Graphic Novels/Comics

losthorizon

I've always been a snob when it comes to my reading but recently I was drawn to a book in Waterstones called "1001 comics you must read before you die". Now I'm I'm not into Superhero stuff but Ive found that some great stuff exists in the Graphic novels world that deals with social subjects, the holocaust, crime in fact everything in an adult way. How did I not spot this before. Are there any other fans of this genre?

Professey Chin

Watchmen

Sandman

Y The Last Man

Read now yes?

losthorizon

Professey Chin wrote: »

Watchmen

Sandman

Y The Last Man

Read now yes?

These are recommendations?

Professey Chin

Yep. Great series to read

pablomakaveli

The Walking Dead novels are worth reading. I've read about 7 or 8 of them and enjoy them a lot more than the tv show.

Sir Arthur Daley

What about some old 90"s Playboys?

clairefontaine

Maus by Art Speigelman

losthorizon

clairefontaine wrote: »

Maus by Art Speigelman

Just read that (actually just read part 1) THe Artwork was very basic but a very very powerful story.

Duckworth_Luas

The Beano

The torture inflicted on Walter the Softy was always very graphic

anncoates

The old Freak Brothers / Fat Freddys Cat comics are good for a laugh although I've not read them for years.

Links234

losthorizon wrote: »

Are there any other fans of this genre?

Yup! Huge comic book nerd here

I'd highly recommend Alan Moore's From Hell, incredible read

Also check out Transmetropolitan, takes a little to get into but overall an absolutely fantastic story.

Pat Mustard

Hellboy. Savage stuff.

'Graphic novels' is a term invented by marketers. They've always been comics.

Ruu

Does Roy of the Rovers count?

anncoates

Ruubot2 wrote: »

Does Roy of the Rovers count?

Only if from the Hot Shot McHamish and Mighty Mouse era

Links234

The Mustard wrote: »

Hellboy. Savage stuff.

'Graphic novels' is a term invented by marketers. They've always been comics.

Love all the Hellboy stuff, but I'd nearly say that the spin off BPRD beats it. The 1946 story was in particular one of the best reads of any of the series.

And yeah, even Alan Moore refers to his works as comic books, and has spoken a bit about the whole 'graphic novel' slant in the past.

Another recommendation: Bone by Jeff Smith

Ninjini

100 bullets is well worth a read

Waitsian

Preacher, and Charley's War are two that spring to mind, although very different.

Check the Goodreads lists recommendations for more top class ones.

jam_mac_jam

From Hell is my favorite and Maus as was mentioned already.

Pat Mustard

Links234 wrote: »

And yeah, even Alan Moore refers to his works as comic books, and has spoken a bit about the whole 'graphic novel' slant in the past.

Another recommendation: Bone by Jeff Smith

Alan Moore may be a creative genius, but he also has his head up his own ass if he wouldn't even watch the Watchmen film to be proved wrong about it. I guess that he got burned with From Hell, but still.

BPRD already downloaded onto tablet. Bone noted!

Fully agree with the poster about The Walking Dead. The series is quite good, but the comic is something else.

Skerries

Ruubot2 wrote: »

Does Roy of the Rovers count?

of course he does and that's just stereotyping footballers as so thick that they can't do maths

Earthhorse

Like any medium there is good and bad stuff and not everything highly recommended will be to your taste.

My personal favourites would be:

Ghost World
V For Vendatta
Batman: The Long Halloween

If you start reading them you'll surely find what is and isn't to your taste. "Graphic novel" may have started life as a marketing term but I find it a handy way of distinguishing between a self contained work and an ongoing weekly series.

ElvisChrist6

Sláine - The Horned God... fantasy version of the first high king of Ireland, with a lot of actual Irish mythology in there, like Queen Medb and stuff. Fantastic artwork as well.

Batman - Arkham Asylum. I know you said you're not into superheroes, but this is probably one of the best graphic novels I've ever read, leads you through the psychology of each of the villians, great painted artwork in it.

Vayda

Personal faves, and ones I would recommend highly: Invincible and Preacher.

karma_

mod9maple wrote: »

Preacher, and Charley's War are two that spring to mind, although very different.

Check the Goodreads lists recommendations for more top class ones.

