Graphic Novels, Trade Paperbacks, and Comic Books

[wilde]

So, I posted (or am currently posting, whatever) a blog post on this subject, but I figured I should make a thread to since there's no subforum. I'd like this to stay in general fiction, and not moved to sci fi & fantasy, but you know... do what you want.


So does anybody read them? I personally love Batman in general... My favorite TPB is Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, and also Joker's Asylum (1 or 2. I've been reading 2 in individuals since the TPB isn't out yet).... I'm always up for anything Batman. My favorite villain is (obviously) the Scarecrow, but I also like Joker (who doesn't?) and the Riddler (though technically lately he's not a villain, but I don't keep up with current issues)..

I also really like The Walking Dead. I'm VERY excited for the television show this fall. Eeeeeee!

My all-time favorite series (which is now over) is Y: The Last Man. Watchmen is definitely a classic, and even if you don't read comics, you should read Watchmen. Typically, when you try to think of comics that are considered literature, you think Watchmen.


There's also novels based on comics, if you don't like comics. Batman: No Man's Land is a good one, and there's a lot of various novels about Marvel & DC characters. Much to my dad's disappointment, I'm a DC girl.

[Theomanic]

I like a lot of comics and graphic novels, though these days I don't know anyone else who does so I haven't really kept up on things. If you have any must-read recommendations, please let me know! I also tend to the DC side of the Marvel/DC spectrum.

I really like Batman, but I tend to just read random graphic novels of his rather than following the comics. I really enjoyed Hush, which was put out a while ago now I guess. Written by Jeff Loeb, drawn by Jim Lee.... hard to go wrong!

I recently picked up issue 600 of Wonder Woman. I always liked Wonder Woman ambiently, and again have a few random graphic novels. I heard they were "re-inventing" her, including a completely new costume, so I picked up the issue to check it out. It is a pretty good costume, though the "prologue" or whatever that I read about the new direction they're taking her makes me kind of leery. I'll probably read the first few of the new line though, just to see what's going on.

I also enjoyed Watchmen, and the eternal teen favourite, Sandman. When I was in high school I was an art-geek so I actually got into Image comics for a while - especially when Michael Turner was doing Witchblade. So pretty! But I stopped reading a bit before he left for Fathom. Mostly due to not being able to afford these fancy comics.

[President Camacho]

When I was in High School, I remember reading Blade of the Immortal. It was a Japanese comic book - a book, book. It was a series, too. I never finished the whole series but I remember thinking that it was very good.

[wilde]

I put a few recommendations in my blog post... Y: The Last Man, The Walking Dead, Maus, Batman Arkham Asylum: Living Hell... One I forgot though was Scott Pilgrim. Kind of cutesy art, easy to read, but pretty good.

If you want something funnier, there's always the various Marvel Zombies comics. I haven't read much of those. Anything Deadpool is also hilarious.

I haven't got around to Sandman yet. As for Watchmen, my favorite is probably Ozymandias. I love that "I did it 35 minutes ago" scene.

[wilde]

A couple more suggestions are Kick-Ass and The Losers. Both are movies now.

[Theomanic]

I'm pretty sure I read Y, and I read some of the Walking Dead (my boyfriend has a bunch of those comics). I never really wanted to read Maus - I worked in a university bookstore and we sold a billion of those. I've read that Batman series, also.

A lot of your recommendations are movies. Did you find them before or after the movies were being made?

I like that Ozy scene also. It's pretty classic! So much of that comic brilliantly plays on the expectations built up by other comics. My boyfriend insists anyone can read and appreciate Watchmen, but I disagree. A lot of it works in relation to (or in contrast of) the comic world. If you don't know anything about comics, a lot of that subtly is going to be lost on you.

[wilde]

Well, the movies are recent, and people seem to prefer to read something that is also a movie. Watchmen, I read before the movie, Kick-Ass I knew about before the movie but didn't read it until I bought it after the movie, The Losers I didn't know about until my dad told me there was going to be a movie about it...


Plus, you know, they're the only ones I can come up with off the top of my head. Most of the TPB's I read I get from the library, so I can't really keep track of those very well. I've been meaning to read more X-Men, since I was really into those in middle school. I also liked the Runaways, but I haven't read any of those recently.


Another good series is the Fable series (as you probably guessed, they have characters from various fables), but again I haven't read those recently... I'll probably reread those. There's also the spin-off series Jack of Fables.