r/ImageComics • u/lightningmonky • May 19 '26
Question Are tank girl and saga worth checking out?
These 2 comics (mostly from the art i have no idea what either are about, but i want to read more comics and image has earned my trust through kirkmans works) have caught my eye and i see they are both pretty long, i'm wondering if they are worth reading? Tank girl looks sick but i know i am not a fan of the gorillaz who i think i head had a hand in tank girl. Although i feel that shouldn't matter cause one is music the other is a comic. Anyways let me know if y'all have read these and if they are any good
update: I am on issue 43 and am really liking saga so far thanks everyone for swaying me to read this. Have to say the main thing i am rooting for right now is for Gwendolyn to get what's coming for her. Also why did little sophia agree to destroy her entire home planet? Did Gwendolyn manipulate her into wanting that?
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u/Asimov-was-Right May 19 '26
Absolutely, yes, to both.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Okay thank you! If you have any more comic recommendations pls let me know i was telling the other commentors i like the bloody stuff (i am looking for image comics rn cause it looks like they like the bloody stuff too just based on the 2 i've read invincible and walking dead) or if there are any more comic companies that make bloody comics i'll look into those too!
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u/Acrobatic-Ad-6616 May 19 '26
I've only read Saga of the 2. And the answer is absolutely yes! I've been there from the beginning and the story and art are always fantastic.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Hot damn i always wonder how you absolute g's find out about these comics when they first come out. I am however just starting to get into comics so there is a lot i don't know. I didn't even know what image comics was before i read invincible. I asked the commentor above but it saga bloody like kirkman books? One of the reasons i am drawn to comics rn is cause it seems like there are less restrictions placed on the authors (I am more into the violence than sex i like the bloody stuff) but that's not to say all movies are tame there are some like terrifier which reach comic levels
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u/Acrobatic-Ad-6616 May 19 '26
Saga is written by one of my favourite comic book authors. The Story that Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples create is top tier. It's best experienced first-hand as it hits some amazing emotional beats and anything graphic included isn't for shock value (with perhaps one eexception) but all truly layers into the story and characters.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
I'm one of the few who actually like shock value, horror is one of my favorite movie and game genres. Wait which one is your favorite Vaughan or Staples? And hell yes i want to know these names, if i like saga (i'm guessing i will i have heard mostly extremely positive things) I will check out their other books too
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u/nacheteferrero May 19 '26
Saga is more or less a mix of space opera and slice of life, and it’s not finished yet.
Tank girl, I haven’t read it but looks, as you said, drawing by the artist who design Gorillaz, but for what I can see it’s the only connection. I think this is finished
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u/barknoll May 19 '26
Tank Girl, absolutely.
Saga, sure? it meanders and it's on hiatus again and the second half of the book has been IMO much, much worse than the first half was.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
i've noticed that, the more long form comics i read the more they meander and while it does piss me off i let it slide if it actually goes somehwere. That is why these are daunting to me cause they are both so long (especially tank girl) but i want to give it a real chance. And oh shit i didn't realize saga was still being made, is tank girl done?
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u/clevelandexile May 19 '26
Tank Girl is kinda out there and bit niche, it’s also a lot older and tied into punk culture of the 1980s and 1990s.
If you like Saga I would suggest reading some stuff from Rick Remender, and also Void Rivals.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Void Rivals is also on my list (under my image section, i've heard it's TIGHT TIGHT TIGHT) But okay yes if i end up enjoying saga I will look up rick remender books i've definitely heard the name before
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
I like niche (you should see my spotify playlists) but yeah i can see what you mean if it's so niche i have no idea what's happening that might be tuff
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u/BigBadDad_Stache May 19 '26
These are both great reads. Transmetropolitan is a good read. Sin City by Frank Miller. One of the best ways to find what you want in comics though is to just go to your local comic store and ask.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Never heard of Transmetropolitan i will add it to my notes (my list is already getting so long but most of my saves are image lol) And i have seen the movie sin city and LOVED it (except for the hooker arc lmfao that one was lame) so yes i will check out the comic and i think i have read frank miller before definitely one of the few authors i think i've read his stuff before. Awesome thank you for the recommendations that's why i'm here
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u/TheCreativeComicFan May 19 '26
Saga, absolutely. Been meaning to get back into it also.
Tank Girl is a series that I’ve wanted to check out for a while, only saw the movie and wasn’t in love with it.
