Graphic novel suggestions for someone stuck in bed

Cafe Society
1

In a few months, I anticipate being laid up for a month or so due to abdominal surgery. I know I will need a near-endless amount of books to read because I read very fast, and I like graphic novels, so I am looking for suggestions of series I haven’t read that I might like.

For an idea of my tastes, here are some series I already read and like (or have read and liked, since some of them are complete):

Chobits by Clamp
Demon Diary by Lee Yun Hee, with art by Kara
FAKE by Sanami Matoh
Love Hina by Ken Akamatsu
Pet Shop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino
Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi
Sandman by Neil Gaiman (I also have the Death books and that new Jill Thompson Death manga book)
Shaman King by Hiroyuki Takei
Yu Yu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi

A note: For those who might see FAKE in there and be like, “oooh, she would like Gravitation!”, I have the first two volumes of it and I didn’t like it at all. The show is better than the manga, imo (at least it has pretty character designs and music) but Eiri Yuki is such a wretched jerk to Shuichi that I can’t enjoy the story very much.

thank you in advance for any suggestions :slight_smile:

2

There is a spinoff from Sandman you might enjoy: Lucifer, written by Mike Carey. There are currently five trade paperbacks available for this title:

  1. Devil in the Gateway
  2. Children and Monsters
  3. A Dalliance with the Damned
  4. The Divine Comedy (Death makes a guest appearance in this book)
  5. Inferno

And I’d also highly recommend Fables, by Bill Willingham:

  1. Legends in Exile
  2. Animal Farm
3

This isn’t Manga, but you might also enjoy the Preacher series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. For mature readers only. One of Vertigo’s best series.

Complete in 9 volumes. And there’s also a book containing the cover art.

4

ah, yes, I forgot to say that I am in no way limited to manga. I mostly read manga, but I like anything with a good story, even (and sometimes, especially) the dark stuff.

Also, if this helps anyone, I like vampire stories a lot, particularly ones where the vampires are the “good guys” or at least the main characters. Anything with half-vampires in it is also very cool.

5

You’ll love the Preacher series. One of the main characters is Cassidy, a hard-drinking Irish vampire.

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If you haven’t read Neil Gaiman’s regular books, then stock up. I’m about halfway through American Gods and it’s as good as everyone says it is. Also, if you haven’t read Good Omens by Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, GET IT. You will thank me later. I am very, very fond of Terry Pratchett, though he’s not to everyone’s taste.

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simply because they haven’t been mentioned, I thought I would volunteer the works of Alan Moore. His work is generally considered the BEST DAMN GRAPHIC NOVELS EVER CONCEIVED OF IN THIS ENTIRE UNIVERSE!!

Ahem. Seriously - he is pretty much the best thing going. Watchmen. V for Vendetta. From Hell. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Top 10. Miracleman (Marvelman in the UK). It really doesn’t get any better.

8

I read Good Omens about a year ago, and it was really funny. I also have read American Gods, though I haven’t read any other regular books by Gaiman. I’ve heard that other Terry Prachett books are good too…maybe I’ll get a couple for my time in bed. (I’m probably going to read about 25-30 books while in bed, so I need all the ideas I can get!)

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Well…I have From Hell. It’s not in that list cause I never finished it. I found it somewhat boring, which is surprising, since I love reading about serial killers and I heard so much good stuff about it.

10

Don’t overlook Stardust by Neil Gaiman (one I seldom see mentioned when Gaiman comes up). It’s a fairy tale kinda thing and I can’t emphasize how good it is.

11

How about Maus and Maus II? By Art Spiegelman.

Maybe the Tintin series by Herge? I first read them as a kid, but I still pull them out occaisionally as an adult, they’re great fun.

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My friend WordMan, we agree again! I’m a major Alan Moore fanboy. He really is the finest writer to ever touch the medium. Watchmen and V For Vendetta are my favorites, but I’ve recently started reading his Swamp Thing run in TPBs. In the last year I enjoyed discovering his too-short run on WildC.A.T.s (reprinted in the “Homecoming” and “Gang War” TPBs, along with his Voodoo miniseries), and his amazing work with Rob Liefeld’s characters: Supreme, Glory, Youngblood, and the awe-inspiring Judgment Day miniseries. Of course, I’ve read From Hell, most of Miracleman, and a good deal of the America’s Best Comics, as well. I highly recommend you seek out WildC.A.T.s, Supreme, and Judgment Day if you haven’t already.

meenie7, I couldn’t give Preacher a higher recommendation if I tried, especially since you like vampires. Cassidy is a great character, and changes a lot over the course of the series. Preacher is funny, scary, romantic, violent, blasphemous, disgusting, and beautiful all at once… a story about friendship, love, duty, and faith, disguised as a crime-horror-Western and a love letter to America by a crazed Irishman, Garth Ennis.

