Recommend me graphic novels.

[Slacker]

I'm planning on ordering Watchmen and V For Vendetta soon, but that's about the farthest extent I know of them, and for some reason I've had an odd urge to get into that genre of novels lately.

 

[knut]

I always enjoyed the Alien graphic novels/comics, and the Terry Pratchett Discworld Comic-Novels are great (but I recommend the books)

 

[kupocake]

At the risk of being unpopular for bringing Manga into a Graphic Novel thread (I've found that "anime" and "manga" are poisonous words here), try Nausicaa of the Valley of the wind. Because the Japanese don't bother with colour, at least you wouldn't be making such an expensive mistake if it turns out you don't like it One of the few manga titles published in the larger sized Graphic Novel-style format as well.

It's a Sci-Fi/Fantasy epic set thousands of years in the future after human civilization was nearly destroyed, and an expansive exotic, deadly forest has appeared, leaving little in the way of suistainable land and settlement. Still, the various kingdoms are fighting it out among themselves and some would even go as far as resurrecting the machines that all but destroyed the world in the first place. Rising against them is Nausicaa, a young princess who has a strange affinity to the insects of the forest, who may just have the power and the understanding to solve the mysteries of her world and prevent the apocalypse. And stuff. If you've seen the Anime, expect something similar, but considerably better in the long run (the ink drawings are better than the cel animation by far, and the film completely lacked the epic scope of the manga).

I read other Manga, but wouldn't recommend them for one reason or another. I've not read any American graphic novels in all honesty. Expense is one reason, but the other is that "graphic" in "graphic novels" seems to be exclusively polysemic. i.e. it's not just "an illustrated novel", but a novel with "VIOLENT illustrations". I'm a bit more mellow than that Nausicaa isn't exactly violent i suppose. Action-packed, but not really violent.

So if you're after violence, I suppose you should ignore this post Though it is rather big isn't it...!

 

[Greatgat]

Ask Sulkdodds. He knows all.

 

[Reginald]

Sin City. They're great, even though people say they've become too recognised now. (Who cares frankly?)

 

[CyberPitz]

Playboy!

Graphic enough?

The only books I really read are ones for middle schoolers, since that's the only time I've really EVER read books...OH and Of Mice and Men was a good book but anyway, the point is, I don't read books

 

[StardogChampion]

Batman: Year One
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Sin City
Kingdom Come
From Hell
Preacher

You can get them all from Amazon, for mostly under £10 each.

I'm writing my own graphic novel too, using Celtx to help.

 

[Slacker]

Sin City. They're great, even though people say they've become too recognised now. (Who cares frankly?)

I've read Sin City before. <3 those.

 

[Polaris]

Tron: The Ghost in the Machine is pretty cool. It's based on story of movie Tron and awesome computer game Tron 2.0.

 

[DeusExMachina]

The Punisher MAX series. Make sure its MAX, not the Marvel ones. MAX is more mature and I find it better that way.
Batman: Dark Knight Returns
The Sandman
The Invisibles
The Walking Dead
Transmetropolitan (I'll save Sulk the trouble)
Fables
Nil: A Land Beyond Belief
League of Extraordinary Time
From Hell
Criminal. Comes out next month.

I'd recommend the New Adventures of Hitler because its funny and awesome, but they've never been released into paperback.

 

[Jintor]

You Need To Read the Sandman By Neil Gaiman.

That Is All.

 

[bgesley426]

I'm planning on ordering Watchmen and V For Vendetta soon, but that's about the farthest extent I know of them, and for some reason I've had an odd urge to get into that genre of novels lately.

Well if you're also interested in resistance/rebellion/revolution then Brian Wood's DMZ might be up your alley.

 

[Dax]

You should give "Y -The last man" a try. It's about the sole survivor of a spontaneous, simultaneous death of every male on Earth.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

If you like Warcraft, try Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy.
1. Dragon Hunt
2. Shadows of Ice
3. Ghostlands (not released)

 

[15357]

I don't actually know the difference between 'graphic novel' and 'manga', so I reccomend Full Metal Alchemist, by a guy that I can't spell his name.

PLEASE NOTE: COPYRIGHT LAW AT THE VERY LEAST IMPLIES THAT A CUT-OUT SECTION OF A PAGE OF A BOOK CAN BE DISTRIBUTED FOR NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.

