posted
which is it??that graphic novel,that you read years ago o now in this moment and you said:
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW this is paradise man!!
in the case of superheroes:
I will choose squadron supreme: a death in the universe,it was so powerfull that story,without doubt apart from the maxi series,on of the best things mark gruenwald has ever written in his life!!from begining to the end is brilliant!!and it appears one my favourite villains of the marvel universe the original scarlet centurion.
in the case of indy o miscelaneous:
I will choose skin,a graphic novel by peter milligan and brendan macarthy that was published by thundra.It is the story a thalidomide victim who is also a skin.The script,the art all is so fuking great!!you cant believe how these two guys have done something like this...
-------------------- Aguante Argentina locooooo Posts: 14 | Registered: Aug 2006
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I really like Watchmen, American Splendor, Batman: DKR, Bone, Fables etc.. but MAUS has something more moving about it.
Posts: 85 | From: France | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
I think BLANKETS was a stand out graphic novel, that really moved me. And I think it may have been published as a graphic novel from the begginning, not as a serial comic. I could be wrong.
Posts: 5226 | From: Newfoundland, Canada | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
You are a harsh taskmaster, sir...asking for just one.
I'll cheat slightly (??) by giving two. On the grounds I'm not sure if the first one is a graphic novel.
The first: The Spiral Cage by Al Davison. Maybe its not a novel because its actually Al's own autobiography. But it is a wonderful, heart-warming story. I finished this book having been richly entertained, and full of admiration for Al and his family.
The second: The Tale of One Bad Rat. By Bryan Talbot. The story of a young London beggar, and how her love for Beatrix Potter and England's Lake District turn her life around. Wonderful story, and art. (I'm sure I read somewhere that Bryan T splits his work into professional and personal artistic projects. The professional work he does to high standards....but on the personal crusades, he puts in massive time getting everything exactly as he wants it. This seems to be exactly what he did with this book.)
Posts: 404 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Blankets was indeed published as an original graphic novel.
The Spiral Cage, more a collection of pieces than one long one, neverless finds a coherence so that I'd almost call it a graphic novel. At any rate, it's great. Al Davison is tremendous. I've got two of his autobio gns/collections now. And about a year and a half, two years ago, another one was solicited. But, throwing into high relief how horrible comic book fandom is, it didn't garner enough Diamond pre-orders to warrant publication. I found this out when I emailed the publisher -- Active Images? Active Synapse? Somethin' like that -- and asked if the title had been delayed, cancelled. They wrote me back and said gave me the lowdown, explaining that they planned to resolicit it later with a bigger ad push. But, that was a million years ago.
It's a real bummer.
Matthew
Posts: 4993 | From: Seattle, WA USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Matthewwave: Blankets was indeed published as an original graphic novel.
The Spiral Cage, more a collection of pieces than one long one, neverless finds a coherence so that I'd almost call it a graphic novel. At any rate, it's great. Al Davison is tremendous. I've got two of his autobio gns/collections now. And about a year and a half, two years ago, another one was solicited. But, throwing into high relief how horrible comic book fandom is, it didn't garner enough Diamond pre-orders to warrant publication. I found this out when I emailed the publisher -- Active Images? Active Synapse? Somethin' like that -- and asked if the title had been delayed, cancelled. They wrote me back and said gave me the lowdown, explaining that they planned to resolicit it later with a bigger ad push. But, that was a million years ago.
It's a real bummer.
Matthew
Not sure of US publisher. Think last time I came across -- in the UK-- any work he both wrote and illustrated publisher was Victor Gollancz. This was Minotaur's Tale. A long time since I read...so would not be dogmatic about publisher. But I can vouch that it was very good. Also bought Vermillion because when I stumbled across it saw he pencilled the early issues. Pretty sure anything he'd work on would be good...and again I enjoyed it.
Some day I'll actively chase down work by Al...always really enjoyed his stuff when I've come across any.
Posts: 404 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
My all time favorite GN has to be Kyle Baker's "The Cowboy Wally Show." I've read it at least a dozen or more times and it's hillarious every time. On a similiar note Harvey Kurtzman's "The Jungle Book" is just as re-readable and almost as funny. In the superhero vein I would have to go with either "Watchmen" or "The Dark Knight Returns" both of which reward re-reading.
Posts: 1910 | From: U.S.A. | Registered: May 2000
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posted
Tough question. I would have to go the the somewhat obscure "Conan the Reaver", a late 80's/early 90's GN with art by the always splendid John Severin. While there may be other books with greater significance or literary merit, this book always brings a smile to my face.
Posts: 1569 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Kurt Vonnegut, Ursula le Guin and others beg to differ.
-------------------- Member 642-A of Diabolically Evil Traitors, Ready to Act Contrarily To Overwhelming Reason Posts: 5122 | From: Not Applicable, USA | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
If were talking about orginal graphic novels, then I would have to say Alex Robinson's Tricked (although Box Office Poison was great too).
Also Michelle Tea and Laurenn McCubbin did this really great book called Rent Girl. It's more of an illustrated novel (One panel every other page and tons of text), but it is great. Very adult themed, but great....
