What are your Favorite Graphic Novels?

[maz420]

I have been watching since the first episode and since then you have turned me onto Kurt Vonnegut (which I am upset I never knew about before considering I live only miles from his hometown!) and many other things. I have been taking your word on Graphic Novels because I really got out of comics when I was a teenager. But, since watching the show I bought "The Watchmen" and LOVE it. I have also ordered "Ultimates Vol. 1" and "30 Days of Night". Now here is where I ask for help. I am loving Graphic Novels now and I want the forums to help me and tell me what their favorite ones are. Let me know what you believe are "must haves". Thanks everyone.

[MaxTheSilent]

HARD LOOKS, Dark Horse's collection of graphic adaptations of the short stories of Andrew Vachss. Taken from his extraordinary collection BORN BAD.

[patch]

Priest and I Luv Halloween are both by far my favorite graphic novels.

I'm pretty sure Watchmen and Ultimates are comics by the way. You probably just got them in trades.

[nlatimer]

Ok lets see, I absolutely love so many graphic novels.

Preacher
Y: The Last Man
Transmetropolitan
DMZ
Identity Crisis

Then there is the Batman list:
Dark Knight Returns
Year One
Hush Vol 1&2
Year 100

[zoomtechtv]

More info at

http://revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1037

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k296/zoomtechtv/BattlestarGalacticavsSkynetjay-Web-.jpg

[comhcinc]

okay folks, i'm not trying to sound mean here but there is a big difference between a Trade Paperback and a Graphic Novel.

Trade Paperbacks (or tpb) are collections of stories that have already appeared elsewhere. A Graphic Novel on the otherhand is released in that form the very first time. There are very few graphic novels out there. I owe thousands of comics, hundreds or trade paperbacks, and two graphic novels. A Contract with God, the very first graphic novel, by Will Eisner, and Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman

[royall]

See signature/avatar

Also, The Watchmen

[comhcinc]

Watchmen is not a graphic novel. neither is V for Vendetta

[dutch]

Anything by Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis is a sure bet. And Fables, oh man that is a great series.

EDIT: And 100 Bullets.

[barrelroll]

Priest

Priest is badass... I haven't read it in a while... been wanting to get back into it.

I used to read a lot of Battle Angel Alita back in the day... Loved that series. I remember sneaking it into school back in 6th grade because it was considered "inappropriate". Needless to say, I got caught reading it and my teacher said it was "degrading to women"... How can a female robot that kicks all tons of ass be degrading to women?

[comhcinc]

Fables is not a graphic novel. to my knowledge Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis have never put out a graphic novel. i think Moore has only put out one.

[kiko3642]

Blankets, Fun Home...

edited...

[comhcinc]

cool i'm going to start calling time magazine a graphic novel. it isn't but since it's okay to just change the meaning of words, thus breaking down our ability to commicate, i like the term graphic novel better than weekly magazine. i am also going rename my car, chair and left socks, graphic novels

[serenity]

cool i'm going to start calling time magazine a graphic novel. it isn't but since it's okay to just change the meaning of words, thus breaking down our ability to commicate, i like the term graphic novel better than weekly magazine. i am also going rename my car, chair and left socks, graphic novels

Heyyyyyyy there sparky.

/soothe


Maybe I'll rename my new puppy "graphic novel".

[patch]

Heyyyyyyy there sparky.

/soothe


Maybe I'll rename my new puppy "graphic novel".

Maybe "The Graphic Novel River" or "River, The Graphic Novel".

[maz420]

wow... Sorry I asked. I was unaware of the difference between the comics and graphic novels. To me if it's a story with pictures I would call it a graphic novel. I did mention that I was new to these things. There was no need to get upset about it. It was a newbie mistake.

[serenity]

wow... Sorry I asked. I was unaware of the difference between the comics and graphic novels. To me if it's a story with pictures I would call it a graphic novel. I did mention that I was new to these things. There was no need to get upset about it. It was a newbie mistake.


Don't worry about it. :) I call every comic in that trade paperback cover a graphic novel, I doubt that's correct but w/e.

[comhcinc]

a mistake based off lack of knowledge is no big deal and i don't think anyone got upset about it. i know i didn't. what makes me upset when people know the correct usage of a word and choose to misuse it. like you just did there. so do you like the graphic novels in the newspaper every sunday?

