Graphic Novel Recommendations

[Hill]

Hello!

Am very late to the comic book thing and having read most of the more famous ones, I'd really appreciate a steer on where to look next!

I've read and loved Watchmen, Sandman, From Hell (absolutely astonishingly good), League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Walking Dead.

Had a go at Judge Dredd too, but it wasn't for me.

What next?

Cheeeeers.

[polishgenius]

Transmetropolitan, by Warren Ellis (you need Warren Ellis in your life). Gonzo journalist (based on Hunter S Thompson) fights for the Truth in an insane dystopian future.

Bone, by Jeff Smith (go for the uncoloured version, I reckon). Essentially, a set of Disney/Looney Tunes 'toons stumble into The Lord of the Rings. Way, way better than the setup makes it sound.

[Sci-2]

Jimmy Corrigan, Smartest Boy on Earth - depressing Chris Ware stuff, but it's pretty awesome and actually has a thread of hope and compassion running through it.

Stuff of Legends - A darker, more logically reasonable Toy Story.

Enigma - One of the best single volume graphic novels IMHO. Reality, sexuality, truth..all taken under Peter Milligans knife/pen.

Joe the Barbarian - Awesome art + story, Morrison and Murphy really called back to my childhood. Kid needs to get his insulin and his imagination makes it seem like he's chosen to save a fairy tale dimension of toys and wonders...or is it the other way around? DUN DUN DUN! ;-)

Sea Guy - Surreal, insane, yet poignant. What do heroes do after the big bad is gone? What if the real villains are running the Disney-fied status quo?

Compleat Moonshadow - Space Opera meets Philosophy meets Boy Coming of Age. The water colors make this one of the most gorgeous comics I've ever read.

Also, there's a chance this'll get moved to the comics thread so if you don't see this check there.

[thistlepong]

Bone, by Jeff Smith (go for the uncoloured version, I reckon). Essentially, a set of Disney/Looney Tunes 'toons stumble into The Lord of the Rings. Way, way better than the setup makes it sound.

Sea Guy - Surreal, insane, yet poignant. What do heroes do after the big bad is gone? What if the real villains are running the Disney-fied status quo?

Seconded.

Based on what you already like:

Planetary - Warren Ellis: four volumes or mystery archaeology and the secret history of twentieth century genre fiction

Based on wholly on my desire to evangelize:

Finder - Carla Speed McNeil: two "libraries" and the single volume Voice, which is so good it took a dark recess of the internet for me to see something to complain about, which is unusual; dystopian futurism... ish? with an anthropological bent.

[King Tyrion I]

"Watchmen" was named already. I really second that. I loved reading it.

[Toby Frost]

I enjoyed:

Slaine The Horned God - A weird mishmash of Celtic myths: druids, carnage, humour and a surreal drawing style sometimes quite a lot like Klimt.

We Three - A story about animals trained to pilot weaponry, both violent and sad.

The Hard Goodbye (Sin City) - The Mickey Rourke section of the film. Not an amazing story, but the noir-style art is good.

Battlepug - A very silly parody of (among other things) Conan the Barbarian.

I've also heard good things about Ghost World, about an eccentric girl growing up, and Maus, about the Holocaust, but I've not read them.

[BookWyrm]

I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly is very good. It's not an ongoing series so not too big of a commitment.

I also recommend Daniel Clowes' Ghost World...

[Liffguard]

Lucifer by Mike Carey. A Sandman spinoff, set in the same cosmology (I almost said universe, but that's only partially true) that very quickly takes on a life of its own. In some ways I think it surpasses its parent series and the final issue is one of the best endings I've ever read.

[mjgambino]

I suggest the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. They are being rereleased by IDW in Hardbacks (Ultimate Editions). They are shockingly good, not goofy like the cartoon but not as violent or serious as some would have you believe either.

[Baron Fell]

anything by grant morisson

[JonArryn]

Preacher. I've ordered the first four volumes after I read the first using illegal means from a site which you probably know which it is. *cough* pirate... *cough*

It is supposed to be good. I liked what I read. It mixes crime fiction, fantasy, adventuer and comic. It is pretty gritty and profane like most of Vertigo.

Vertigo is a branch of DC aimed towards adults.

The story revolves around Jesse Custer, an ex-preacher who gets possessed by a half-angel/half-demon. Maybe possessed ain't the right word since he still has himself under control (first issue) but he absorb the being in some way. And after that, things kick off. It also includes elements of low-fantasy with divine and demonly creatures. With Jesse on his travels are his ex-girlfriend and an Irish vampire.

