What are some of your favorite graphic novels?

in middle school, i kind of got into manga. but i was really selective about what i read.

legal drug was my favourite graphic novel ever, but it was very short lived. i think they stopped making the books after the 3rd one. it was really interesting, and the 2 dudes in it were so cute (for cartoons!). and there was so much tension in it, like, every time i turned the page i was like “ARE THEY GOING TO FALL IN LOVE YET?!”.

but yeah, i haven’t read many others.

Tim Sale and Jeph Loeb’s Batman: The Long Halloween was always a favorite
Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Art Spiegelman’s Maus
Neil Gaiman’s Sandman
Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s Y: The Last Man
Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s League Of Extraordinary Gentleman
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen
Daniel Clowes’ Ghost World
Adrian Tomine’s Shortcomings
Ben Templesmith’s Wormwood
... there’s a million moar,

but most importantly…

MIKE MIGNOLA’S HELLBOY

WATCHMEN! I’ve only read Watchmen and V for Vendetta. Watchmen was one of the best books I’ve ever read.

Puma Blues was a favorite of mine back in college. I haven’t read it in years…have to go dig it up.

Love & Rockets
Persepolis I & II
Maus
Watchmen
The Dark Knight Returns

Sandman. As evidenced by my avatar.

Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron – Daniel Clowes. Wow, is that one weird…

I haven’t heard of a single one of the novels listed above. How far out of the loop does that make me? (And I buy and read a lot of books).

@EmpressPixie – Ah, yes, Sandman! Duurr, how could I forget that one? And you all done up as Death?

@tiffyandthewall I haven’t heard of Legal Drug. I’ll look for it.

@mrswho You’ve seen the movies, of course?

@crisw I never heard of it. It’s old—I wonder if it’s still in print?

@shockvalue I just got the first volume of Y the Last Man just a few days ago. I’m looking forward to it.

@aprilsimnel Maus, of course. I’ve of course read that and it’s the greatest graphic novel ever—how could I forget? I really enjoyed Persepolis also, although I never read the second one.

@figbash That’s the same guy who wrote Ghost World, if I’m not mistaken. He is a little bizarre-I agree.

@Cardinal Well, it’s an entirely different kind of way of telling a story. Best thing to do is print out this thread and take it with you to a bookstore and take a look at a few of them. If you’re going to read one graphic novel in your life, I recommend Maus by Art Spiegelman.

@EmpressPixie I liked Sandman, obviously, but I really liked the two Death graphics. They were both really sweet. Have you gotten the follow up Sandman novels—the one drawn by the Japanese artist, and the retrospective where one chapter is Delight instead of Delerium? (I can’t remember the titles of either right now). In the last one, the chapter on Despair is probably one of the most chilling works I’ve ever read.

Oh…you know…all of the ones listed in your “details” section. I also just read Gaiman’s “Black Orchid” which I loved. I also love Persepolis. Also Phonogram by Jamie McKelvie (who I am hoping, really really hoping will make “Suburban Glamour” longer and into a novel instead of just the individual books as well). I also almost forgot “Stardust”! Let’s be honest…if it has Neil Gaiman’s name on it, i’ll read it.

@adreamofautumn – Amen to that!

@adreamofautumn Oh, I loved Black Orchid and Stardust. And the movie Stardust was terrific, but I liked Mirrormask better.

@Benny I loved them both :)

@Benny I don’t know- I bought it back when it came out as a graphic novel; I think I have a few of the comic issues as well.

@Benny: I’m a Neil Gaiman fan—if he’s been involved, I’m there. Which is to say, yes, I’ve seen all the Sandman stuff. And Black Orchid. And Stardust. And.. you get the idea.

I loved Stardust as a popular movie, but really liked Mirrormask as something to totally freak my kids out with later.

Have you seen the mega-Sandman bound thingies? Absolute or Ultimate (I forget which) Sandman in 4 volumes? Gorgeous! Just Gorgeous!

