Recommended Graphic Novels

[Seymour_Glass]

My favorite Bendis is Daredevil, but maybe that's because Alex maleev has spoiled most artists for me.

[The Cosmic Geek]

Ever read Frank Miller's Born Again or Kevin Smith's Guardian Devil?

Both are excellent Dardevil stories.

[Seymour_Glass]

Yeah, they're both really good. In fact, I'd say that Born Again might be Frank Miller's best work. But I still prefer the Bendis run, if only for the awesome art by Alex Maleev.

[The Cosmic Geek]

I would choose Miller's Born Again over his Batman Dark Knight. I did like his Year One though, that was cool.

My favorite Batman stories would be A Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Hush by Jeph Loeb.

[Sam]

Miller's Year One was MUCH better than his Dark Knight story. I thought the DK tale was a little bloated, by maybe one issue. He could have cut one issues worth of storyline and it would have been tighter and flowed better rather than being full of action, then slowing down the explain some shit no one cared about for later. BUT, it was still good. Also, I really enjoyed his Strikes Back tale. It was a tighter, if still convoluted tale.

[The Cosmic Geek]

I only read one issue of the DK Strikes Back, same with his Sin City stuff.

Anyone ever read Sam Noir Samurai Detective? It's basically a samurai story but set with noirish tones. I read the first story line and it was actually really good.

[fernandito]

I have the first volume of Sam Noir, Cosmic, apparently that's the only collection there is.

Do you know if they're going to continue his story?

[The Cosmic Geek]

I have the first volume of Sam Noir, Cosmic, apparently that's the only collection there is.

Do you know if they're going to continue his story?

I'm not really sure. I know there were two story lines, the first one which was the revenge one, and the second Ronin Holiday, where he goes on vacation, I believe meets a pirate, and gets caught up in some kind of trouble.

The graphic novel I have has both stories in it.

It was a fun book, I'd like to see more of Sam in the future.

[fernandito]

Yeah, that's the first, and only, volume.

Ditto on the wanting to see Sam stories in the near future.

[Arthur Heath]

I would choose Miller's Born Again over his Batman Dark Knight. I did like his Year One though, that was cool.

My favorite Batman stories would be A Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Hush by Jeph Loeb.

I'd second Hush.

Whose Supes vs. Batman did you find better? Millers or Loebs?

[Seymour_Glass]

Miller's, I'd say. i'm finding the only Jeph Loeb I really like are his sublime stories with Tim Sale.

[The Cosmic Geek]

I would choose Miller's Born Again over his Batman Dark Knight. I did like his Year One though, that was cool.

My favorite Batman stories would be A Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Hush by Jeph Loeb.

I'd second Hush.

Whose Supes vs. Batman did you find better? Millers or Loebs?

Loebs. I really love the stories Loeb tells with the DC characters.

I also really love his work with Tim Sale. His Batman books with him are wonderful, but so too was his Superman book he did, great stuff there as well.

[fernandito]

Miller's, by a mile.

[Seymour_Glass]

Miller's, because Hush sucked ass.

Also, I didn't realize I had already posted on this exact subject.

[turtlex]

Okay, so I got the "new" V for Vendetta TPB.

This is the description : This new trade paperback edition of the classic series from writer Alan Moore (WATCHMEN, LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN) and artist David Lloyd (HELLBLAZER) collects the epic miniseries and features the improved production values and coloring from the 2005 hardcover.

I love this story, it's one of my favorite graphic novels... however, I didn't notice a difference at all with any "production values" or "coloring". Kinda disappointing.

ETA : Wow, and now I see something called "ABSOLUTE V FOR VENDETTA" - a hardcover to be released August 11, 2009. This is an oversized SLIPCASED edition. Here is a link to a discussion thread : http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?t=7164

[turtlex]

Coming August 11th, 2009 - A new edition of V for Vendetta will be published.

This is called Absolute V for Vendetta and is a hardcover, slipcased edition.

I also saw it at a couple of comic sites being called The Absolute Edition of V for Vendetta.

Amazon has it as Absolute V for Vendetta. It's available for pre-order there for about $63.00.

According to one site - additional material included will be cover sketches and a special sketch section.

The basic description : Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s powerful epic about loss of freedom and individuality gets the Absolute treatment for the first time in this new, oversized slipcase edition! This new edition features the improved production values and coloring from the 2005 hardcover in larger format for optimum enjoyment of the stunning art and story that the Portland Mercury called, 'Perhaps Moore’s most powerful work.'

