Arpad Okay

Blind Alley is a comic strip. So if you’re here reading this, I’m guessing you’ve got the essentials down already. Start with the first panel, and when you get to the end, stop. Did I say how to? I meant how you. Adam de Souza’s strip is mostly episodic (as in self-contained, rather than serialized) and leans heavily esoteric, so you can start at the start if you’d like. Or you can start anywhere. Kids, pets, a monster or two, no adults, no school, yes reasons but no answers. Gags. Moments of clarity.

Cocoon Writer/artist: Machiko Kyo Translator: Jan Mitsuko Cash Letterer: Elizabeth Conley Editor: Pancha Diaz Publisher: Viz Media / $14.99 June 2026 Exploded girls, dead students, uniforms and blood and maggots. This is not something new to manga. Cocoon by Machiko Kyo is josei, a broad subgroup of Japanese women’s comics whose common thread is their stories answer to the reader in search of more, a step beyond shojo and books for manga readers who are starting out.

Troubled Detective Cartoonist: Asante Amani Self-publishing through Kickstarter / $15 2026 When someone you care about goes missing, the cops aren’t going to help you. You can count on them showing up when you call and arresting somebody, but beyond that they’re going to leave you hanging. What you need is a private investigator like Joe Mallard, Asante Amani‘s Troubled Detective, who knows which questions to ask, and of whom. Someone who can follow a digital footprint.