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Graphic Novels

Nowhere ManNowhere Man Posts: 345
edited July 2013 in All Encompassing Trip
Just wondering if anyone could recommend some graphic novels for a first timer.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Sorry....didn't read that one.....If Greg Rucka wrote it, it's properly worth a read.
    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.
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Sandman by Neil Gaiman....Y, the Last Man (only read the 1st issue, but it seems very interesting), WE3 (a personal fave), Fables, Scalped, Pride of Baghdad and Elmer http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=6085
    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.
  • EZ1221CEZ1221C Posts: 2,645
    Alan Moore is a legend. Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell are as good as it gets.
    PLAY THE SOUTH
  • musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
    The classics and giants of the genre would be Watchmen. So much better than the movie. Sin City series by Frank Miller. Dark Knight Returns-Frank Miller. Blankets by Craig Thompson isnt a superhero comic, more of a coming of age/love story, but it remains my favorite graphic novel of all time. And the Sandman series.

    Anything Gaimen, Moore, Miller. You really wont find anything to top that.
  • STAYSEASTAYSEA Posts: 3,814
    "Y MAN" about Yourik. I am not a book seller any longer. But Y man is GOOD. I am a female, but a super geek. I am reading "Chew" it's new. Read Preacher if you like GORE (blood and guts). Y-man is if you just want a good story. I promise no disappointment. (graphic novels.)
    image
  • Nowhere ManNowhere Man Posts: 345
    Thanks for the suggestions, I will definitely check these out.
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Crossed from Avatar Press is some good stuff.....not for the weak stomached
    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.
  • YefaYefa Posts: 1,133
    I agree with many of the recommendations that have been made. Here are some more.

    Love and Rockets by Los Bros Hernandez
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_and_Rockets_(comics)

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

    anything by R. Crumb
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Crumb

    The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabulous_F ... k_Brothers

    anything by Jack Kirby
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kirby

    Hate by Peter Bagge
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_(comic)
    You see me empty, Sir, do not pause and inquire, simply assume and refill.
    - Al Swearengen

    http://www.cantstoptheserenity.com
  • intodeepintodeep Posts: 7,228
    The stand alone ones by Alan Moore you've probably heard of Watchmen and V For Vendetta are very cool.

    If you are looking for longer reads (multiple volumes) My two favs are:

    Neil Gaiman- The Sandman (first one may be the worst he finds his voice and starts to hit his stride after that)
    Garth Ennis- The Preacher (edgy and hilarous)

    I've enjoyed Y the Last Man but thought it was by far below the others i've suggested.

    I'm about to start reading Fables which has been highly recomended by others but since i've not read it i can't recomend it personally.

    :geek:
    Charlotte 00
    Charlotte 03
    Asheville 04
    Atlanta 12
    Greenville 16, Columbia 16
    Seattle 18 
    Nashville 22
  • Weab76Weab76 Posts: 55
    Fables is a fantastic read.
  • merkinballmerkinball Posts: 2,262
    tybird wrote:
    Crossed from Avatar Press is some good stuff.....not for the weak stomached

    Just heard about this today. Definitely sounds out there.

    Agree with a number of the ones listed so far (Fables, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Sandman, WE3, etc.). I'll add a few more:

    DMZ - Series just came to an end recently, about a civil war in the US and New York becomes the DMZ between the two factions.

    League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - A number of books in this series by Alan Moore (latest one just came out). The amount of depth in these is just amazing.

    Transmetropolitan - Futuristic Hunter S. Thompson-esque series.

    Walking Dead - Comics that inspired the show. They just hit issue #100 today, lots of trades in the series.

    I'm looking forward to reading Get Jiro by Anthony Bourdain.
    "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
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    merkinball wrote:
    tybird wrote:
    Crossed from Avatar Press is some good stuff.....not for the weak stomached

    Just heard about this today. Definitely sounds out there.

    Agree with a number of the ones listed so far (Fables, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Sandman, WE3, etc.). I'll add a few more:

    DMZ - Series just came to an end recently, about a civil war in the US and New York becomes the DMZ between the two factions.

    League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - A number of books in this series by Alan Moore (latest one just came out). The amount of depth in these is just amazing.