[Wuducynn]

I'm a huge V for Vendetta fan (both of the graphic novel and the movie) and I would love this. But I'll probably be waiting for awhile for the price to come down.

[jayson]

Cool. Perhaps by my birthday it will be more reasonably priced.

[turtlex]

I love both as well ( movie and graphic novel ).

Actually, I've been searching around for prices, and about $60 (then add shipping) is the lowest I've found. It's got a retail of $99 according to Amazon.

I pre-ordered one at Amazon.

If I can get it cheaper from my online comic guy - then I will but I highly doubt it now.

[Brainslinger]

I haven't seen this edition, but I agree it's a brilliant GN. In fact I think it's one of my favourites (possibly the favourite) of Alan Moore. I don't own it though, I read it from the library.

I didn't mind From Hell, although the scene in the middle where two characters tour around the middle of London bored me silly. And I thought the detailed description of the dismemberment of the prostitutes went rather too far. It was interesting stuff though.

I read Watchmen a while ago. I wasn't all that fussed at the time to tell the truth, but I'd like to give it another chance. I'm very much looking forward to the film.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I liked the first one. Second wasn't too bad, but I wasn't keen on how the story continued. I like dark, but again there are limits. One scene horrified me and made me laugh at the same time. I wonder if you can guess which one. I've yet to read the Black book or book 3.

Another good GN from Alan Moore you might not have heard of, The Balad of Halo Jones.

That started off as a series in 2000 AD. I wasn't reading the comic when it came out. Someone on the site recommended it to me and I took a chance. I'm glad I did.

[turtlex]

Brainslinger - Unless your existing softcover copy is worn out and unreadable, I would not suggest getting this "new" edition. Save up and get the Slipcased one that out later this year.

I will keep a look out for Halo Jones, thankee! I'd not heard of it.

[Brainslinger]

You're welcome. I think he wrote it fairly early on in his career. It's a good thought provoking story though.

[wolverine0712]

I may cave and finally buy and read this. I liked the movie and something like this is always better in the original format.

[turtlex]

Wolverine - It's an outstanding, truly outstanding, graphic novel. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Be warned, it's different from the film ( which I loved, by the way ).

[Brainslinger]

I never watched the V for Vendetta film.

How was Natalie portman as Evey? She doesn't look right to me. I wish they'd brought in an up and coming English actress to play the role. Partly cos I like the idea of newcomers getting a chance, but also cos the accent is less likely to be dodgy. (Americans speaking cockney sometimes end up sounding Australian. Or just extremely stereotypical.)

That's nothing against Natalie Portman though. I thought she was great in Leon (and I usually dislike child actors) and she wasn't the worst thing in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She was in some awful scenes and had some terrible dialogue though:

Anakin (referring to the Sand people he just massacred): I KILLED THEM ALL. AND NOT JUST THE MEN! THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN TOO! I HATE THEM!

Padme: There there. To anger is to be human.

..That's was mainly a script though. (Actually the acting all round was a bit dodgy, but that was likely because Lucas wanted them to act in a style for which they were unfamiliar. 1920s or 30s I think it was. When actors who are good elsewhere are bad, something else is likely to blame.)

[flaggwalkstheline]

V for vendetta the film was good but it was rather toned down from the book, parliament is the first thing he blows up in the book, plus the movie doesnt have the vicious caberet song (I was just listening to it on youtube) the new edition should come with a cd of the bauhaus version of it

[turtlex]

Off topic a bit but.... Natalie Portman did an outstanding job in V for Vendetta. Considering she had to act the entire film opposite a guy in a mask, it was a brava performance, IMHO. I know we all talked about the VfV film elsewhere here. I'll see if I can find the link.

ETA : Here you go, friends : http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?t=5699

Beware of spoilers though - because there are photos from the movie in the thread. Enjoy!

[EdwardDean1999]

I love this story, it's one of my favorite graphic novels... however, I didn't notice a difference at all with any "production values" or "coloring". Kinda disappointing.



Maybe Lloyd stayed inside the lines this time? :orely: j/k! I love my copy (TPB 2005). My only complaint about it as far as art is concerned is that everything looks "splotchy" in the inks department. Like it's been xeroxed 3 or 4 times over. Does the new one look like that?

