Favorite Graphic Novels?

[Acapelli]

Blankets
Astro City (Confession arc)
Seaguy
Dark Knight Returns
Wanted
We3
Spider-Man: Blue

Definitely a few more I can't recall at the moment.

[number8]

Arkham Asylum, Blankets, Watchmen (obvious)...

And a bunch of Alan Moore. Any Alan Moore. I can never answer this question properly because of Alan Moore. F'n Alan F'n Moore.

[D_Davis]

Are we talking actual graphic novels, or trade paperback collections of individual issues?

As far as actual graphic novels go, I have to give it up to the work of Chester Brown, and more specifically The Playboy. It is a masterpiece of the comic book medium.

[Melville]

1. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware
2. Quimby the Mouse, Chris Ware
3. From Hell, Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell
4. Amphigorey, Edward Gorey
5. Peanuts Treasury, Charles Schulz
6. Watchmen, Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
7. Cerebus, Dave Sim
8. Hellboy, Mike Mignola
9. V for Vendetta, Alan Moore & David Lloyd
10. Frank, Jim Woodring
11. Louis Riel, Chester Brown
12. The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller
13. Ghost World, Dan Clowes
14. Maus, Art Spiegelman
15. Hey, Wait, Jason
16. City of Glass, P. Karasik & David Mazzucchelli
17. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Mattotti & Kramsky
18. Ice Haven, Dan Clowes
19. Year One, Miller & Mazzucchelli
20. Born Again, Miller & Mazzucchelli

[Sycophant]

I'm trying to increase my intake of graphic novels. There's a few sitting at home I have yet to crack.

Meanwhile, here's a top five:

1. Maus
2. Watchmen
3. Same Difference and Other Stories (maybe not precisely a "novel")
4. American Born Chinese
5. Pyongyang

[Melville]

As far as actual graphic novels go, I have to give it up to the work of Chester Brown, and more specifically The Playboy. It is a masterpiece of the comic book medium.

Yeah, The Playboy is great. Although I prefer I Never Liked You—maybe just because it had a more identifiable story arc.

3. Same Difference and Other Stories (maybe not precisely a "novel")
4. American Born Chinese
5. Pyongyang

I've never heard of these. Hopefully this thread can turn into a good source of recommendations.

[D_Davis]

7. Cerebus, Dave Sim

Now here is comicdom's crowing achievement of literature.

Yes sir.

Anyone read any Eisner?

[D_Davis]

Yeah, The Playboy is great. Although I prefer I Never Liked You—maybe just because it had a more identifiable story arc.

I also like I Never Liked You, but the soul-laid-bare story of The Playboy is so gripping. It is such a personal story, so full of humiliation, struggle, racism and sexism, all punctuated with a conflict of morals and a battle with self-control. It's almost embarrassing to read, know what I mean?

Just imagine drawing pictures of yourself masturbating and then selling them to the public! That's f'n brave.

[Melville]

Now here is comicdom's crowing achievement of literature.

Well, it might have been if it hadn't gone off the rails towards the end (although I think I would still prefer Jimmy Corrigan).

Any read any Eisner?

Yeah, but none of his really famous stuff (e.g. The Spirit, Contract with God, etc.). The books that I read (The Building and Last Day in Vietnam) were a bit too hokey for my liking, although the fluidity of Eisner's art made them worth reading.

[D_Davis]

Astro City (Confession arc)

As far as super hero stuff goes, this is a remarkable addition. One of the few super hero stories I still pick up.

Miyazaki's Nausicaa comic is also pretty damn amazing and boy is it ever epic.

Also, Tekkonkinkreet is pretty damn good.

[number8]

A Contract with God. Read it.

[Melville]

I also like I Never Liked You, but the soul-laid-bare story of The Playboy is so gripping. It is such a personal story, so full of humiliation, struggle, racism and sexism, all punctuated with a conflict of morals and a battle with self-control. It's almost embarrassing to read, know what I mean?

Just imagine drawing pictures of yourself masturbating and then selling them to the public! That's f'n brave.

Have you read anything by Joe Matt? He takes "embarrassing to read" to a whole new level.

[D_Davis]

Well, it might have been if it hadn't gone off the rails towards the end (although I think I would still prefer Jimmy Corrigan).


Yeah, but none of his really famous stuff (e.g. The Spirit, Contract with God, etc.). The books that I read (The Building and Last Day in Vietnam) were a bit too hokey for my liking, although the fluidity of Eisner's art made them worth reading.

I still haven't finished Cerebus, so I'll have to hold off on judging the end.

I've owned Jimmy Corrigan for a few years, but I just can't get into it. I don't know what it is, but something about the story just doesn't engage me.

