A friend of mine told me last week, out of the blue, that he wanted to start reading graphic novels. I brought him into the office and showed him the comics bookshelf, not without taking a certain sinister pleasure at the prospect of landing a willing new recruit. Only three more and I can become a clear!
He expressed great interest in Will Eisner's To the Heart of the Storm so I loaned him that and The Spirit Casebook - I didn't have the heart to tell him the master was dead - plus McCloud's Understanding Comics for general reading skills. He seems to be enjoying them. The question is, what should I recommend next?
I know what I'd suggest, but I thought I'd open it up to the world. What graphic novels (he specified the format; I'll take it to mean book-length, self-contained stories in comics form) would you recommend for someone with little to no background in comics? He seemed interested in the historical/autobiographical/journalistic comics so that may be a clue, but I won't limit it to any genres.
Your suggestions?
Persepoleis
Eddie Campbell's Alec books
Posted by: Jake | June 06, 2005 at 02:47 PM
Cerebus man--
the whole crazy thing!!!!!!
Posted by: David Fiore | June 06, 2005 at 03:07 PM
I've recently gotten into Joe Sacco's books. They seem to be right up your friend's journalism/autobio/historical alley. I'd recommend Safe Area: Gorazde and Palestine.
Posted by: jdonelson.nyc | June 06, 2005 at 03:21 PM
Maus--Spiegelman
Persepolis--Marjane Satrapi
Epileptic--David B
It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken--Seth
Ethel and Ernest--Raymond Briggs
Ghost World--Daniel Clowes
Summer Blonde--Adrian Tomine
Posted by: afdumin | June 06, 2005 at 04:00 PM
Just going off the books he grabbed (which isn't very helpful, not knowing what he passed over), and not repeating books others have mentioned:
The Golem's Mighty Swing
King
Mother, Come Home
Mail-Order Bride
Berlin
If he takes a book one of us recommends, do we get a partial credit to our recruiting goals?
Posted by: Dave Intermittent | June 06, 2005 at 05:02 PM
Get your own recruits, Dave - I've got my own thetan energies to think about.
An update: Bob may be most interested in looking at graphic novels for the various and unique storytelling possibilities they present, not for any particular genre. That should open it up a little, although again, I'm interested in recommendations that require absolutely no background in reading comics.
On another topic entirely, I would have posted long ago about how little I liked Mother Come Home but the comic couldn't even inspire enough feeling to trash it. Just to lob that little bomb out there.
Posted by: Marc | June 07, 2005 at 11:36 AM
well, if he's only interested in SERIOUS stuff: Gorazde, Chris Ware, and Palomar. maybe From Hell?
if fun? complete bone, a good kyle baker comedy (why i hate saturn or you are here).
horror? Gyo. action? Akira. for autobio... i like eddie campbell's books. those true science books by jim ottovani will have its fans-- i've always enjoyed those. history/sports? golem's mighty swing...
But I liked Mother Comes Home, so...
Posted by: Abhay | June 07, 2005 at 10:34 PM
The three things I use to hook people when they show the slightest interest are Bone, Usagi Yojimbo, and Zot.
Posted by: Max | June 08, 2005 at 11:21 AM
For storytelling, "I don't get out much anymore", Spiegleman. It's just a page. But it's a good page. And of course, more Eisner, Sims, Clowes,and Krazy Kat.
Posted by: Isaac | June 08, 2005 at 07:01 PM
I'll try to hit some bases that might have been missed by earlier suggestions and your own list, Marc. Although take into account that I too liked Mother, Come Home.
For slice of life/done right: Derek Kirk Kim's Same Difference and Other Stories
A Canadian's Biography: Chester Brown's Louis Riel
The arc of the failed relationship: Jeffrey Brown's Clumsy
Voyeuristic mystery: Jason Little's Shutterbug Follies
Wannabe Hollywood insider tell-all: Brian Bendis's Fortune and Glory
Noir crimefiction: David Lapham's Murder Me Dead
Novel adaptation: Karasik and Mazzucchelli's take on Paul Auster's City of Glass
Oh, and for some superhero cred: Miller and Mazzucchelli's Batman: Year One.
Posted by: Will | June 09, 2005 at 12:28 PM
Peter Kuper - The System
Kyle Baker - Why I Hate Saturn
Jason Lutes - Jar of Fools
Will Eisner - Last Day in Vietnam; Dropsie Avenue
the Lone Wolf & Cub series
Dave McKean - Cages
Andi Watson - Breakfast After Noon
Posted by: Mike Loughlin | June 09, 2005 at 03:43 PM
Bone - Jeff Smith
Box Office Poison - Alex Robinson
Goodbye Chunky Rice or Blankets - Craig Thompson (I like GBCR better, but Blankets is more autobiographical)
American Elf - James Kolchaka (sp) - probably the best autobiography comic out there
Three Fingers - Rich Koslowski (ficitional biography)
Sparks - Lawrence Marvit
Above and Below - James Sturm (based on true events)
Torso - Brian Michael Bendis (based on true events)
Clumsy - Jeff Brown (autobiographical)
Queen and Country trades - Greg Rucka
Fables trades - Bill Willingham
Posted by: Michael Denton | June 09, 2005 at 05:32 PM
Thanks to everybody for the suggestions. I'll collate 'em along with my own and pass them along to Bob.
This doesn't mean you have to stop posting, by the way. A list of accessible graphic novels for first-time comics readers is a handy thing to have.
Posted by: Marc | June 10, 2005 at 02:28 PM
I try to get my wife to read comics (often with little success). Lately she's been reading more. I think I got my foot in the door with some manga. She especially liked Hot Gimmick and Imadoki (she loves soap operas). She also read Blankets and liked it. I recently bought Bryan Lee O'Malley's Lost at Sea (haven't read it yet). She saw it lying around and picked it up and read it, and seemed to like it a lot, so I gave her Scott Pilgrim to read, which she really liked. I'll keep trying and see what else she liked.
The other recruit I got recently is a girl at work. She saw me reading comics on my lunch break and asked to read one. She really seemed to like them, so I brought a bunch in for her to check out. She liked WE3, Y: The Last Man, and Preacher best.
Posted by: Matt Brady | June 10, 2005 at 03:50 PM
Clumsy's terrific. Most of these are but...
Posted by: Abhay | June 11, 2005 at 04:14 PM