Preacher is just amazing, and created by an Irishman too. I think I read Seth Rogan is making a pilot for this too, been rumoured to be made into an epic TV series for ages now.

My recommendation is 'The Invisibles'.

Links234

The Mustard wrote: »

Alan Moore may be a creative genius, but he also has his head up his own ass if he wouldn't even watch the Watchmen film to be proved wrong about it. I guess that he got burned with From Hell, but still.

I actually couldn't stand Watchmen, so I don't think there's any way Alan Moore would be 'proved wrong' about it. He also got burned with the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. In fact, I think V for Vendetta was the only decent adaptation of his stuff at all.

Lyaiera

I've read the first third of DMZ, about Manhattan being declared a neutral zone in a modern American civil war. I'm planning on finishing it off soon, but I'd really recommend it based on what I have read.

Comics can be as cheesy as you want, and there's also astounding works of literature within them. I think what's interesting is the amount of social commentary embedded in them. With a small but dedicated market it can leave the authors with a lot more freedom to put messages in them, be they political, social about violence, rights or whatever. So on the one hand you have the DC stuff with people going nuts that women are featured, then you have people commenting on modern police states or the environment, etc. on the other side of things.

jr22

Joe Sacco is amazing. Graphic novel/ journalistic accounts of Bosnian War and the Middle East.

Safe Area Goražde, The Fixer, Palestine. 10/10.

Here's a piece he did on Iraq as a taster. Great stuff. http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2005/02/25/sacco1.pdf

Ineedaname

DMZ
Y The Last Man
Preacher
100 Bullets
Punk Rock Jesus (Read this recently. Can't recommend it enough)
Sweet Tooth
American Vampire

All well worth a read

Shenshen

I've been really into comic books all my life, though I've never been a fan of the superhero type.

Favourites atm :

Bone by Jeff Smith
Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai
Sandman
Castle Waiting by Linda Medley (bit childish, but beautiful)
Elfquest (bit kitsch, but I adore it)

I'm also a huge fan of French and Belgium comics, everything from Gaston Lagaffe to Asterix to Les Tuniques Bleus to Lanfeust and Troll de Troy.
There are some fantastic fantasy-type comics coming from that tradition these days, well worth checking out. I'd particularly recommend Troll de Troy and, if you can find it, Orull.

Sulla Felix

Lucifer, for anyone who liked Sandman

Links234

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Lucifer, for anyone who liked Sandman

I'll probably be accussed of blasphemy here, but Lucifer surpasses Sandman in my books

Gatling

For me Frank Miller got me intrested in graphic novels after reading 2000AD and judge dredd for years I can across frank millers The Dark Night returns and Batman year one converted me to a reader ,
300 was great to well before it was moviefied

Birneybau

I really loved "Scott Pilgrim..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Pilgrim

Also, "Watchmen"

Duck's hoop

Used get Sandman whenever I could, way back in the day.

Preacher good. Watchmen is simply outstanding. Read and re-read half a dozen times. Always gives you something a bit different.

Slaine back in the early '90s was superb. Mushroom compatibility 10.

Maus fantastic. And er, educational.

Hard Boiled and Sin City also pretty amazing. Some great French stuff I can't remember, but they really go in for that.

Anyone remember 'Crisis' back late 80s to maybe 90-91? Very intelligent, political and 'punky'. Great teenage stuff back then.

Barna77

I used to read lots of Japanese comics when I was a teenager, cheesy and not so cheesy. And Asterix too. Never got into Tintin though.
The brother has a huge collection on American superhero comics (Spiderman specially)

I read Watchmen just before the movie was out. Loved it.

Want to get my hands on Soctt Pilgrim and The Walking Dead. Love the series but they are expensive

bodice ripper

Nothing wrong with graphic novels, but anyone who refers to them as "books" should be fired into the sun.

Lyaiera

Links234 wrote: »

I'll probably be accussed of blasphemy here, but Lucifer surpasses Sandman in my books

I totally agree. Sandman isn't coherent throughout, Lucifer is far more of collected idea. Both have value and will appeal to different people but it meant Lucifer was far more satisfying for me.


Big ups to anyone mentioning Asterix. Probably my earliest introduction to comics. The level of writing was outstanding and supposedly each language has it's own particular level of great writing. I've seen some language experts hold the Asterix translations as a high point of translating work.

