Graphic Novel recommendations (best art + story)

[GregMcduck]

And if you're tired with super people, Craig Thompson's "Blankets" is one of the best books I've ever read.

[gbeenie]

For non-superhero stuff:

Anything Love & Rockets is awesome.

The Gregory books by Marc Hempel are terrif.

Any of Frank Miller's Martha Washington books (Give Me Liberty, Martha Washington Goes To War, Martha Washington Saves The World).

Any compilations of Peter Bagge's Hate!

American Splendor, in any form or format, is aces.

BTW, the Matrix comics are really good (MUCH better than the sequels); they're available in collected form now.

[Hebs]

And if you're tired with super people, Craig Thompson's "Blankets" is one of the best books I've ever read.

Yeah! I reccomended "Goodbye, Chunky Rice" up there.    "Gregory" is hilarious - my favorite is 4 - where he stays with this family - the father is a football freak that is so tall and overpowering, Hempel never draws his whole head in the panel - just his bulging neck.

[gbeenie]

I want to insert here that you don't have to be "tired" of superhero comics to enjoy other things; they're not mutually exclusive.

[Sharktopus]

I want to insert here that you don't have to be "tired" of superhero comics to enjoy other things; they're not mutually exclusive.

An excellent point.

[gbeenie]

A couple I didn't mention earlier:

Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales

Also, the first story arc in the new Justice League of America series, also written by Meltzer (criminy is he good) has been issued in one collected volume. If you don't want to make that kind of investment right out of the box, Issue #0 of the series was part of the last Free Comics Day, so you can get it for nothing, and decide for yourself if you like it.

[Sharktopus]

Brad Meltzer is amazing. Did you read his "Archer's Quest" run on Green Arrow? I wish he'd quit those lame novels and write more comics for me.

[gbeenie]

Brad Meltzer is amazing. Did you read his "Archer's Quest" run on Green Arrow?

I didn't (I'll have to check it out); but I'm really enjoying Judd Winick's run on the book right now.

[Sharktopus]

Meltzer's is the third trade after the two Kevin Smith wrote bringing Ollie back, which are surprisingly good for Kevin Smith comics. Green Arrow's been one of the most consistent superhero comics for quite a few years.

[Hebs]

A couple I didn't mention earlier:

Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales

I didn't like it much - I found it dark and a little over rated.  Kevin Smith is a great writer when he actually gets his stuff out on time.  Remember when it took like, 13 months for the next Spider-Man Black Cat to come out?

[Mr.Nobody]

By the way, has anyone mentioned "Planetary" yet? It's a great little comic that's hard to define.

Planetary is great, just wish Ellis could get out the last issue.

On his mailing list he basically said of the last issue 'it'll get done when it gets done. I have more important things to work on right now'

Some of my other favorite books are 100 Bullets, Sleeper, Criminal, Y the Last Man, Punisher (the max series written by Garth Ennis), Ex Machina, and I'd recommend to anyone Grant Morrison's run on Animal Man and Doom Patrol.  Some truly amazing stuff.  I also just picked up Walking Dead which has been very enjoyable.

[Sharktopus]

Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales

I didn't like it much - I found it dark and a little over rated.

Identity Crisis is dark, but Meltzer's characterization and atypical pacing blew me away. It was the first time I actually for me that most of those DC characters felt like people.

Kevin Smith is a great writer when he actually gets his stuff out on time.  Remember when it took like, 13 months for the next Spider-Man Black Cat to come out?

I think it was more like 26 months. And then I read the new issues and wished he hadn't bothered to finish it at all. And it's been, what, 5 years since Daredevil: Target #1? Kevin's the poster boy for shit-or-get-off-the-pot writing.

[SaucyRossy]

While I still reccomend the Invincible trades I have a few others to add to this list.
1. Astonishing X-Men= one of the best team comics I have read in a loooong time. Joss Whedon writes the X-Men like no one else.
2. Runaways= another kids with super powers team up book but unlike any comic you have ever read. Really great series.
3. The Ultimates- think of the Avengers being made into a hard PG 13 or R movie and this is what you get. These characters are complex and the story line is a blast.

[BathTub]

There was quite a gap between issues of Rising Stars, but that was a contract issue I think.

[gbeenie]

A couple I didn't mention earlier:

Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales

I didn't like it much - I found it dark and a little over rated.

Obviously, I disagree. One of the things that Meltzer did so well in that book (and continues to do in Justice League of America) is something that precious few writers have managed: to take those classic DC characters, many of whom are larger-than-life flat-out American icons, and to make them seem like people. Marvel, at its best, has always had that feel to many of their characters, but for those almost-archetypal DC characters, it's much more of an accomplishment.

Also, Meltzer seems to know how to get what he wants out of artists. In the first story arc of JLoA, Solomon Grundy does something during the climax so horrible that it turns your stomach; and you get that feeling from it despite the fact that it's not portrayed explicitly (or at least, not in an exploitative gory way)

  Kevin Smith is a great writer when he actually gets his stuff out on time.  Remember when it took like, 13 months for the next Spider-Man Black Cat to come out?

Ha! You obviously didn't live through the heyday of Art Adams and Brian Bolland.  And that extra wait for the third and fourth issues of The Dark Knight Returns in 1986 was PURE HELL.