2023's MOST MEMORABLE COMICS READS

2023's MOST MEMORABLE COMICS READS - Part 1

Рет қаралды 2,420

Күн бұрын

A look back at the most memorable comics I read in 2023, the ones that made the deepest impacts on me. It wasn't the greatest of years for my reading, and in this video and the next part (up soon) I talk a little bit about why and what it meant. The next video will be up soon, so stay tuned!
Buy these books here (affiliate links)
The Treasure of the Black Swan, by Paco Roca and Guillermo Corral:
amzn.to/4aJNQUz
Our Little Secret, by Emily Carrington
amzn.to/3tN0amj
My Friend Dahmer, by Derf Backderf
amzn.to/3Safh2L
Trashed, by Derf Backderf
amzn.to/3vrFdhr
Videos and playlists I mention in this one:
Last year's list!
My Most Memorable Reads of 2022:
• End of Year Lists!
My Favourite Discoveries of 2021 ❤ Sunday Livestream!
kzfaq.infovTGGBlSg5vw?...
Kent State, Four Dead in Ohio
• KENT STATE - FOUR DEAD...
31 Days of Comics playlist here: • 31 Days of Comics
Check out my Creator Spotlight playlist of videos:
• Creator Spotlights
Introductions and reviews of some of my my favourite comics gathered in this playlist:
• Introductions to Class...
Check out all fifteen of our "complete comics collection" videos:
• Our Comics Collection
In fact, just check out all the different playlists I've put together!
/ fortheloveofcomics
NEW! Join our Discord! / discord
Visit our Community tab, right here on KZfaq! Polls, tidbits, behind-the-scenes pics and more!
/ @ftloc
#bestof2023 #fortheloveofcomics #ftloc

Пікірлер: 70

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

The video got to be longer than planned (surprise!) so I decided to split it into two. Part 2 should be up in 48 hours, if only there was a way to make sure you get notified...

@atheistsince1210 5 ай бұрын

So glad I’m back on this channel - Our Little Secret there’s no way I could go near that life is hard enough and most humans are as mean as pit vipers I’ll stay in the dungeons of dystopian bleakness .

@ftloc 5 ай бұрын

Welcome back! I completely understand the desire to avoid some topics, irrespective of the craft behind it. At the same time, art allows a way to access and process that I find not just 'useful' but also necessary. So each of us can choose one way today and always leave room for us to change our minds somewhere down the road! 😊

@OffMyShelves 6 ай бұрын

I demand part 2 now!!! Great video and book selection as ever. Happy new year!

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Happy New Year! As for Part 2, it actually exists but is currently without any images, and if there is one thing I have learned, it's that a comics video without images leaves some folks dissatisfied... strange people, aren't they?

@sergioarroyo1923 6 ай бұрын

I just want to say thank you for introducing me (us) to Richard Sala, I became his fan thanks to you. Such a unique artist… I have hunted most of his books by now and one of them is flying to my home as I a write this. Have a great 2024!

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Happy new year, and thank you! It is literally my pleasure 😁. Which book is flying to you, if I may ask?

@sergioarroyo1923 6 ай бұрын

@@ftloc Delphine (the single volume version you once showed), it was a bit difficult to find at a reasonable price, but waiting for it had its reward.

@Seeeeeeeeeeth 6 ай бұрын

Interesting reads. Trashed in particular caught my attention so maybe I'll be adding that to ny reading list. Since you've split things up into two videos I'll comment two of my most memorable reads from this last year. I mean, they're both things I was keeping up with throughout the year, but still. The first one is one I've been reading weekly for going on 12 years now, One Piece by Eiichiro Oda. 2023 was insane for One Piece fans for a lot of reasons, from the success of the Live Action adaptation to the announcement of a modern remake for the over 20 year old anime. But best of all, I'm happy to say that the original source material is not only going strong, but is some of the best stuff we've ever gotten. I haven't had this much fun consistently engaging with One Piece since I binged the entire series back when i was in middle school. I've enjoyed it since, quite a lot actually, which is why it blows my mind that we got an entire year full of chapters that I would've easily called the best chapter if it were in any other year. Insane time to be a One Piece fan, but insane is becoming the new normal for One Piece I guess. A popular pick, but my next one will be much more obscure.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Thank you and I look forward to your next pick as well! As for One Piece, I have friends who swear by it (and these are folks whose opinions I respect) but the sheer length of the work has always intimidated me...

@paulhills1816 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for such great content over the years. Here’s to 2024 being much of the same. 🤙🏼

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Much, much appreciated! A very happy new year to you!

