What graphic novels do you recommend?

steady · Dec 2005

My local comic shop is having a 25% off sale of all graphic novels. I picked up "Watchmen", and a cool unknown I knew about called "Semantic Lace." Thinking about getting the recent collection of "Ultimates".
Any recommendations for MUST HAVES?

rooster · Dec 2005

I recently read Doom patrol- crawling from the wreckage and really really enjoyed it

Marine · Dec 2005

Marvel 1602
Batman Year One
Long Halloween
Conan, by Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord
DKR
Ex Machina
Fables
Hard Time
Kinetic
Kingdom Come
Loki, by Rob Rodi
Planetary
Powers
Punisher, Ennis' current run is the best so far, imo.
Sentinel
Sleeper
Space Ghost
Superman: Birthright
Supreme Power
Trinity
Wanted
Wildcats V2 and Wildcats 3.0
Y The Last Man

Ninjas · Dec 2005

There are a couple of books for Bean World that I like a lot. Maus, and the first few Bone books are good. Dark Night Rerurns is probably the coolest comic to have Superman in it...
Then there is manga.

b1ll · Dec 2005

Marine as a good list.

The ultimates is a sure WIN tho. YUS!

blankslatejoe · Dec 2005

ninjas- the beanworld books rock!!! that guy (l.marder?) went on to head up image for a few years, if I remember correctly.

if you liked watchmen, any older Alan Moore is pure gold;
V for Vendetta, From Hell, The old swamp things, if you can find them.
maus is good, but depressing
the first few bone books are pretty awesome
The akira books are good too.
the first Death graphicnovel is REALLY good, it's short, and actually NOT very gothy.

oXYnary · Dec 2005

Other than whats already been recommended.. (And I assume you mean collected books versus individual issues)

-Maus (1&2)
-Moonshadow
-Eastman and Lairds Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(original 1-12).
-Bone
-Transmetropolitain
-Kabuki
-Dawn... (any of the series are good and you will oggle over Joseph Michael Linsers work)..
-Ariel
-Hulk: Future Imperfect.. (One of Peter David's best swings to the whole Hulk mythos)
-Fax from Sarajevo
-Strangers in Paradise (earlier ones)
-Tick (original Ben Edlund run, you will laugh your head off)

Try also looking through DC Elseworld graphic novels.. Some of those stories can be quite good.

Josh_Singh · Dec 2005

Very good lists all. But I cant belive no one has mentioned Neil Gaiman's Sandman Series. A milestone in comics to be sure. And any and all hellboys you can find!

hawken · Dec 2005

can't go wrong with some 2000AD

Toomas · Dec 2005

Everything by Masamune Shirow...

gauss · Dec 2005

Maus, Watchmen, and Dark Knight Returns are the equivalent of the classics... but after that it's all depending on taste. Hellboy TPBs are perhaps the most cherished of my collection.

Nerd Groupie · Dec 2005

If you like Alan Moore, I suggest Promethea. I dug it.

TomDunne · Dec 2005

Insofar as must-haves, of things not mentioned here I'd add the original Astro City limtied series TPB.

Kevin Johnstone · Dec 2005

Planetary
Lucifer
Promethea
Top10
AstroCity
Sandman
HellBlazer
Cerebus
Books of Magic
Transmetropolitan
Next Men
Global Frequency
Authority
Invisibles
Mr Punch
Violent Cases
Black Orchid
V for Vendetta
Captain Britain
Watchmen
Murder Mysteries
StarDust
The Filth
The Last Temptation
Judge Dredd
Halo Jones
Nemesis
DR and Quinch
Preacher
Foolkiller
Concrete
Doom Patrol
Animal Man
Strontium Dog
StormWatch
Orbiter
Lazarus Churchyard

That's probably enough options.

r.

Josh_Singh · Dec 2005

have any of you read Katsuya Terada's Monkey King? is it any good? Ive been hankering to buy it just for the art.

adam · Dec 2005

Get the entire series of Battle Angel: Alita

pogonip · Dec 2005

You'll love Metabarons ..best comic ever ..

