Graphic Novels

[Rag]

I know there's a recommendations thread, but this is a bit of a broad request with maybe some potential for discussion.

So: I want some good graphic novels/comics to read. I recently bought the Flight 3 (http://www.flightcomics.com/flight3preview/) anthology, which had a lot of interesting fragments of stories and a lot of really beautiful artwork, and now I'm looking for something more. Shops like Page 45 are pretty overwhelming, where most of what's on the shelves seems to be part of a series I know nothing about, so it'd be helpful if anyone can recommend some good books to start off with.

[Amry]

Well, if you're asking for a specifically Western... ahem, "graphic novels", then my suggestions of it is quite limited. I am currently thoroughly enjoying The Sandman, and must report in sorrow that I'm more than halfway done. It is truly a work of genius, so if you haven't read it yet (which I doubt, but who knows?), then give it a go.

Other than that.... I don't know... I have read various titles (Lara Croft, Spawn, Gen13, the edition when Superman dies, etc.), but none of it is quite aimed at the adult level. Still, if it's to your liking, go with Spawn.

On the other hands, if you're also interested in the Japanese mangas, now that's something I can sink my teeth in. Just name the genre and I'll provide you with a detailed list.

That business out of the way, I personally think the term "graphic novel" is a bit... pretentious. Sure, saying "comic book" as you sip your latte in the elegant, neo-Classical-themed sidewalk cafe is a faux pas and make you look uncool, but then again I'm always one to call a spade a spade. Why obfuscate matters?

Conclusion : if you're looking for Western gns, start with Sandman, if you haven't already, and revel in the deliciousness of Death slapping Dream silly.

http://www.simon-soft.com/Amry/manga/1013_sandman_01.jpg

Is it wrong that I think Death is hawt? :3

[Sartori]

Sandman is a pretty safe bet, and whoa ho ho ironically enough it just came out in a huge ass hardcover edition last week containing a buttload of the issues.

Anyways, back to the general topic, this whole post will probably seem like a suggestion/recommendation thread but I will totally sow seeds of discussion within the satellites of those recommendations. I'll go by writer, and pick up from there. I've also put together a zip file of some of the books mentioned therein. I shall also spoiler-fy the body of the descriptions because this will look entirely too overwhelming and indigestible if not.

Brian Michael Bendis
Initially known for his crime books, which are great reads in and of themselves (i.e. see Torso, Goldfish, and Jinx), he started to fuse these genres with a multitude of ideas, characterizations, and artistic embellishments when he hit the mainstream. I will tell you that I am an unabashed lover of his runs on Daredevil, Ultimate Spider-man, and the now defunct Alias. Powers is great too, but I'm not as well versed in that even though I buy it every month now.

I know what you're saying, "Why should I get into these books? They're about characters who have enormous histories that could very well go right over my head when they start referencing random things. AND/OR These are super-hero books. They can't really be that good at all I'm sure." First of all, no need to know history, it's pretty cut and dry as its summarized in a nutshell throughout the first issue. The second concern is subverted beyond all belief. This is pretty popular trend in comics now. Taking old and tired characters and doing something very fun and interesting and somehow making something extremely profound in the process.

Take Daredevil for example. It's infused with Bendis's witty crime twists, but it's also a very poignant examination of character, emotion, and how tricky power can be. Honestly, the first major issue of his run has a huge power shift in it, in a way that makes you wonder about comic book continuity, ego, and just certainty in general all at once. There are a lot of issues to delve into with this, which is why I'm going to upload the first issue for a sample read. If you enjoy it, you'll love the rest because it's ten times better than that. Typhoid Mary's return is my personal favorite. In summary, Daredevil is perhaps one of his greatest works of all.

Alias however is his definitive greatest. It is hard-boiled detective slash private investigative intrigue at its finest. It has the requisite poignant gut-wrenching Bendis moments. It oozes drama, mood, and character which is helped along significantly by the wonderful artwork. I absolutely implore you to read this. A month or so ago it was released as an omnibus edition that includes every issue that released (somewhat expensive but totally worth it.) Again, I have added a sample first issue for your perusal in the samples zip. If the first issue doesn't grab you, it will be depressing, but I just have to say that everything builds up to such a great meta-fictional crescendo by the end of it all. The final story arc "Purple" is probably one of my favorite story arcs of a book ever. I still remember the first time I read it, getting chills and feeling a kind of perverse sickening feeling in the kind of way I don't think hardly any other book can make you feel too often. 28 issues of pure joy. It really is. Here's a link to the omnibus edition:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alias-Omnibus-Brian-Michael-Bendis/dp/0785121218/ref=sr_11_1/026-0539229-5513268?ie=UTF8

