# Really Fabulous Graphic Novels **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429 "2003-03-14T20:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucki\_Chaarms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lucki\_Chaarms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucki_Chaarms)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/1 "2003-03-14T20:28:02Z")
OK, so lately I’ve been getting in to these. I’ve read: Batman, The Dark Knight Returns Ghost World Maus Maus II I’ve Ordered: From Hell V For Vendetta Watchmen Kingdom Come My favorite of any I’ve seen has been “Batman”, the way that it really made us see both sides of it, and understand him as a deeply tormented and morally questionable figure. We understand that he is a champion for the good, upstanding people under siege by criminals, but we also see that he is taking law in to his own hands, punishing those that he sees as guility and deciding their punishments, because of the need to have that power over them, to deal with his pain. We don’t see him as fighting for the common people, he’s fighting for himself. I thought it was great. Plus Reagan as president starting a nuclear war, the philandering caricatures of politicians unwilling to take a stand against… anything, Catwoman as an aging prostitute, Comissioner Gordon as a mysogynistic, hard-boiled, too stubborn to change type. Adds some reality in to the whole comic book world, with interesting results. Given that I liked the idea of the aging superhero striving to find their place in the world, I ordered Kingdom Come, and given that I liked the vigilante with questionable morals theme I ordered V For Vendetta. I ordered Watchmen because it’s what everyone says is the standard for all graphic novels, and From Hell because it just sounds so damn COOL. What titles should I look in to? I really like the whole “comic book heroes in a relatively realistic world” thing, are there any of these that have been done well? Let me know your favorites, of any kind. Thanks, LC ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/2 "2003-03-14T20:46:13Z")
Wonder Woman: Amazonia Superman and Wonder Woman: Whom Gods Destroy Preacher: All 9 Books Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia Squadron Supreme The Sandman collections That’s a good start. _grin_ ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/3 "2003-03-14T20:48:55Z")
You’ve already got some great ones coming. Barry-Windsor Smith’s origin story for Wolverine, called “Weapon X,” is one of the better graphic novels Marvel has ever put out. The “Hellblazer” collection “Dangerous Habits” is one of the best runs of the series. A little hard to read if you don’t have some of the backstory, but glorious fun. Need I even mention the “Sandman” graphic novels? Also, the original 4-issue “Books of Magic” series by Gaiman is absolutely wonderful. Happy reading! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/4 "2003-03-14T20:51:48Z")
The best of all time is V for Vendetta. And it’s certainly not about a hero with questionable morals. Sorry about that. Try ‘Cerebus: High Society’. Dave Sim certainly appears to be insane these days (no foolin’) but that was a great read. ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/5 "2003-03-14T20:53:46Z")
Can anyone recommend any that aren’t based on “comics”, but are more like “novels told in pictures”, like Maus? ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/6 "2003-03-14T20:54:31Z")
They aren’t graphic novels, but if it’s “Superheroes in a realistic world” you’re looking, I’d reccomend checking out the Wild Card novels. I’ve only just recently started reading them myself and they’re really good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/7 "2003-03-14T20:54:31Z")
Not exactly a graphic novel, but if you haven’t read any of the _Astro City_ stories, you’re missing out on some serious schlitz. The reprint volumes would fit in with your other books on the shelf. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/8 "2003-03-14T20:55:33Z")
I just bought **30 Days of Night** Wednesday and finished it last night. It’s more like a movie than any comic I’ve read before. The art is a touch confusing at times, but the story is good. Plus they’re making a movie of it soon. My only complaint is that it was too expensive for the length of the book, but if you can find it, it’s worth a read. And let me second the original Squadron Supreme TPB. If you like Kingdom Come, you’ll like SS too. Especially considering it’s Marvel’s JLA story. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/9 "2003-03-14T21:01:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Avalonian \* > **The “Hellblazer” collection “Dangerous Habits” is one of the best runs of the series. A little hard to read if you don’t have some of the backstory, but glorious fun.** You have tee’d up some good ones… and Hellblazer is great (I recommend “Original Sins”). “Killing Joke” a Batman Graphic Novella should be on your list too, as well, (the name escapes me) the Batman Gaslight one. Also there are a series of Graphic novels… sorta compilation things, called “The Big Book of…”. I have “The Big Book of Thugs” and “The Big Book of Conspiracies”. In these ones, several artists do short comics on the subject matter at hand. Very historically interesting. The Big Book of Thugs has a number of stories taken from the book “Gangs of New York”. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/10 "2003-03-14T21:01:26Z")
