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Best Ever Graphic Novels
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It would be great if there is a www.graphicnovelsgeek.com, but there isn't. Instead it takes a lot of hard work and contacts to find out what the great graphic novels are. And they aren't cheap. Usually you are going off just one person's recommendation. So I decided to have a go at distilling the accumulated wisdom of the web on graphic novels and totting up the number of times each one was recommended. This list is the result of that. It includes votes from a previous geeklist, "Must Read Comics", though that was written over 2 years ago: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/3377/page/1This list includes any awards lists I could find, 3 different "Top 100"s, any recommendations from comics websites (mostly defunct), but at its core is the combined listings of 50 Amazon "Great Graphic Novels" lists. I gave 1 point for a mention on an Amazon list, and a varied number of points for the other lists, depending on how reliable I estimated they were. Feel free to add any comments, or anything you think is great that I've missed. You can also check out my blog, which has my 1st attempt at this on it, and an updated version: http://bestgraphicnovels.blogspot.com/The first 40 entries are the "semi-official" top 40 that I have constructed. The others after that are ones that people have added. I'll go through these and add a comment with the "semi-official" placing of that work and its points. If you like this blog then there is a poll which post-dates it on the Comics Guild of BGG -> here
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Posted Fri Nov 3, 2006 10:37 am
Edited Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:01 pm
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The Judas Contract (New Teen Titans) by Mary Wolfman, George Perez (Illustrator), Dick Giordano (Illustrator)
18 Points, zero from Amazon lists
"This collected edition is a great read for a number of reasons: the saga of Terra’s betrayal, the origin of Deathstroke, and the coming-of-age of Dick Grayson not being all. It is easy to jump into, even if you’re not familiar with New Teen Titans Pre-Crisis continuity; I’m reasonably sure that this story has indeed been referenced and included almost wholesale into Post-Crisis DC, so pretty much everything that happened here stuck.
It’s a great story at a great price, by one of my favorite authors and my favorite artist. This is nigh as good as a comic can get."
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Planetary by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday
18 Points
"From the twisted and endlessly innovative mind of fan favourite writer Warren Ellis (The Authority, Transmetropolitan) comes an all-new foray into other worlds, altered realities and warped planes of existence, courtesy of Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner and The Drummer: Planetary! Their charter is vague, their existence a secret buried under riddles and conspiracles, their sponsor an utter mystery (even to them), and their mission as diverse, complex and chimerical as the universe itself. Who better then to investigate theoretical snowflakes containing entire realities, lost islands where monsters thrive, ghost police detectives and 100-year old superheroes?"
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28.
Board Game: Crisis
[Average Rating:6.33 Unranked]
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Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman
17 Points
"This is a spectacular and original novel based on the epic comics series that forever changed the universe of Superman and Batman by the man who created the original tale! The original ibooks hardcover edition sold out and went into a second printing. Its cover is designed by popular artists Alex Ross and George Perez. There is still high demand for the novel. Original story has been revisited by DC Comics, and the book is big news in comics. It is intended for fans of the DC Superhero Universe. Trapped in a timeless limbo, Barry Allen, the Flash, can only watch in silent and helpless horror as, one by one, countless universes fade from existence in order to feed the insatiable need for power of the Anti-Monitor, a being from the anti-matter universe of Qward. Under the guidance of the Monitor, his benevolent opposite, the super-heroes and villains of all realities are brought together for a last, desperate stand against the forces that promise the literal end of all existence. "Crisis on Infinite Earths" was a comic book maxi series that set the tone for every superhero crossover storyline that followed it. This is an epic adventure that featured every character ever published by DC Comics, and which reinvigorated the Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman franchises. A story so big that not every angle of it could be covered in a single graphic novel. And now, Marv Wolfman, the creator of that series, has returned to bring an entirely new dimension to it in an original novel that expands upon the acclaimed series. Marve Wolfman has had an award-winning career in comic books that has spanned five decades. He is the creator of some of comics' most memorable characters, including The New Teen Titans (with artist George Perez), Nightwing, Deathstroke the Terminator, and Vigilante for DC Comics, and Blade the Vampire Slayer, Nova, Bullseye, and Black Cat for Marvel Comics. Marv has written virtually every character at DC and Marvel, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four, as well as Howard the Duck newspaper comic strip, numerous live action and animated TV shows (including the recent Teen Titans on Cartoon Network), children's books, novels, and stage shows. Among his many accomplishments was a stint as Marvel's editor-in-chief, a DC Comics senior editor, one of the founding editors of "Disney Adventures Magazine", as well as a 16-year run as the writer of "The New Titans", and an unforgettable 70-issue run on Marvel's "Tomb of Dracula". He was the writer of the classic history-changing mini series "Crisis on Infinite Earths" from which this novel is adapted. "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is Marv's fourth novel."
