“And watch out for Molly. See if she does anything unusual. There’s something I don’t trust about the way she exploded and then came back from the dead like that.”
― David Wong, John Dies at the End
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Alright, alright I might be a very slight expert in “science fiction and fantasy” novels. But saying I am an expert in something makes me sound pretentious as hell. So lets just say I have read a hell of a lot across all sub-genres of sci-fi and fantasy, I used to run my own book club, and I cried when I got to hug Neil Gaiman. Like literal tears. Take what you want from that and I won’t feel like a douche. With all the reading I have done in sci-fi/fantasy, I feel like maybe I have tapped the genre for awhile. I have wanted a new challenge.
Become an “expert” in graphic novels you say?! Challenge accepted my friend. Last year I set a goal for myself to read 50 graphic novels. What that actually means is that I read 50 and than the series following the first book. Turned out to be a whole lot of freaking books. There were really… really bad ones. Twilight.
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Why did I do that to myself?
And some exceptional, incredible, not enough epithets in the english language for how good these books are, ones. Saga, and Transmetropolitan I am looking at you. It is a crying shame how much maligned this genre is. Ohhhhhhh comic books… how deep. You can suck it.
So of course, because if you haven’t noticed my not so buried neurosis about lists, you are starting to now. I found a list and started working on it. I want to finish it this year. I’ll write some posts about my favorites and see if I can turn a few of you to the dark side of comics/graphic novels and become and semi-knowledgeable person in the process.
My list as well as my running tally on all books that I have read can be found here:
Here is the particular list I have been following as a primer. Best Graphic Novels
- Watchman
- The Complete Maus
- V for Vendetta
- The Sandman – Vol. 1
- The Complete Persepolis
- Batman – The Dark Knight Returns
- Batman – The killing Joke.
- Blankets
- Y – The last man.
- Batman Year 1
- Fables – Legends in Exile.
- The Walking Dead – Vol. 1
- Scott Pilgrims Precious little life.
- Bone
- Fun Home – A family tragicomic
- Saga vol. 1
- Sin City Vol. 1
- Ghost World
- Batman the long Halloween
- Preacher – Vol. 1
- Death Note – Vol. 1
- Transmetropolitan – Vol. 1
- From Hell
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Vol. 1
- Batman Arkham Asylum
- The Arrival
- Black Hole
- American Born Chinese
- Hellboy Vol. 1
- Asterios Polyp
- Akira Vol. 1
- Locke and Key, Vol 1.
- 300
- Jimmy Corrigan – Smartest kid on Earth
- Kingdom Come
- Superman: Red Son
- Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
- Habibi
- Marvel 1602
- Daytripper
- Death the high cost of living
- Marvels
- Allstar Superman
- Saga of the Swamp Thing
- Pride of Baghdad
- Astonishing x-men Vol. 1
- Runaways Deluxe Vol. 1
- Asterix the Gaul
- Palestine
- The Umbrella Academy Vol. 1
- X-men The Dark Phoenix Saga
- Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
- Stardust: Being a Romance among Fairy
- Batman: Hush Vol. 1
- The Absolute Sandman Vol 1
- The Lone Wolf Club, Vol 1
Chew Vol. 1Update 2-23-16- Buffy the long way home
- Stitches
- Epileptic
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- A contract with God
- The Crow
- Planetary Vol. 1
- We3
- Anya’s Ghost
- 100 Bullets
- Identity Crisis
- Pyongyang – A journey into North Korea
- Batman Dark Victory
- Persepolis vol 1 and 2
- The invention of Hugo Cabret
- Astro City, Vol. 1
- American Vampire, Vol. 1
- Shortcomings
- The Dark Tower, Vol. 1
- The Ghost in the Shell, Vol. 1
- The complete Essex county
- Promethea Vol. 1
- I kill Giants
- The Ultimates
- The Maxx, Vol. 1
- Goodbye, Chunky Rice
- Mouse Guard Fall, 1152
- Fire and Flight
- The Invisibles
- Ex Machina Vol. 1
- X-men days of future past
- Safe Area Gorazde
- DMZ, Vol. 1
- Squee’s Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors
- Embroideries
- Wolverine: Origin
- The Rabbi’s Cat
- Top 10, vol. 1
- Blacksad
- 30 days of night, Vol. 1
- Ronin
- Castle Waiting, Vol. 1
- One Hundred Demons
Whew big list, right? I think it is a good place to start. Honestly, I will be no kind of expert when done with it. But, I will have a greater understanding of the genre and can move forward from there. I also notice some Fabbbbbbulous books /series that unfortunately didn’t make the cut. Namely, The Boys by Garth Ennis. Good Times to be had. If you have any books that you think might be interesting, I would love to hear about them. I am always on the lookout.