Ghost Rider it's pretty lame ..get the Journey to the West anime ..it's a lot better if you want Monkey King action

Erol · Dec 2005

ghost_rider > I just picked up Monkey King today. It makes little sense, in any language. The art is badass, though. Definitely worth it, imho, if you're a Terada fan.

steady > I was pleasently surprised by Bone after finally getting around to reading it. There's a single (huge) collected volume with all of it. I definitely recommend that.

Gmanx · Dec 2005

Glad to see someone mentioned cerberus - thanx Ror. Mr Moore is one writer to watch for (on older titles - as has been said). I also enjoyed Elektra Assassin (Miller/Sienkiewicz)and Ronin (Miller). My all time fave though - Violent Cases (Gaiman/McKean). OOooh, and Marshall Law (Mills/O'Neill). Oooh and Luther Arkwright (Talbot).

hawken · Dec 2005

Katsuya Terada's stuff is good, but I'm not yet seen any graphic novels by him.

I always hankered to pick up anything by frank quietly

doc rob · Dec 2005

per, Graphitti Designs has english language versions of some of the Blueberry books for sale on their site. Are they worth $45 a piece?

Rhinokey · Dec 2005

hellboys and creature tech

b1ll · Dec 2005

[ QUOTE ]
Greg, Hermann, Franquin, Uderzo and Gotlib

[/ QUOTE ]

oh omg Per, how the fuck do u know thoses classics!, Thoses were my favorate as a teen, Fuck Gotlib, Best Dark humor ever, Franquin, FACK the bestest Ever!, Spirou Baby!

U KNOW!

oXYnary · Dec 2005

Uderzo

Asterik and Obelix!

b1ll · Dec 2005

OMG ya Fraquin, is "noir" serie, was INSANE

Oh Its Marsupilami!

Omg I had all the Spirou Fraquin collection, UGE book, I had the dark pages in 1 full UGE book. God it was good time, I got to get thoses book back, Was such a Nice read.. My gotlib collection is in top condition too. Uderzo stuff too. Even Herg

TelekineticFrog · Dec 2005

Didn't see it mentioned but the Hellboy Junior book was really great. For that matter any of the Hellboy trades are great, not sure if they're throwing in trades with graphic novels at your shop but they usually are. 100 Bullets is always good as well.

AstroZombie · Dec 2005

I can't believe no one mentioned any of the Sin City books - or did I just overlook it?

b1ll · Dec 2005

Oh ya blueberry, I know that too.

There was a time when I was reading a lot of Euro comics. or Bande dessin

moose · Dec 2005

mirroring some fromt he list here, but here are some of my favs, in no order:

Preacher
Rising Stars (JMS)*******(money)
Midnight Nation (JMS)
Transmetropolitan
Curse of Spawn seris (not sure if they're all collected anywhere)
Sam and Twitch
Astro City
Invisibles
Batman: Year 1
Dark Knight Returns
DK2

Malekyth and Rorshach have been suggesting stuff to me for a while, id take what they have to say seriously

bearkub · Dec 2005

Mal doesn't "suggest," he crams it down your throat with a great force. Easier to digest that way, I say.

=D

moose · Dec 2005

its all a matter of perspective i guess. you just gotta cram back sometimes. *cough* rising stars

Dukester · Dec 2005

any and all of Love and Rockets

Option · Dec 2005

[ QUOTE ]
I can't believe no one mentioned any of the Sin City books - or did I just overlook it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought the same thing. Definitely, READ SIN CITY!

oXYnary · Dec 2005

[ QUOTE ]

any and all of Love and Rockets

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I can't believe Dukester just said that...

Kevin Johnstone · Dec 2005

I should probably admit that I'm the one that indoctrinated Mal to the throat stuffing approach

r.

Malekyth · Dec 2005

It's true. I still have a half-digested copy of the Invisibles lodged in my gullet, which causes me to belch fiery clouds of anti-authoritarian conspiracy theories when I least expect it! That's how my first wife died.

I would add a few to the Rorshach and moosey lists: the Jenny Sparks (aka chain-smoking British babe from Stormwatch and the Authority) one-shot, Kurt Busiek's Marvels (I dare you not to cry at the end) and 100 Bullets. The first 100 Bullets book is required reading, the others optional, but goddammit, read the first one! It's excellent.