@WayneBoucaud 6 ай бұрын

Hey, just got the heads up on your channel, and I’m loving it, I’m of a certain age but still have a deep love for the medium and your channel is just perfect for the mature adult so to speak, I’ll be checking you out for all the latest reads for sure from now on. Keep up the stellar work. Peace. Wayne. London…

@ftloc 5 ай бұрын

Thank you so very much for those extremely kind words, and warm greetings from New Delhi! A channel for mature readers is an apt description, and I hope you continue to enjoy this little corner for a long time to come! Cheers!

@rewanji 6 ай бұрын

Hello my friend. I would dare to say that anything by mr. Paco Roca is essential reading either you are a usual comics reader or not. As for Derf Backderf I read My Friend Dahmer last year and it pleasantly surprised me. Not your usual serial killer/crime narrative rather a deep psychological picture of what partially drives a human being to dark paths. Looking forward to add the rest of his titles to my collection. “Our little secret” seems enticing enough too. Excellent 1st part. Cheers.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Cheers! And a very happy new year!

@spongebobsquarepants4576 4 ай бұрын

Always come here to get great recommendations. Thank you! ❤

@ftloc 4 ай бұрын

Thank YOU! Thrilled you're enjoying them! 😁

@amhahailu8420 6 ай бұрын

Nice vid Happy new year 🎉🎉🎉 an amazing year here on for the love of comics !!!

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind words, and a very happy new year to you too!

@novasite7795 6 ай бұрын

Great list! Just purchased your first two recommendations.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

I'd love to know what you thought of them, once you're done!

@gedovanderzee1224 6 ай бұрын

Happy new year to you and I whish you all the best for 2024. Great pick of books. Paco Roca and Derf Backderf are also two of my favourite artists, and their books are always a certain buy for me. Punk Rock and Trailer parks (or Punk Rock & Mobile Homes) by Backderf is one that I also thoroughly enjoyed. And their are two new upcoming books by Paco Roca that I can't wait to read, Memoirs of a man in pajamas and Return to Eden. Our little secret is one that slipped my attention and is one I will definitely check out. Thanks for that! I will put in the comments of the next video what my most memorable reads of 2023 were.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Happy new year and thank you so very much, as always! I look forward to the next couple of Paco Roca books and to your list on the next video! Also, I will start the hunt for Punk Rock and Trailer Parks, a book less easy to find than these were.

@ritwiksarkar8020 6 ай бұрын

Happy New Year ! My most memorable reads of last year would be: My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies Return of the Honey Buzzard The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott Sunburn by Andi Watson

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

That's a terrific list. I only recently read Billie Scott and am about to start on 'It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth'. And I embarrassingly left out Sunburn having gotten confused as to when I read it. Can you spot it in this video? 😁 A very happy new year!

@shwetha9617 6 ай бұрын

Happy New Year 🎉

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

And to you! 😁

@PavelPravda 6 ай бұрын

So here is my list: De:tales by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, Eight Billions Genies by Charles Soule, Providence by Alan Moore and Arkwright by Bryan Talbot. Happy new year! 🙂

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Happy new year to you! And that's a killer slate you have there. I'm most curious as to what you thought of De: Tales!

@PavelPravda 6 ай бұрын

@@ftloc I think it's something what give you good vibes. This is my comment from Goodreads: No big epic stories, but short stories and situations. No big dramas. More like those nice unexpected events. A random meeting with an unknown girl, a date with a different girl than originally planned, a birthday celebration of a dead friend or a typical Saturday in São Paulo. Stories that have the right atmosphere and depth like the twins served us in Daytripper and that give us a taste of how life is in Brazil. All this with the amazing art of both brothers.

@sleepyreader666 6 ай бұрын

Looking forward to part two. Interesting that this list leans toward the intense and the non fiction (ish) real life side of storytelling. You mentioned a reluctance to read this year, could that have included a reluctance to read fiction? Perhaps part two will turn this postulation on its head. Happy New Year my friend.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Happy new year! It's interesting how that worked out with the nonfiction top-loaded into the first part. I only realized that in the middle of shooting. The next part is all fiction, and I do talk a bit about reading, but I save it for after I'm done talking about the comics. I hope to have it up soon, and I'm also looking forward to having a live conversation with you soon in 2024!