The fourth number isn't really part of the main story, but centers around a character named Saint of Killers, so it isn't mandatory to read, but it should give a deeper look into one of the more important side characters. I bought it anyway.

Maybe you get a look into what it revolves around after this post and it has gotten my attention and is very well received in general. It is a pretty long run too(66 issues), and can be found in paperbacks on amazon. This one has 9 TPB's (8 if you exclude the special one) and when a comic series consists of 60 issues they usually get 10 TPB's. So it does seem pretty solid to me, and the story do seem godd from what I've read.

[thistlepong]

We Three - A story about animals trained to pilot weaponry, both violent and sad.

...by Grant Morrison. And seconded

anything by grant morisson

Um, objection?! I mean, Seaguy is good. We3 is maybe the most touching comic I remember reading. And All Star Superman is the best Superman, even superhero, story.

But you don't want some eager naif picking up the third volume of Doom Patrol or The Filth and swearing off the medium, do you? Be gentle.

[polishgenius]

I must confess, I did not like Seaguy. It was Grant Morrison at his most self-indulgent.

Apart from We3 and the highpoints of his JLA run (Rock of Ages in particular), my favourite Morrison is his run on Animal Man.

Btw, we're all recommending old school classics; for newer works and writers you could try:

Sweet Tooth, by Jeff Lemire- this one's just wrapped up. I've only read the first volume of it so far but it was excellent and supposedly continues that way. Grim but touching post-apocalyptic thing.

Saga, by Bryan K Vaughn - his re-entry into comics after his soujourn in TV (his previous series, Ys, the Last Man and Ex Machina, are also brilliant) and from what I've read so far (I'm not current with comics, money issues :P) it's stunning. Space opera off the leash.

[delete this account pls]

I just read Far Arden by Kevin Cannon, it was very entertaining, and pretty damn good value - it's $5 USD on comixology for nearly 400 pages. Cannon's style is very loose and cartoony, but I liked it. It has a very "boy's own adventure" feel to it, though it gets very grim at times.

The blurb;

Meet Army Shanks -- crusty old sea dog and legendary brawler of the high Arctic seas! He's got just one mission: to find the mythical island paradise known as Far Arden, which lies hidden (so they say) in the wintry oceans of the far North. But there's more than just water standing between Shanks and his goal: he'll have to contend with circus performers, adorable orphans, heinous villains, bitter ex-lovers, well-meaning undergraduates, and the full might of the Royal Canadian Arctic Navy! Not to mention he's not so sure how to get to Far Arden in the first place...

[Neal]

I really liked "Y: The Last Man" by Brian K. Vaughan, it's about the only man (and his monkey) to survive the death of all the other men in the world.

[peterbound]

Y

Fables

Preacher

Sandman

Old Man Logan

The Boys

The Authority

Saga of the Swamp Thing

Batman Specific:

The long halloween

the killing joke

year one

arkham asylum

dkr

Maus

Marvels

100 Bullets

Powers (fuck it, anything by Bendis)

Ex Machina

[Lady Olenna]

I suggest the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. They are being rereleased by IDW in Hardbacks (Ultimate Editions). They are shockingly good, not goofy like the cartoon but not as violent or serious as some would have you believe either.

I've heard this from a few people but never got around to reading them. You've convinced me to check out the Ultimate Editions.

[The Unburnt Hound]

Daredevil-The whole series by Frank Miller is amazing, but Born Again and The Man without Fear standalones are outstanding (Frank Miller)

The Punisher-Marvel Knights, but more so the Max Series (Garth Ennis)

Lone Wolf And Cub (Kazuo Koike)....Its a manga, but it's amazing

Elektra (Frank Miller)

Swamp Thing (Alan Moore)

V For Vendetta (Alan Moore)....if you have seen the movie flush that piece of crap out of your mind because the GN is much better.

Hellboy (Mike Mignola)

Miracleman (Alan Moore)....very, very rare and hard to find, but worth it

Somebody already suggested Bone, Y: The Last Man, Preacher and 100 Bullets and I would like to second those suggestions.

There is many more, but I don't have my collection with me at the moment otherwise I would have many more suggestions.

[Hill]

Mint! Thanks very much all.

[Toby Frost]

Definitely Hellboy - the art style is great.

Also the first Tank Girl, although it's got no real plot, largely for the sense of anarchy (the Cream of Tank Girl book is good), and, for some beautifully-drawn 1950's space adventure, Frank Hampson's Dan Dare.