Thwip!

bodice ripper wrote: »

Nothing wrong with graphic novels, but anyone who refers to them as "books" should be fired into the sun.

-_-

jam_mac_jam

Lyaiera wrote: »

I totally agree. Sandman isn't coherent throughout, Lucifer is far more of collected idea. Both have value and will appeal to different people but it meant Lucifer was far more satisfying for me.


Big ups to anyone mentioning Asterix. Probably my earliest introduction to comics. The level of writing was outstanding and supposedly each language has it's own particular level of great writing. I've seen some language experts hold the Asterix translations as a high point of translating work.

I completely forgot Asterix, I loved them when I was younger and probably didn't get half of it, should read them again.

Lyaiera

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

I completely forgot Asterix, I loved them when I was younger and probably didn't get half of it, should read them again.

I think they're as good as the best kids films. They have something for everyone: historical jokes, wordplay, jokes on the places they're set, jokes about drugs ("Getafix.") If they weren't so French I'd imagine Hollywood would have picked up on them yonks ago.

bodice ripper

Thwip! wrote: »

-_-

t(-.-t)


I mean, I think that's the response I mean to give. I amn't sure what your post means.

Darius.Tr

The Swamp Thing, the only comic book I've read.

Stone Deaf 4evr

The losers
Incorruptible
Punisher war zone
Y the last man
Preacher
The first 95 ish issues of the walking dead
Midnight nation
100 bullets
Ex machina
Runaways

All incredible.

EdwardCastle

bodice ripper wrote: »

Nothing wrong with graphic novels, but anyone who refers to them as "books" should be fired into the sun.

What are they so O Knowledable One?

Please enlighten us with your wisdom.

RobbingBandit

Superman Red Son is a great read, good twist on the story. 1602 series by Neil Gaiman is fantastic. House of M was really good too.

dicititici

Blacksad. Well developed characters(anthromorph animals)plot and great artwork. have the first two read online, they were only in french though.

An Sclabhai, about the life of st Patrick simple storyline but nice artwork.

Shenshen

dicititici wrote: »

Blacksad. Well developed characters(anthromorph animals)plot and great artwork. have the first two read online, they were only in french though.

An Sclabhai, about the life of st Patrick simple storyline but nice artwork.

I totally agree on Blacksad - I'm not normally too much into the anthropomorphised animals, but I'm willing to make exceptions in this case (well, this and Usagi Yojimbo).
Great "private eye" style stories, and that fact that it's animals rather than humans gives it an extra edge.

I recently got a few copies of "Fables" as well and rather like them.

Shenshen

bodice ripper wrote: »

Nothing wrong with graphic novels, but anyone who refers to them as "books" should be fired into the sun.

I'm curious... how would you refer to the phone book?

Thwip!

bodice ripper wrote: »

t(-.-t)


I mean, I think that's the response I mean to give. I amn't sure what your post means.

Your complete dismissing of a graphic novel as a book. Incredibly ill-informed opinion

bodice ripper

EdwardCastle wrote: »

What are they so O Knowledable One?

Please enlighten us with your wisdom.

Graphic novels.

Timmyctc

pablomakaveli wrote: »

The Walking Dead novels are worth reading. I've read about 7 or 8 of them and enjoy them a lot more than the tv show.

The Mustard wrote: »

Alan Moore may be a creative genius, but he also has his head up his own ass if he wouldn't even watch the Watchmen film to be proved wrong about it. I guess that he got burned with From Hell, but still.

BPRD already downloaded onto tablet. Bone noted!

Fully agree with the poster about The Walking Dead. The series is quite good, but the comic is something else.

Barna77 wrote: »

I used to read lots of Japanese comics when I was a teenager, cheesy and not so cheesy. And Asterix too. Never got into Tintin though.
The brother has a huge collection on American superhero comics (Spiderman specially)

I read Watchmen just before the movie was out. Loved it.

Want to get my hands on Soctt Pilgrim and The Walking Dead. Love the series but they are expensive

I dont get the circle jerk around TWD comix. The first few editions in particular I found very weak in terms of writing. The first season of the tv series is much better than the first few comics (I know the first season basically comprises only the 1st comic but still.)

The tv series goes downhill in terms of quality once Frank Darabont was fired. The comics do get better, but then they too get fairly medicore.