage everyone to read this. I love the direction this has taken, Paris, its creator, posts memes, animations, and more on their socials, really making being a fan of this series incredibly worth the investment. It's got humor, serious battle choreography, stunning coloring and character development. It's a beautiful comic, and I eagerly await a print edition. (Maybe hopefully some day pretty please!?)
Kinsetsu - Kintsukuroi no Densetsu, 241 pages - Published by Kaili Comics, (cc/ @Kaili)
In the Eastern Kingdom ruled by Dragons, the Kintsukuroi is a Wall that separates Peace from the darkness of the Shadowlands dominated by the Oni. Four unlikely Adventurers - Syntaris, Gun’Ghaol, Froggit, and Yuzuki - must embark on an adventure to save the Kingdom from the corruptive and destructive power of Mahou and the mysterious threat behind it. The balance of the Kintsukuroi is at risk, the last defense against the menaces of the Shadowlands. The beginning of an epic adventure!
Story and Art by Kaili Comics
Kinsetsu came onto the platform earlier this year, and since then I've been enjoying this winding tale of warring lands in a sprawling world. I get a major DnD or tabletop vibe from this, perhaps due to the character types. I love seeing the variety of creatures having been inspired or pulled from folklore all over the world, or unique to this one. It's extremely colorful and formatted for vertical in a very smooth way. Great work!
That's all for now, but we'll have another set of Fresh Friday reading recommendations next week. You can also browse through our Featured Comics news section and add them to your Library for future reading!
Check out more amazing stuff from @ArtCrumbs below.
Did you get a chance to check out any of these fresh picks? If you enjoy any of these stories, don't forget to add them to your library, and share your thoughts in the comments below! You can also join our Discord server to talk with other readers and creators.