Favourite Non-manga Graphic Novel?

[GlazedDonuts]

Odd to have it on the Manga boards, but not really any other fitting place to put it.

I enjoy the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, which I am currently buying in Trade paperback format, and pretty much any thing By Jhonen Vasquez and Roman Dirge.

[LEJthemonkey]

I really love Bone by Jeff Smith. I also enjoy some of Wendy Pini's Elfquest novels...but I have mixed feelings with that series.

[shadowmose]

If you ever get a chance you should try reading the Preacher Series. It still has some of most twisted things ever in a series I read. Short Summary-Man goes on a journey to confront God for leaving heaven or something like that. I gotta read this series again to refresh my memory.

[Vicious]

Udon's Street Fighter & Darkstalkers. Nope it's not a manga ^_^

I wonder what's taking Udon so long to publish Rival Schools already.

[crispy]

Demo by Becky Cloonan and Brian Wood

Becky Cloonan is a comic arts GOD.

[Klawzie]

The Sandman series, of course. Plus Batgirl: Year One.

[Murasakivie]

I'm a big fan of Craig Thompson's work. I've probably reread Blankets more than any other graphic novel. And really, that's saying a lot... I mean, the book is the size of a dictionary!

[Ariolander]

Does Megatokyo count?

Some call it webcomic, some might call it an OEM. I dunno but none of the above? Graphic novel non the less no matter what you wanna call it. A personal favorite of mine.

[AislingNiamh]

Death: The High Cost of Living!
I also like Megatokyo, also a webcomic called Inverloch. I guess in printed form they'd be graphic novels...

[earthboundwish]

I really love Bone by Jeff Smith.

I used to read that when I was a kid! In... Disney Adventures...?? I think. But they soon stopped printing it in there or something, so I tried to find it at the local comic shop, but lo and behold! My measly $5 weekly allowance was not enough! TT____TT I really need to get back into this series, I really liked it...

Other than that, does "The noob" count? It's a webcomic that has been printed with lulu.com... If it does, add that on my list too! XD

[raine]

I'm a big fan of Craig Thompson's work. I've probably reread Blankets more than any other graphic novel. And really, that's saying a lot... I mean, the book is the size of a dictionary!

Blanket fan! It's a good read, considering I don't really go for non-manga.

[Rubbersoul]

I haven't read many non-manga graphic novels, but there are many I WANT to read sooo bad: American Splendor and American Virgin (I want to read this sooooo badly).

I have read these two graphic novels called Persepolis which is an autobiographical account of an Iranian girl growing up. It's not as angsty as you think; I like it.

Oh, I also want to read me some Jimmy Corrigan.

[Murasakivie]

Blanket fan! It's a good read, considering I don't really go for non-manga.

It was the same way for me too when I first read it. If you think about it though, Thompson's work has a lot of similarities to manga even though he's not at all influenced by it. Like, the way he arranges panels, plays around with patterns, and uses images rather than words to portray emotion and character development.

Now with that aside...

Yes! I love that book and rave about it to anyone who lets me! It's just so... Gah, I can't even describe it in one word!

But you're the first person I've ever spoken to who has actually heard of it, let alone liked it! This puts you on my list of super awesome people. Actual list does not exist... yet?

[GlazedDonuts]

I wish I had the money to try all those series, but alas, I do not, and untill I do, I satisfy my left to right comic needs with webcomics, like redmeat.com and ctrlaltdel-online.com, I read vgcats aswell, but he updates once a week, sometimes. Red Meat updates occasionally, but I'm still reading backlogs of comics, so I'm happy.

[Libby]

Persepolis is awesome. :D

I also love Batgirl: Year One. Highly recommended!!!

Hopeless Savages is really fun -- punk rock romance comics.

And I LOOOOOVE Sandman. Hellblazer is also awesome -- "Dangerous Habits" is my favorite of the TPBs. The art is HIDEOUS, but the writing is so awesome, I really don't care. Why don't we see writing that wonderful in manga? ;_;

Right now, the only monthly series I'm reading is Young Avengers -- because of the BL angle. ^_^

[GracieLizzy]

I love Spider-Girl, I also loved the Justice Leauge cartoons as well as the other "Diniverse" cartoons. It's a shame to see them go, especially given that I'm not overly impressed with "The Batman".

