I thought Locke and Key by Joe Hill was good. I probably won't re-read it (gets a little dark) but for world building and lore and a satisfying narrative arc it's really unique.
Tank Girl by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett remains my all time favorite, for art, humor, punk attitude, and surreal scifi concepts. Mutant kangaroos and escaping out of mental institutions, what could be better?
I follow this up by Honour Among Punks by Guy Davis and Gary Reed. "Baker Street, the center of England's punk movement in a London few would ever know, a life even less would ever see. Where being different is the rule, ratting the gambling vice of a city's underground, and death is often around the next corner. Here is where mystery, intrigue and suspense are more than a game to the residents of post-Victorian London, it's a way of life. Now the cobblestones run red with blood as a series of murders terrorize the night. But as Sharon Ford may soon find out, sometimes the solution is more costly than any crime."
More recently Black Hole by Charles Burns blew my mind. It's a story set in a grungy pacific northwest that deals with the aftermath of a sexually transmitted infection that causes these freaky mutations in teenagers. It's sort of like an American Graffiti without the cars, but lots of making out and hanging out and people growing tails and things. Fantastic.
I'll read any comic by Ed Brubaker too.
And keeping with my theme any of the Love & Rockets series by Jaimie and Gilbert Hernandez are worth the time to read. I especially like the Locas storyline in that series which follows a bunch of chicano California punks in a fictional version of Oxnard, the Hernandezes' home town. I'm a sucker for romance and Margarita "Maggie" Luisa Chascarrillo and Esperanza "Hopey" Leticia Glass have an on-again, off-again romance that winds through the stories. Not to be missed!
Alison Bechdel's Fun Home is one of my favorite graphic novels. Another is The Silver Glove which is a 300+ page webcomic drawn by my daughter so of course it is a favorite. 😁
Something a little different, but fitting in with heroes with a clear sense of right and wrong: The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix. It’s a middle-grade graphic biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but definitely something worth reading as an adult. Plus the art is incredible.
It finished a few years back. I only read about 2/3 and got sidetracked. I want to read them all again soon. The shorter spinoff graphic novels are really good too. There was also a crossover with the Unwritten.
I'm currently reading Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson. It's branded as a memoir, but it's more of a microhistory of Ginseng farming from origins in Asia to today in Wisconsin. He covers history, politics, economics, war, religion and family relationships. 5 stars
Pretty cool that there aren’t a ton of repeats on this list.
For me:
Calvin and Hobbes: Attack of the Snow Goons is probably my pick.
I’ve got the full C&H collection, and it’s one of those rare, generation-crossing reads. My six-year-old loves it for the imaginative adventures with his best-friend tiger. I love it for the wit—and for how often it slips in something surprisingly deep and wise.
The mark of a true masterpiece: every time I crack it open, I find something new. I don’t know much about the famously reclusive Bill Watterson, but he built something that lasts.
Watchmen is a classic.
I actually read that one a long time ago — probably worth a re-read. Had some memorable scenes but it didn’t stick with me very well for some reason.
Yes - very easy top of the list. Pretty dark stuff
Maus. Does that count or is that not quite in the spirit of the exercise?
Definitely counts!
I thought Locke and Key by Joe Hill was good. I probably won't re-read it (gets a little dark) but for world building and lore and a satisfying narrative arc it's really unique.
Y: the Last Man
High on my list for sure.
Tank Girl by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett remains my all time favorite, for art, humor, punk attitude, and surreal scifi concepts. Mutant kangaroos and escaping out of mental institutions, what could be better?
I follow this up by Honour Among Punks by Guy Davis and Gary Reed. "Baker Street, the center of England's punk movement in a London few would ever know, a life even less would ever see. Where being different is the rule, ratting the gambling vice of a city's underground, and death is often around the next corner. Here is where mystery, intrigue and suspense are more than a game to the residents of post-Victorian London, it's a way of life. Now the cobblestones run red with blood as a series of murders terrorize the night. But as Sharon Ford may soon find out, sometimes the solution is more costly than any crime."
More recently Black Hole by Charles Burns blew my mind. It's a story set in a grungy pacific northwest that deals with the aftermath of a sexually transmitted infection that causes these freaky mutations in teenagers. It's sort of like an American Graffiti without the cars, but lots of making out and hanging out and people growing tails and things. Fantastic.
I'll read any comic by Ed Brubaker too.
And keeping with my theme any of the Love & Rockets series by Jaimie and Gilbert Hernandez are worth the time to read. I especially like the Locas storyline in that series which follows a bunch of chicano California punks in a fictional version of Oxnard, the Hernandezes' home town. I'm a sucker for romance and Margarita "Maggie" Luisa Chascarrillo and Esperanza "Hopey" Leticia Glass have an on-again, off-again romance that winds through the stories. Not to be missed!
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. A marvelous memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, it has many lessons for us today.
Alison Bechdel's Fun Home is one of my favorite graphic novels. Another is The Silver Glove which is a 300+ page webcomic drawn by my daughter so of course it is a favorite. 😁
Something a little different, but fitting in with heroes with a clear sense of right and wrong: The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix. It’s a middle-grade graphic biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but definitely something worth reading as an adult. Plus the art is incredible.
oh that sounds great, thanks!
Fables by Bill Willingham
The Unwritten by Mike Carey
Chew by John Layman & Rob Guillory (dark humor)
Sandman Universe by Neil Gaiman
Hellboy/Baltimore by Mike Mignola
Currently I'm reading everything written/adapted by Junji Ito.
I loved Fables! Fell off a little while back - how did it finish up? Is it still going?
It finished a few years back. I only read about 2/3 and got sidetracked. I want to read them all again soon. The shorter spinoff graphic novels are really good too. There was also a crossover with the Unwritten.
Frank Miller’s Daredevil
The currently ongoing Transformers series from Skybound is really great
Nice, good to know!
Nimona by ND Stevenson. I love it so much!!
I’ll look it up — thanks!
If you want to escape a bit of the super hero subject you should try Daytripper!
I’ll add it to my list!
I'm currently reading Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson. It's branded as a memoir, but it's more of a microhistory of Ginseng farming from origins in Asia to today in Wisconsin. He covers history, politics, economics, war, religion and family relationships. 5 stars
Pretty cool that there aren’t a ton of repeats on this list.
For me:
Calvin and Hobbes: Attack of the Snow Goons is probably my pick.
I’ve got the full C&H collection, and it’s one of those rare, generation-crossing reads. My six-year-old loves it for the imaginative adventures with his best-friend tiger. I love it for the wit—and for how often it slips in something surprisingly deep and wise.
The mark of a true masterpiece: every time I crack it open, I find something new. I don’t know much about the famously reclusive Bill Watterson, but he built something that lasts.
Leonius: Throne of the Stars✨ @Leonis Comics
BOOK 1 - Zyphoria: Risef Galaxius
BOOK 2 - Noctureon: Glow of Darkness
BOOK 3 - Trine: Oceans of Destiney