# Which graphic novel/TPBs should I buy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992 "2004-03-01T23:39:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/1 "2004-03-01T23:39:59Z")
I have to pick 4 of the following list. Watchmen V for Vendetta The League of Extroardinary Gentlemen, volume 1 300 Hellboy: Seed of Destruction Preacher: Gone to Texas Captain Marvel: Nothing To Lose ---
**Author:** ![Selkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Selkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selkie)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/2 "2004-03-01T23:49:50Z")
_Watchmen_ and _V for Vendetta_ are the two easy choices. Both are fabulous, classic works. _Gone to Texas_ isn’t my favorite of the Preacher volumes, but since it is the first of a terrific, can’t-put-it-down series, I’d say to include that one. Most people love _LoEG_. I don’t, but recognize I’m in the extreme minority on that one. Ditto the _Hellboy_ volume. I’d say to select one of those as your fourth volume, because the majority opinion is better on those than on the remainder of your list. Out of curiosity, how and why are you in a position to choose amongst those specific TPBs? Is this some sort of eBay auction lot where you choose X number of titles off a list? ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/3 "2004-03-01T23:53:23Z")
> [@Selkie](#): > > Out of curiosity, how and why are you in a position to choose amongst those specific TPBs? Is this some sort of eBay auction lot where you choose X number of titles off a list? Those are simply some selections from my required reading/read and must own a copy of list. I, being a poor teenager, can only spare the money for four of them right now. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/4 "2004-03-01T23:58:09Z")
Go with the _League_, but try the Captain Marvel one, too. ---
**Author:** ![Marlow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Marlow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlow)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/5 "2004-03-02T00:02:26Z")
I liked League and Watchmen. Preacher is fun, but be warned; the last couple of books suck real bad and may taint the entire series for you. ---
**Author:** ![msklystron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@msklystron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msklystron)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/6 "2004-03-02T00:16:16Z")
> [@Gadfly](#): > > I have to pick 4 of the following list. > > Watchmen > V for Vendetta > The League of Extroardinary Gentlemen, volume 1 > 300 > Hellboy: Seed of Destruction > Preacher: Gone to Texas > Captain Marvel: Nothing To Lose Neil Gaimon’s ‘Sandman’. Oh, and the one’s that I’m writing if they every get finished and published. Unless you’re into collecting first editions etc., the web is full radical new toons. ---
**Author:** ![msklystron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@msklystron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msklystron)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/7 "2004-03-02T00:20:51Z")
> [@msklystron](#): > > Neil Gaimon’s ‘Sandman’. > > Oh, and the one’s that I’m writing if they every get finished and published. Unless you’re into collecting first editions etc., the web is full radical new toons. Sorry about the typos. I just got a new laptop and the keyboard and internal mouse are configured differently than on my old machine… ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/8 "2004-03-02T00:25:35Z")
> [@msklystron](#): > > Neil Gaimon’s ‘Sandman’. > > Oh, and the one’s that I’m writing if they every get finished and published. Unless you’re into collecting first editions etc., the web is full radical new toons. I’ve read most of Sandman. I’m just going to use the library to read Sandman, thanks - it’s good, but not something that I’m willing to invest a large amount of money in - it gets a bit caught up in pointless tangents at times, it has some really awkward and stupid moments (Morpheus’ “competition” with that demon in the bar in hell? I mean, come on!) and just isn’t entertaining at points. It’s not bad, but it’s not excellent. I love the hell out of Delerium, though. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/9 "2004-03-02T00:36:30Z")
> [@Marlow](#): > > I liked League and Watchmen. Preacher is fun, but be warned; the last couple of books suck real bad and may taint the entire series for you. Really? I loved the way the series ended. From the beginning, I was _expecting_ it to suck, because how do you come up with a satisfying resolution for a story like that? Wonder of wonders, Garth Ennis found a way. Certainly, by the end of the series, it’s no longer the same story it was at the beginning, but I’d hardly call that a bad thing. I’d say _Watchmen_, without a doubt. _V_ is good, but on a limited budget, there are better works out there. On the other hand, it’s self contained. No sequels to it, so it’s a much smaller investment. _League_ is better, and the whole thing is only two TPBs (Moore isn’t working on the title anymore, correct?) so you won’t end up having to choose between finding out how it ends and eating. _300_ I haven’t read. _Hellboy_ I found to be decent, but not nearly as good as everyone says. _Preacher_ is fantastic, but the whole thing runs to almost a dozen volumes, which is a hefty chunk of cash. _Captain Marvel_ is another I’ve never read. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/10 "2004-03-02T00:40:32Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] …but on a limited budget, there are better works out there.QUOTE] Elaborate? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/11 "2004-03-02T00:45:49Z")