[winter]

My favorite has got to be Bone and Marvel variants os Shazaam and the Flash.

[Kyaa the Catlord]

The X-Men/New Mutants/Alpha Flight Asgardian Wars GN.

Classic X.

[UrbanRevolution]

Sin City.... i'm a huge Frank Miller fan!

[hml1102]

Too many to coose from.....maybe x-men? ... yea! i like x-men! cant wait for the 3rd movie to come out! =)

[hml1102]

oops, wrong spellin --> Choose*

[Aratos]

Transmetropolitan. I'm a huge fan. And I also like Judge Dredd stuff. Don't really read many graphic novels though. Too much "good always wins over evil" and all that junk.

[btsunami]

I love Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore so amazingly much.

My favorites of theirs are:
Alan Moore
Swamp Thing
Promethea
Top Ten
SMAX
V For Vendetta
Watchmen
Tom Strong

Neil Gaiman
Sandman (obviously)
Books of Magic
Death: The High Cost of Living
Death: The Time of Your Life

I also like Transmetropolitan, Sin City, Blankets, Goodbye Chunkey Rice, and the occasional Marvel and DC title.

[vamspapi]

My favorite non-manga Graphic Novel is easily City of Light, City of Dark. It's old(1995 was the first time it was published), but I hear its been popping up in some school book fairs.

[Tyleete]

I LOVE a series by Top Cow called The Darkness (or the first 40 anyhow). But my all time favorite, fore manga was here, has to be ElfQuest (where I got the username). Now that I look at it though, while it's by an American couple, it Does look a lot like what we call manga nowadays. Here's a pic I use on my profile at a site I work at, see what I mean?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/VoulantLucius/d655e8b4.jpg

[Gibby Gibson]

I actually find many of the DC:Vertigo lines to my liking, espeically the following:

1. Sandman
2. Books of Magic, The (including the other addaptations)
3. Lucifer
4. Y: The Last Man
5. Fables

Out of the list, Fables is my top fav thus far. I started on Books of Magic, The, then moved from there.

[Ayokillyou]

Love and Rockets by Gilbert and Jamie Hernandez: The brothers work independently on their individual ensemble cast sagas under the single title. They've both been using the same characters for twenty-six years, but Gilbert sometimes starts new stories. Jamie's art is some of the most brilliantly balanced design ever committed to the comics page.

The Frank Book by Jim Woodring: A bunch of pricelessly illustrated wordless comics about an anthropomorphic cat-looking dude who lives in a horrifying fantasy world.

Cages by Dave McKean: A small group of interlocking characters explore the nature of art each in his own way.

Black Hole by Charles Burns: A horror story set in suburban 1970s about an STD that turns it's victims into grotesque monsters. Very slick posteresque artwork.

Beg The Question by Bob Fingerman: formerly the comic book Minimum Wage. It follows the story of an adult relationship in which the pair do adult things to each other. As consenting adults. It's funny when it's funny and it pulls at the heartstrings hard at just the right moments. It's a great picture of modern urban life.

Louis Riel by Chester Brown: A historically-based account of the life of a Canadian rebel who is executed for starting an insurrection. The author takes many liberties with the facts, but notes all of them in the apendix. The whole book is drawn in the deadpan style of Harold Grey's Little Orphan Annie. Some great battle depictions in this one, as well.

Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware: Honestly, one of the best comic artists in the world, ever. This downbeat tale follows a strange little man on a fatherquest which mirrors that of his own grandfather before him.

Artichoke Tales by Megan Kelso: A fantasy-style serious sociopolitical drama. No magic, no monsters, just an intricately-imagined culture of a simple people who happen to have heads like artichokes.

[Vicious]

Oh.

I also forgot to mention.

Jeph Loeb's
Batman: Hush

[JimDeVico]

I liked Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen and Superman for all Seasons

[Riotfug]

X-Men(woooo!), especially the X-Treme series

[adichappo]

The first comic series I ever started collecting (and still my all time favourite) is Richard and Wendy Pini's ElfQuest. Tyleete mentioned it already and i agree, looking back on them, they are VERY much like modern manga art. Wendy Pini was once quoted as says one of her majoy influences when she was started out as an artist (nearly 30 yrs ago) were old Japanese style comics. My other fav is Neil Gaiman's Sandman/Death series'. I *heart* Death.