[diane]

a mistake based off lack of knowledge is no big deal and i don't think anyone got upset about it. i know i didn't. what makes me upset when people know the correct usage of a word and choose to misuse it. like you just did there. so do you like the graphic novels in the newspaper every sunday?

Dear lord the sarcasm alarm is going off like crazy.

Let me guess, you get really miffed when people call a movie sci-fi when it is fantasy.

[kylemf88]

The Crow. Rocks my socks off, read it a number of times.

[endoftheline]

so what is the consensus on the whole graphic novel/tpb business? well in an case some of my favorites TPB and/or graphic novels are:

Maus
Kabuki: Metamorphosis
Wanted
Ultimates v1 & 2
Superman: Red Son (yeah I like Millar...)
Iron Man: Extremis
and now that Age of Apocalypse has been collected in TPB.. those too.

do manga series count? well if so:
Blade of the Immortal

crap I know there are more, I'm just drawing a blank...

[esophagus]

a mistake based off lack of knowledge is no big deal and i don't think anyone got upset about it. i know i didn't. what makes me upset when people know the correct usage of a word and choose to misuse it. like you just did there. so do you like the graphic novels in the newspaper every sunday?I think the term graphic novel has become a lot broader. For example, Watchmen is regarded by everyone from fans to complete literary geniuses as a graphic novel. It was really meant to be printed that way. Whereas things like Fables, DMZ, Preacher, and the like I would all consider to be TPBs. There is still grayzone there though. For example, Bone. It was printed in strips, and has been printed in volumes. The volumes I'd call TPBs (Maybe even digests, with the size), but the full collection I'd probably refer to as a graphic novel.

Also, this guy is new to comics. I think he's open to either or.

[maz420]

yes I am esophagus :)

[dutch]

I will admit that i'm fairly new to graphic novels compared to some. However, I consider the term to be broad. I don't trust any wiki 100% but it states:

"A graphic novel is a type of comic book, usually with a lengthy and complex storyline similar to those of novels, and often aimed at mature audiences. The term also encompasses comic short story anthologies, and in some cases bound collections of previously published comic-book series."

And that is what I previously understood it to be, without researching the term. Chill.

[mrpopular]

I think my favorite is gonna be Wanted. next on my list is to read Y: The Last man & Watchmen. But Wanted is most Defiantly RAD

[dstrack007]

Huge DARK KNIGHT Fan...

[geekluv]

I will admit that i'm fairly new to graphic novels compared to some. However, I consider the term to be broad. I don't trust any wiki 100% but it states:

"A graphic novel is a type of comic book, usually with a lengthy and complex storyline similar to those of novels, and often aimed at mature audiences. The term also encompasses comic short story anthologies, and in some cases bound collections of previously published comic-book series."

And that is what I previously understood it to be, without researching the term. Chill.

Hooray for rational comments :D

[7h0m45]

For me, i think a graphic novel is something that was not published in issue form. If it is a collection of issues then i call it a trade or just hard covers. But it does not really matter that is just for me personally.

For "Graphic Novels"

Pride of Baghdad is a must read
If you like Fables, definitely check out 1001 Nights of Snowfall.

[eddielee]

See signature/avatar

Also, The Watchmen

Did you just say THE watchmen? :O

I'm going to be the boring guy and say Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns as my favorites, not really original picks but still excellent.

[radical_edward]

Here are some i've read and re-read over the years: (in no particular order)

ARES god of war; Brutal mythological story from marvel, w/ great ART

HELLBOY volumes 1-6; Masterpeices of comic god Mike Mignola

BATMAN year one; Frank Miller's reimagined bats in a gritty style

The DARK KNIGHT RETURNS; my all time fav

MAN OF STEEL; the foundation of modern day supes

NEW X-MEN vol 1; great story, beautiful Frank quitely art

The RETURN of SUPERMAN; supes return after doomsday

[derk2450]

the sandman books are pretty amazing

[ookla]

Some of the non uber-popular ones I've enjoyed are the KING by Rich Koslowski
375 and

Black Hole by Charles Burns
376

Try compilations too. I've found intrest in a few different artists/writers by buying compilation books. Happy Endings has one by Craig Thompson called Barnyard that I wrote about for a history of comic book art class I took.After reading the Amazing adventures of Kavelier and Clay, look into some of the comic compilations as well.

377378
After you read the "must read" titles, eg. Watchmen, Ronin, Blankets... whatever, These are kinda fun to read too.