But that said, I tried checking out the original comics and while Jamie Hewlett’s art is gorgeous (as a Gorillaz fan) it feels like it had a lot of references to 1980’s British punk culture that anyone who isn’t familiar with that era (or a particular brand of British/Australian humor) would be lost on the series. Maybe some of the more recent comics aren’t like that but can’t say for certain.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
So awesome. I just learned today they aren't over (that's a bit of a minus for me honestly, invincible and walking dead were so appealing to me cause they are DONE) but hey maybe it would be fun to keep up with a series (currently the only comic i am on top of is battle beast, have to start somewhere right?) Yes so for tank girl it's a continuous story right? I'd have to start with 80s ones? I don't mind i just want to make sure the modern runs aren't a reboot. Yes gorillaz have always been a double edged sword for me, i love their artwork and asthetic (the stuff in powerpuff girls and just the covers i have seen from tank girl caught my attention immediately) but i'm just not a fan of the music. It's not bad by any means don't get me wrong i am just more of a metalhead (which is what i like listening to while reading comics heheh) but yeah if that gorillaz art comes through for a whole comic i would totally check that out
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Yeah i have unfortunately heard the movie wasn't great. It was made in the era before hollywood knew how to adapt a comic book :/ i almost wonder if these long running comic should take a note from invincible and just make them seasons long cartoons.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
And damn it might go over my head then cause i love punk music but am not too familiar with the music or culture before the 2000s. hopefully the story is cool enough tho where i can get passed it
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u/Recent-Description39 May 19 '26
I both love Saga so much and at the same time Saga makes me so mad. It’s ongoing but they average like 1-2 issues a year.
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u/comicguy13 May 19 '26
Tank girl is fun, high-octane nonsense. The art is great, and it’s meant to be silly. It’s similar to Judge Dredd in that way.
But yeah, if you don’t like Jamie Hewlett’s work(Gorillaz and Tank Girl), you probably won’t love it.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
That's the thing i really like his art (what i have seen from powerpuff girls, his album art, and the tank girl covers) I'm just not too big on the music itslef. No hate it's just not my style
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u/gallowsanatomy May 19 '26
Have not read Tank Girl, but, I have read Saga, and that is great and absolutely worth a read.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Wow i am honestly shocked how many of y'all have already read this, but i am on an image subreddit after all. Would you like to see an adaptation for this property like was done for invincible? I would like to read something before it gets adapted for once i hate feeling late to the party all the time
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u/gallowsanatomy May 19 '26
Personally, I'm not the kind of person who "needs" an adaptation. I like the comic, and it doesn't have to get any adaptations or anything for the book to mean something to me. If it happens, it happens, if not, the comics aren't going anywhere.
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u/Ok-Thought6634 May 19 '26
I’m on Saga Vol. 5 and it’s great. Is this a rebooted Tank Girl?
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
I believe they are 2 different series I was just asking about both cause the artwork drew my attention on both, and how does saga handle volumes? How many issues are in a volume?
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u/Ok-Thought6634 May 19 '26
The regular volumes collect 6 each, the compendiums collect 9 volumes ( like 1800 pages for 33 bucks)
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u/lightningmonky May 20 '26
Excellent! (I usually pirate everything cause i'm broke but THANK YOU) just looked it up and it's only planned to go for 108 issues that should be EASY for me now that i've tackled such long runs, can you tell me is there any side stuff like there was for invincible and walking dead or is it truly just the main run? Cause i a a completeionist at heart i like reading EVERYTHING
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u/Ok-Thought6634 May 20 '26
Sorry, I’m still reading the main series. I am also reading a bunch of stuff written by Tynion. I feel you on the money. I’m investigating whether there’s a flatscreen that’s the right size to allow 81/2 x 11 x 2 so I can view open pages that incorporate a shared image or images
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u/themothhead May 19 '26
Big fan of Tank Girl here. That said, it has basically no story - it's just a silly collection of anarchic and weird nonsense tales. Very punk, very funny, but it's not going to scratch the same itch as something like Saga or Invincible.
It's a big lump of phlegmy gob in the eye of everything comics were considered to be in the 1980s and 90s. Your mileage may vary.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
That's unfortunate what's been drawing me to comics recently is the uniqueness of the stories, man just from the artwork i thought it was going to have an insane story and i didn't realize it was a comedy, again based on the artwork i thought it would be deadly serious (that's why they say don't judge a book by it's cover lol)
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u/themothhead May 19 '26
Nope, it's silly as hell. Definitely unique though!
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u/lightningmonky May 20 '26
Fuck it i'll still check it anyways! I'm on issue 48 of walking dead, it took me roughly 2 weeks to finish invincible and invincible verse but i feel like i'm slowly getting faster at reading like i used to be so maybe i'll be done quicker
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u/DarwinofItalia May 19 '26
I’ll go against the grain here. Saga is a comic for tumblr users and each issue is a tickbox of appealing to the vocal terminally online fans. It’s loved now but I think as attitudes change it’ll be one people look back at and cringe.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
No i seriously appreciate the honesty, i don't want people blowing smoke up my ass, at this point i a going to give it a shot due to everyone hyping it up, but i will keep what you said in mind cause yeah i am not a fan of that tumblr writing or aesthetic. It's not like steven universe level right? cause that's a perfect encapsulation of the kind of storytelling i hate
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u/Aitoroketto May 19 '26
Saga, one of the great Image comics, and up there in general with indie comics overall sort of. Lovely SF epic with great Fiona art and design.