    Transmetropolitan - Futuristic Hunter S. Thompson-esque series.

    Walking Dead - Comics that inspired the show. They just hit issue #100 today, lots of trades in the series.

    I'm looking forward to reading Get Jiro by Anthony Bourdain.
    It's way, way, way out there.....like zombies, but not dead or undead....disease spread by body fluids.

    DMZ and League both are also excellent reads.

    Grandville by Bryan Talbot is another great 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.
  • intodeepintodeep Posts: 7,228
    I may need to check out Crossed. Is it ongoing or has it finished?

    I loved Garth Ennis's work with Preacher, and it sounds like this is even wilder
    Charlotte 00
    Charlotte 03
    Asheville 04
    Atlanta 12
    Greenville 16, Columbia 16
    Seattle 18 
    Nashville 22
  • kw18kw18 Posts: 3,909
    Nowhere Man wrote:
    Just wondering if anyone could recommend some graphic novels for a first timer.

    Wow, lots of good suggestions on this list. I’m a big fan of DMZ, Walking Dead, Y: The Last Man, and Fables. Some of the suggestions in this thread may be a bit “heavy” for those just starting out on GN, such as Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns or Sandman. Not to say they're not good – they’re all quite good, in fact. I just don’t know I’d recommend some of them to someone right off the bat not knowing their comic book history or preferences (those who read Sandman likely have different tastes from those who read, say, Y: The Last Man).

    That being said, here are a couple suggestions I have that haven’t been mentioned yet and which I think would be great for first-time GN readers:

    Bone -- Great all-ages fantasy-type book, from children to adults. Gave a copy to my 9-year-old niece, and she, her 12-year-old sister and mom loved it. Don’t let the page count scare you off!

    I Kill Giants -- Incredibly moving book about a young girl and the demons she battles. It's one of the few books (graphic novel or otherwise) in which I literally got choked up while reading it (WE3 is another one).

    Maus -- Another moving book, focusing on a son learning about the holocaust from his father, a survivor. Germans are depicted as cats, Americans as dogs, Jewish people as mice, etc.

    Scott Pilgrim -- What the movie was based on. If you're big into humor about video games and directionless 20-year-olds, this is a good one.

    Superman: Secret Identity -- Great book exploring what would happen if Superman appeared in real life. You don't need to know much about superhero comics to enjoy this, only basic Superman knowledge (which nearly everyone has).

    Ultra -- It's been described as a mix between superheroes and Sex in the City, but, yeah, it's far better than that. Good, quick read, with excellent art.
    "Where's KW?"
    "Let's check Idaho."
  • kw18kw18 Posts: 3,909
    merkinball wrote:
    tybird wrote:
    Crossed from Avatar Press is some good stuff.....not for the weak stomached

    Just heard about this today. Definitely sounds out there.

    Agree with a number of the ones listed so far (Fables, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Sandman, WE3, etc.). I'll add a few more:

    DMZ - Series just came to an end recently, about a civil war in the US and New York becomes the DMZ between the two factions.

    League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - A number of books in this series by Alan Moore (latest one just came out). The amount of depth in these is just amazing.

    Transmetropolitan - Futuristic Hunter S. Thompson-esque series.

    Walking Dead - Comics that inspired the show. They just hit issue #100 today, lots of trades in the series.

    I'm looking forward to reading Get Jiro by Anthony Bourdain.

    How well did DMZ wrap up? I used to get the floppies, but I dropped it from my pull list in the late 20s (around the time of the one-off, character-focused issues). Been thinking of going back to pick up all the trades, and just curious how well the series carried.

    No spoilers, please! ;)
    "Where's KW?"
    "Let's check Idaho."
  • STAYSEASTAYSEA Posts: 3,814
    Y Man
    30 days of night
    Preacher

    these are the one of the best reasons to read graphic novels.

    I was a bookseller. I pity those Watchman buyers. I always gave them a return.
    Fables, is cheesy. I sold all mine to a comic shop. I say Y MAn or Preacher!
    I will send the kid his first issue. :D

    The Walking Dead has no color. That is a waste of it's own right.
    image
  • Nowhere ManNowhere Man Posts: 345
    Ok, I had ordered a few Grahpic Novels and they just arrived.
    I got The Dark Knight Returns, Gotham Central and Watchmen.