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Daredevil Visionaries by Frank Miller
Miller again, 17 points
"This is where it all began- not for Daredevil, who was already 157 issues old at the start of this collection, but for Frank Miller. A few years later he would be seen as one of those writers and artists that helped superhero comics grow up by writing and drawing "The Dark Knight Returns", and writing "Batman: Year One".
Before all that, he worked on Daredevil, Marvel's blind superhero. At the start of this volume, Miller was the new penciler on the comic, with Klaus Janson inking. This team is not as much to my taste here as they would be on "The Dark Knight Returns", lacking that distinct Miller style which can be seen in that story as well as in his more recent solo work such as "Sin City" and "300", but you can see hints of what was to come. However, their clear, expressive style is still better than many other artists of that period."
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Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware
17 points
"Chris Ware's graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth should be required reading for all those who persist in thinking that all comics are little more than picture books for kids. Jimmy Corrigan is a lonely man in his mid-30s with an inferiority complex, a debilitating lack of self-confidence and an overbearing mother. The plot--dealing with Jimmy's reunion with his father, who abandoned him as a child--is almost secondary, as Ware tells the tale of previous generations of Corrigan males via flashbacks, demonstrating how their own lives and circumstances culminated in Jimmy's feeling of alienation, abandonment and social awkwardness. However, rather than flinching from the subject matter, or allowing the tale to descend into syrupy sentimentality, Chris Ware isn't afraid to make Jimmy wholly pathetic, at times frustratingly so. The reader is given all the reasons why Jimmy is the way he is, but at no point does Ware attempt to make him likeable (when, for example, he meets his half-sister for the first time). He offers explanations, not excuses.
Jimmy Corrigan is further set apart by Ware's visually stunning, two-dimensional artwork, where simple characters are drawn against painstakingly detailed backdrops, and an overall creative layout that utilises more traditional uniform panels, full-page vistas, draughtsman diagrams and cut-outs, among other things. With the flashbacks and disjointed narrative, Chris Ware shows a remarkable command of the comics medium, elevating Jimmy Corrigan far above its peers. More than just a great graphic novel, this is a classic in any medium and won the Guardian First Book Award 2001."
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Lone Wolf & Cub series by Kazuo Koike
17 points
"What makes this comic heads above others is the mature way in which it is handled. Lone Wolf is basically the classic samurai character; quiet, thoughtful, and extremely skilled, but really he is far more complex. He is not perfect either, sometimes his actions (or inactions even) seem questionable. The genius is that, rather than always trying to explain them, the reader is often left to wonder why he acts in a certain way. Through this, it becomes obvious that there is much we don't know about this character, which really draws you into the story. However, sometimes we do get to hear his thoughts and logic, each time adding a new dimension to a very complex character. Particularly fascinating is the unusual relationship he has with his son, which is developed further in later volumes."
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Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? by Alan Moore
17 points, hardly any on Amazon lists
"This an imaginary story (which may never happen, but then again may) about a perfect man who came from the sky and did only good. It tells of his twilight, when the great battles were over, and the miracles long since performed; of how his enemies conspired against him and how he broke his most sacred oath. This is the big city, where people still sometimes glance up hopefully from the street, glimpsing a distant speck in the sky...but no, it's only a bird, only a plane - Superman is dead. This is Alan Moore (Watchmen), at his most reverential and revisionist best."
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Blankets by Craig Ringwalt Thompson
16 points
"At 592 pages, Blankets may well be the single largest graphic novel ever published without being serialized first. Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter, Blankets explores the sibling rivalry of two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age lovers. A tale of security and discovery, of playfulness and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith. A profound and utterly beautiful work from Craig Thompson. The New Printing corrects 3 small typos, widening the spine graphics, but otherwise is identical to the first printing."
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Hellblazer series by Garth Ennis (amongst others)
16 Points
"Recently the hero of his own live action movie (starring Keanu Reeves) comes a classic comics character: John Constantine, the enigmatic and dangerous, chain-smoking mystical Hellblazer! John Constantine has been a smoker since his teens, and he's about to pay the price - he's just been diagnosed with lung cancer. With the First of the Fallen waiting in the wings for his death, Constantine is going to need to find a way out...or he'll be paying the Devil his due for eternity! By acclaimed creator Garth Ennis (Preacher), with art by Will Simpson (Hellblazer: Son of Man) and others, this story is the basis for Constantine! Warning: Adults Only!"
