Perp's Top 10 Graphic Novels!

[Perpetual Man]

Following a few comments I made elsewhere on the forum I got to thinking, just what would be my all time favourite graphic novels?

And after doing it I thought I'd put together a thread with just that, hence this the start of my choice of my all time favourite graphic novels. I'd like to say that they're awfully close together, and choosing the correct order was very fluid, some changed as I was writing it.

Obviously it is not a definitive list - everyone will have different top tens, but I hope to post the full top ten over the next few days, suggestions for anyone looking for something new to read, or reread, and to comment discuss as they see fit.

I'm sure there will be a few surprises along the way...

[Perpetual Man]

10: Alpha Flight 1-28

A bit of a cheat really as they have yet to be released in graphic novel format, but 27 of these issues represent one of the finest superhero stories put together.

Written and drawn by John Byrne in his prime Alpha Flight sprung from the pages of the Uncanny X-Men, the team credited to Byrne who created many of the characters in his youth.

Alpha Flight broke the mould in many ways from the normal Marvel publications. To start with they were Canadian rather than American, and although publicised as a team book the characters often appeared in solo stories rather than as a team.

The team started out as it was left in the X-Men, with Guardian, Northstar, Aurora, Snowbird, Shaman and Sasquatch, with two new additions Puck and Marrina.

Obviously with the stories broken into individual tales there is hardly a novel format, but it was not this that made the title stand out to me. It was the slow build, and Byrne's ability to really shock you as the story progressed.

The first issue introduced the team, then they were separated throughout the next 9 issues, but seeds were sewn for later events. It really hit it's side with issue 11, where Guardian is offered a major new job in the US and takes it, only to discover that it is a trap by an old rival. Ominously the issue end with the title for the next comic: 'And One Shall Surely Die.'

For once it wasn't bluster or hype: one did.

And the way in which Byrne tells the tale is a master class in tension, by the end you have a good idea who is going to go but you deny it almost to the last panel...

The series shifts once again with the team recovering from the death of their team mate, and another run of separate adventures, while new characters are introduced, notably TALISMAN, BOX and MADISON JEFFRIES.

From the first issue the GREAT BEASTS of the North were presented as one of the great threats they had to face, the story line culminates with a stunning revelation and the death of another mainstay character.

But the true genius of the story comes into effect with the following issue with the return from the dead of the original character, who died way back in issue 12. The story is over the top and preposterous, but no better or worse than other comic book resurrections, until you get the stunning conclusion to the story in issue 27, one of those comics that just has to be read again because the end is so stunning, so obvious and so perfect that it was impossible for it to have been anything else. But you never saw it coming.

After Byrne's departure ALPHA FLIGHT was rapidly de-constructed and restructured by a number of different artists and writers, contradicting much of what had gone before, and making it a second rate title (there have been a few revivals, but nothing that matched those first 28 issues...)

[Perpetual Man]

9. Batman: The Killing Joke

Written by Alan Moore with art by Brian Bolland, this in the quintessential Batman/Joker story.

Moore has since said that he regrets some elements of the story, and I have seen criticisms about the end, but I think the end works and nothing should distract from what has to be one of Moore's best pieces.

The Joker sets out to prove that even the most stable of men can be driven insane by the right circumstances and pressures; that what happened to him could happen to anyone. His chosen victim Please Commissioner James Gordon.

What follows is a brutal attack, that (at the time, in the way of comics it has now changed) seriously changes a major character; and what appears to be a definitive origin for the Joker.

But Moore is to clever for that, he knows that part of the Joker's mystique is his nebulous past, and with a beautifully scripted line the Joker dispels the origin with "Some days I remember it one way, some days another..."

The whole thing ends with a joke (I thought the joke very amusing) and this is what has been criticised - after all the Joker has put Batman and Gordon through, would they spend the time sharing a joke?

But I think it works, Batman accepting that he knows the Joker is insane, that he has lost his decisive argument and has to accept that it was his weakness that caused his insanity, inherent to him, not everyone.

[Magnus85]

Great thread. I'll be tuning in often.

The Killing Joke is great. I also dig how it ends with a, on the surface, silly joke. I haven't read enough Batman to say if TKJ is the best, but it's very damn good.

[Perpetual Man]

Thanks for looking in Magnus. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would argue The Dark Knight Returns should have that place, but for me The Killing Joke just steals it.

[Perpetual Man]

8. Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli

Just as a list like this would not be right without Alan Moore, Frank Miller would have to appear somewhere as well. Most people would argue that his seminal work would be The Dark Knight Returns, but I have always believed that this story tops it. Just.

Daredevil was the Marvel title on which Miller made his name, initially as an artist, but it was when he took over as writer that he detonated in the best way.

With no real warning he returned to the title that had made his name in 1986, this time joined by the simple but perfect art of Mazzuchelli. I don't know whether Miller always intended to return for this story, or whether it was just something that came to him later but it works, and works well - even if you have not read any of Millers original run, with no real recap it tells you all you need to know.

The first few pages are tremendous, as former cast regular Karen Page is reintroduced. Formerly secretary to Daredevils civilian identity Matt Murdock she has fallen hard. Her attempt to break into acting has brought her into the porn industry, and from there into a life of addiction, which controls her more than even her conscience. When she has nothing left to give for her next fix she sells information.

And that information is Daredevil's secret identity. Two simple words that make their way from nowhere to the ears of Wilson Fisk, Kingpin of crime, Daredevils greatest antagonist, and he takes that information and uses it to systematically destroy the other's life.

There are so many points in this story that make it shine, Daredevil's fall into madness, his near killing, the introduction of the nun Maggie - we all know who she is even if Miller is clever not to say it outright, the compassion and redemption of the main character, the theme of forgiveness, the destruction of his life and the final battle at the end.

Daredevil has always been good, has always inspired great writers, but it has never been as good as this, the perfect story.

[Perpetual Man]

7. Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon

A step away from superhero and into a totally different area, a fantastical adventure with talking animals that could almost be an alternative Lion King if it were not for the fact that it is based on a true story (apart from the speaking animals of course).

Vaughan is a highly recognised writer, producing one of the most highly acclaimed mature series - Y The Last Man, but a story he read in a newspaper set him off on another tangent, giving a totally different story.

During the US assault on Iraq the zoo was hit and a small pride of lions escaped, making their way into the war torn city.

This is that story, told from the lion's point of view, as they wander the streets trying to make sense of the world around them, the chaos. Where they came from, where they want to go are just details. It is very much a story of the here and now.

Animals show us the real world from a different perspective and the beautiful humanising of them in both story and art makes a connection that leads the reader right to the end of the story.

It is an ending that will make even the hardest of readers flinch, perhaps even cry.

No matter what you will find yourself hating soldier for a little while after finishing the story.

[hypnojoo]

i don't know alpha flight... other than that i'm with you so far :-)

[Perpetual Man]

Originally Posted by hypnojoo

i don't know alpha flight... other than that i'm with you so far :-)

Thank you kindly.

I'm not really surprised about your reaction to Alpha Flight. But it really floored me at the time...

[Perpetual Man]

6. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

I'm pretty sure the positioning of this one will come as a surprise, after all it has to be said that it was one of the most widely acclaimed comic books of all times, and regularly tops the lists of greatest comics.

Not for me though, although it is the second of three entries for the writing genius of Alan Moore in my top ten.

I'm not sure what else I can write about Watchmen that has not been said before. Putting aside Moore's recent interview and just trying to look at Watchmen as a graphic novel is hard. I've read the thing so many times, I've seen the movie and the true origins of the story are lost in time, I'd imagine to even the creators, everyone happy to remember it their own way.

But it is a masterwork.

One of the things Moore said in the interview that stuck with me, and is something that is true to most of his work - just one of the things that makes them so good is his approach, trying to make a self contained story that has a definitive ending, not part of a forever ongoing series that shifts and changes with the years, the coming and going of different writers.

Even though they can be incorporated into ongoing storylines, Moore's can all be read as standalone graphic novels (quite literally novels) and Watchmen is, perhaps, the definitive example of this.

A world where the superhumans have slipped away, do their best to live normal lives - after all most of them are normal humans - there is only one genuine super-powered individual, live with their heads down. But all it takes is the murder of one of their own to draw them back into action and thus begins the story that changes the world forever.

There are some superb moments - some of my favourites include Rorschach telling his origin; then his reaction to being imprisoned, and Dr. Manhattan's description of how he sees time... simply wonderful.

There is not a thing wrong with Watchmen and so much that is right, just what could I put above it?

Well...

[Perpetual Man]

5. The Uncanny X-Men The Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont and John Byrne

If you ever want to see a way of traditional comic writing turning out right this is it. Although this was written month by month, it has the feel of a complete, planned story, with a growing plot that has a definite end. The whole written as a novel could apply to this only it wasn't written that way.

In truth the story has it origins outside of the Dark Phoenix arc, but you don't need it. Jean Grey, Marvel Girl of the original X-Men sacrifices herself to save the rest of the team. She is reborn as one of the most powerful entities to ever grace the Marvel universe, Phoenix. Over the course of time she is slowly corrupted by both the vast power she wields and outside manipulation and begins a transformation into a new version of the being Dark Phoenix.

As she falls from grace the X-Men fight to save her and then stop stop her, but in the end it is her own humanity that intercedes and saves the day.

When read each step seems logical, the ending inevitable, even though it was changed at the last minute it feels as though it was being worked towards all along. It just feels right.

The art and writing, the characterisation is at it's peak and you see two creators working as a perfect team taking comics to a new level. I'm almost prepared to argue that this was the first of a new generation of comics, that it opened the door for modern classics.

Unfortunately the passage of time has diluted the story, with rebirths, revamps and retrofitting, the very success of the story that drove the X-Men to the highest of levels also meant a saturation of the market with an over-abundance of X-Titles and their clones. But read as a standalone tale this is not just the X-Men at their best, this is not just Marvel at its best, it is comics at their best.

[HoopyFrood]

Being a big Barbara Gordon fan, I can't really ever bring myself to read the Killing Joke. I just can't do it. But I know people rave about it often so it's no doubt a very good piece of work.

But Barbara got me into comics to start with (seeing her in the Batman series on tv) and then reading up on her, I inevitably found out about The Killing Joke and loathed it. But this was also around the time the New 52 was being announced, so I was overjoyed to hear her coming back to where she belonged.

Yet during the wait, I read more and more about her (and also got into Batwoman, who is just...awesome) and from the bits I have read of the new Batgirl, I don't really like it. She doesn't feel the same. She's had all her years and experience stripped away. Now I'm very much pro-Oracle (hence my avatar).

So in many ways I can see the good the Killing Joke did for her. I can very well imagine that she would have faded out of comics altogether if it hadn't have happened. She says herself that as Oracle, she helped more people than she every did as Batgirl.

But it still doesn't mean I like what happened!



Watchmen is amazing. I do love it for its standalone nature, its self-containedness (yet paradoxically I can't wait for the new lot in the summer! Hoopy, thou art a contradiction to thyself). It has some downright brilliant moments, my favourite being -- and possibly my favourite moment from any media -- is Ozymandias saying he put his plan in motion thirty five minutes ago. He is one of my favourite characters. I love that he, like all the characters in the novel, are so flawed, so unable to be labelled. You can't call him a hero, but neither can you call him a villain.

[Perpetual Man]

Hoops - I'd say try the Killing Joke, but I think one of the things that is so powerful about it, is the callous way in which it treats Barbara Gordon. She is very much an incidental part of the story, just a piece that is moved on the board, and little more. The violence is aimed at Jim Gordon, and she is just a means to an end.

As for Watchmen, it is what it is, a masterwork!

[Perpetual Man]

4. The Complete Preacher by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon

I'm cheating a little with this one as I'm collecting all the novels under one umbrella rather than selecting just one, but then the entire Preacher is a single story in its own right, so why not?

I'm going to be doing it with number 3 as well...

Where do you begin? Like anything published under the Vertigo banner, Preacher is aimed at an adult audience, it's just that Ennis ramps that up to the border of bad taste... if not for the sense of humour it most certainly would be.

At some point in the past an Angel and a Demon met and against all the odds they fell in love, did the dirty and had a baby. It was not a normal baby though, it was something unique, different and powerful about it making it a threat to both Heaven and Hell, so the offspring, Genesis by name flees and bonds with a doubting Texan Preacher, Jessie Custer. It gives him the power of 'The Word of God' whenever he speaks using the word he has to be obeyed.

And so begins the long road trip, filling in Custer's past, introducing his ex-then current girlfriend Tulip O'Hare and Irish vampire Cassidy, along the way we get to find out what is wrong with God; meet the direct descendant of Jesus Christ; a secret organisation intent on using religion to take control of the world; a kid who was so overwhelmed by the death of Kurt Cobain that he tried to copy his hero and failed; A supernatural Saint of Killers; the Ghost of John Wayne and a mass of grotesques along the way.

Preacher is truly a remarkable work, bordering on the profane, terminally sacrilegious, but it is a masterclass in story telling. As you sit there reading it, part of you wants to look away, but you can't you just have to see what Ennis is going to pull off next.

Perhaps unusually every issue of Preacher is drawn by the same artist, Steve Dillon who perfectly conveys the story, while the covers are all by Glen Fabry adding an extra consistency to the tale.

Perhaps unsurprisingly when you consider it's western roots the whole thing comes down to a showdown at the Alamo.

Filled with outrageous events, addictive dialogue, memorable lines and characters that stay with you even when you don't want them to (!) it's easy to see why Preacher is considered one of the best Vertigo titles published.

But it's also easy to see that it is not something for those easily offended.

[HoopyFrood]

Originally Posted by Perpetual Man

Hoops - I'd say try the Killing Joke, but I think one of the things that is so powerful about it, is the callous way in which it treats Barbara Gordon. She is very much an incidental part of the story, just a piece that is moved on the board, and little more. The violence is aimed at Jim Gordon, and she is just a means to an end.

As for Watchmen, it is what it is, a masterwork!

Yeah, I know the plot of the killing joke, and that it is very much a Woman in the Refrigerator moment for Barbara. I know that she was retired from the cowl just to set her up for this and in the grand scheme of the book, she's in it very little. I realise it's such a memorable and dramatic moment because of how brutal it is.

But I still can't, and don't really want to. I prefer the character more than a desire to read the novel.