The 10 Best Comics I Read This Year (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it becomes a challenge to track every significant new series. Inevitably, the most popular series capture the spotlight, yet a treasure trove exists of undiscovered treasures ripe for exploration.

One of the greatest joys for fans of the medium is stumbling upon a largely unknown series in the sea of new chapters and then sharing it to friends. Here are some of the best lesser-known manga I've discovered recently, along with explanations for why they're worth checking out ahead of the curve.

Several entries here have not yet reached a large audience, partly due to they haven't received anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these grants you some notable geek cred.

10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero

• Authors: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

This may seem like a strange choice, but bear with me. Manga can be silly, and there's nothing wrong with that. I admit that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While this series doesn't fully fit the genre, it uses similar story beats, including an unbeatable hero and a game-influenced setting. The charm, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who vents his stress by exploring strange labyrinths that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to keep his hobby secret, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change.

There might be better isekai series, but this is a rare example from a top company, and thus easily available to international audiences via a free service. Regarding online access, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're looking for a brief, enjoyable diversion, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended.

9. The Exorcists of Nito

• Creator: Iromi Ichikawa
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the genre's overpopularity, but my opinion was altered this year. The Nito Exorcists reminds me of the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its eerie vibe, stylized art, and sudden violence. I stumbled upon it accidentally and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of discovering his master's killer. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than fueling his retribution. The plot may seem basic, but the treatment of the characters is as delicate as the art, and the artistic dichotomy between the silly appearance of the spirits and the bloody fights is an effective bonus. This is a series with the capacity to become a hit — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

• Creator: Yuto Sano
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus; Viz

If breathtaking art is your priority, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is stunning, meticulous, and distinctive. The narrative hews close to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the characters are all quirky and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a poor neighborhood where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the manner of death: a hanging victim manifests as a choking force, one who ended their own life causes blood loss, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that gives weight to these antagonists. Gokurakugai might become a major title, but it's constrained by its slower publication rate. From the beginning, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

• Writing Team: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Viz

This grim fantasy manga approaches the ever-present fight narrative from a novel angle for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it presents massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability allows him to manifest sound as light, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a cruel mercenary band to become a formidable commander, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the insertion of sci-fi elements occasionally doesn't fit, but this series still delivered bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a sophisticated series with a group of eccentric individuals, an compelling ability ruleset, and an pleasing blend of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian

• Creator: Sho Yamazaki
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

A calculating main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because a massage from its small claws is a unique cure for his aches. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you