[kyothekitty]

no titles come to mind but yeah i'll think.........................no cannot come up with any

[mangachick28]

I like Serenity Rose by A. ????? (forget name). There's only one volume so far, but I like it. A lot. I like how it's all dark and creepy and morbid, but still wickedly cute. I'm deranged. :)

[Vicious]

no titles come to mind but yeah i'll think.........................no cannot come up with any
T_T

Another great series that just recently turned into a graphic novel is Mavel's The Runaways.

[beanclam]

I ... can't pick just one. ^^;

Sandman
Martha Washington Goes to War
Kingdom Come
Sin City
The Dark Knight Returns

[Vicious]

I ... can't pick just one. ^^;

Sandman
Martha Washington Goes to War
Kingdom Come
Sin City
The Dark Knight Returns
Oh hahaha. How could I forget.

Yeah I also would like to add Sin City. Frank Miller's work is just so great! Though, I'm kind of disliking the new "All-star Batman and Robin" (I think that's what it's called.

Though since I'm a fan of Batman I HAVE to get this.

I would also like to add Justice by Alex Ross. Sadly is not out yet sooo it really doesn't count. Though I still love the comics.

[Dusty Chalk]

Sandman -- the first one I read is still my favourite (the one with Lucifer and the key to Hell -- Dollhouse?). The switching of styles depending on the story was just brilliant.

Cages, by Dave McKean was excellent as well. He's a surprisingly good storyteller. "...Mommy said a dirty word...."

30 Days of Night/Dark Days by Niles & Templesmith is fantastic -- I'll get anything by either of those guys -- even Singularity 7 was superb. (I love Templesmith's visual style -- he's usually the artist for Niles work, in the same way that McKean is usually the artist for Gaiman's work -- but it all comes down to the story, and the story was fantastic.)

Just recently picked up Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth -- that was fantastic, especially being able to read the script afterwards and see what was intended, what was changed, and what was kept.

[Elae]

Black Hole by Charles Burns: A horror story set in suburban 1970s about an STD that turns it's victims into grotesque monsters. Very slick posteresque artwork.


I just finished reading Black Hole... half an hour ago? Definitely a very odd read (mostly because I didn't realize that there were two different main guys until near the end...), but I liked it. Not quite my kind of ending, but maybe it just needs time to sink in.

Cages is amazing as well. Also really liked Blankets. Favorite stuff out there right now is Flight (http://www.flightcomics.com), though... some great stuff going on by artists I've been watching for years. Becky Cloonan has some stuff in some of them (volume 2 and the upcoming 3, at least), so fans of East Coast Rising should check them out. Everyone else should too, at that. Of the artists/writers in Flight, my favorites are probably Matthew Woodson & Catia Chien, though neither have volumes of their own work out (to my knowledge).

[Ayokillyou]

Favorite stuff out there right now is Flight (http://www.flightcomics.com), though... some great stuff going on by artists I've been watching for years. Becky Cloonan has some stuff in some of them (volume 2 and the upcoming 3, at least), so fans of East Coast Rising should check them out. Everyone else should too, at that. Of the artists/writers in Flight, my favorites are probably Matthew Woodson & Catia Chien, though neither have volumes of their own work out (to my knowledge).

Speaking of Becky Cloonan and anthologies, maybe you wanna check out Meathaus www.meathaus.com which has Cloonan stuff in volumes 6, 7 and the upcoming volume 8. There's other fantastic artists involved, most notably Farel Dalrymple (co-founder), Tomer Hanuka (famous illustrator), "Angry" Jim Campbell and upcoming Tokyo Pop OELer Brandon Graham

Meathaus is a very rough-around-the-edges underground-like book; it's not nearly as polished and accessible as Flight is, but it's certainly every bit as worthwhile as comics as the also-wonderful Flight series.