> [@Gadfly](#): > > I’ve read most of Sandman. I’m just going to use the library to read Sandman, thanks - it’s good, but not something that I’m willing to invest a large amount of money in - it gets a bit caught up in pointless tangents at times, it has some really awkward and stupid moments (Morpheus’ “competition” with that demon in the bar in hell? I mean, come on!) So you’re not aware that Gaiman drew directly on a body of shamanistic tradition dating back to the Stone Age for that one? To add irons to the fire, you might try: Lucifer - an offshoot of the Sandman universe, but you don’t need to have read any of Sandman except for Season of Mists to understand it. The basic premise is that Lucifer sets out to create his own universe wthout the flaws of the first Creation. Four volumes, series still ongoing. Y: The Last Man - the tale of how every male creature on Earth suddenly dies, except for history graduate and amateur escapologist Yorick Brown and his pet monkey. Two volumes, series ongoing. Top 10 - Alan Moore’s series about police work in a city where everyone is a superpowered being (including the mice). Two volumes, series concluded (though there is a five part miniseries about to wrap up). ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/12 "2004-03-02T00:51:19Z")
> [@Gadfly](#): > > Elaborate? _Transmetropolitan_, by Warren Ellis (first book: Back on the Streets) _The Invisibles_, by Grant Morrison (first book: You Say You Want a Revolution. Warning, the art in the first few books is very, very bad. Story is amazing, though.) _Tom Strong_, by Alan Moore (first book: Tom Strong, Vol. 1) _Astro City_, by Kurt Busiek (any order. There’s no over all story arc, and each TPB is self-contained) _Camelot 3000_, by Mike Barr (one volume) _Promethea_, by Alan Moore (first book: Promethea Vol. 1.) _Rising Stars_, by Michael Straczynski (first book: Born in Fire) ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/13 "2004-03-02T00:53:15Z")
> [@Evil Death](#): > > So you’re not aware that Gaiman drew directly on a body of shamanistic tradition dating back to the Stone Age for that one? No, I wasn’t - but just because it’s an ancient shamanistic tradition, it doesn’t mean that it’s good material for a comic book. Thanks for your suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![msklystron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@msklystron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msklystron)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/14 "2004-03-02T01:02:56Z")
> [@Gadfly](#): > > I’ve read most of Sandman. I’m just going to use the library to read Sandman, thanks - it’s good, but not something that I’m willing to invest a large amount of money in - it gets a bit caught up in pointless tangents at times, it has some really awkward and stupid moments (Morpheus’ “competition” with that demon in the bar in hell? I mean, come on!) and just isn’t entertaining at points. It’s not bad, but it’s not excellent. > > I love the hell out of Delerium, though. I guess you could say Sandman is different. It’s more literary. I hope to write stories that are fast-paced, a little sexy and entertaining with absolutely no boring bits. Can’t talk about the plot here unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![msklystron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@msklystron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msklystron)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/15 "2004-03-02T01:11:18Z")
> [@Evil Death](#): > > So you’re not aware that Gaiman drew directly on a body of shamanistic tradition dating back to the Stone Age for that one? This is the appeal for me. Entertainment, pacing are paramount in a comic book, but I’ve got to have substance holding it all up. Until about three years ago, I taught kids cartooning at a local community centre. I have been drawing cartoons as a hobby for years and worked in graphic arts for a while. It didn’t occur to me to write graphic novels until recently. I’m having a blast. By the way, excellent reading suggestions. I have some catching up to do. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/16 "2004-03-02T01:37:46Z")
Okay, I’m pretty much settled on Watchmen, Hellboy, and The League of Extroardinary Gentlemen. But for the last, I really can’t decide. Help! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/17 "2004-03-02T02:17:29Z")
For your fourth book, I recommend [Hansi, the Girl who Loved the Swastika](http://ape-law.com/GAF/Page01/index.html). ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/18 "2004-03-02T02:25:06Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > For your fourth book, I recommend [Hansi, the Girl who Loved the Swastika](http://ape-law.com/GAF/Page01/index.html). Very funny. Top 10 sounds good, V for Vendetta sounds good, Transmetropolitan sounds good, lots of volumes of Astro City sound good. Agh. ---
**Author:** ![Vezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b38774/32.png) [@Vezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vezer)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/19 "2004-03-02T04:30:11Z")
FYI League of Extraordinary is VERY LITTLE like the movie. It isn’t warm or wholesome. For example: The Invisible Man rapes women at a private school. Just dropping a bit of good news 🙂 Watchmen is kinda dry if you ask me. It’s fun to analyze the characters though. ---
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992/20 "2004-03-02T04:41:50Z")
Preacher! PREACHER I SAY! Seriously though, this is my favorite comic series of all time, and the whole warped saga of Jesse Custer gets started in _Gone to Texas_. Jesse Custer is a hellion of a Texas preacher with an assassin girlfriend named Tulip and a best friend, Cassidy, who’s a 100-year-old Irish vampire. Then there’s the Saint of Killers and his limitless guns and my boy, Herr Starr, whose depraved sexual practices are beyond explanation. Not to mention the inbred, feces-flinging last descendants of Christ; a dude named Arseface; a cult of bored Goth teenagers and their “pet” vampire; and self-cannibalism. What more do you want?! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-graphic-novel-tpbs-should-i-buy/231992.md?page=2)