So you’re a graphic novel or a manga reader and you want more like Soulless the Manga? I got you covered!

Graphic Novels & Manga for YOU!

1. Black Butler by Yana Toboso

The manga that, for me, started it all. The art and the costumes are truly amazing and I feel, in this regard, that you can really see REM’s heritage. (REM is my manga artist.

Just a stone’s throw from London lies the manor house of the illustrious Phantomhive earldom, its master one Ciel Phantomhive. Earl Phantomhive is a giant in the world of commerce, Queen Victoria’s faithful servant . . . and a slip of a twelve-year old boy.

His butler is a demon. Or is he?

2. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore

Probably the square root of steampunk. Don’t blame the crappy movie on this book. The representation is poor and it’s pretty dark, but it was the beginning for many of us.

In this amazingly imaginative tale, literary figures from throughout time and various bodies of work are brought together to face any and all threats to Britain.

3. Invader ZIM by Jhonen Vasquez

My favorite cartoon of all time. What can you say about this level of stupid genius?

From the far reaches of weird space to the incomprehensible world of underground art, ZIM is back! And his thirst for world domination has only grown!

4. Old-Fashioned Cupcake by Sagan Sagan

And this manga would become one of my favorite BLs of all time (2022’s Old Fashion Cupcake). The original is just as delightful as the show. The food is so pretty, the romance is absolutely heartwarming, everything is is utterly charming.

A visit to a pancake shop leads to an unexpected May-December romance that breathes life into the monotonous routine of an older salaryman.

Bloodlust & Bonnets by Emily McGovern

Light weight and cute, and very very bloody.

Set in early nineteenth-century Britain, Bloodlust & Bonnets follows Lucy, an unworldly debutante who desires a life of passion and intrigue—qualities which earn her the attention of Lady Violet Travesty, the leader of a local vampire cult.

I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up by Kodama Naoko

The title says it all friends-to-lovers meets sham marriage tropes galore in this sweet lesbian friends to lovers manga. It’s rather weightless, but charming.

Morimoto, a young professional woman in Japan, wishes her parents would stop trying to get her to marry a man and settle down. Her friend from high school offers to be her wife in a sham marriage, to make Morimoto’s parents back off. But this fake marriage could unearth something very real.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Erica Henderson

Suitable for most ages this is just fun and breezy and charming. If you always wanted a powerful, body-positive, brassy, female role model, here she is, starting college and kicking butt.

The Bride Was a Boy by Chii

What I love most about this is that is tackles serious issues but with a profoundly gentle touch. It’s an almost memoir that manages to be entertaining, happy, and sweet but ALSO extremely informative. Highly recommended for those who might be questioning their own gender identity, but also family and friends of anyone transitioning who need a window towards understanding.

A diary comic with an upbeat, adorable flair that tells the charming tale of Chii, a woman assigned male at birth.

Rat Queens by Kurtis J Wiebe

This comic is very bloody and violent but raucous good fun. What I enjoyed most was that this is LitPRG parody at it’s very very best. If you grew up reading Dragon Quest and the like (or playing it, for that matter) this is a hoot.

Who are the Rat Queens? A pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire, and they’re in the business of killing all god’s creatures for profit.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu

Nova works in a bookstore but one night this young witch ventures into the woods and finds her childhood friend and crush, Tam, fighting against a demon.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

A heartwarming historical option, set in Paris has beautiful, vivid, and colorful artwork and a charming yet important story-line for children or adults. So sweet and cute.

As always you don’t have to take my word for it…

• Every Bi & Lesbian Comic, Graphic Novel, and Manga I’ve Read and Loved (The Lesbrary)
• 9 Queer YA Comics
• 5 Entertaining LGBTQ Pride Day Comics and Graphic Novels

If you have more you’d like to suggest, particularly written by/featuring women, POC, and queer characters, please leave a comment! Please keep if fluffy and fun.

This blog post came about via a discussion in the Parasol Protectorate fan group, honestly, it is one of the best places to get book suggestions tailored to your specifications, especially if you love my stuff.

Yours (destined to be killed by a tumbling TBR pile),

Miss Gail

• I will likely give away a select few of these books to Chirrup members in the future, because I love them bestest. Sign up here.
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Tags: Book Rec List, Manga