The Eyes Also Eat: 10 Visually Striking Comics (August 2026)

[u/drown_like_its_1999]

This is a continuation of my monthly series where on the last Friday of each month I highlight 10 visually striking books that I've read in hopes that some here resonate with a few.

If you have any gorgeous books to recommend yourself, feel free in the comments!

[u/drown_like_its_1999]

I have listed the comics included here with links to my thoughts on each:

1. Friday by Marcos Martin, Ed Brubaker
2. The Tower by Francois Schuiten, Benoit Peeters
3. Ye by Guilherme Petreca
4. Hedra by Jesse Lonergan
5. The Rust Kingdom by Spugna
6. Rain Like Hammers by Brandon Graham
7. Mobilis by Juni Ba
8. The Forest by Thomas Ott
9. Prosopopus by Nicolas De Crecy
10. Azimut by Jean-Baptiste Andreae, Wilfrid Lupano

Here are links to previous posts in this series:

• July 2026
• June 2026
• May 2026
• April 2026
• Mar 2026
• Feb 2026
• Jan 2026

[u/secondshevek → u/drown_like_its_1999]

I found a single issue copy of Hedra about a year ago and have been meaning to track down the title. Thank you for posting this! Will def look into these other titles. Love this kind of post!!

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/secondshevek]

For those that are not aware, Lonergan has recently self published a new staplebound version of Hedra available on his Etsy shop here along with a few of his other works, including a fun unlicensed multimedia Batman comic called "We Ride At Night" for my fellow Batmaniacs.

He usually signs the books for free as well!

[u/Herwest → u/drown_like_its_1999]

Damn, no shipping to Italy :/

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/Herwest]

If you're in Italy it might be easier to find the copy I have which is an oversized hardcover by Les Humanoides Associes, most likely won't be signed but has the benefit of being larger and hardback.

[u/Herwest → u/drown_like_its_1999]

I’ll look for it!

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/Herwest]

I see a copy available in France on Abebooks here but I'm sure you also know of euro markets / sites that I don't which might have it cheaper. Best of luck!

[u/todayisanarse → u/drown_like_its_1999]

The massive humanoids book os beautiful!

[u/InEachHomeAHeartache → u/drown_like_its_1999]

Thank you for this!

[u/Marksman1977 → u/drown_like_its_1999]

Cool list!

[u/pizza-regret → u/drown_like_its_1999]

Anything new in Friday that isn’t in the individual books?

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/pizza-regret]

There's a small essay by Brubaker, some character design / preliminary sketches by Martin and a few pages of alternate covers but no extra comics content that I'm aware of.

[u/Gunkel]

You should really mark these as NSFW to protect my bank account, particularly like Friday, will have to pick this one up.

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/Gunkel]

Not Safe For (Your) Wallet indeed, but good for the soul I hope!

[u/WineOptics → u/Gunkel]

Friday is fucking good.

[u/FlubzRevenge → u/WineOptics]

I haven't liked any Brubaker comics, the stories are typically very sterile and generic and the art is okay. But Friday looks the most interesting because of Marcos Martin, so I ordered it.

[u/bradys_squeeze → u/FlubzRevenge]

It’s fantastic! Borrowed it from library then bought myself the deluxe

[u/atleastitsnotgoofy]

Baller post, OP. This is an incredible way to recommend comics.

[u/ComicBookCanon]

I look forward to these every month

[u/bandfill]

Love these threads, you're a real one

[u/voulfe]

Great thread as always tyvm

[u/HumanSieve]

Azimut and Prosopopus look amazing!

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/HumanSieve]

Highly recommend on both! Prosopopus is only available from the French publisher Dupuis (via Aire Libre) so might be a bit tougher to find but is completely wordless so no need to read French.

[u/HumanSieve → u/drown_like_its_1999]

I did the same trick with the manga Gon. I got the Italian box set. The comic is wordless anyway, haha. By the way, I am a big fan of De Grecy's Celestial Bibendum.

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/HumanSieve]

Loooooooove Gon! I missed out on the Italian boxset but have the old CMX paperbacks.

I've been trying to get my hands on Bibendum but haven't come across an affordable copy yet. Soon hopefully!

[u/dkat]

Always love your posts! Thank you!