[tomselleck69]

Speaking of Becky Cloonan and anthologies, maybe you wanna check out Meathaus www.meathaus.com which has Cloonan stuff in volumes 6, 7 and the upcoming volume 8. There's other fantastic artists involved, most notably Farel Dalrymple (co-founder), Tomer Hanuka (famous illustrator), "Angry" Jim Campbell and upcoming Tokyo Pop OELer Brandon Graham

Meathaus is a very rough-around-the-edges underground-like book; it's not nearly as polished and accessible as Flight is, but it's certainly every bit as worthwhile as comics as the also-wonderful Flight series.
completely ignoring the fact that it's an inclusive art-collective, one of my goals in life is to be featured in meathaus. or at least to brush elbows with brandon and becky.

i am probably as much of [maybe more of] an american comics fan as i am a manga fan. my interests include:

anything by paul pope, especially his earlier books
anything by sam kieth, especially zero girl
anything by alan moore, esp. watchmen and league of extraordinary gentlemen
bone
frank miller's batman stories
sin city
hellboy
sam & max
black hole
jimmy corrigan
corto maltese
scott pilgrim [kinda counts]
demo
brandon graham's escalator

and uh.. lots more.

[Ayokillyou]

I remember Zero Girl...I must have purged it with many of my other single-issue comics, but I never ended up getting the collected book. Good times. I remember it being a lot better than the Four Women book.

As for Meathaus...I'd just be happy if volume 8 would come out already. It was supposedly released, but I've seen no hard evidence of this and I'm in NYC all the time.



Also, while not "graphic novels," I would urge every serious enthusiest of sequential art to investigate the collections of early Twentieth Century comic strips. I'm currently reading Walt and Skeezix, the first in a series of collections that compile Frank King's strip Gasoline Alley. The book's designed by Chris Ware of ACME Novelty Library, "Building Stories," and basically the best living comic artist...also the designer of Krazy & Ignatz, the collection of George Herriman's Krazy Kat.

Many people groaned and ached with covetessness last year when So Many Splendid Sundays, a collection of Windsor McCay's masterpiece Little Nemo in Slumberland was released...possibly the biggest comic book in the world, the book itself costs like a hundred and fifty dollars.

But the best thing of all to do is locate one of the many copies of the Bill Blackbeard-edited Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics (not to be confused with the also-excellent Smithsonian Collection of Comic Book-Comics) which gives the reader a perfect primer for almost every strip of note that appeared before 1950. The best reason to pick up the book is to see work that is out of print everywhere else like Polly and Her Pals, and Thimble Theatre (aka "Popeye") and Mickey Mouse.



When a comics reader looks into 1950s-and-prior comic strips, it's very easy to see exactly where a lot of alternative comics artists got their entire styles from. The artistic lineage is easy to trace from E.C. Segar (Thimble Theatre) to Robert Crumb, or from Frank King Gasoline Alley to Chris Ware, or from Hank Ketchum Dennis the Menace to Jamie Hernandez. And I know I've mentioned it before but there even appears to be a clear line of artistic heritage between Segar and Osamu Tezuka (or at the least, the cartoons that Segar's strip inspired went on to inspire Tezuka).

[adichappo]

Sandman -- the first one I read is still my favourite (the one with Lucifer and the key to Hell -- Dollhouse?). The switching of styles depending on the story was just brilliant.


You mean the one where Lucifer gives the key to hell to Morphius and all the dead are let loose (making Death's job's all that more interesting)? That's #4 Seasons of Mist. I like that story beacuse it ties in with Jill Thompson's Death: At Death's Door - which deatils her side of the tale.

[Samiko]

The Lonely Ring Finger, which is a spin off from the YAOI - Only The Ring Finger Knows

[mei-chan]

I just read Inverloch, and it was really cute, and fantasylike... you guys should check it out

[LKK6144]

The Lonely Ring Finger, which is a spin off from the YAOI - Only The Ring Finger Knows
I think that's backwards, actually. I believe that the Ring Finger novels came before the manga. The manga was made because the Ring Finger novel series was so popular.

[Rob H]

A few of my favs...

Vertigo's Fables series, Marvel's Daredevil(Bendis\Maleev), Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, Dark Horse's Conan and Image's Walking Dead.

Special mentions;

- The Punisher: Born
- The Punisher MAX series
- Secret Identity by Busiek and Immonen
- The Long Halloweek by Loeb and Sale
- Hellboy(most)
- Sin City(most but I absolutely loved Booze, Broads and Bullets)
- Ex Machina by BKV and Tony Harris

[elisegrey]

Non-manga, the best I've read thus far would have to be a tie between the Sandman spin-off Devil In The Gateway and its sequels and Yukiko's Spinach. Both are just blinding, although quite dissimilar.

Other than that... Asterix all the way! Along with the Beano, they made up my childhood, comic-wise.

[Nekochii]

My favourite is Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi