Graphic Novels

[I, Brian]

I hope that Santa is generous, then - and that you are not disappointed.

[Incognito]

Just a quick note - I was up in the loft on sunday, bringing down the Christmas deccies - and decided to rescue my graphic novels from dusty oblivion. I'm going to be reading some of these very very soon. indeed.

[Gnome]

Buried treasure! It's great to stumble on things long forgotten. I hope they live up to memory.

[silvercloak]

I absolutely loved the Sin City: That Yellow Bastard graphic novels (7 bimonthly regular comics in one novel i think). Frank Miller is wonderful at creating powerful and beautiful comics.

Another great pure graphic novel is Maus. It tells the story of a comic artists father, who was a jew in the Holocaust and how he survived. It manages to put a very real and gut-wrenching view to an old story. It is wonderful. He shows the different type of people as animals, Jews are mice, Nazi's are cat's, etc. If you ever see it, buy it and read it.

[I, Brian]

I've seen Maus around - the fact that animals are used actually mut myself off - though I really ought to revisit the graphic novel scene again - I have to check out V for Vendetta as well.

[knivesout]

I have read Maus - it was quite good. See it in the light of say, an Animal Farm sort of approach and you should be able to get around the anthropomorphism.

Frank Miller really is very good - I've read Ronin, of course, a real comics masterpiece, and Hard-Boiled, a violent, fast paced post-modern tale that delves into issues of humanoid robots and the meaning of consciousness - very Philip K Dick territory. It was illustrated, amazingly well, by Geoff Darrow. Miller also did some good work on Batman (The Dark Knight Returns and Year One) but I have to confess I'm no longer very engrossed by the DC/Marvel stable of characters.

V For Vendetta is one that I must get- I followed the original serial in the magazine Warrior. Watchmen is another one I'm on the lookout for.

[Vodstok]

The original ElfQuest. The original story is still the best. I have still never found a comic (or graphic novel) that meshed story, art, sex, violence, romance, adventure, intrigue and a whole bunch of other words i cant think of right now, so well.


It also has one of the best, most satisfying conclusions ever put to paper. if it had never gone to Siege at Blue Mountain and beyond, it would not have mattered.

[I, Brian]

Watchmen is one of the cream of graphic novels, IMO. You won't forget the characters - or the story.

I had a couple of issues of Hard Boiled, actually - just seemed very gratuitous - how to depict mass violence across pages and pages and pages. What "story" was touched upon in the first two issues I had seemed incredibly weak, and could have been covered over a couple of pages, IMO. I was very disappointed by what I saw of that.

[knivesout]

Well, I can understand how individual episodes could easily have seemed quite mindlessly bloody. I felt that the overall story was worthwhile though, but I must confess that I sometimes enjoy well-depicted gore.

[I, Brian]

How many issues were there any the end anyway? I thought I'd chase up the series, but it just never happened.

[knivesout]

3 according to this page: http://www.grovel.org.uk/reviews/hardbo01/hardbo01.htmIts all available in a graphic novel compendium now. (That site in my link is a fairly good comics reference site, btw)

[Ahdkaw]

Good ole Brian, he knows the score. Watchmen was absolutely fantastic graphic novel. I've also read most of the Sandman series, and they are bloody good too. I noticed that From Hell was also mentioned in the first ever post, I started reading that but haven't finished it yet (haven't seen the film either).

Actually, and I may be ridiculed for this, the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles graphic novels were great too (much better than the kiddyfied cartoon and film). If I remember correctly, they actually killed people in the graphic novels.

[Vodstok]

Originally Posted by Ahdkaw

Actually, and I may be ridiculed for this, the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles graphic novels were great too (much better than the kiddyfied cartoon and film). If I remember correctly, they actually killed people in the graphic novels.

I will stand with you against the ridicule, the original series was dark, violent, and even had some swearing. I loved it

And have it

[I, Brian]

I remember TMNT, and played the role-paying game, loooong before the cartoons were even signed up.

Yes, there was killing involved in the comics - at least, what I remember most is that Splinter went missing, presumed ripped apart by shredder's robots - - - and then Shredder himself was kicked off the top of a tall building with a live grenade, that exploded a few seconds later and ended his run.

As for Watchmen - think we need a thread just for that. Can you dig it?

[The Master™]

I need to see about getting my Graphic Novels out of storage... I feel the need to read The Killing Joke!!! Always brings a smile to my face...

I also need to see what else I have in there... I know I have some other DC ones... Blackhawk, Green Arrow, a Frank Miller or two... Might be some that are worth some cash.... But then I also have 2000-3000 other various comics to check out (2000AD, DC, Marvel and some independents)... I could be sitting on a small fortune - or just so much fantastic art...