This is an excellent compilation of underground manga, with contributions by Hideshi Hino, Suehiro Maruo, Nekojiru, and others. As those names indicate, the slant here is toward gruesome horror and zany, irreverent drug fantasias. Overall, this is a "must-own" for fans of indie comics with strong stomachs, the only drawback being a somewhat sloppy localization.

This beautifully understated manga depicts a bittersweet romance/friendship between two high school girls. Nananan's style is delicate and oblique, portraying character emotions with great nuance. A gentle eroticism permeates the book, the obscure tenderness of a touch, a word, a glance. Eschewing the melodramatic fireworks of most mainstream shoujo manga, Blue is a miniature masterpiece.

A collection of horrifying but uncannily beautiful stories by Suehiro Maruo. Maruo's extreme subject matter is balanced by a formal rigor more reminiscent of ukiyo-e than typical manga.

A collection of short, depressing, slice-of-life stories by the inventor of gekiga. Tatsumi's protagonists are all nearly interchangeable--depressed, nearly mute working class men who explode when they finally can't take it anymore.

A hilarious "instructional manual" on how to draw manga, which is really a (barely disguised) parody of the cynical formulas that rule the money-hungry manga industry.

The absolute best horror manga ever! Not only is it really terrifying, but it's extremely high-concept and almost existential. I greatly prefer this to the work of Hideshi Hino.

Short Cuts, which used to be serialized in Pulp Magazine (RIP), is an almost unclassifiable mash up of parodies of otaku culture. Sexy, hilarious, and unpredictable.

I haven't been able to check this out yet, but Umezu is considered the grandaddy of horror manga, and was a huge influence on Junji Ito.

What can I say, except that it deserves its canonical status? The manga is every bit as impressive as the anime.

Samura's art is absolutely astounding. The series is running on a bit long for my taste, but the artwork never ceases to amaze.

Realistic series about the romance and tragedy of space travel. Very episodic but it managaes to be both mature and meditative, and at times funny and wistful.

Nonaka's manga is pure brilliant dadaist hilarity. Although some of the more "Japanese" jokes were a bit over my head.

A wonderful josei manga by Sakurazawa that deals with unrequited love in a touching way that eschews easy cliches. A welcome surprise!

Wonderful artwork.

Nothing sensational, just a straightforward, realistic depiction of life in jail in Japan.

A self-reflexive "sequel" to the more austere, photo-realistic "Yukiko's Spinach," this manga depicts the end of a romance without the sentimentality of typical shoujo fare.

This short series is droll, sexy, and overall just incredibly charming. Recommended especially for foodies!