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Graphic novels

musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,117
edited November 2007 in All Encompassing Trip
I just read Criag Thompson's Blankets and was blown away. What are some good graphic novels for novices like myself?
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Any of the Sandman collections from Neil Gaiman, but do start with the first one "Preludes and Nocturnes"

    "The Other Side" by Jason Aaron......a very graphic Vietnam war story

    "Scalped" by Jason Aaron.....a crime story set on a modern day Indian reservation.

    Cerebus by Dave Sim.....not everybody's cup of tea

    Pride of Baghdad by Brain K. Vaughn

    Fables by Bill Willingham.....great, great series...once again start with the first book.

    The Preacher by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillion is really out there....great stuff

    All of the Sin City by Frank Miller is available in collected form....if you liked the movie, you'll love the graphic version
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    yosi1yosi1 Posts: 3,272
    tybird wrote:
    Any of the Sandman collections from Neil Gaiman, but do start with the first one "Preludes and Nocturnes"

    "The Other Side" by Jason Aaron......a very graphic Vietnam war story

    "Scalped" by Jason Aaron.....a crime story set on a modern day Indian reservation.

    Cerebus by Dave Sim.....not everybody's cup of tea

    Pride of Baghdad by Brain K. Vaughn

    Fables by Bill Willingham.....great, great series...once again start with the first book.

    The Preacher by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillion is really out there....great stuff

    All of the Sin City by Frank Miller is available in collected form....if you liked the movie, you'll love the graphic version

    Good list so far.

    Gotta add Watchmen by Allan Moore.
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    geishagrrlgeishagrrl Posts: 130
    Moonshadow by J. M. DeMatteis and Jon Muth (one of my favorite artists)

    I've started reading Mouse Guard by David Petersen and am really liking it.

    I'll second Sandman and Fables and if you like them you may like Books of Magic. If you like Preacher, definitely check out Hellblazer (please ignore the horrid movie adaptation).

    Any of Mike Mignola's Hellboy or BPRD books.

    David Lapham's Stray Bullets.

    And of course, the Dark Knight Returns!
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    geishagrrl wrote:
    Moonshadow by J. M. DeMatteis and Jon Muth (one of my favorite artists)

    I've started reading Mouse Guard by David Petersen and am really liking it.

    And of course, the Dark Night Returns!
    Despite the collected first arc of Mouse Guard sitting on my shelf, I left it off my list. :(

    Been a long time....but I remember Moonshadow being excellent.

    If Super-hero stuff interest you, yes, the Dark Knight Returns and the Watchmen are head and shoulders above the crowd. The Authority books by Warren Ellis and Mark Millar are also excellent.

    Any Swamp Thing collections featuring writing by Alan Moore or Rick Veitch are also among my favorites.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    yosi1yosi1 Posts: 3,272
    I'm not a huge fan of the Dark Knight Returns, but if you're into Batman, definitely check out the Long Halloween.
    you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane.
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    intodeepintodeep Posts: 7,228
    I just finished re-reading the Preacher series by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon. It is really great. Love the humor in it.

    I'm about to re-read the sandman series now.

    Then i'm going to read fables for the first time.
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    geishagrrlgeishagrrl Posts: 130
    yosi wrote:
    I'm not a huge fan of the Dark Knight Returns, but if you're into Batman, definitely check out the Long Halloween.
    And then follow it up with Dark Victory! :D
    My husband is a huge Tim Sale fan and collects art from both books. Good stuff!
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    AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,569
    Hansel and Grettel
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
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    nocode23nocode23 Posts: 411
    100 Bullets is one of my favs right now. Def check out Sandman, Watchmen, Preacher and Hellblazer all quality stuff. Grendel is pretty good too.
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    drtyfrnk29drtyfrnk29 Posts: 846
    Man, I was getting ready to hear about nasty stories or blood and guts. Then I realized you're all talking about freakin' comic books.

    :cool: :p
    I'm so dangerous I smoke dynamite.

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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    drtyfrnk29 wrote:
    Man, I was getting ready to hear about nasty stories or blood and guts. Then I realized you're all talking about freakin' comic books.

    :cool: :p
    Guess what???? You can find exactly what you were looking for in many of the comics that we have mentioned. :D
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    eoboeobo Posts: 102
    The Walking Dead is an excellent series, as in Invincible. Both are by Robert Kirkman and both are available as TPBs and Hardbacks of collected editions.

    Worth getting into, and they're ongiong! yay!
    heh, keep her lit.

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    harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Very surprised no one's mentioned 'Maus'.

    Groundbreaking. Satirical look at Nazi Germany which makes the germans Cats and the Jews mice.

    Also, although it's not a novel as such, the 'American Splendor' comics are worth a mention. They are available in one collection and the drawings are incredible.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    Very surprised no one's mentioned 'Maus'.

    Groundbreaking. Satirical look at Nazi Germany which makes the germans Cats and the Jews mice.

    Also, although it's not a novel as such, the 'American Splendor' comics are worth a mention. They are available in one collection and the drawings are incredible.
    Another one that I have the shelf, but failed to mention. :( I believe that Maus won a Pulitzer prize back in the day....

    Right now I am reading the new League of Extraordinary Gentleman book that hit the streets yesterday. Great stuff....I highly recommend the first two collections to anyone.........light years ahead of the failed movie version.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    daystar143daystar143 Posts: 367
    intodeep wrote:
    I just finished re-reading the Preacher series by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon. It is really great. Love the humor in it.

    I'm about to re-read the sandman series now.

    Then i'm going to read fables for the first time.