Maybe because it was the first GN I ever bought (I was 12 or 13 years old at the time) but mainly because it was by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland, two of my favourite creators.
Posts: 34 | Registered: Nov 2005
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My personal favorite is "Watchmen". I seem to find something new that enriches the background of the story every time I read it. My paperback copy is looking rather sad nowadays. It's by no means a "perfect" story (whatever "perfect" means), but it is entertaining, informative, sometimes shocking, and contains characters very similar to Charlton characters that I remember from younger days (and of course, I know now that's no coincidence, but I figured it out before it was known by the other "fans" around me, who thought I was nuts to see ANY RESEMBLANCE WHATSOEVER between Alan Moore's characters and Charlton's "sad, sorry excuses for super-heroes".)
I don't know if they count as a graphic novels, but I also enjoy "Superman: Peace on Earth", and "Batman: War on Crime" (and the WW and CM ones as well). Beautifully done!
Posts: 4 | Registered: Oct 2006
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One of my favs was KING DAVID by Kyle Baker. His play on the harsh realities of war, sex, and politics in the Bible was great. He also acurately portrayed the Jews and Philistines according to geographic logic. I enjoyed this. I also liked Birth of A NATION with Baker, McGruder, and Hudlin. That's Classic. Kingdom Come remains great in it's own right, though I have issues with Ross's humour intended (I guess) display of the Fat Albert Crew depicted as thugs running from Batman's Robot sentinels. We (the readers) are to believe they are simply common thugs. If this criminalization were done to the sacred heroes of suburban Americana like say 'Beaver'(leave it to...) or a thug image of the false, yet commonly still used image of a white (pantene plus haired) Jesus...!= there'd be an immediate uproar. Ross is very Americana and there lies his faults to me. How many characters (batman, Superman, Shazam) does he model off of his one buddy? His models tend to lack diversity, even with the main woman hero depictions. Still I respect his general skill, especially in Kingdom Come. The book is yet a classic.
my perspective....
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-------------------- THE NEW ART ORDER PRESENTS BRUTHA YAMZ! ONLINE NOW! RIGHT NAO!
posted
Eisner's A Contract With God is the one that I'll always remember, the one that opened my eyes to the wider possibilities of the form.
Jodorowsky and Moebius' The Incal trilogy probably deserves to be on the list of greatest SOMETHINGs, if not "graphic novels" then maybe "sci-fi comics series."
*************
There are a lot of comics series that get collected as "graphic novels" later, but I find myself looking for the issue breaks, even when they've been edited out of the collected volumes. Even when they were never really obvious, like in Cerebus, I find myself looking for those breaks, and it pulls me out of the ongoing narrative. I don't know if that serial quality invalidates a work as a graphic novel, or if it's just my own personal hangup that I should try to ignore. Anyone else have this problem?
Posts: 774 | From: Salem, MA, USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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Peter...tend to have the "opposite" problem when reading current comics...looking for a story or some chunky action in a single issue...only to find the comic's been written as just a part of a 6 issue story.
Its alnost driven me away from current stuff to buying back issues.
Posts: 404 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I'm still astonished that something like this exists in the world. Absolutely gorgeous, with graphic storytelling unlike anything I've seen anywhere else.
posted
The Sandman by Gaiman et al. Hard to pick the best book in it but all great stuff.
Berserk by Kentaro Miura - I'm only up to volume 5 but this is totally awesome.
Posts: 340 | From: Airdrie, Scotland | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Bring Back Zot: Also, Don Rosa's The Life and Times of Uncle Scrooge. This is the best gift to give to get an elementary school aged child hooked on comics.
NFAH, do you have one in your library?
No. I have a personal copy that I've been meaning to have cataloged. Thanks for reminding me that I still need to get that done!
I've never read "Zot." It looks interesting.
Posts: 1489 | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote:Originally posted by jeaoure: Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid On Earth
I'm still astonished that something like this exists in the world. Absolutely gorgeous, with graphic storytelling unlike anything I've seen anywhere else.
Agreed.
K
Posts: 3709 | From: michigan | Registered: May 2001
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"I think ChrisW is the funniest man in entertainment still alive..." -- the perceptive Tom Spurgeon Posts: 8574 | From: Lincoln, Nebraska USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
"Hicksville" is probably my favorite but "I Killed Adolf Hitler" gets better with each reread.
Posts: 1114 | From: Las Vegas Nevada USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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posted
Bone, Cerebus (if you want specific chapters, "High Society," "Church & State," "Jaka's Story," "Guys," and sometimes "Melmoth"), New Frontier, Sale and Loeb's Batman/Halloween stuff, and From Hell. Tho not necessarily in that order. And, tomorrow, the list could be different. (Like "Selina's Big Heist." That's a good one. And "Avengers Forever.")
(But (to put a finer point on it) a novel is a novel is a novel. Dunno what that "graphic" business is all about...)
Posts: 1299 | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
This isn't my favorite, but I read Whiteout this weekend and loved it. Very few books successfully transport you to another world, but this one does.
Posts: 1569 | Registered: Jun 2005
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