 

[bigburpco]

Eh, that's manga.

 

[15357]

Whats the difference? Color?

 

[bigburpco]

I'm not very sure myself... I dunno what sets it apart, but I can tell what a graphic novel is and what manga is.

 

[15357]

If you don't know what the difference is, how can you be so sure?

I just think a graphic novel is a better term for comic books.

 

[bigburpco]

Mangas are typically Jap stuff and are in series.

Graphic novels I think are usually English and come in singles.

Also, manga doesn't have colour. Depends for graphic novels.

 

[15357]

But still, translated single manga would make it a.... graphic novel.


Anyway, who cares, it's still an awesome read.

 

[StardogChampion]

Graphic novels don't generally go on forever as a series either. They have beginnings and endings.

 

[DeusExMachina]

Graphic novel is just a mature name for comics. Doesn't matter if you call them graphic novels or comics.

Manga is a japanese comic.

 

[Direwolf]

Go figure that I'm going to go out on a limb and pimp Hellboy, and anything having to do with Mike Mignola. Double this recommendation if you're a horror or Lovecraft fan.

I'd also recommend the lesser-known Daisy Kutter by Kibuishi (no its not manga). Its a short, excellent series dealing with robots and the wildwest. Which is always awesome.

 

[Shinobi]

I cant believe no one said Bone

 

[CptStern]

I'll skip the essentials that other people have mentioned (I was going to mention Jeff smith's work)

recommended:

<- arguably the best comic ever written

< collection of stories in one of the best indy comics series

<- the best superhero comic ever written

<- Daredevil: Born Again. Frank Miller at his best ..also recommended Miller's Ronin, Elektra assasin, Sin city

cant go wrong with anything by Moebius, Harvey Pekar, Will Eisner, Peter Bagge, Daniel Clowes, Hernandez brothers, and David Lapham


btw manga is just the japanese word for comics ..the graphic novel is just a marketing gimmick that started in the 80's ..before that similiar comics were just called ....comics

 

[15357]

Oh yeah, Maus was awesome.

 

[CptStern]

you read Spiegelman's Maus? ..but it's decidely anti-fascist

how can you read that and not walk away with a better understanding of the suffering inflicted on man by government?

 

[DeusExMachina]

Watchmen > Dark Knight Returns

 

[CptStern]

hmmm even though it dealt with "heroes" I've never considered it a superhero book ..too outside the traditional role of what superhereos are supposed to be like

 

[Slacker]

I can't stand manga at all. Bleh.

I ordered Watchman and V For Vendetta two nights ago, they should be here sometime this weekend. I'll probably get Dark Knight Returns next. <3 to everyone in the topic, though.

 

[Jangle]

I ordered Watchmen a few days ago. According to IMDB there's going to be a film made of it.

 

[kupocake]

I can't stand manga at all. Bleh.

Dismissing it outright seems a bit silly to me. What is is that you don't like particuarly?

 

[Geogaddi]

4chan loli.

 

[DeusExMachina]

I ordered Watchmen a few days ago. According to IMDB there's going to be a film made of it.

Yeah, its supposed to be made for the past 4 years now.

Watchmen would be perfect as an HBO mini-series. I don't think you can congest Watchmen into a 2 hour or even 3 hour movie. There's too much you'd have to leave out.

 

[kirovman]

Mangas are typically Jap stuff and are in series.

Graphic novels I think are usually English and come in singles.

Also, manga doesn't have colour. Depends for graphic novels.

Manga is Japanese comics, but numbers posted a Korean comic.

 

[cherry]

i hear the watchmen is good. don't read them myself.

 

[kupocake]

Manga is Japanese comics, but numbers posted a Korean comic.

Full Metal Alchemist IS a Manga, numbers just posted a page from a Korean translation of it.

 

[Jintor]

Full Metal Alchemist is one of the better mangas out there, yes.

But you seriously NEED to read THE SANDMAN, by Neil Gaiman, because it = best graphic novel series eva.

(Graphic Novels = comics, but 'fancied up'. You know.)

 

[Sparta]

I've read the Watchmen and V for Vendetta, and the Watchmen still stands up incredibly well when compared to any other stories in any other medium (books, tv shows, films etc).