The 10 Best Comics I Discovered Recently (Flying Under the Radar).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it becomes a challenge to track every worthwhile release. As always, the biggest series dominate conversations, yet a treasure trove exists of hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

One of the greatest joys for any manga enthusiast is finding a mostly obscure series amidst the weekly releases and recommending it to friends. This list highlights of the top obscure manga I've discovered recently, along with reasons why they're worthy of attention ahead of the curve.

Some of these series have not yet reached a mainstream following, especially as they are without anime adaptations. A few are trickier to read due to where they're available. But recommending any of these will earn you some serious bragging rights.

10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero

• Writing Team: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

This may seem like a strange choice, but let me explain. The medium embraces absurdity, and there's nothing wrong with that. I admit that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While this series isn't strictly an isekai, it embraces familiar conventions, including an overpowered main character and a game-influenced setting. The unique hook, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to keep his hobby secret, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is an accessible title released by a leading publisher, and thus readily accessible to international audiences via a free service. For easy reading, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're seeking a brief, enjoyable diversion, this manga is an excellent option.

9. Nito's Exorcists

• Creator: Iromi Ichikawa
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the genre's overpopularity, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. This series evokes the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its ominous tone, stylized art, and shocking ferocity. I stumbled upon it accidentally and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who purges ghosts in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than fueling his retribution. The storyline appears straightforward, but the portrayal of the cast is subtle and refined, and the visual contrast between the comedic design of foes and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

For readers who value visual splendor, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, intricate, and one-of-a-kind. The narrative hews close to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a working-class district where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga has powers relating to the way the human died: a suicide by hanging manifests as a choking force, one who died from self-harm can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that provides substance to these antagonists. This series has potential for massive popularity, but it's held back by its monthly schedule. Starting in 2022, only a handful of volumes have been released, which can test a reader's patience.

7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song

• Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Viz

This dark fantasy manga tackles the ever-present fight narrative from a fresh perspective for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a cruel mercenary band to become a powerful tactician, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but this series still surprised me with dark turns and unexpected plot twists. It's a mature shonen with a group of eccentric individuals, an interesting power system, and an enjoyable mix of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian

• Artist: Sho Yamazaki
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

A emotionally distant 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—supposedly since a massage from its little feet is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you