True North Country Comics presents Maiji/Mary Huang’s top 10 go-to comic book and graphic novel list.

Maiji/Mary is a Taiwanese-Canadian artist and writer based out of Toronto. Her comics, zines and poetry incorporate themes of Eastern philosophy and mythology and everyday human experiences. She is the creator of Now Recharging, a slice-of-life webcomic about a sheep-loving android who is bad at math and worried about nonexistence. Her work has been exhibited in Canada and Japan.

Here are Maiji/Mary Huang’s top 10 go-to comic books and graphic novels.

“This was really hard, and the following is hardly a definitive top 10 for me. There’s so much good, inspiring and instructive work out there, and more emerging all the time! I tried to stick to titles that are available in English and would be fairly accessible in North America.”

Yu Yu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi
“This was a defining manga of my childhood, and holds up extremely well coming back to it as an adult. I also love seeing the evolution of Togashi’s art over the course of the series.”

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
“I think this needs little introduction or explanation here… but I do want to note that I especially enjoy his animated inks and landscapes.”

Phoenix by Osamu Tezuka 
“Osamu Tezuka considered this project his magnum opus, and it’s easy to understand why – it’s a soul-stirring epic with a stunning vision. I find a lot of his storytelling and panelling experiments still feel remarkably fresh and innovative.”

Doll by Mitsukazu Mihara
“A very human series of short stories about robots that sticks in your brain. Some are dark and twisted, others are warm and comforting. While the chapters are largely standalone, the final book does a great job of pulling everything together.”

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
“I was quickly charmed by this whimsical, irreverent, practical, and compassionate world. A lot of reviews for this tend to talk about how great the order of bearded nuns are… and they’re right, they are great. But the entire thing is a delight!”

A Distant Neighbourhood by Jiro Taniguchi
“One of the first works I read by Taniguchi, it moved me with its sense of nostalgia and family. His technical drawing skills always blow me away, and he’s excellent at grounding you in a time and place.”

The Tale of Genji: Dreams at Dawn by Waki Yamato 
“Shoujo manga and the Tale of Genji are such a natural fit, and this 80s/early 90s adaptation does an amazing job tackling the daunting challenges of conveying a 1,000-year-old narrative with a complex cast. And the historical clothing is glorious! Kodansha released an English digital edition in 2019, so it’s very easy to find right now.”

Ooku by Fumi Yoshinaga 
“I was hooked by the fascinating premise, then repeatedly wowed by the execution of so many highly-nuanced character relationships across the generations. Yoshinaga Fumi is brilliant with subtlety.”

Land of the Lustrous by Ichiko Harukawa 
“Such an imaginative, compelling, hard-to-pin down story with intriguing takes on Buddhist imagery and references. And a very striking aesthetic!”

One Punch Man by ONE
“I enjoy both the original webcomic and the redrawn version by Yusuke Murata. Each version has distinct things to offer, and it’s clever, appealing and inspiring on many levels!”

You can discover more about Maiji/Mary Huang on Twitter at @maiji on Instagram at @humangray and online at humangray.com and nowrecharging.com