Recommend me an awesome graphic novel

[cv4]

So, I have currently read:

Watchmen
Wanted
Year One
The Dark Knight Returns
The Killing Joke
The Long Halloween
Arkham Asylum

As someone previously mentioned, I really don't want to start getting into the main, on going, continuity stuff from Marvel and DC for various reasons (some already mentioned). I actually keep a fairly up to date collection of my computer of this stuff, and plan on getting a tablet when they are actually worth it to start reading it all. But I digress.

My list of stuff to read right now, based on this list and my own accord, is:

New X-Men
Star Wars: Legacy
Ultimate X-Men
Hellboy
The Boys
Atomic Robo
Bone
Astonishing X-Men
Sandman
Rising Stars
Transmetropolitan
Fables
Ex Machina
Hush
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Y: The Last Man

Is there anything else that people would recommend with this type of like. As mentioned, I don't really want to get into stuff like Planet Hulk, Brand New Day, etc. I also realize the X-Men trades are kind of skimming this line, but I think they are inclusive enough to fit in what I want at this point.

[sendingsignal]

yeah, you'll probably want to check out the 90s Starman in those omnibus editions. Really swank books.

Plus, Read Lucifer and Books of Magic after Sandman. And possibly Swamp Thing and Hellblazer. I enjoyed all of those and think of them as a kind of family of books.

[Zohar]

Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run is excellent. Some more modern (and awesome) stuff is Y: The Last Man, Fables and Ex Machina. DMZ is pretty cool but lost a bit of its focus lately, IMO.

[sendingsignal]

Swamp Thing is my absolute favorite actually.

An interesting fact - Neil Gaiman was set to be next on Swamp Thing, possibly with Jamie Delano. They both didn't take it on principle after DC pulled the Swampy meets Jesus issue after it had been written.

So even though we never got to see what was probably an awesome issue, on the upside Gaiman ended up on Sandman and Delano took the reins of the Hellblazer project.

[not good at these things]

Blackest Night/Brightest Day for anyone that's just getting into DC comics. It loops most of the background info you need (except Batman being dead, just read some batman death and RIP before, which are also awesome). It's basically an epic of the comics, which happen pretty often, but I guess I love the whole morals of the lanterns.

[El Spark]

Astro City. ANYTHING labeled "Astro City."

[Zohar]

I finished reading Beasts of Burden last night and it's awesome. It's like Scooby Doo, except everyone's a dog (or a cat) and there's actual supernatural stuff. And it's not silly. Just go read a bit, I think you can find the first few stories legally for free online.

[pineapplepie]

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. Not that serious, maybe, but it's still a damn good graphic novel about Asian-American identity (no, it isn't just for Chinese people). Also, Invincible, just because it's has awesome deconstruction of superhero tropes. The Authority is pretty good as well, as is Top Ten(city of superheroes) and Tom Strong(Silver Age without being too weird).

[Endless Mike]

I've been working my way through some of the up and coming guys' creator-owned work. Jonathan Hickman's stuff (Transhuman, Pax Romana, The Nightly News) is amazing and all self-contained, so I recommend any of it. I've also picked up Kieron Gillen's Phonogram (both volumes) and so far I'm not as impressed, but I'm going to withhold judgment until I'm through. I've also gotten Matt Fraction's The Five Fists of Science, but haven't gotten to reading it yet.

[speakerforthebooks]

I would like to recommend the comic "Zot!" by Scott McCloud. I found it to be a very interesting departure from the stereotypical superhero genre, and I enjoyed it immensely.

[SecondTalon]

Mystery Society - A wealthy couple, a dead woman, Jules Verne's brain in a robot body rescue supernatural twins and later recover Edgar Allen Poe's stolen skull. Includes this page (actually the top 4 panels of 6 on the page) which concludes with "Should we go after him?" "I would think that unwise and I seriously doubt he survived the fall"

Well, actually, the wealthy couple engage in various espionage activities while protecting the twin girls while Verne and Secret Skull (and yes, she knows how lame her name is) go after the skull. The parts focusing on the couple are humorous spy-movie style espionage, while the parts following Verne and SS are more comical stakeout. 5 issues, in a trade by IDW. I dig it, but I do dig silly comics with serious undercurrents.

[El Spark]

Cowboy Ninja Viking, by A. J. Lieberman. The heartwarming story of Duncan, an ex-black-ops assassin known as a "triplet." Triplets have three personalities each, and they're trained in various skills and mindsets. Duncan, of course, has a cowboy, ninja, and viking personality, and carries weapons appropriate to each. The personalities are aware of each other and argue regularly.

This was a WEIRD comic (The second-most normal triplet is a gladiator/oceanographer/pirate), and a hell of a lot of fun.

[Nattlinnen]

Started reading Fun Home yesterday. 70 pages in it's one of the most amazing literary experience for me. Non chronological but strong and confident plot. Philosophical and ambitious. I'm amazed.

