I recently took a Graphic Novel course for a University English Credit and I was introduced to some pretty amazing books!

First off there's the obvious Watchmen which you all have probably read.

Here is a list of some of the other books I read and thoroughly enjoyed:
Epileptic by David B.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Fate of the Artist by Eddie Campbell
Black Hole by Charles Burns

I've listed them in the order that I enjoyed from best (Epileptic) to least fave but still pretty good (Black Hole). I also had to read Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware but I did not enjoy that novel very much.

Anyways, Has anyone read any of these Graphic Novels?

Does anyone have any suggestions for some good Graphic Novels that I haven't listed above?

Cheers
Frank

I read Watchman (of course), but I've been reading a lot of Batman as of late. I highly recommend, The Killing Joke, return of the Dark Knight and Batman: Year One.

I took a graphic fiction scripting class in college, and it was quite fun. Hell, I got to write a report on Marvels.

I loved college...

Anyway, I bought Darwyn Cooke's adaptation of Richard Stark/Donald Westlake's first Parker book, The Hunter, and it's absolutely phenomenal. After New Frontier, I'd read anything Cooke did, but this is at least as good.

If you like crime fiction, get it right now.

I've always wanted to read "Epileptic" (it got a great review on Wizard Magazine, and it caught my attention), but it's almost impossible to find a copy in my country.

Also, I've tried to get the "Flight" anthologies, without success...

I've been reading "Maus" and "Batman: Arkham Asylum" lately.

Both terrific works.

How is this "Media Discussion" and not "Comic Discussion"?

The two big titles missing from the list have to be "Maus" and "The Dark Knight Returns". For me, they're both up there with "Watchmen".

Most of Alan Moore's stuff is usually worth a read. I'd suggest "Top 10" and "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" if you want something to make you smile.

"Persepolis" is another must-read and the "Sandman" books are definitely worth the time, if only for their variety.

Also, I'd strongly recommend the Will Eisner "Dropsie Avenue" books, particularly "A Life Force".

isukun
How is this "Media Discussion" and not "Comic Discussion"?

No idea.

Moved now.

V for Vendetta

Ehhh there's way better and less preachy anti-*insert government related hyperbole metaphor* comics and books(mainly books). I like alan moore but V was kind of irritating.

I recommend fishtown, based on a real murder and the message 'fiction is the lie that tells the truth'. Also 'solanin' is a slice of life worth reading.


Also did you dissect the meanings behind the books? What was with black hole? I skimmed over the first chapter and it was just creepy sex images and puberty metephors. Did the whole thing have a good message or is puberty pretty much it?

Each to their own...

I'll throw in a recommendation second to DAJB's for Neil Gaiman's: Sandman too.

I think Mouse Guard is pretty good, you could try that :)

Skullbie
Also did you dissect the meanings behind the books? What was with black hole? I skimmed over the first chapter and it was just creepy sex images and puberty metephors. Did the whole thing have a good message or is puberty pretty much it?

Black Hole was not my favorite novel but it did keep my attention. There is plenty of Sex innuendo in the book (images all over the place) and there is also a lot of sex...

At a glance, you might expect "the bug" to be an actual STI (for example, AIDS was beginning to spread around the time of this novel). Our class came up with the argument that the bug was more of teenage angst and the Black Hole was the forest where the infected kids left home for.

I don't want to mention too many spoilers here. If you are still interested in how we discussed the novel, you can PQ me.

My friend just recently borrowed all my graphic novels and he was really happy with them. We've decided that we would look into getting a few more books and share them once we were done. This thread helps a lot. Thanks everyone!

Did you ever read Goodbye Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson? That was one of my long time favorites, Blankets was really good too. Even though I'm sure that I'm one of only two people in the world that preferred the Ghost World graphic novel by Dan Clowes to the movie I'd recommend that too. Bone by Jeff Smith is another classic, (I really ought to reread that one.) I'd also recommend Concrete by Paul Chadwick and Swallow Me Whole by Nate Powell.
Out of the ones that you listed I did read Black Hole and I did like it, even though, or perhaps because, it's probably the creepiest thing I've ever read. I've read parts from Fun Home but because I read it in its entirety I can't comment on it as a whole. I did like what I saw, especially the way interactions with the mother were handled. If you liked Fun Home you might also like A Child's Life by Phoebe Gloeckner.

