Some recent comics I've read.
"Kali" (2022)
I loved the visual elements of this dystopian comic by Daniel Freedman and Robert Sammelin. Lots of revenge driven action with bikes, guns and explosions. The story unfortunately lacks depth, and kind of ruins it a bit.
openlibrary.org/books/OL369775…
Itämisen ihme (2023) [Finnish]
Cute book by Jiipu Uusitalo celebrating plants, and specifically growing your own edibles. Somewhat lacking in story otherwise though. But it's cute, and plants are great!
openlibrary.org/books/OL624863…
Kanerva ja yks juttu (2007) [Finnish]
Comic by Petteri Tikkanen features Kanerva, a child whose grandmother is dying. Unable to accept this, Kanerva, and their friend, aim to make the grandmother's remaining days memorable and worth living.
Dealing with a sad topic, I think this book does well in focusing on the joys of having someone precious around you while you still can.
openlibrary.org/books/OL624864…
Pitkän sodan lyhyt historia (2025) [Finnish]
Translation from Ukrainian, original title Коротка історія довгої війни, English translation A Brief History of a Long War, by authors Mariam Naiem, _Julija Vus and Ivan Kypibida, tells the history of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine through hundreds and hundreds of years, while focusing on the current Russian invasion between lessons of history.
While I'm definitely of course on the Ukrainian side, I have a slight allergy to books that draw on a nationalistic narrative, being somewhat of a "there should be no borders at all" kind of person. It's obvious the history of Ukraine is a topic of persecution, injustice, cultural subjugation and pure genocide. But even defending against such crimes can easily go into the glorification of the nation or culture under attack.
All that said (because the above is largely unrelated to Ukraine or Russia), the book is very well narrated and drawn, and I fully recommend it, both from the view on history in the region, but also the suffering of the people in the region now.
openlibrary.org/books/OL624864…
#books #jasonreads #comics #dystopia #plants #family #war #ukraine #russia #nationalism
Kali by Daniel Freedman | Open Library
Kali by Daniel Freedman, Robert Sammelin, 2022, Dark Horse Comics edition, Hardcover in EnglishOpen Library