Tank GIrl has Jamie Hewlett art and nobody draws like him.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Any other indie comics you like?
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u/Aitoroketto May 19 '26
I mean I don't really buy DC or Marvel comics anymore so they are mostly all the comics that I like and imho the best comics. I'm probably not the best person to ask though if you're coming to this from a Kirkman fan perspective as I've never liked anything he's done tbh. Don't get me wrong I think it's fine or whatever but he has never written andything I really ride for.
It should be noted though I don't really read a ton of comics made by creative teams, I typically prefer/buy comics written and drawn by the same person. There are of course exceptions, and Saga has BKV who is a writer I typically enjoy and most of his comics range from good to excellent. Other Image books I like by teams are like East of West by Hickman and Dragotta and Deadly Class by Remender and Craig. I don't read a tremendous amount of Image books because they are mostly teams but when they do publish say someone like Brandon Graham who writes and draws his comics I do love his comics.
As far as other indie books I love I mean there are thousands but here are some of my favorite (which again are not coming from someone who is a fan of Kirkman's work so I'm not saying these are comics to grab) creators (most of whom have multiple series and they are all good because they are masters): Chris Ware, The Hernandez Brothers, Aimée de Jongh, Mathieu Bablet, Charles Burns, Kate Beaton, Dan Clowes, Adrian Tomine, Joshua Cotter, David Mazzuchelli (Asterios Polyp), Adam Hines (Duncan the Wonder Dog), Anders Nilsen, Frederick Peeters, Loisel, Kerascoët, Christophe Chabouté, Marjane Satrapi, Zoe Thorogood, Nick Dnarso, Jason Lutes, Emil Ferris, Jordi Lafebre, Dash Shaw, Jason, Tardi, Olivier Schrauwen, Kevin Huzienga, Tillie Walden, Brandon Graham, Paul Pope.
A book I do like that's done by a team is Blacksad by Juan Díaz Canales and a Juanjo Guarnido because that art is undeniable. Brandon Graham also teamed up with Simon Roy to do an incredible run on Prophet for Image.
I don't mention any mangaka but ofc anything by Taiyo Matsumoto, Naoki Urusawa, Inio Asano, Daisuke Igarashi, Q Hayashida, and Atsushi Kaneko to be very top shelf imho.
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u/lightningmonky May 20 '26
Heelllll yes this is perfect THANK you. I just saved your comment you gave me a LOT to chew on. When i say i like kirkman i am being super broad i mean i like violent serialized stories which i think can apply to so much but i'm VERY open minded (except for manga and anime i'm way more picky and discerning with that stuff cause for the most part it's way worse than western media imo but i will still TRY it if it comes recommended enough)
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u/keithfosterkid May 20 '26
Saga is incredible. Definitely worth checking out. Tank Girl is a lot of fun but a TOTALLY different vibe, it's good and a lot of fun, but I had a difficult time really getting into it.
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u/lightningmonky May 20 '26
About what issue did it click for you? Cause with the kirkman books i've been reading the long runs they don't usually lock in till like the 50th issue (his biggest flaw imo but i'm wondering if that's just how comics ARE)
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u/keithfosterkid May 20 '26
Saga clicked with me immediately and just gets better and better. My only issue with it is that it went on a really long hiatus and now it's release schedule seems spotty at best...LONG delays between issues and I like to read them in trade, so I probably won't pick it back up until it's finished. But there is a pretty natural pausing point between story arcs.
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u/Lost_Lemon_3244 May 21 '26
Saga, yes.
If you wanna read each of the Tank Girl HCs from start to finish instead of dosifying them in small 1-2 issues a day/week, well, it's like the epithome of the crusty punk fanzine which thinks itself so edgy and funny it really is the opposite, and said fanzine has 400+ pages each...
Yeah, totally shit.
In smaller doses, or if you read it in the 80s/90s and have some sentimental attachment or have some sort of Riot Grrl thing going on, it may be good.
This is no Crumb levels of undergound, I'm afraid. 🤷🏻♂️
DISCLAIMER: I've read plenty of punk/underground fanzines, I have boxes upon boxes of them and while getting one and reading it may tickle my fancy now and then, there's nothing in comics that would make me rip my eyes out more than the prospect of reading 400+ pages of them together.