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Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud
16 Points
"As all good card-carrying comic-book fans know, their sheer passion will never overcome narrow-minded critics and their baying cries of derision. There is far more to this perpetually underrated medium than a mix of art and prose. With this indispensable, spellbinding tome, writer/artist Scott McCloud rises to the challenge of dissecting what remains the most enigmatic of art forms. After all, says McCloud, "No other art form gives so much to its audience while asking so much from them as well". Over the course of 215 impeccably formed pages, McCloud joyously exposes and deconstructs a hidden world of icons in a most literate and valid manner. His charming guidance finds a place where Time and Space is effortlessly malleable and the reader is both a willing accomplice and necessary vessel for comics' singular magic. Cunningly presented in comic form, McCloud (or his comic equivalent) conducts a journey that spans thousands of years, taking in art from Prehistoric Man to the Egyptians to Van Gogh to Jack Kirby. Never has psychological and cultural analysis been so understandably clear, beautifully aided by clever visuals and his truly infectious love for the medium. By the end of this funny, charming, rare and exciting book, you'll not doubt the notion that a comic book "...is a vacuum into which our identity and awareness are pulled ... an empty shell that we inhabit which enables us to travel to another realm". A fine exchange for a little faith and a world of imagination."
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36.
Board Game: Manimals
[Average Rating:6.68 Unranked]
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Animal Man by Grant Morrison
15 Points
"Grant Morrison's first American work is represented here in this graphic novel. While ostensibly a superhero, Buddy Baker, and, latterly, Doom Patrol, along with Neil Gaiman's Sandman, were the impetus for DC to create their 'mature' Vertigo line. This is now packaged as a Vertigo item - a fact rather at odds with its' contents.
To begin with we have a four-part, animal rights-leaning, superhero story, with all the requisite fights, Superman appearance, etc. It's very well done, nice dialogue, interesting basic concept, and so on... then we get 'The Coyote Gospel', which is nothing short of an apotheosis for both Morrison, and, causally, comicbooks. A metatextual critique of Warner Bros. cartoons, among other things - what more can any discerning reader want? This one story raises the bar, for Animal Man and for the form, and is followed through on by the quite wonderful, Crowley-fronticed 'Birds of Prey', and a couple of interesting, fun sidelines into the life of a family man turned superhero, dealing with failed old supervillains, and property security.
Some recurrent themes of Morrison's become apparent in this work: fractal geometries, planes of existence, etc., but the work is performed with a fantastic lightness of touch. And! Scottish readers, features a Glaswegian bad guy, using phrases which I must imagine sound like nonsense to the American ear. Great."
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Daredevil: Guardian Devil by Kevin Smith
15 Points
"This graphic novel is an essential read for fans of Daredevil and fans of Kevin (Clerks, Dogma) Smith. I just love everything about this book, the script, the artwork, the style, it's all faultless. The story is an ingenious tale which involves many twists and turns, there's a healthy about of action yet it also has a very mature and dark feel to it (proof that not all superhero comics are for kids). Kevin brings a lot of his common themes to this book, such as religion and the breakdown of relationships (as seen in many moving scenes in the early pages of the book) but he remains loyal to the marvel universe and makes many references to it. If you need any proof that Kevin Smith is a massive comic book fan then you have to read this just to see how he relishes the part of writing a super hero story and how he treats the character with the respect that a life long fan would have."
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38.
Board Game: 100 Plus
[Average Rating:5.33 Unranked]
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100 Bullets series by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso
14 points
"An All-New Series In The Bloodsoaked Tradition Of Preacher! It's happened to all of us at one time or another. Somebody, somewhere, did something so bad, so wrong, you wanted to kill them...even if it were only for a split second. So here's the question: what would you do if you were given the opportunity and means to get away with it, scot-free? 100 Bullets follows what happens when people from all walks of life meet Agent Graves, a mysterious figure who offers his 'clients' the opportunity of a lifetime: an attache case containing the proof, the gun and the carte blanche immunity to exact revenge on the person who's done them irrevocable wrong. So, would you pull the trigger?"