I also recommend Starman: Sins of the Father (the first TPB), Y: The Last Man: Cycles (the first TPB), anything Hellboy (especially with the movie coming this year), and Box Office Poison (big fat graphic novel by Alex Robinson). And a few good Grendel TPBs have vampires: “Devil’s Legacy” and “Four Devils, One Hell” in particular.

And you can’t go wrong with anything by Alan Moore (except possibly Violator, which you’ll notice I didn’t mention above).

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See? I knew BBVLou would have my back.

meenie7 - From Hell, while amazing, is out there. No attempt to tap into the whole comic book superhero/fantasy vibe. It is as serious as a heart attack.

Check out Watchmen - generally considered to be the greatest superhero-oriented comic book ever written. Ever. I am not saying that lightly.

I am a huge fan to Top 10. Kind of like Hill St. Blues if the everyday cops on the street were superheros. Really well done.

His other stuff is incredibly respected, too.

Maus is fucking amazing.

And no one has mentioned Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year 1. Also amazing.

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Oh, and hey, BBVLou - what’s up with the Telecaster purchase? Still waiting until late Spring? If so, email me - I may have a suggestion or two…

15

Eric Shanower’s A Thousand Ships, the first and so far only entry in The Age of Bronze series, is an incredibly well researched and illustrated retelling of the Illiad (sans gods/goddesses).

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I’ll add The Invisibles if you like crazy apocalyptic anarcho-mysticism in the mold of The Illuminatus! Trilogy. The whole series is available in graphic novel form, I own all of them and have read each multiple times, and I’m still not sure which one comes first. If you can understand why I mean that as a compliment, you’ll love these comics.

Planetary is also pretty good. It’s part of the DC Comics/Wildstorm superhero universe, but is mostly concerned with one-off high concept sci-fi/fantasy stories, at least in the first two volumes. All Over the World is the first book, and includes

I’ll third (or whatever) Preacher. Wonderful books. And anything by Alan Moore, of course.

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Maus
Tintin
Asterix the Gaul
Buck Godot: Zap Gun for Hire
The Adventures of Samurai Cat
Lucky Luke

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Lupin The 3rd —9 or 10 volumes, one of the funniest manga ever. If you loved The Pink Panther, you’ll love this!

Astro Boy–23 volumes & growing. Japan’s robotic hero with a conscience.

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It’s worth gutting it out. The first half of the book is a hard slog, because Moore is making such an effort to recreate Victorian England, but in the long term the immersion makes the story that much more effective. The climax of the series, the final Ripper murder, is a piece of macabre and hallucinatory genius.

20

Since you seem to like Shounen ai/yaoi, I think I have an idea of what might interest you…

Wish by CLAMP

The genders of the angels were changed around for heterosexist Americans, but it’s still a frighteningly cute story.

Clover by CLAMP

I only read a bit of this myself, but I thought it was still cute.

Banana Fish

An oldie-but-goodie. You might have trouble getting this as it is a bit old, but I’ve seen it carried on more shelves now that they aren’t making any more. ;.; The artwork isn’t very pretty, but the stories and characters are very well developed.

Kabuki by David Mack

Dark and bloody compared to the rest of your selections which are more cute, but a good read.

A,A’ Prime by Moto Hagio

No one else seems to like this but me, but I think the characters and stories are interesting.

Basara by Yumi Tamura

Girl pride. I hate a lot of female manga/anime leads which is why I prefer shounen-ai, but Basara is a huge exception. I’ve not read the manga personally, but I liked the anime.

Blood the last vampire by Benkyo Tamaoki

I personally didn’t like this one, but my boyfriend did. You said you liked vampries though.

Rising Stars of Manga a compliation by Tokyo Pop

Okay, you probably won’t like this one, but some of my friends won the first prize (their comic is the first one) so I suggest it. :stuck_out_tongue:

Vampire Princess Miyu

Vampires, tons of bishounen, nice artwork and good plots. I think you should def get this one although it doesn’t have much shounen ai.

Most of my favorites are not brought over here (yet). If you have access to a store that sells Japanese manga, I can suggest some titles that are good and show you where to find translations. Although with how many new titles being picked up lately, you might just have to wait another few years.

Gravitation gets better later on. I’ve only read the Japanese version and yeah, Shuichi annoys me. The remixes, which are pure smut, are the only things I still find interest in. :stuck_out_tongue:

Hope you feel better soon!