    I also just put another order in for Y The Last Man, V For Vendetta.

    Also wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of something on Superman.
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Nowhere Man wrote:
    Ok, I had ordered a few Grahpic Novels and they just arrived.
    I got The Dark Knight Returns, Gotham Central and Watchmen.

    I also just put another order in for Y The Last Man, V For Vendetta.

    Also wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of something on Superman.
    iThere is book titled "Red Son"....which is the story of the Superman's life if his rocket had landed in the heartland of the Soviet Union instead of the U.S.A. I recommend that one, as well as All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.
    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.
  • Nowhere ManNowhere Man Posts: 345
    [/quote]
    iThere is book titled "Red Son"....which is the story of the Superman's life if his rocket had landed in the heartland of the Soviet Union instead of the U.S.A. I recommend that one, as well as All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.[/quote]

    Just read up on them, both sound cool. I will check them out, thank you for the suggestions.
  • kw18kw18 Posts: 3,909
    tybird wrote:
    Nowhere Man wrote:
    Ok, I had ordered a few Grahpic Novels and they just arrived.
    I got The Dark Knight Returns, Gotham Central and Watchmen.

    I also just put another order in for Y The Last Man, V For Vendetta.

    Also wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of something on Superman.
    iThere is book titled "Red Son"....which is the story of the Superman's life if his rocket had landed in the heartland of the Soviet Union instead of the U.S.A. I recommend that one, as well as All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.

    Both of those are excellent, and Grant Morrison is by far my favorite comic author and Quitely's art is just unreal. All-Star Superman plays a lot of homage to Silver Age comics, so if you're not familiar with it some of the references might get lost. Still a great read, and pretty accessible to a GN or superhero comic virgin.

    Also, like I said in an earlier post, Secret Identity is a really good Superman read.

    Enjoy the reads!
    "Where's KW?"
    "Let's check Idaho."
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    kw18 wrote:
    tybird wrote:
    Nowhere Man wrote:
    Ok, I had ordered a few Grahpic Novels and they just arrived.
    I got The Dark Knight Returns, Gotham Central and Watchmen.

    I also just put another order in for Y The Last Man, V For Vendetta.

    Also wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of something on Superman.
    iThere is book titled "Red Son"....which is the story of the Superman's life if his rocket had landed in the heartland of the Soviet Union instead of the U.S.A. I recommend that one, as well as All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.

    Both of those are excellent, and Grant Morrison is by far my favorite comic author and Quitely's art is just unreal. All-Star Superman plays a lot of homage to Silver Age comics, so if you're not familiar with it some of the references might get lost. Still a great read, and pretty accessible to a GN or superhero comic virgin.

    Also, like I said in an earlier post, Secret Identity is a really good Superman read.

    Enjoy the reads!
    Morrison and Quitely also have an excellent Justice League book called "Earth Two"

    There's also a collection or collections of Alan Moore's various one to two issue-length stories of various characters throughout the DC universe....there should be at least three outstanding Superman stories in that collection....I don't own this collection, since I have nearly all of the floppies
    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.
  • kw18kw18 Posts: 3,909
    tybird wrote:
    Morrison and Quitely also have an excellent Justice League book called "Earth Two"

    There's also a collection or collections of Alan Moore's various one to two issue-length stories of various characters throughout the DC universe....there should be at least three outstanding Superman stories in that collection....I don't own this collection, since I have nearly all of the floppies

    Oh, Earth Two is awesome. Perfect end to Morrison's JLA run (which was fantastic in and of itself).

    The deluxe edition of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow has a couple good classic Superman stories by Moore -- the aforementioned title story, a one-off featuring Superman and Swamp Thing, and the classic For the Man Who Has Everything.
    "Where's KW?"
    "Let's check Idaho."
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    kw18 wrote:
    tybird wrote:
    Morrison and Quitely also have an excellent Justice League book called "Earth Two"

    There's also a collection or collections of Alan Moore's various one to two issue-length stories of various characters throughout the DC universe....there should be at least three outstanding Superman stories in that collection....I don't own this collection, since I have nearly all of the floppies

    Oh, Earth Two is awesome. Perfect end to Morrison's JLA run (which was fantastic in and of itself).

