I’d definitely recommend
**Battle Angel Alita ** by Yukito Kishiro
– it’s a sci-fi manga series with some of the best art I’ve ever seen.
I absolutely love it!
Let me second Mike Carey’s Lucifer – it’s a great book.
–Cliffy
The Bone trilogy by Jeff Smith. No, it’s not manga, and yes, it may seem a little silly if you merely leaf through an album quickly in the store. When read carefully, however, its brilliance and magic becomes evident. Part of Bone’s attraction is its unlikely but seemingly effortless balance between epic fantasy and slapstick. The story is excellent, and Jeff Smith is a magnificent artist who has learned much from precursors such as Carl Barks and Bill Watterson. There are eight albums so far, which must be read cronologically; the ninth and final album is in the works.
Also the Hellboy series by Mike Mignola. Dark, funny, epic, gothic, beautiful.
I really like Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind series. Incredibly drawn, richly plotted futuristic fantasy by the director/animator of Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.
Of course, as manga goes, Otomo’s Akira is the ultimate graphic novel series.
This graphic novel is written by John Ostrander and illustrated by Leonardo Manco.
The trade paperback collects issues #1-4 of Marvel’s Blaze of Glory. I’ve read this book at least three times, and I still love it.
I haven’t read it yet, but I hear 30 Days of Night is pretty good. It’s about vampires who go to Alaska when it’s dark 24 hours a day, I think.
That concludes this very informative post.
A beautiful fairy tale for adults is Moonshadow by J.M. DeMatteis.