All in all, Bendis is one of those names that is dropped quite often. There's a reason for that though, and I'm not ashamed to be one of those monotonous members of the proverbial choir. I love Bendis because above all, he really understands how characters fit into their worlds. Whereas other books really love to construct pick-up sticks style plots they sometimes forget that there are actual symbols of people floating around in this so-called fantasy world of a comic book. The characters shove their hands in and mix shit up. This is the most amazing thing about Bendis. His characters are alive. Not many comic book writers can say that about their characters. He doesn't deal in the archetypes that so populate the graphic fiction of his day and those of the past. They're fleshy, real, and get totally ready to mess with your head on a daily basis. So yeah, he is someone to watch out for.

Ed Brubaker
Here's another great crime writer, but his run on Gotham Central is what I'm primarily interested in. This is falling in line with that trend of taking established concepts and continuities and molding them into realistic settings and analogues for our mundane comprehension. It's better than it sounds. The first issue shall speak for itself (it is on the zip.) With Gotham Central, Brubaker reminds us of the real losses that superhero slash supervillain crime can wreak upon the regular people. All packaged into a noir mystery story that just screams Elmore Leonard, Raymond Chandler, or Jim Thompson. Not a bad combination. Brubaker is doing an X-Men run at the moment, and I'm sorry to say it's not that great so far. Hopefully by the end of it all, it reveals its point for existing.

Grant Morrison
The quote in my signature is by this man. Every book of his I have read has shaped some kind of thought process about something that I've had about something. Yeah, brain melt from that stupid sentence I know. Morrison is hard to love. You either love him or you don't. It's really this simple. His greatest works span from New X-men to the inimitable Invisibles. I suggest, and this is from my overwhelmingly romanticized perspective, that you start with The Invisibles. This is a daunting task, but I swear to you that even if you absolutely hate it by the end, you will have learned something about life, reality, history, and/or the very amazing construction of everything that shapes our lives. I know I should probably be recommending Animal Man as an introduction, but I'm radical this way.

Animal Man is the pure, unadulterated fictionalized (i.e. solidification) of Grant Morrison's heart. It's heartbreakingly deceptive in its construction. Just like everything else really.

Now, I'll admit, Doom Patrol is his crowning achievement. Despite my Invisible-whoring, my heart will always stay with Doom Patrol. Imagine a group of the most pathetic superhero outcasts you can possibly conceive of, then imagine how beautiful they can be in the hands of one of the most empathetic fiction-writers of our time. That's a lot of meaningless hyperbole, which is why, again, samples.

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9645/jane001dl0.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jane001dl0.jpg) http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/7365/jane002qf9.th.jpg (http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jane002qf9.jpg) http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6127/jane003up6.th.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jane003up6.jpg)

I will admit, I really cannot do Morrison too much justice in any kind of description. Just check out The Invisibles, Animal Man, Doom Patrol, and The Filth. Filth will be the easiest because it is just one trade paperback. Invisibles is 7. Animal Man is 3. And Doom Patrol isn't even finished yet with its trade releases (it's up to 4.) So take from all of that what you will. Morrison is meta-textual in his exploration of everything so be prepared for that. If you hate that, steer clear. I included one of my favorite issues of Doom Patrol in the zip. It's in the middle of everything, but that's alright. It doesn't spoil anything really. One self-contained, little charming love story. =).

Brian K. Vaughan
Y: The Last Man is mandatory reading buddy. Mandatory. This book is viral. It really is. Vaughan is along the lines of Bendis in his style, but he's more pop. He's like a mix between Morrison and Bendis, but with the kind of honest face that you can just automatically trust. So when people recommend or bring up Vaughan, the collective unconscious is thinking of his big break in Vertigo with Y. Poised to finish its run very soon, it will be another Sandman, but for our faster, and entirely more depraved generation. It is set at 60 issues, and it's just hit the 50 marker, so get on that if you want to see what all the hype is about.