Contract With God is excellent. I haven't read enough Eisner, but I do swear by his artwork.

[number8]

And anyone who likes Astro City should read Top 10. Awesome, awesome stuff.

[Melville]

A Contract with God. Read it.

I've been meaning to.

[D_Davis]

Have you read anything by Joe Matt? He takes "embarrassing to read" to a whole new level.

No, I haven't. What do you suggest?

[D_Davis]

A Contract with God. Read it.

Yeah - it's damn good.

[Melville]

I still haven't finished Cerebus, so I'll have to hold off on judging the end.

How far are you into it?

I've owned Jimmy Corrigan for a few years, but I just can't get into it. I don't know what it is, but something about the story just doesn't engage me.

To be honest, based on your taste in movies, I don't think you'd like it. Its relentlessly formal and slow-moving, and its humor is decidedly bleak. You seem to prefer more free-wheeling stuff.

[Melville]

No, I haven't. What do you suggest?

His comic is called Peepshow. I don't know if he has any stand-alone collections. But I actually wouldn't recommend reading his comic at all: it really is entirely about him obsessively masturbating, acting lazy and selfish, and mistreating his girlfriend. It's interesting for its confessional nature, but I don't really care for it. His art doesn't particularly appeal to me either.

[D_Davis]

His comic is called Peepshow. I don't know if he has any stand-alone collections. But I actually wouldn't recommend reading his comic at all: it really is entirely about him obsessively masturbating, acting lazy and selfish, and mistreating his girlfriend. It's interesting for its confessional nature, but I don't really care for it. His art doesn't particularly appeal to me either.

Ah. Sounds like it lacks the humanity of Chester Brown's work. Would this be a correct assumption?

[D_Davis]

How far are you into it?


To be honest, based on your taste in movies, I don't think you'd like it. Its relentlessly formal and slow-moving, and its humor is decidedly bleak. You seem to prefer more free-wheeling stuff.

I finished Minds last year, so just a little over half way, no? I think that Jaka's Story may be the most "literary" comic book I've read. That story is so dense and wonderful, and the prose is sublime.

Yeah, with JC, I just can't get into it. I do love the art, and the page layouts are excellent, but I just don't care about the story enough.

[D_Davis]

And anyone who likes Astro City should read Top 10. Awesome, awesome stuff.

I want to check this out. Also, We3.

[megladon8]

I need to re-read "Watchmen" one of these days, as I really didn't think it was as mind-bogglingly amazing as others do.

As for my all-time favorite comics...

"Batman: Year One" by Frank Miller
"Saga of the Swamp Thing" by Alan Moore
the 2002+ run of "Captain Marvel"
"Superman: Secret Identity" by Kurt Busiek
"Astro City: Confession" by Kurt Busiek
"Superman: Birthright" by Mark Waid

Pretty much anything by Kurt Busiek is worth reading.

[number8]

His comic is called Peepshow. I don't know if he has any stand-alone collections. But I actually wouldn't recommend reading his comic at all: it really is entirely about him obsessively masturbating, acting lazy and selfish, and mistreating his girlfriend. It's interesting for its confessional nature, but I don't really care for it. His art doesn't particularly appeal to me either.

He has a graphic novel called Poor Bastard that was pretty popular. HBO almost made it into an animated series produced by Futurama's David X. Cohen.

[Melville]

Ah. Sounds like it lacks the humanity of Chester Brown's work. Would this be a correct assumption?

As far as I can tell. I haven't read a whole lot of it.

I finished Minds last year, so just a little over half way, no?

That's two-thirds way through. If you didn't mind Reads, you might not have such a problem with the last third. I find Sim's nonsensical arguments and overbearing condescension very irritating, and those traits eventually come to dominate the whole book. The art (especially its use of lettering, which just gets better and better) remains spectacular, but the story becomes a meandering chore in the last two books (Latter Days and The Last Day), dominated largely by an interminable line-by-line interpretation of the Torah (which sounds more interesting than it is). And even before that, Sim's philosophy completely overwhelms the characters, making the whole thing painfully pedantic.

I think that Jaka's Story may be the most "literary" comic book I've read. That story is so dense and wonderful, and the prose is sublime.

Really? I love Jaka's Story, but I thought the prose was its weak link. I don't think Sim really pulls off Wilde's aestheticist style.

Yeah, with JC, I just can't get into it. I do love the art, and the page layouts are excellent, but I just don't care about the story enough.

It was a pretty heartbreaking read for me, but, yeah, I don't see it being your kind of thing. Check out Quimby the Mouse for even more spectacular use of page layouts, though.