Arguably, manga is closer to graphic novels than comic books (a tankōbon is especially comparable to the format of a graphic novel), but essentially manga is it's own thing, and is far more similar to manhwa and manhua than comics or graphic novels.
I never really got into comics or graphic novels, but I read a lot of manga. I generally love anything from Inio Asano, Naoki Urasawa, Abe Youichi and especially Taiyo Matsumoto, who is my absolute favourite artist. My favourite series include 20th Century Boys, Genshiken, Ping Pong, Nana, Battle Angel Alita, Solanin, A Distant Neighbourhood, I Am a Hero, Eden: It's an Endless World, and Blood Diver Ringo and the Fishbowl Man, the latter of which is possibly one of the most quirky, original and well-illustrated narratives I have read in recent times.
I really adore the work of Taiyo Matsumoto because his artwork is incredibly unique, especially for a mangaka. He takes inspiration from Japanese illustrators, but also from bandes dessinées and American comics. He doesn't use any of the sketchy techniques usually associated with manga, and instead utilises a lot of inking and bold, sometimes unfocused lines, along with a beautiful use of watercolours in Takemitsu Zamurai and Sunny.
I love his manga Ping Pong, because his artwork illustrates the sport with all the tenacity and beauty it deserves. Though manga is all drawings and still images, you can absolutely imagine the action as movement through his precise illustrations and inventive panel placement. The man is a pioneer and has yet to produce anything I haven't enjoyed. I also adore his surrealist themes and pensive, adolescent characters.
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