@analogcomics 6 ай бұрын

At first I thought your brain was taken over by sequids. Only a 10 minute video from Angshuman usually could only be explained by sequids. But the smaller reading pool explaines this well🤘🏻But if it IS the sequids give us a sign - cross your eyes in the next vid or something. So much good stuff here. Paco Roca will be one of my 2024 reading goals. As for the hard subject of sexual abuse I read Ducks in 2023 but couldn’t include it to my best reads. It WAS a good read but I’m still processing it and I would not have been ready to put my thoughts into words. It was quite shocking and I feel personal responsibility to treat such stories with a focus they deserve. You were here - as usual - on point and articulate. Now bring out the part 2 or I’ll send a SWAT team in(it could be the sequids in the end🤔)

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Luckily, so far all parasites have been resisted! To be fair, the video is split into two, so it's more than 20 minutes (cut down from 45) but yes, definitely a case of less reading than anything else this year. By the way, your own 2023 review video just rubbed salt in the wound of me leaving out Sunburn. In spite of discussing it with my wife as a contender, at the time of shooting the video I had a time-hiccup in my memory and thought I'd read it in 2022 (despite my own video evidence of listing it in my Unread Stack livestream!) So *you* were there on point in this case. However, if you look towards the top right corner of the screen, you may see that it proudly exists throughout this video nonetheless 😁

@pareekatti 6 ай бұрын

Happy New Year! I was wondering what that Red Tintin book on the left corner is…

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Happy new year! That's Tintin: the Art of Herge , an illustrated book with artwork from the Herge museum.

@bishalkghosh2185 6 ай бұрын

My favourite read was Ethel and Ernest, such a moving book specifically memorable how Raymond Briggs kept this so engaging for its entire length despite it being such a personal aspect of his life.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

I love that book, and I think I said this in my Raymond Briggs video - it makes every other work by Briggs read differently afterwards. You can see Ethel and Earnest in form and spirit everywhere!

@bishalkghosh2185 6 ай бұрын

@@ftloctrue,I took it up after your recommendation only. I have just got Kent state now, hopefully it's a great read too.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

I'd love to know what you think of it!

@Rockjesu 5 ай бұрын

Paco Roca is a real genius.

@ftloc 4 ай бұрын

I love his work! If you enjoy livestreams, check out this video in which I talk about a handful of his books : kzfaq.infovTGGBlSg5vw?si=6zy2oaTIySeEVqV- Cheers!

@nivinbasheer3736 6 ай бұрын

Hai old friend, Superman space age by mark russel and ff full circle by alex ross those are the only ones i read last year ( its been a tough year) will catch up soon on new reads. P.S. Hope there is Monica by Daniel clowes in the part 2 video ,hearing a lot of good things of it. Take care buddy

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Hello hello! Long time, so good to see you! Both the comics you mentioned are ones I am very interested in, but have yet to get to. And unfortunately, Monica is also one I have not yet got to. I almost purchased it once, but again, I felt that pang I described in this video. I will get it soon enough, and I think it will end up being like Monsters - a critical darling of a book I read much later than everyone else and then don't need to offer my opinion on any more! 😁

@amhahailu8420 6 ай бұрын

I only spoke the truth my friend😊

@ibrfusion 6 ай бұрын

You should also starts interviews/podcasts of comic fans, creators or enthusiasts.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

I'd love to! Just need to learn all the tech around it! 😁 I generally go on other channels, where they know what they're doing. Check out my FtLoC on Other Channels playlist, if interested!

@ibrfusion 6 ай бұрын

@@ftloc sure. Best of luck with those types of programs in future. We are waiting for your own podcasts. 🤗

@colinynwa 6 ай бұрын

I only got to Ducks late in 2023 so mine is would normally be that BUT I also read Stray Bullets - Sunshine and Roses for the first time so that gets it as Stray Bullets is probably my favourite comics. Also special mention to Nikolai Dante which I read again (well just about to finish) and remains comfortably a top ten comic, best action adventure comic for sure. Favourite new comics probably That Texas Blood and everything Mark Russell has written.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Stray Bullets is one of the finest and most consistently excellent comics I have had the pleasure to read! How much more has been published after Sunshine and Roses, do you know?

@colinynwa 6 ай бұрын

@@ftloc Nothing since (though David Lapham's latest series Underheist has just started. Next series of Stray Bullets called Virginia has been announced by Lapham but no word on when yet. Can't wait. Happy New Year by the way. Your channel is up there with Strange Brain Parts as the best and my Fav on KZfaq so a big thank you.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for the excessive but very kind praise! It really means the world to me.

@faridashaikh2865 6 ай бұрын

What's your opinion on Wimbledon green ? As a comic collector yourself

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

I love it! If you like livestreams, I had one in which I talk about three 'hidden gems' and Wimbledon Green was one of them! Check out the recording here: kzfaq.inforx_SJYMiFrw?feature=share

@neilmcadam8677 6 ай бұрын

Anyone see title card and start thinking of a best of 2023 comic cause you thought it was still 31 days of comics.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Aha, that explains a couple of comments I got! 😁 So I'd say for sure you're not the only one!

