This week's list may be small but the titles are indeed mighty and will keep you hooked and on the edge of your seat until next we meet!
1. Iris Complex by Josh Tierney (@jwtierney) and Caitlin Soliman (@salamispots) on Tapas (@tapas_app)
If you've been keeping up with my Top Webcomics lists, you'll be quite familiar with the Tapas Originals series Iris Complex and how much I adore its horrendously creepy slow-burn horror. While the strange and unsettling narrative has made Iris Complex a captivating read, the cinematic and haunting illustrations from Caitlin Soliman over the last few episodes have really cemented this series as an underrated masterpiece of horror storytelling. At this point it's almost impossible to go into much detail about current episodes without spoiling things, but let's just say the recently released ep.32 had me nauseous in the best way possible. Do not sleep on this series, especially since we're heading into the season of horror content.
For those of you unfamiliar with the series, here's the lowdown. Iris Complex is the story of an amnesiac college student who wakes in a field one warm day surrounded by tall apartment-like buildings. All she has on her is a ring of keys and an architecture textbook. On a quest to uncover her lost memories, she comes across strange people and otherworldly occurrences. Each new memory she uncovers only adds to her confusion and she begins to question whether or not her past is truly worth remembering. You can read my review of the series here.
2. From Me to You by MJ on Lezhin (@LezhinComics_US)
Lezhin is a platform known for its sexy guys and smutty stories and they are proud of that status (and none of us are complaining, honestly), so it was strange to see a title like this not only drop on the platform but be featured so heavily on their homepage. From Me to You is an incredibly touching and poignant new webtoon* title that fans of the iconic series Navillera will instantly be hooked on. A mixture of coming-of-age, murder mystery, and light fantasy, this unique and moving title about a closeted gay man coming to terms with the end of his life is a refreshing addition to the platform.
Seung-tae is 70 years old and recently received a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. He finds himself reminiscing as he tries to hold onto the memories of a life he's unsure was lived to its fullest. After a chance encounter with a dear friend from his teenage years, the blurry memory of a long-lost love and the strange circumstances of murder in the city he had shoved to the back of his mind begins to haunt him. Upon finding his old diary, he discovers that its pages can connect him to his past-self, and the events of his 19th year of life begin to slowly come back to him, both painful and lovely.
The first four eps. are currently free with ep.5 releasing this weekend. The upcoming eps. look to be on Lezhin's WUF (wait until free) program so you'll be able to grab them each Saturday for the foreseeable future.
3. Lord Have Mercy by Savie Smith (@Black_Savvath) and Brogan Chattin on Tapas
Hallelujah! This adorable and beautifully illustrated story just became a Tapas Original title this week as noted by a super excited tweet from creator Savie on Wednesday (many congrats!) and I simply had to rush over to the platform to go read it. I was hooked and binged a good chunk of the available eps. in one sitting and cannot wait to see what comes next. We all love a well-meaning and slightly scandalous priest (thank you Fleabag), and the retro-inspired art style is immensely appealing, so this charming and down to earth title quickly became a new favorite!
Set in a small town in the 1960's, Father Luke and Sister Esther find themselves working together after the kids in Esther's class prove to be a bit too much to handle. What begins as an innocent partnership soon turns to something greater and the flowering relationship brings their faith into question. As the expectations of the church continues to weigh on them, rumors begin to swirl and pressure begins to build, threatening the newfound love in the process. This series is touching, steamy, and the 60s influenced art style really makes this a special title that you don't want to miss.
*webtoon is the term used for scrolling digital comics from South Korea, not to be confused with WEBTOON, the app.
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