Wow, you're really into a lot of books.

I've heard of Phoebe Gloeckner. I think I had to read a "short story" of hers but it was in graphic novel form. It was pretty strange.

Anyways, thanks for all the suggestions. I haven't read any of the books you commented on so now by book dance card is pretty full :D

Frank

Since I saw both Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell mentioned above, I'd suggest a book both of them did together, From Hell.

If you saw the movie... forget the movie, it's just a bad adaptation, read the book :D

I've flipped through Zot! by Scott McCloud a couple times.

It's pretty cool.

A.D. : New Orleans after the deluge / Josh Neufeld

Does the Sandman count? I would agree but aren't most editions collections of a monthly?

If that's legit, I'll add Alan Moore's Swamp Thing volumes.

Wait the Watchmen was a monthly too. So I guess anything collected in hardcover or paperback technically qualifies.

Sometimes I get stuck thinking a graphic novel is distinct from comics in that it was designed to be published in book format rather than periodical. But Barnes and Nobles doesn't feel that way, why should I?

Proceed. I'll argue with myself over here.

Erad

Skullbie
Also did you dissect the meanings behind the books? What was with black hole? I skimmed over the first chapter and it was just creepy sex images and puberty metephors. Did the whole thing have a good message or is puberty pretty much it?

Black Hole was not my favorite novel but it did keep my attention. There is plenty of Sex innuendo in the book (images all over the place) and there is also a lot of sex...

At a glance, you might expect "the bug" to be an actual STI (for example, AIDS was beginning to spread around the time of this novel). Our class came up with the argument that the bug was more of teenage angst and the Black Hole was the forest where the infected kids left home for.

I never personally read into it that much. More just that those were the kids who through sex, etc. just became part of a different culture and were being shunned for their deviance, kind of like the "dirty" hippy movement. The sex, angst and the rest just went along with it to me. It's a bit of a different take on more or less the same old message from my reading of it.

I picked it up from a borders while looking for something else to read. It filled the time, but I wouldn't say it's life changing.

Skullbie
Ehhh there's way better and less preachy anti-*insert government related hyperbole metaphor* comics and books(mainly books). I like alan moore but V was kind of irritating.

This is probably the only time I'll ever agree with you on taste in comics. V has some amazing artwork and some really interesting set-ups to how they approach ideas, but the character and the "Me against the world" mentality gets to me after a bit.

Interestingly I have been going to the local library and have been taking out many different graphic novels as of late. The library near me has a great collection and they always get new ones as they come out. I have been really enjoying the Locke and Key series and Life Sucks is really good.
I have to agree with skullbie on Fishtown. That was a well done book. The Preacher series has been fun to read through. Just picked up Ex Machina and Wormwood. Recommend a collection called In The Flesh. It by this Israeli authot and artist. Filled with short stories about life and with a bit of a twist.

Lots 'o' classics mentioned here! Cool!

I have to be amused at the light snobbery about whether a collected edition is a valid "Graphic Novel" or not. Do people sit around and debate about whether or not stuff like Dickens' Great Expectations is a novel or not because its a collection of periodicals? Seriously, I don't know if they do, but if they do, they shouldn't! A comic is a comic, some are better than others and some fit well as collected editions better than others and so on. The whole term Graphic Novel rubs me the wrong way. But that's another subject for another day...

Anyhow... Aside from the classics, here are a couple of my newer faves:

Essex County by Jeff Lemire - actually 3 separate LONG FORM COMICS now collected in a huge edition. Worth every penny. One of my new all time faves.

The Surrogates by Robert Vendetti - Awesome Sci-Fi. I know they made this into a Willis flick, no idea how it compares. Didn't see the flick. I also haven't read the new "pre-quel" either, so I can't vouch for that, but this book is brilliant. I was blown away. I think I'm gonna go read it again.

There you go.

Oh I want to echo the person who named Ghost World. Also amazing. Totally re-worked for the film, so I recommend checking it out if you haven't.

Also, just cause, no one's mentioned the Oddity Oddessey or any other Madman stuff. For shame! It rules!