    I just finished the most recent Fables last night....enjoy that first read...and it just keeps getting better and better! You will also want to check out Jack of Fables...I can't say too much because you're just about to meet dear Jack...but it's pretty darn good, too.
    The Daystar

    "But --you say that Dreams have no power here? Tell me, Lucifer Morningstar...Ask yourselves, all of you...What power would hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to Dream of Heaven?" Dream speaking to Lucifer as written by Neil Gaiman.
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    daystar143daystar143 Posts: 367
    drtyfrnk29 wrote:
    Man, I was getting ready to hear about nasty stories or blood and guts. Then I realized you're all talking about freakin' comic books.

    :cool: :p


    Gotta second Ty's comment. The death of one of the characters in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is one of the best and bloodiest...and I'll refrain from giving the diner scene in Sandman away to be kind to those who haven't read it yet. Suffice it to say that Ty wouldn't let me read it right before we went to bed because he didn't want to deal with the nightmares....
    The Daystar

    "But --you say that Dreams have no power here? Tell me, Lucifer Morningstar...Ask yourselves, all of you...What power would hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to Dream of Heaven?" Dream speaking to Lucifer as written by Neil Gaiman.
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    geishagrrlgeishagrrl Posts: 130
    David Mack's Kabuki

    Alan Moore's From Hell (again, do not watch the movie) and V for Vendetta

    Charles Burns' Black Hole

    Greg Rucka's White Out

    Jeff Smith's Bone

    Grant Morrison and Jon Muth's Mystery Play
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    geishagrrl wrote:
    Greg Rucka's White Out
    What can you tell me about this one??? I have enjoyed Rucka's other work....and this looks interesting.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    merkinballmerkinball Posts: 2,262
    Some that have been mentioned:

    Sandman, Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, Bone, Fables, Jack of Fables, V for Vendetta - All great.

    Others that I've liked -

    1602 - Marvel characters set in the year 1602, interesting take.
    Sin City (I've read the first 4 so far)
    Gunslinger Born - Portions of Stephen King's Dark Tower series. The artwork is incredible.
    Dark Knight Strikes Again - Not nearly as popular as Dark Knight Returns, but I thought it worked really well.

    and for the kiddies, Owly is hell of a book.
    "You're no help," he told the lime. This was unfair. It was only a lime; there was nothing special about it at all. It was doing the best it could.

    http://www.last.fm/user/merkinball/
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    merkinballmerkinball Posts: 2,262
    intodeep wrote:
    I just finished re-reading the Preacher series by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon. It is really great. Love the humor in it.

    I'm about to re-read the sandman series now.

    Then i'm going to read fables for the first time.

    I'll second what Daystar said. Enjoy Fables, but be prepared to want to go out and buy them all instantly. Best series going right now, and it shows no signs of running out of steam.

    Jack of Fables has really ramped up. Babe the Blue Ox is quickly becoming my favorite character.
    "You're no help," he told the lime. This was unfair. It was only a lime; there was nothing special about it at all. It was doing the best it could.

    http://www.last.fm/user/merkinball/
    spotify:user:merkinball
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    harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    tybird wrote:
    Another one that I have the shelf, but failed to mention. :( I believe that Maus won a Pulitzer prize back in the day....

    Right now I am reading the new League of Extraordinary Gentleman book that hit the streets yesterday. Great stuff....I highly recommend the first two collections to anyone.........light years ahead of the failed movie version.

    Yep, I think Maus is the only graphic novel to have won the Pulitzer.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    merkinball wrote:

    and for the kiddies, Owly is hell of a book.
    I have also enjoyed the Owly series....in the same vein, Gon is about the only Japanese stuff that I have enjoyed.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    geishagrrlgeishagrrl Posts: 130
    tybird wrote:
    What can you tell me about this one??? I have enjoyed Rucka's other work....and this looks interesting.
    Murder mystery/suspense story taking place in Antarctica. They've made it into a movie but I don't know when it is coming out. The story is just a great suspense story with a little bit of dark humour. Steve Leiber did a great job with the art, especially dealing with all the snow/ice. Definitely check it out! :)
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    geishagrrl wrote:
    Murder mystery/suspense story taking place in Antarctica. They've made it into a movie but I don't know when it is coming out. The story is just a great suspense story with a little bit of dark humour. Steve Leiber did a great job with the art, especially dealing with all the snow/ice. Definitely check it out! :)
    I have eyed it sitting on the shelf in several comic shops.....I guess I will have to try it.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    merkinball wrote:
    Dark Knight Strikes Again - Not nearly as popular as Dark Knight Returns, but I thought it worked really well.
    I dug it......and got the message that Frank was trying to send with that one.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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    merkinballmerkinball Posts: 2,262
    tybird wrote:
    I have also enjoyed the Owly series....in the same vein, Gon is about the only Japanese stuff that I have enjoyed.

    Hmmm. I've not seen Gon before. I'll have to search it out.

    My oldest daughters a bit of an Owly nut (she's 10). The author is a really nice guy, signed a bunch of books for her at comic-con. He does a great job of telling the story without words.
    "You're no help," he told the lime. This was unfair. It was only a lime; there was nothing special about it at all. It was doing the best it could.

    http://www.last.fm/user/merkinball/
    spotify:user:merkinball
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    catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    Very surprised no one's mentioned 'Maus'.

    Groundbreaking. Satirical look at Nazi Germany which makes the germans Cats and the Jews mice.

    i had to read maus for school last year. we were looking at WW2 from the perspective of different cultures.
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    tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    merkinball wrote:
    Hmmm. I've not seen Gon before. I'll have to search it out.

    My oldest daughters a bit of an Owly nut (she's 10). The author is a really nice guy, signed a bunch of books for her at comic-con. He does a great job of telling the story without words.
    Gon is a little Tyrannosaurus Rex who stands about 3 feet tall.....like Owly, he uses no words to tell his story. Some beautifully drawn and realistic drawings of various animals throughout the series......Gon is a little force of nature!!!
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
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