@johnm.withersiv4352 6 ай бұрын

My Friend Dhamer was probably his best known work but I prefer Kent State.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

I think Kent State is definitely a more mature and ambitious work, but Dahmer is a very different type of story, I felt. Although there's a slight connection to the area and Backderf's childhood, Kent State is a thoroughly journalistic endevaour, whereas the personal proximity to Dahmer makes his situation there quite unmatchable...

@GoreVidalComicbooks 6 ай бұрын

What, Black Swan without Natalie Portman?! Legal filings will be filed! Happy New Year:)

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Oddly, her role in this comic is played by Mila Kunis... Happy new year, sir!

@atheistsince1210 5 ай бұрын

7:01- have both My Friend Dahlmer and Trashed they’re both fantastic but the Dahlmer story highlights the uncontrollable family train wreck - mother was a pill popping psychological basket case absolutely incapable of positive impacts on her son Jeffry’s life ; his father was a well paid engineer ? But he was also incapable of saving the doomed marriage constant fights verbal abuse I blame Dahlmers mothers mental problems selfishness and self centeredness on the REASON WHY Dahlmer became such a notorious serial killer in the first place she was a waste of breathable air .

@ftloc 5 ай бұрын

I agree that the book definitely seems to imply that even if Dahmer had the same problems, the outcome for him and others could have been very different if attention had been paid. But I also feel it says that about the world, parents, schools in general - maybe things don't have to be this way, and they maybe wouldn't if more care was taken and attention was paid. The fact that it seems like a different world from ours may indicate how far we have come and how much has changed, which is positive, but may still seem familiar, indicating more remains to be done.

@soumyadeepbanerjee964 6 ай бұрын

From Hell! I read it when I was 12😂.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

A memorable read of 2023? Did you revisit it?

@soumyadeepbanerjee964 6 ай бұрын

@@ftloc I read the Master Edition just a few months back. It was not necessarily the most memorable by virtue of what I thought of the work itself (which is not to say that I don't adore it) but rather because of the memories it invoked from a decade ago. When I was 12 it was somewhat of a difficult book to read through but it was the first comic to give me an idea as to what the content of the medium of comics could potentially be, especially coming from Lucky Luke/maybe Iznogoud (again, not to say that I don't adore those either; in fact in the second year of college Lucky Luke was the subject matter of one the papers I wrote) It was also around the time (in 2012) that my father was attempting to instill in me, the ability to separate the form of art from its content, 'From Hell' served as an immediate example of what he was referring to. The book was a gift from my cousin. Interestingly enough, contrary to what he was trying to teach me at the time, my father was in fact under the false impression that comics were all X-men and Tintin (or at the very least that's the extent to which the medium had been explored). That's probably why I even got to touch the book at such a young age in the first place, let alone read it! Regards and have a good day!

@ScottPutnamART 6 ай бұрын

I skipped the hit piece on the Canadian energy sector.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

Do you mean Ducks? If so, I don't think of it as a hit piece at all. In fact, everything to do with individuals and people I found to be quite nuanced and complex. The refusal to lay easy blame and villainize was one of the most arresting things about the book. The oil industry, yes, I can see coming under criticism, but 1) that is presented through personal experience and anecdote and 2) that's about systems and forces, which should be constantly questioned and critiqued. 'Industries' and 'sectors' are powerful things and asking questions about human costs and the way large forces (be it companies or be it weather) shape human behaviour is a thing I expect from literature and art.

@ScottPutnamART 6 ай бұрын

@ftloc thanks for explaining that. I'm glad to hear it is not a hit piece. I only saw a preview. I live in Alberta. She would have received $60/hr cad and full benefits to get the opportunity she got. That sadly many albertans don't even get due to east coast migration here. I saw the one part where she innocently asks "what's camp hot" as if the girls at the office don't rate or talk about men.

@ftloc 6 ай бұрын

The money she (and others who work there) makes is a significant thing in the book. It is clearly shown what a night and day difference that salary makes towards repaying her student loans. And I think her clueless or protected nature is also part of the story - nobody in her family or friends understands why she wants to work there, and the fact that there are so few women there obviously is of significance. I would love for you try the book out and let me know what you thought. There's a lot about the people and economy of Canada and its regions and I am sure you will have a much deeper insight on than me. What I loved about it - as I mentioned before - are its questions about human cost.