@EmpressPixie I don’t think I have. Or if I did, I was too cheap to buy it. Can you send me an Amazon link or something so I can take a look at what you’re referring to?

@Benny: Try here. They aren’t cheap, but if you get a chance to look through them (especially side by side with the originals) they are just beautiful. The difference is amazing.

@EmpressPixie Oh yes, I’ve seen those in my FLCBS (friendly local comic book store). I’m too cheap!

Lucifer
(A spinoff of The Sandman series I believe- read it all online and it was oh so good. )
Persepolis
those Drawn & Quarterly books
From Hell

(I’m quite rubbish at keeping up with graphic novels so please excuse me ha ha)

What taste everyone has! Great Answers all around!

@Benny Y is so worth your time! It’s hella well written. Also, MirrorMask is amazing!

@londly Lucifer—I’ve been meaning to get to that one. He was a terrific character in Sandman.

Lucifer-who-resembles-Low-era-David Bowie-Lucifer? That Lucifer? I must get myself one of those!

Graphic novels, I mean.

Yes, I am fanning myself over a graphic novel character. Why do you ask?

Bone is my all time favorite.
Preacher
Y: The Last Man
Superman: Red Son
Invincible is good but I guess since there is no end it can’t truly be called a graphic novel… but it’s awesome.

@TheRocketPig I tried reading Preacher, but it was just a little too gory for my tastes. I used to collect Superman, but I’m not familiar with Red Son. I’ll look for it.

the first Heroes one :) and the Hiro and Charlie story

@Benny if Preacher is too gory I would stand clear of Invincible as well :)

Superman: Red Son is excellent. It’s an alternate universe where Superman crashes in Communist Russia as a baby instead of the USA. here’s a pic

@TheRocketPig LOL! Check out that pic link you gave me!

Now that I know it’s an “elseworlds” I think I probably read it years ago. In terms of Preacher, I liked the story a lot. I just thought that some of the brain splattering stuff was unnecessary. I prefer more subtle horror-type violence like Gaiman does.

I have always liked Batman in all of its incarnations, as well as Dare Devil (I think it would be BOSS to see a cross over film where these two meet, initially as adversaries and later team up against the REAL bad guys!); I also love X Men (I really related to them growing up because I felt like a mutant of sorts myself, given certain physical deformities and thus had feelings of isolation from my peers, some of which reinforced these feelings). Defenders was a great read; I somehow missed WATCH MEN, if you can BELIEVE that, but I picked up the whole series in its Collectors edition (all in one binding) and LOVED it!
Justice League of America I had flucuating feelings for (at times it was good, others it was total cornball: depending on the writers I spose).
I really liked reading HULK if for no other reason than the fact that I’m fascinated with stories that involve transformation (like the legend of the werewolf, invisible man, Jekyll and Hyde), plus I always loved the illustrations in that one.
Spiderman was always cool, and of all of these, I think my all time favs were:
X Men
Batman
Spiderman
Thor
Dr. Strange

@TheKNYHT It looks like you’ve concentrated on superheroes, so it’s not too surprising that you missed Watchmen. I did superheroes also—most of the DC Universe, not so much of the Marvel universe, but then someone turned me on to Sandman and after that I read almost all of Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, along with a bunch of others.

By the way, if you like Batman, there is a fantastic current run called All Star Batman and Robin by Frank Miller and Jim Lee. Jim Lee, if you don’t know who he is, is one of the most sensational artists in comics today.

@Benny haha… it serves me right for not hosting the pic myself

@shockvalue I didn’t get Mirrormask mostly because it was big and expensive, although I’ve thumbed through it at my FLCBS (friendly local comic book store). I absolutely loved the movie, though. The combination of Dave McKean and Neal Gaiman is a beautiful thing to see.

@Benny I have mirrormask—I’m a big Dave McKean fan, but you’re right, it’s expensive.

V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Lovely Complex, Ghost Hunt, Case Closed, and pretty much any Yaoi. Oh! And Vampire Knight ♥