Ex-Machina is another keeper. It's about a New York politician whose exploits as a superhero have earned him a spot in the mayoral office. Political antics ensue, and the intrigue that arises is so absurd and so painfully real that it's difficult to read without thinking of its implications on our own world. Suspenseful and full of action, it creates an environment so like our own that minor differences such as superpowers don't really mean a damn thing.

Brian has an amazing back-catalogue, but these should sate your appetite if you were to search them out on your own. I think a great discussion topic would be how a writer's education informs his decision to get into the graphic novel slash comic book form. He was an undergraduate film student, and he finds himself in this business at the top of the pile of most every comic book geek's pull list, including mine. I've always thought about this because if there's one thing I can't stop thinking about, it's how my own education will lead me into places I didn't think possible. Because let's face it, a film studies degree will get you hardly anywhere except for teaching positions to churn out more potential teachers, and/or a film journalist who hardly ever start in film studies themselves. To end up as one of the great generational comic book writers, is a phenomenal thing.

Warren Ellis
Read Planetary. You will then understand why he's who he is. He's an explorer of the amazing. Planetary understands this, and it understands just how fucked up it can truly be to people who have to experience it. Planetary examines the underpinnings of fiction and reality, and then it goes on to satirize almost every piece of escapist fiction in a way that's heartfelt and desperately honest without being cheeky and flippant. I adore it, and it's another mandatory read.

I've included an issue of Nextwave though. It's a fun project that has seen a renaissance in postmodern superhero comedy. While as Planetary is very serious in its outlook, Nextwave is DEDLY SERIUS BIZNESS OMG. You will get it.

I could spend more time regaling you of The Ellis, but right now, I'll just say one more book. Desolation Jones. Look at this:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/kimotori/desolation.jpg

Etc.
Fables by Bill Willingham is a great adult reinvention of the classic fairytales we've all come to know by heart through their episodic evisceration at the hands of fairytale revisionists. It's warm, it's cold, it's everything that a fairytale can and cannot be in this world. You will love it.

Lucifer by Mike Carey is a healthy spinoff of the Sandman universe. Carey gets right to the heart of the character and all who come into contact with him with an eerie familiarity. Carey is doing an X-Men arc right now as well, and it simply rocks. Take from that what you will.

Promethea by Alan Moore is a revelation of meta-fictive and historical storytelling. The art by J.H. Williams III doesn't hurt too much either. There are literally... orgasms on every page. It's difficult to watch really. It ends just like Morrison's The Invisibles which says a whole lot about its intent right there. Our world can survive an apocalypse, can't it?


Alright. That should be enough. Here's the link to the zip and the program you can use to read the files:

http://www.geocities.com/davidayton/
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1ic5h3

You must understand this is not a definitive list. I am really leaving out many things that I think we could discuss because there really is no room on here for everything that goes inside this head of mine when it comes to comic books. For example, just yesterday I read Vaughan's recent Pride of Baghdad and I wondered just how touching it really was. When you use talking animals to get your point across, it's absurd but oddly reassuring in that you are reminded of our own primal stupidity. I love that it ended with that vague statement of the statue of the Lion versus the Man. This is how I feel about everything I read practically. End of story.

[V_Translanka]

You can't go wrong w/anything Alan Moore, Frank Miller, or Neil Gaiman...You just can't. They're definately my BIG THREE. Fav artists are prob Joe Mad & Yoshitaka Amano though...and some other guy whos name I forget...*shrugs*

Also, I love these books called Scott Pilgrim (www.scottpilgrim.com), they're pretty funny and people should check them out!

[Rag]

I read one of the sandman books a few years back, though I can't remember which one. It was a collection of very short stories. Interesting stuff, though I wasn't to fond of the artwork.

Anyway, I realise now that my request was ridiculously broad, but it looks like I've got the starting point I was looking for. Really appreciate the information and samples, Sartori. I can't seem to download the file you linked at the moment, but I'll try again later. In the meantime I'll look around for some more samples of the ones you listed.
Also, I love these books called Scott Pilgrim (www.scottpilgrim.com), they're pretty funny and people should check them out!
Someone actually got me Precious Little Life for my birthday a few months ago. It was quite interesting; I enjoyed all the little videogame references.

[V_Translanka]

Yeah, you should check out the link to the Free Comic Book day comic on the website! He goes through sodas and apparently Pepsi w/Lime gives a pretty good charisma stat bonus (I think it was charisma). ^_^