There’s been some lively discussion of reactions to the Ax anthology from Top Shelf (and here’s the solicitation for the second volume), which inspired this weekend’s query. What I’m  basically wondering is what three titles in the pile of manga you’ve read do you consider alternative? I ask this with the understanding that everyone’s tastes in comics are different and that “alternative” is an entirely relative term as a result.

Since I’m using Ax as a baseline, I’ll leave it off of my list, which consists of:

• Little Fluffy Gigolo Pelu, written and illustrated by Junko Mizuno, Last Gasp
• The Box Man, written and illustrated by Imiri Sakabashira, Drawn & Quarterly
• Secret Comics Japan, written and illustrated by various artists, Viz

What are your choices?