People say that Comic Books & Graphic Novels are not as intelligent as Books itself. Well those idiots can go fark themselves. Here are some Graphic Novels & Comic Books every Bookworm must read:

5.Fables

What happens when all your favourite fairy tale characters gets into the real world? Yup, it's way worse than what you think. This ongoing comic book series is a brilliant form of work that has continues to amaze me till this day.


4.The Dark Knight Returns

Before Nolan & Burton's Batman, Frank Miller has written one of the most serious interpretations of Batman ever made. A depressing, but brilliant look into aging Bruce Wayne as he looks forward to his last adventures as Batman.

3.Maus

One of the most interesting portrayals of the Holocaust, The Mice shown in this book are Jews during the WWII being persecuted by Nazis portrayed by cats. Interesting, gives Anne Frank a run for her money.

2.Y - The Last Man

All the men are dead and the women survived, except for one man: Yorick Brown and his male counterpart Capuchin ape Ampersand. Venture into a manless world as Yorick alongside Dr.Alison Mann and his bodyguard 355 ventures around the world looking for answers to the cause and his search for his long-lost girlfriend, Beth.

1.Watchmen

Before you watch the movie, read the novel! It's simple. One of the most hauntingly brilliant graphic novels of all time is also one of the most influential in the world. This novel has influenced everyone, from the likes of Christopher Nolan, to the writers of Heroes. A must read for everyone who is into reading books, comic books or both.

I guess with the show being a hit, it's not surprising MPH and Borders will have a lot of Watchmen book on sale.

Yeah , you're right.

How many volumes are there in the Watchmen series?

I'd like to get them but if they're too expensive I may have to think twice about it... =/

There are 12 Volumes.

what about Frank Miller's other novels that were recently adapted to movies.

Sin City, 300 and Spirit. how are they as graphic novels?

Yeah, they're a good mention too.

Those are good reads, notable mentions IMO

1) The Preacher
2) Sandman

Although Frank Miller produced the ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE movie adaptation, the comic series was created by Will Eisner. The comics spanned several series, collections and one shots over the years, with different writers and artists, catching up would be hard to do.

anyway, here are my personal favorites. at least what I can think of right now.

Pride of Baghdad
Usagi Yojimbo
Sandman
Runaways
We3
Persepolis
Road to Perdition series (including Purgatory, Paradise)
Laika
Asterix and Obelix (lol)
the others which are already mentioned by previous posts, are pretty good recommendations too.

I tend to avoid superhero comics, because I really have no idea where to start

There are 12 volumes, but its now sold in one volume collecting all 12. Soft cover price is around 70+ ringgit I think, and hardcover is 120+.

BTW, how can you not have Neil Gaiman's Sandman on that list? Heresy!

This post has been edited by dishwasher: Mar 10 2009, 12:39 AM

Tintin... seriously.

Warren Ellis' Global Frequency & Authority for fans of action/ thrillers. His other, longer series (Transmetropolitan, Planetary, Fell etc) are good reads as well.

Kurt Busiek's Astro City, especially the volume called Confessions.

After the Dark Knight Returns, there was the Dark Knight Strikes Again, where Bats heads off to save the world

GL was even felt eerie to see Bats feeling so 'happy' at the concert

i seem to get Miller and Eisner confused.


eh serious ah? Asterix and Obelix is considered graphic novel? not Comic? i like them.

best graphic novel i bought:

x-men: god loves, man kills (1982)
The story concerns a minister, the Reverend William Stryker, stirring up religious anti-mutant fervor and kidnapping Professor X in an attempt to eradicate all mutants. It is one of the most clear-cut examples of X-Men comics using mutant relations as a metaphor for race relations.

Who knew, 20 yrs later a movie was made!



This post has been edited by ahjames: Apr 24 2009, 11:17 AM

The Asterix and Obelix series are an absolute classic! Grew up on em and they're the only comics that made me go digging around encyclopedias for the meanings of 'veni, vidi,vici', and generally stuff about the roman empire

Add in the humour and stories....sigh, I want more Asterix and Obelix!!!

p.s: oops, forgot to add Tintin as a classic as well!

This post has been edited by duh2k: Apr 24 2009, 08:57 PM

My pick :-

1. Ultra : Seven Days
2. All Star Superman Vol 1 & 2 ( a complete run )
3. X-Men : Dark Phoenix Saga ( not the X-Men 3 version )
4. Captain America Omnibus ( 25 issues leading to Capt's death )
5. New X-Men Omnibus ( Grant Morrison's run on X-Men )

Haha, i f***en love Preacher.

DOOMCOCK!

I wouldn't recommend it as reading for any conservative

My favourites currently are Fables (Jack of Fables is a spin off, doesn't interest me) and Walking Dead.

I'd like to add History of Violence to that list too.

And yes, Astro City is a must read.

I love Fables and Y: The Last Man too. Do not like Jack of Fables spinoff.

Also like Bone by Jeff Smith.

Tried some Preacher and Punisher but not my thing.

I await each new volume of Astro City with all the glee of a child waiting for birthday presents.

Pretty much anything that says Kurt Busiek or Alan Moore are a yes for me.

