u/Huhthisisneathuh

Images 1-8. Lohumlagaha in his true form.

Images 9-15. Lohumlagaha in various transformations.

While Lohumlagaha’s design experiences a lot of variation and changes throughout the Manwha. I really love the visual elements that are kept throughout the changes, there just these few visual design motifs that are never wholly absent regardless of each of his forms. Whether it be his specific shade of eldritch green, his broken helmet, or his Hindu/Buddhist inspired poses. Every transformation is both wholly unique while also keeping elements of each other in them all that keeps his eldritch otherness from fully leaving.

I just love how his shapeshifting both shows the adaptability of his character while also showing how despite his many forms the underlying character of them all never truly changes. He’s still the Cosmic Tyrant of Graymark’s Universe.

Given how Witch Hat Atelier is a monthly manga, I thought I’d recommend another monthly comic that also has poignant social themes about the nature of power and one’s responsibility for its use while also being as subtle as a brick to the face politically.

Absolute Superman is a comic from DC’s All-In initiative. A line of comics that reimagines the characters of the DC Universe into new and different forms(of which two other comic series might peek your interest but I’ll get to them later). While also needing no background in American comics to read or enjoy.

The story follows a Superman who grew up on Krypton. Experiencing the horrific class divide and rampant unsustainable environmental practices of the planet first hand. He watches as environmental disasters slowly rip the planet apart in a storm of radioactive lava as the elites hide the truth from the people while planning their own escape. Eventually, thanks to the intelligence of his parents, Clark is the only survivor to escape Krypton’s destruction.

Crash landing on Earth two years later with his adopted cybernetic brother Sol(he’s the cape made of red crystal nanomachines here). Clark wanders the earth as a silent refugee, helping where he can, and slowly finding himself drawn into a shadow war waged by the oligarchs of Earth.

Absolute Superman is in my opinion a perfect encapsulation of what a Superman in a darker world is supposed to be. A man who’ll never give up on anybody, and force even his worst enemies to redeem themselves(much to their horror). The comic also has some blood fantastic art with some incredible paneling. Though the series does switch between two artists for every arc.

If you want something to read in between the weeks when a WHA chapter drops. This I can happily recommend.

It’s a story about Great. A rogue executioner and a clone of God who meets the Cosmic King, technically an alien Buddha, and personification of the universe.

He’s an asshole and they immediately try to kill each other. Now they both have been sent back in time to Great’s childhood and have struck a deal with what’s technically Great’s father, Bear, who also happens to be God.

Help ensure Graymark as a world gets its happy ending and he’ll separate the Cosmic King and Great from each other.

Don’t and they’re stuck fused together for the rest of time.

So now Great & Lohumlagaha(The Cosmic Kings actual name). Are in a race against time to help ensure the world reaches its proper conclusion, a conclusion they fucked up because of their reckless time travel.

Yeah they ruin things for everybody immediately.

Of all the coincidences I didn’t expect when rereading through Witch Hat Atelier that it had a similar plot point with Absolute Batman.

In that both involve side characters being turned into half human animal abominations, and who only get turned back normal after a fist fight with another half human(half cat for WHA & Centaur for Absolute Batman).

Honestly a really funny coincidence given how different the two are. And I bet Waylon & Eunie would be able to bond over being assaulted, kidnapped, and experimented on by shadow organizations that don’t care for the harm they cause.

Granted Eunie would probably be glad he doesn’t have to fight the Devil. Though that raises an interesting question on how exactly religion functions in Witch Hat Atelier.

Fuck it’s been a wild ride from start to finish with this first season. Crazy how this series started out like it was a classic regression action comedy before immediately becoming a character study and deconstruction of the Regression Genre and the character Great as a whole.

Also the author just flat out hates Great. It cannot be understated how many times my man has been put through the emotional ringer.

Yay.

For those who don’t know. Hyper is a sword master from the series, The Graymark, who styles himself as a martial pacifist. While he’s willing to fight and and hurt people for his beliefs and duties as the Administrator of Block 5(one of six mega cities in Graymark), and later as the personal bodyguard and living weapon of Kai De Anecdote. He draws the line at killing people.

He’ll beat, he’ll dismember, hell, he’ll even paralyze you from the neck down. But he absolutely will not kill a person. And he’s fully committed to his beliefs and willing to die for them.

My question is, how do you think Meti might consider Hyper?

Personally I think she’d call him a greater fool than her, but one who touched upon the essence of things for a split second.

A fool who still wields the blade and believes that he can use a weapon and its power while holding to his beliefs. A fool who thinks that just because he isn’t killing his enemies automatically makes him better or gives him the moral high ground.

But he’s a fool who’s willing to back up his beliefs. Who caught a glimpse of Royalty on his path of conviction, for what was his answer when asked ‘how would he, a swordsman who does not allow himself to kill, stop an army of murderers and vagabonds?’

He responded. ‘I’d cut a mountain from the land and put it in their path. So many people train in the art of killing and instantaneous glory, but few if any train in walking long ass distances. Perhaps only a few dozen would get past that Mountain, I can non-lethally dispatch a few dozen exhausted vagabonds.’

So I made a cover for my novel, Broken Regression: Do the Worm. By photoshopping images from Absolute Green Lantern, Dies Irae, The Graymark, The Superhuman Era, and Player comics.

Since I’d thought it’d be more eye catching than Ai generated art, and I’d rather be dead then use Ai generated images, and I wanted to do something more than just taking an image from random easily identifiable comics wholesale.

It’s still going to be a while before I write enough backlog to start officially publishing. But I know how important having a distinguishable cover is when it comes to garnering interest in your work.

So I wanted to ask for opinions on my photoshop skills, since it’s been AWHILE since I’ve last used it. And what might be some good edits to implement for the cover.

An absolutely hilarious Manwha that I can’t get enough of. It’s rare seeing a female main character as unhinged as Riley. And her dynamic with Grimoire is top notch, they both bounce off each other perfectly and always make every scene a blast to remember. Plus it’s nice that her backstory is actually relevant throughout the entire story so far. Her experience as a member of the Thieves Guild helps out a lot not in closing the gap between her and her peers in the world of magic.

Honestly a solid 8/10. Would read again.

Given that there’s no new Absolute Universe content being released this week. I thought it’d be a nice idea to recommend other comics that might scratch that itch. Today’s first recommendation is a Manwha called ‘Tale of the Skeleton Messenger.’

It has a good deal in common with Absolute Superman. Both Kal and Venlyra fight against oppressive governments and regimes that care little to nothing about their people. And both work to maintain their humanity even after they see the continuous cruelty and oppression their enemies employ.

While both characters have drastically different views of the world. Especially on if it’s okay to take a life or not in their eyes. I still believe anyone who likes Absolute Superman will find this Manwha enjoyable as well.

P.S. There is also an absolutely deranged woman with a giant sword. If that’s also a thing you’re interested in.

Any recommendations would be appreciated! Here are some pages from AMM to give you an idea of what I’m looking for.