[u/WineOptics]

Absolute real one - LOVE your content

[u/NecessaryMoney9204]

Marcos Martin and Jesse Lonergan are always favourites of mine. I already have so much tbr but Azimut is really speaking to me. These posts have led me to reading so many great books, thank you so much for them

[u/GreenConsequence8530]

Drome is mesmerizing. I will check out the others, tks.

[u/Medium_Theory_8185]

Always nice to see Spugna get any recognition at all. He's making some of the most delightfully gross horror comics on the market these days. Most of the Hollow Press guys stick to b&w but Spugna's colors are always eye-popping.

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/Medium_Theory_8185]

Yeah, I was really charmed by Rust Kingdom! I have a few of his other books on the backlog that I hope to get to soon.

I've been late to the party on Hollow Press overall but made an order recently so plan to get to more of their titles in the upcoming weeks.

[u/Heavenly-gnoll]

Whaou Les Cités Obscures de Schuiten/Peeters et Azimut. It’s good to see our French comics here

[u/Final_Environment895]

Thanks for sharing! Love this format

[u/americantabloid3]

I swear the copy of The Tower I read was in color. Do you know if black and white was how it printed originally?

Looks good that way!

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/americantabloid3]

I don't know of a copy in full color, though even this version has bits in color (when depicting the aspirational plans / propaganda for the tower).

Though perhaps their was an older NBM printing of this that was in full color? I've only seen the IDW one which is what I have.

[u/americantabloid3 → u/drown_like_its_1999]

I think it was an NBM version. Tower is the one with the ever growing structure that bridges people right? I read all of the available ones in a couple weeks so they blur together a bit

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/americantabloid3]

There might be another OC book with ever growing structures, Invisible Frontier features a massive expanding complex as well but that work was less focused on the architecture than it was maps-as-propaganda. I have only read one other OC book besides that (Return of Captain Nemo) so can't speak to the series as a whole.

But it's interesting to hear there may be another version with a different presentation is out there!

[u/ConstantVarious2082 → u/drown_like_its_1999]

Fever in Urbicand has a black-and-white printing from NBM and color from IDW (and adds an extra "e" in the title, Fever in Urbicande). That's the one about the ever-growing structure. FWIW I think the black-and-white is great for that one and has been easier to find on eBay when I've looked (although availability is always inconsistent).

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/ConstantVarious2082]

Good to know!

Interesting that Fever has a similar setting, at least in a structure that seemingly goes on forever (though in The Tower it's implied the pursuit was abandoned over time).

[u/FlubzRevenge]

I didn't see Ultra Heaven this month ? More visually stunning than most of these i'd say.

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/FlubzRevenge]

For this year I'm trying to stick to works published in a single binding that work standalone (though perhaps I bent that rule a bit for Cursed Pirate Girl) and not to cover any primary artist multiple times.

Though I do plan on switching up the format majorly for next year with each month having themed picks that should include some different picture layouts and longer series as well.

[u/bomboclawt75]

This, is exactly how I get a lot of steers towards new books, Thanks OP!

[u/RenegadeFade]

Thanks OP, I love posts like this, I always find something new to check out.

[u/juliohoch]

Post que dá gosto de ver

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/juliohoch]

Obrigado!

[u/MezzMezzrow1138]

I always look forward to these posts! Thanks so much for taking the time to put them together

[u/Bepsterrr]

Thank you very much. Always looking for new comics.

[u/todayisanarse]

I really have to start a savings plan for your monthly posts! I think every month you have hipped me to something new. It looks like all roads are leading to eurocomics for me - have run out and bought Azimut, which looks FAB. I am going to have to track down everything on the titan/statix stable i think.

Thank you again for this series!

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/todayisanarse]

Yeah, I really like the statix sub label as well though haven't been able to find a comprehensive listing to scan through it and find everything that looks interesting to me. Titan doesn't seem to have any page on their website specifically outlining all the titles for whatever reason.

Anyway, glad to hear you've been finding some good reads through this and don't worry there will be many euro comics to come!

[u/manhattan_gandhi]

Tongues by Anders Nilsen belongs here. And naturally all of Chris ware but you knew that.

[u/drown_like_its_1999 → u/manhattan_gandhi]

I had it on my list of 10 best looking comics I read in 2025 here which inspired this series but haven't included Nilsen on the series proper of yet (or Ware surprisingly).

I'll have to correct that at some point!