There are a couple I might cull from both lists but I won't detail them up here, submissively baring my neck to Ror's heathen temper and violent love of Grant Morrison, post-religion Dave Sim, and post-intelligible Alan Moore!

Dukester · Dec 2005

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

any and all of Love and Rockets

[/ QUOTE ]

I can't believe Dukester just said that...

[/ QUOTE ]

but, but, but why?
I bought the first issue brand spanking new at Lone Star Comics and never looked back!
I have always been a Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez afficiando as long as they have been around!

My drawing style had three major influences. When I was young it was totally Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. It's still there, but Jaime completely changed the way I drew. Less is more, Archie influenced, sharpie looking drawings. I loved them so much I didn't care that he made Maggie get fat. Gilbert's drawing style was ok, but it did nothing for me. His story telling on the other hand was nothing short of genius.

I stopped buying these sometime in the early-mid 90's, but I might just pick up where I left off by buying the graphic novels.

Shit I might just go back and reread all of them first

Marine · Dec 2005

any fans of morrison and quitely really should get we3, only three issues, but it's a great story.
darwyn cooke's new frontier rocks too.

Kevin Johnstone · Dec 2005

Grant Morrison once cancelled a games industry meeting becase he had taken super acid in the highlands and whilst breaking through interdimensional rifts things got a bit hairy...

If that isn't the sort of role model we all want to expose ourselves to the ideas of, what is I ask you Mal?

As for Dave, well, once he starts dividing the King James bible into male and female, you know he's lost it and even I stopped reading. Though he's jokingly referred the loyal cerebus readership as tattered and torn and having had a hard time, heh, he doesn't know the half of it, he makes it so hard to like him .

r.

steady · Dec 2005

I went to the shop today, I saw MAUS but it seemed too heavy for me right now. I picked up the first volume of the Ultimates and looked for Dark Knight Returns but they didn't have any in stock unfortunately. I managed to find "Marshal Law" and after reading about 5 pages it is pretty badass.

Hooray comic nerds!

Kevin Johnstone · Dec 2005

steady: 'I hunt heroes, haven't found any yet'

r.

gauss · Dec 2005

per: thank you for bringing up the exceedingly strong western european tradition of graphic novels, it is indeed a rich tradition that most yanks barely get a peek at. i'd wish that more of it were translated.

Justin Meisse · Dec 2005

damn, most the stuff I'd recommend has been covered. The Walking Dead is a pretty good one, it's standard Romero-rules zombies but a damn good read. Whiteout is a good crime drama set in Antartica (why haven't they made a movie out of this?)

I recently picked up Sinister Dexter: Murder 101, it's pretty funny and over the top, typical 2000AD crazyness.

oXYnary · Dec 2005

Oh..

Ghost World

Ooghijmiqtxxa · Dec 2005

Kingdom Come
The Walking Dead
Cable & Deadpool
Y: The Last Man

vahl · Dec 2005

yah sin city is ownage...

as for european authors :

Herg

Toomas · Dec 2005

BTW does anyone know if there is english translation of SkyDoll??
I always wanted to read it but my french/italian/etc are on the moon and wont come back to me

hawken · Dec 2005

I just picked up 2000ad for the first time in ages, I was startled into purchase by the fact that it had more than 10 pages!

Gmanx · Dec 2005

2000ad rocks. I'm currently digging through my old shit looking for my RoboHunter special. This thread's got me all dewey eyed for it!!

hawken · Dec 2005

is that the one drawn by the halo jones guy? loved his style. The cartridge Pen that smokes cigars, is the only image I have in my mind.

My obvious favorite was Judge Inaba (Shimura) by Frank Quietly. Not too keen on his new stuff (xmen, superman) because it's digitally inked. And possibly digitally pen'd too. actually I wasn't really into his Judge Dredd and Misionary strips. I guess he really nailed it for me with Shimura, even though its only a few progs long.

Gmanx · Dec 2005

Sam Slade, RoboHunter. He had a 'robo stogie' cigar which was supposed to help him quit smoking! Yeah it was drawn by the same guy.

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/s/slade.htm

What graphic novels do you recommend?

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