**Transmetropolitan** by Warren Ellis Picture Hunter S. Thompson set loose in a bleak cyberpunk-style future, with a scathing wit, ample firepower and a thirst for the truth. ---
**Author:** ![noddygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/47e85d/32.png) [@noddygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noddygrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/11 "2003-03-14T21:03:48Z")
Isarina, you might like Joe Kubert’s Fax From Sarajevo. ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/12 "2003-03-14T21:06:02Z")
**Earth X** from Marvel. It’s written specifically for people who like _obscure_ bits of Marvel history. If you can track down a rare copy of the hardcover, you’ll get a soundtrack on CD and a box shaped like one of the main characters. ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/13 "2003-03-14T21:37:37Z")
I’ll second Transmet. It’s a graphic **novel** in 60 issues and the first 47 are already available as TPB’s. If you liked Dark Knight you’ll probably love Batman Year One, also by Frank Miller. Still by him 300 is just unbelievably good. I’ll also second Preacher though I feel obligated to say it’s extremely graphic and has a sort of humour that can be very offensive to some. The same can be said of Transmetropolitan. David Boring by Daniel Clowes is IMO great but lots of people think it’s kinda… boring. Lot’s of the stuff suggested here is great but not all of them are graphic novels. Stuff like Hellbalzer is very well written and I recomend it but it’s a story arc and not a novel. It tells a little story that happens to the carachter of a much bigger ongoing story. I wasn’t going to add since I’ve already suggested two by Miller but Electra Assassin is just brillinat in an ironic, surrealistic and funny way. The art is astounding. And I also forgot, Sandman is great too. ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/14 "2003-03-14T21:40:17Z")
Oh, and Luther Arkwright by Brian Talbot if you like strange, surreal SF with a distinct 60’s feel to it. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/15 "2003-03-14T21:54:07Z")
There’s always _The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen_ or _Akira_. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/16 "2003-03-15T00:19:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Can anyone recommend any that aren’t based on “comics”, but are more like “novels told in pictures”, like Maus? Check out “Box Office Poison” or “Why I Hate Saturn”. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/17 "2003-03-15T01:09:24Z")
_From Hell_ is an amazing piece of work, much more literate than most of the traditional fiction out there. Look forward to the last collection of _Transmetropolitan_. The Batman _No Man’s Land_ series was inconsistent, but good overall. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/18 "2003-03-15T01:32:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tsarina \* > \*\*Can anyone recommend any that aren’t based on “comics”, but are more like “novels told in pictures”, like Maus? \*\* [Jimmy Corrigan](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375404538/qid=1047691768/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-7210337-5440032?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) The New York Times suggested that this may be the pinnacle of achievement in the realm of graphic novels. They might be right. ---
**Author:** ![Winsling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Winsling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winsling)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/19 "2003-03-15T01:59:05Z")
I’m a big fan of _100 Bullets_, though I’m not sure it’s up your alley. The premise is that someone has been wronged, and a man gives them an attache case. Inside the case is evidence pointing to the guilty party, and an untracable gun with 100 bullets. If these bullets are recovered at a crime scene, investigation ceases. The stories proceed on two levels; what do people do when they’re placed above the law, and who is the man who can put them there. It’s written and drawn in a noir style that works exceptionally well. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429/20 "2003-03-15T02:37:50Z")
If you can find it, **Enemy Ace:War Idyll** is one of the most powerful graphic novels I’ve ever come across. Written and illustrated by George Pratt and published in 1990 (I think), the book revives one of DC’s more peculiar war comic characters with beautiful painted artwork and an insightful, haunting story. A helluva read. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-fabulous-graphic-novels/161429.md?page=2)