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Miracleman by Alan Moore
Moore again. 14 Points
"This story started within the pages of Warrior, a professional fanzine, basically. Moore started his finest work within those pages, revitilising a British born superhero stolen from Superman. Marvelman as it was originally known had to change it's name to Miracleman after the Johnny-come-lately US comic publisher Marvel comics objected. As one who has never liked or really bothered with superheroes, I was astonished when I first read this. The grim reworking of this 1950's boys comic is powerful, dramatic and unique. There have been plenty of copies of Moore's style (i.e. Zenith in 2000AD) but no-one will ever recapture the first moment when the box was opened and we encountered the unthinkable. The art is exceptional, far better than when it was bought by American firm Eclipse with the resulting downturn in quality. Whilst not as good as Watchmen (what is?) this remains one of those unique stories that should never be made into a film."
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Starman: Sins of the Father by James Robinson
14 Points
"The first volume of writer James Robinson's award-winning take on the classic superhero Starman is, as is so often the case with comics, an origin tale. What sets Sins of the Father apart from the vast majority of its contemporaries is its unique balance between respectful homage and all-out reinvention. Guided by a love of the source material from the classic heyday of comic book superheroes (Robinson is, after all, the man who wrote the excellent post-WWII superhero series The Golden Age), Starman: Sins of the Father exhibits a warm nostalgia that never alienates newcomers to the character. That's because Jack Knight--the son of the original Starman and reluctant heir to his father's legacy--is about as normal as a comic book superhero can be.
A collectables dealer in the fictional Opal City, Jack Knight is young, hip and sensible, motivated at first only by a sense of obligation to his father, Ted. When one of his father's old enemies, the Mist, returns to Opal City with his son and daughter, Jack is forced to take up his father's signature cosmic rod (a device that is powered by the stars and which grants its bearer superhuman abilities), yet he stops short of wearing his father's costume, opting instead for practical street clothes. As the story unfolds, Robinson seamlessly weaves in a host of interesting supporting characters, from the ambiguously moral immortal aesthete the Shade, to the O'Dares--a family of cops whose father assisted the original Starman. The art team of Tony Harris (pencils), Wade Von Grawbadger (inks) and Gregory Wright (colours) remain consistent with Robinson's vision, providing lurid yet tidy artwork that suggests the comic books that flowered in the 1950s and 60s. They add a distinctly "retro" feel to this entertaining story of a relatively normal guy forced into a capes-and-tights double life. As an example of how modern superhero comics can be approached, Starman is stellar--it respects its source material while never allowing itself to get overwhelmed by it."
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One of my favourite novels of all time is Wolf in Shadow by David Gemmell. I was so gutted when I heard he'd died a couple of months ago. The book was turned into a rather funky graphic novel illustrated by a chap called Fangorn. You can find a picture of it here: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/2070/Wolf2.html
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42.
Board Game: Zomax
[Average Rating:5.38 Unranked]
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Smax, by Alan Moore and Gene Ha is an offshoot from Top Ten and is hilarious; in fact I think I like it better than Top Ten itself.
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43.
Board Game: Nausicaa
[Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
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The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collections by Eastman and Laird. These weren't for little kids. They didn't eat pizza. They all wore red headbands. They were funny, different, extremely bloody, and a lot of fun to read.
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Judge Dredd the Complete Apocalypse War by Various.
This was one of the most epic Judge Dredd stories of its time. The Game image suits it correctly as Block Mania was the catalyst. City Block fighting was quite common, but soon the conflict spread citywide.
The cause was a water contaminant which infected the city causing irrational rage. Orlock, a Sov-Block Judge was the cause so that Mega City One's defences would be paralysed.
This was the precursor to a Sov-Block first nuclear strike.
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46.
Board Game: Spirit
[Average Rating:4.85 Unranked]
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A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories, by Will Eisner.
A series of stories that ultimately ended up making a one volume work. Pretty good stuff from the man behind The Spirit.
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COSMIC ODYSSEY by Mike Mignola, Jim Starlin and Carlos Garzon
DC universe superheroes join Darkseid and the New Gods to, of course, save the Universe. The best part is probably seeing how each of the teams gets along (some of them not so well!)
And the art is superb!
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Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron
by DAN CLOWES
I describe this as the "the graphic novel version of the film David Lynch has been trying and failing to make his entire career."
Just mind-blowingly weird, it defies description and keeps you turning its pages to find out what the hell's going on.
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Posted Thu Nov 2, 2006 2:01 pm
I wish I knew about the Usagi action figure when it was available! 
Still not sure how I feel about the cartoon.