Recommendation for a fan of Northlanders / DMZ who isn't into cliche

[JimJames]

Hello there

This post might rub some people the wrong way, but if anyone can recommend a comic I like I guess it might be worth it!

I'm a big fan of Northlanders. Its gritty, dirty, realistic and there isn't a hint of super-hero about it.

The artist draws characters with dimension and weight but is confident enough to do so with speed, giving the art work fluidity and a natural stroke. Its printed on matt paper, the panels almost look hand and painterly. It doesn't have any of that superficial flat gloss. If they were just inked on paper and scanned I'd like them even more. It incorporates bold use of contemporary design without being overly noticeable.

It deals with mature subjects and doesn't stray too far into your typical comic clichés. Its dark without embarrassing itself in kitsch. There's blood, gore and strong women. Its well researched. Its not Batman, everything feels half grounded in reality. Or it will draw from saga's or historical accounts, this makes it believable in a way.

Unlike Brian woods DMZ (which I love - don't get me wrong) the characters don't end up looking like they took their sense of fashion from a 1990's edition of the NME. The artist is brilliant but in trying to make his characters edgy, he just ends up feeling like he 'doesn't get it'. Thankfully Brian Woods writing keeps it going anyway. I've been recommended Scalped but I'm not sure about that yet, the subject and art work isn't doing anything for me.


I'm normally reading indie comics, zines and stuff like that. I've got into more popular stuff like Northlanders recently and am hoping that if anyone has some recommendations I can branch out a bit more, I'll be forever grateful!

Thanks

Jim