Speaking of Alan Moore, I would recommend a series called Top 10. Imagine the police force you would need in "City of Heroes"

omg, thank god some one started a thread like this. I need to get the the dark knight copy. I just bought DK2.

i started becoming a geek recently, when i'm so engrossed in the literature of comics.

Today I bought Watchmen, V for Vendetta and DK2. planning to get batman: year one, Ronin, DK, and some of the early X-Men stuff.

anymore recommendations.

Lucifer by mike carey ... quite a inspiring series ...

The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman should be included, awesomely awesome.

Exactly ! Among d legendary graphic novel series ..

sandman... feels good man, back in those day very less komik is cater for "mature" reader.

used to read swamp thing for the nudity.

Swamp thing for nudity and Preacher for divine intervention

few authors could put in 'soul' into graphic novels .. but i think Neil Gaiman did..

if you were to recommend anything from the flash, what would you guys suggest?

definitely watchmen

I buy Action Comics and Superman everymonth..
Started early this year, lucky that MPH in Alamanda got the series.

can we get sandman at kinokuniya?

i'm planning on batman arkham assylum and batman year one.
the other one i plan to start is the FLASH
and green lantern!!

I have Batman Arkham Asylum and Year One. They are really awesome. I especially love the AA art

hmm, really wanna get it now. i saw it the last time around. looks great. most likely pick it up this weekend!!

Sandman is in chronological order right if i buy the compilation book. like 1 up to (5??)

These are my (currently) all time favorite graphic novels:


1. Jimmy Corrigan - The Smartest Kid On Earth (Chris Ware)

http://www.amazon.com/Jimmy-Corrigan-Smartest-Kid-Earth/dp/0224063979/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253459608&sr=8-1



This is a graphic novel with brilliance in story, drawing and layout. My personal best so far.

2. MW (Ozamu Tezuka)

http://www.amazon.com/MW-Osamu-Tezuka/dp/1932234837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253460636&sr=1-1



Ozamu Tezuka created Astro Boy and other mangas, but this one is by far (I think) the darkest/controversial/thought-provoking manga that he ever created. Considering it was created in the 70s, it just solidifies my respect to him and his works.

3. Contract With God Trilogy (Will Eisner)

http://www.amazon.com/Contract-God-Trilogy-Dropsie-Avenue/dp/0393061051/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253460952&sr=1-1



4. Tekkon Kinkreet - Black&White(Taiyo Matsumoto)

http://www.amazon.com/Tekkon-Kinkreet-Black-TEKKON-KINKREET/dp/B001TLYRKI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253461360&sr=1-2



If the world has witnessed some legendary famous duo eg. John Lennon & Paul McCartney or Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, Black & White (the 2 main characters in this graphic novel) in my opinion deserve to be included in the list.

5. 300 (Frank Miller)

http://www.amazon.com/300-Frank-Miller/dp/1569714029/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253461723&sr=1-1

of course .. Kinokuniya has quite complete set of sandman series ... i think Timesquare also got ..

I'm 13 and I read comics and graphic novels, a lot. Sadly I live in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan and I can't get comics and graphics here. There aren't any bookshops! Every month my family and I have to drive to KL just to buy some graphic novels.

As for my favourite graphic novels, they are:

Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.
Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Time Sale.
Blankets by Craig Thompson
Maus by Art Spiegelman


Well, just to name a few. I really hate my place for the lack of bookshops.

If you like Preacher in terms of screw up situations, then you must like The Boys

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boys_(comics)

Here's some of the rare one I like :

Blankets

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blankets_(comics)

Real life biography, tell about his childhood, love and conflict between self and his own religion.

Epileptic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epileptic_(comics)

Real tale about how the author cope with his older brother's epileptic.

Other Batman stuff beside Frank Miller's ground breaking graphic novel.

Batman : Arkham Asylum (FYI, this is way before Warners game came out)

A Long Halloween

Batman : Killing Joke (with all respect to the late Heth Ledger, he got nothing this one)

Batman : Year One

Some DC Comic stuff I enjoy :

Kingdom Come (seriously, read it, Alex Ross' art is just classic and amazing)

As for Japan manga :

Pushman

Goodbye

All by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. These are not your typical chibified, moe-fied manga. he mangas pictured harsh reality of modernise Japan in the post-WW2 era.

Anything by Brian Azzarrelo is worth taking a close look for sharp dialogue and dark storylines - 100 bullets,Joker,Batman-Broken City
Grant Morrison for pushing new ground - All Star Superman,WE3,Arkham Asylum
Mark Millar excel in bringing Hollywood Blockbuster sensibilities to comic book - The ultimates,Wanted,Ultimate FF
Garth Ennis a little crass but still worthwhile - Preacher and Punisher
Hiroaki Samura - Blade of the immortal.Not your usual vengeance story.
Hiroki Endo Eden:It's An Endless World unofficially it's dubbed the best manga in the world.If Akira is your cup of tea,must give this one a try.Bleak and shocking to the core.
For pretty artwork do give Shaman Warrior a try.It's one of the best drawn Korean manhwa.Park Joon Ki artwork remind me a lot of Travis Charest where you get to see tremendous effort and passion being put into it.

hey - how come there's no mention of TRANSMETROPOLITAN here ? Absolutely awesome..