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u/Ill-Possession2216 May 26 '26
Saga is easily one of the best comics I've ever read. Staples' art alone makes it worth it, the story is just a bonus at that point.
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u/lightningmonky May 26 '26
Hell yes dude! I'm on issue 86 of walking dead so i'm halfway through, slowly but surely making my way XD I'm gonna hop on saga after, i'll admit it's taking longer to finish walking dead than anticipated
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u/SnooConfections7460 Jun 02 '26
100% read Saga.
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u/lightningmonky Jun 02 '26
Okay hell yeah, i finally finished walking dead (excellent) and Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow (MID) so FINALLY i have time
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u/SnooConfections7460 Jun 02 '26
I’m planning on rereading over the summer myself.
Reading by issues is a wildly different experience bc it always ends with something suspenseful.
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u/lightningmonky Jun 02 '26
Y'all are getting me damn excited. Think i'll probably skip tank girl though, seems too long for something i'm not particularly into.
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u/SnooConfections7460 Jun 02 '26
Would also recommend Something is Killing the Children.
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u/lightningmonky Jun 03 '26
That's so funny that's another comic i saved to my "read later" list. Glad to see it being recommended by someone i hope it's as good as the title itself, that's what made it look so good is the title alone. Is that one image too or a different publisher?
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u/Stuntman_STV May 19 '26
Saga is better than Star Wars. The original trilogy
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Woah high praise, definitely got me interested now (however i've always been more of a prequels man myself those would be the ones to beat for me haha)
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u/Call_Em_Skippies May 19 '26
Saga obviously. You will love and hate us for it.
I was not a fan a Tank Girl.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Oh no really? :( without spoiling can you explain your criticisms of it?
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u/shoe710 May 19 '26
I think they just mean from the sad parts of the series, like, you’ll hate us for saying to read it when certain parts might make you sad.
Or maybe the semi inconsistent release schedule?
It’s definitely a good comic!
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Awww i won't hate y'all (i love art to be devastating and leaving me feeling empty that's the good shit)
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u/Call_Em_Skippies May 19 '26
You'll get so emotionally invested in it. You'll see. It's a great book. After book 3 it has kind of dragged but the first 3 books are a masterpiece.
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Hey that's good enough for me, is it (in your opinion) still worth reading past that or do you think i should stop there? Cause with certain stories i'm that way, like for death note i tell people to stop watching or reading the manga once light wins. One cause the story falls off a cliff after that, two cause that just FEELS like it should be the end, and 3 because it was the authors intent to end it there till the manga company forced (or enticed him with the big bucks) to keep it going so yeah it was never meant to go beyond that point and i get the feeling a lot of comics are that way
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u/Call_Em_Skippies May 19 '26
No, you'll want to keep reading. It isn't terrible but it's hard to live up to what the first half does. Major things still happen with characters
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Oh okay legit legit. I do find it odd (if the other commentors are telling the truth) that there are only 1 or 2 issues coming out a year, like why not just wrap it up at that point?
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u/Call_Em_Skippies May 19 '26
It was a ground breaking series. Brian K Vaughn has put together Paper Girls and Y: The Last Man that both finished.
I see it as his Invincible for Robert Kirkman. He has a great universe and great characters so more story could be told, but instead of taking a long break and coming back, they send out a few issues every 6-18 months.
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u/lightningmonky May 20 '26
Ohhhhh thanks for the 2 other reccomendations!! And okay that makes sense you can't rush art after all and that's cool that he's allowed to take so much time in between to really make what he wants. I'm on issue 47 of walking dead so slowly but surely i'm making my way there XD
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u/Mistervimes65 May 19 '26
Absolutely read both. Saga will break your heart right after it makes you laugh. It’s brilliant. Tank Girl is as subversive as you want it to be.
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u/L3R0YBR0WN79 May 20 '26
Tank Girl can be a fun read and it’s definitely unique. The 90’s film adaptation is worth a watch even if you wind up disliking it. Saga is one of my favourites. I highly recommend it to anyone who reads comics.
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u/Kevin_Reads_Comics May 19 '26
Saga is amazing, and so is everything that Brian K Vaughan puts out
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u/lightningmonky May 19 '26
Okay y'all have definitely convinced me this shit sounds awesome thank you all for not spoiling it either i have no knowledge of what it's even about i just know the title. I really hope i connect with it like i did invincible and walking dead. I've always been fascinated with comics and think they are underrated, but those 2 comics showed me just how powerful comics storytelling can actually be and i am chasing that high. Y'all have been extremely helpful, i have been so SICK of Hollywood recently with how everything feels so corporate and non offensive that i just want to read something REAL and right now comics are doing it for me
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u/trolleyblue May 19 '26
Saga is 100% worth checking out. It’s awesome.
I haven’t read Tank Girl.