    The deluxe edition of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow has a couple good classic Superman stories by Moore -- the aforementioned title story, a one-off featuring Superman and Swamp Thing, and the classic For the Man Who Has Everything.
    Those would be the three stories to get....All three are great reads, though I'm partial to the Swamp Thing tale (from an issue of DC Comics Presents) and "The Man Who has Everything" from a Superman Annual. This would be another recommendation for Superman stories.
    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.
  • Nowhere ManNowhere Man Posts: 345
    I've been trying to order Superman : Secret Identity online, I use Amazon or Chapters but they only have it saying it will be released April 2013.
  • kw18kw18 Posts: 3,909
    Nowhere Man wrote:
    I've been trying to order Superman : Secret Identity online, I use Amazon or Chapters but they only have it saying it will be released April 2013.

    Huh. That's bizarre. Must be a new edition they're coming out with.

    I'd suggest hitting up Cheapgraphicnovels.com. Prices are cheaper than Amazon, even with their deliver cost if you buy multiple books at a time (but it's more expensive out of the U.S.). Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they don't have Secret Identity, either, but they're a good place to keep in mind for other purchases.
    "Where's KW?"
    "Let's check Idaho."
  • merkinballmerkinball Posts: 2,262
    kw18 wrote:

    How well did DMZ wrap up? I used to get the floppies, but I dropped it from my pull list in the late 20s (around the time of the one-off, character-focused issues). Been thinking of going back to pick up all the trades, and just curious how well the series carried.

    No spoilers, please! ;)

    No spoilers? Really well. Actually, here's a good non-spoilery review:

    http://boingboing.net/2012/06/21/dmz-is ... -bria.html

    I read them all in trades, seemed to make sense in the arc format. I find that I read very little in the single issues anymore, except for Fables. most stories these days seem to be built around arcs for GNs.

    Bone, as someone mentioned above, is stellar. The black & white complete edition is a quick read.

    I didn't mention Hellboy or 100 Bullets earlier, but those are both very good as well.
    "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
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    kw18 wrote:
    Nowhere Man wrote:
    I've been trying to order Superman : Secret Identity online, I use Amazon or Chapters but they only have it saying it will be released April 2013.

    Huh. That's bizarre. Must be a new edition they're coming out with.

    I'd suggest hitting up Cheapgraphicnovels.com. Prices are cheaper than Amazon, even with their deliver cost if you buy multiple books at a time (but it's more expensive out of the U.S.). Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they don't have Secret Identity, either, but they're a good place to keep in mind for other purchases.
    It seems only to be available digitally as a four issue mini-series....$2.99 an issue.

    After I submitted this post, I looked down to see my copy of "Batman: Earth One," which I just got this week and have not read yet. That reminded that "Superman: Earth One" was another Superman book that I would recommend.
    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.
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Batman: Earth One is a winner....just finished 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.
  • Nowhere ManNowhere Man Posts: 345
    tybird wrote:
    Batman: Earth One is a winner....just finished it.

    Thanks for the suggestion, it on my list to order.
    I am also thinking about Batman: Hush, has anyone read this.
  • kw18kw18 Posts: 3,909
    Nowhere Man wrote:
    I am also thinking about Batman: Hush, has anyone read this.

    Hush is a fairly decent mystery, but I feel Loeb goes a bit overkill with the number of characters he brings in. A lot of writers who get an opportunity to "play in the Batman sandbox" do this, by cramming in as many of their favorites (mostly villains) as they can.

    That said, it's not awful. It features some good character moments, including development and interactions. If you're familiar with some of the recent Batman history (as in the last 30 years), there are a lot of good nuggets to gnaw on here.

    The book features some of Jim Lee's best art, in my opinion. Lots of great, gorgeous detail. Some really nice spreads, too. If you're an art fan, I'd say buying this book is more than worth it. And if you're big into the art, an option to consider is the "naked" edition where it's just Lee's pencils and inks -- no coloring.

    But if you're not a huge art guy but do enjoy mystery stories, I'd recommend an earlier Loeb Batman story: The Long Halloween. It's a kind of "year two" story and is a really good read, imo.
    "Where's KW?"
    "Let's check Idaho."
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