2001 Nights, Volume 1: The Death Trilogy Overture

A ten volume series, starting with Regan meeting Gorbachev in space to form a treaty, ending 400 years later with the next evolution of humanity, space-born, leaving the local cluster for a 15,000 light year journey. The stories are about 50-50 uplifting vs bummer, great story arches. The creativity and hard science ideas are awesome-- deep stuff, delivered in a clear and audience friendly way. Brain expanding. Occasionally shows its age by utilizing tropes that the genre has outgrown. Gender roles handled pretty well for the era, prominent female anti-heroes, etc., but occasional lapses into stereotypes. Wonderful art and comic layout work. Great faces, very expressive and able to connect us to a character. I wish there was more!

Excellent, serious-minded Gekiga, with an episodic plot that nevertheless references itself throughout. Think of it as hard-sf short stories with beautiful art.