[Jorpho]

Do Tintin and Asterix count as graphic novels? Their rabid popularity exists for a reason.

[Nattlinnen]

Do Tintin and Asterix count as graphic novels? Their rabid popularity exists for a reason.

They at least count as comic (was the term Graphic Novel coined when they were published?). I like both but Tintin is the better of them. Totally amazing! Blue Lotus is my favourite, such details.

[Jorpho]

I don't suppose you've read Tintin and Alph-Art? I'm intrigued by the Wikipedia account of the unofficial pastiche and keep meaning to track it down sometime.

[Nattlinnen]

I don't suppose you've read Tintin and Alph-Art? I'm intrigued by the Wikipedia account of the unofficial pastiche and keep meaning to track it down sometime.

I'm not sure if I've read it, probably not. I recognize the title but that's all.

[Zarq]

Does anyone know if DC has something similar to Marvel's Ultimate universe? I really want to get into comics a bit, and with Marvel it's easy, but I don't really see where I can start for DC.

I'm mainly interested in Batman, Superman and The Flash.

[Jorpho]

I've heard great things about All-Star Superman. I guess that's something vaguely along those lines. There's an All-Star Batman, too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Star_DC_Comics

[AvatarIII]

Does anyone know if DC has something similar to Marvel's Ultimate universe? I really want to get into comics a bit, and with Marvel it's easy, but I don't really see where I can start for DC.

I'm mainly interested in Batman, Superman and The Flash.

The Earth One books that DC are starting to do (there is only one superman book, with another on the way, and one batman book) are almost exactly like ultimate marvel in concept, I do second the all-star superman suggestion, it is really good, but on the other hand, DC's new 52 are pretty much designed for new readers in mind.

[Endless Mike]

Does anyone know if DC has something similar to Marvel's Ultimate universe? I really want to get into comics a bit, and with Marvel it's easy, but I don't really see where I can start for DC.

I'm mainly interested in Batman, Superman and The Flash.

Honestly? The main line completely relaunched late last year and issues #5 are currently coming out. I'd suggest just starting there. They didn't, however, restart with new origin stories or anything for the most part, but I don't think those characters have had any major changes to them (Superman is still an alien raised by farmer, Batman still has dead parents, Flash still got hit by magic lightning or something). For specific series, Action Comics has been pretty good for Superman (it's set in the past, with Superman being set in the current time, though I'm told it's not so great), Batman is easily the best Batman comic (I hear Batman & Robin is decent, but avoid Detective Comics and Batman: The Dark Knight), and Flash is the only Flash comic, which I hear is a good read with fantastic art. You might also be interested in Justice League. Some other things I'd recommend are Animal Man, Demon Knights, and Wonder Woman. Your local shop might have the full series up till now still available, depending on how much back inventory they want to keep, though DC made everything fully returnable for at least the first few issues, so they might be more likely to get rid of stuff. Otherwise, they're all available digitally through Comixology (with the older issues being knocked down a dollar an issue).

All-Star Superman is certainly worth a read, as well, and it's over and done. All-Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder is...odd. It may or may not be to your taste, and it's unfinished with no end even announced, much less in sight since the artist is currently working on other things. I haven't read Superman: Earth 1, so I can't comment, though most comic readers I know didn't like it at all (but it's sold well, so someone new to comics might enjoy it).

[ArgonV]

A friend of mine has her birthday party on Friday and she said she'd like a graphic novel. She's only read one, called Capacity. She wants to try more, as long as it has good, pretty art and a decent story. I know fuck-all about graphic novels, so any suggestions?

[dbsmith]

Get her Daytripper. It's a bit dark in places, but otherwise absolutely brilliant and poignant. No superheroes in sight, too!
If she would want something a bit more actiony, I'd recommend Locke and Key Vol 1.

[Endless Mike]

Get her Daytripper. It's a bit dark in places, but otherwise absolutely brilliant and poignant. No superheroes in sight, too!
If she would want something a bit more actiony, I'd recommend Locke and Key Vol 1.

Yes, Daytripper is fantastic! I wish I could offer more, but I've never even heard of Capacity.

Also, to follow up on a two year old post, Phonogram volume 1 was okay, but volume 2 was really great. They're working on volume 3 right now!

[3fj]

The Boys by Garth Ennis is my favourite graphic novel series so far.

I picked up some of the weirder Batman graphic novels and they're pretty amazing too.
Arkham Asylum: A serious house on serious earth is completely unsettling and a bit of a struggle to read through thanks to the non-standard font, but it's worth the struggle (and the trade has a script in the back if you get really stuck)
The Kevin Smith novels are pretty good too, the Widening Gyre is definitely the best of the two, and the next part of that is due out next year sometime.

[tomandlu]

"Saga" by Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples is good fun. The first issue is free from comixology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_(comic_book)