[EdwardDean1999]

Evey was blonde in the book as I recall. That's the only difference. Also Portman doesn't look young enough. I thought she was like 15 or something in the book.

[turtlex]

Just got a notice from Amazon that this will be released on August 25th, rather than the 11th.

[Sam]

These volumes are truly beautiful, but WAY overpriced. Not to mention that I have never entertained buying V for Vendetta due to the artwork. I find it too distracting for me to enjoy the story. Perhaps this version will clean it up some.

[turtlex]

Pricey, for sure, Sam. I didn't realize how many different "Absolute" editions are out there for different comics.

I'm in though, I pre-ordered. So... we shall see.
I think the final cost at Amazon was $65.00 or so. Something around there.

[flaggwalkstheline]

here is what I think would make a perfect edition of V for vendetta: the book comes with a code to download the Bauhaus/ Allen Moore performance of the song Vicious Caberet
that would make it "absolute"

[turtlex]

I'm pretty sure that's not part of the package !
:D

[turtlex]

Since we're prepping for the Best Graphic Novel of All Time polls and discussions, I thought I'd post this...

My girl found this great April 2009 article at GQ titled, The 20 Graphic Novels you Should Read ( After 'Watchmen').

It's a pretty good article. Here's the list of GN's they recommend :

1. Madman, Volume 1 by Michael Allred
2. The Invisibles: Say You Want A Revolution Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Steve Yeowell et al.
3. All-Star Superman, Volume 1 Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Frank Quitely
4. The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman
5. Alias, Volume 1 Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Michael Gaydos
6. Black Hole by Charles Burns
7. The Girl From H.O.P.P.E.R.S.:A Love And Rockets Books by Jaime Hernandez
8. Summer Blonde by Adrian Tomine
9. Y: The Last Man Written by Brian K Vaughan, Art by Pia Guerra
10. Concrete by Paul Chadwick
11. Criminal: Bad Night Written by Ed Brubaker, Art by Sean Phillips
12. Pyongyang by Guy Delisle
13. Heavy Liquid by Paul Pope
14. La Perdida by Jessica Abel
15. Safe Area Gorazde by Joe Sacco
16. Fell, Volume 1: Feral City Written by Warren Ellis, Art by Ben Templesmith
17. It’s A Good Life, If You Don’t Weaken by Seth
18. Super Spy by Matt Kindt
19. Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw
20. Tekkonkinkreet: Black & White by Taiyo Matsumoto

I don't get the impression from the article that this is to be considered the be-all / end-all list of best graphic novels. It's just a list of GN's they recommend now that Watchmen has been made into a movie.

If you'd like a copy of the entire article, just PM me your address and I'll get one out to you.

[fernandito]

The Invisibles is....wow...everytime I read one of the volumes, I feel like my brain is going to cave in :lol:

[turtlex]

:lol: Too funny, feev.

Honestly, of all these, the only one I really have any affinity for is Y: The Last Man which is very cool. I do know that Sam has recommended Alias to me, though... and anything Love and Rockets is awesome.

[fernandito]

Dude, check out The Invisibles! I'd love to know what you think. :)

[turtlex]

I will add it to my list ! :thumbsup:

[Aaron]

I just special ordered the first volume of The Invisibles a couple of weeks ago; need to go check this week, actually, to see if it came in. I'll let you know what I think, Feev.

[Brainslinger]

I wasn't keen on the Invisibles when I first read it, but it one of the latter issues. (I read a lot of the series out of order.) I picked up some of the earlier collections from the library and enjoyed it a lot more.

Weird confusing stuff, but I like it, whilst feeling a bit uneasy too. (I've heard that The hand of Glory for example is a real spell that has been used. Black magic stuff.)

[flaggwalkstheline]

They are missing any of the volumes of ultimate spiderman, greatest of all comicbooks:arg:

[turtlex]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure this isn't a comprehensive list of Best GNs... just their list after seeing Watchmen.

I mean, Maus is missing, Dark Phoenix Saga, Sandman, etc - all considered some of the best ever.

Again, if anyone wants a copy of the article - PM me your addy!

[Sam]

Not only that, but they have several on the list that I've never heard of. That doesn't mean they aren't good stuff, but I'd be willing to bet one or two of those titles can't be found in a comic book store.

[Seymour_Glass]

I love that Ther Invisibles is No. 2 on this list, yet when I walk into a comic store and ask about it, nobody knows what I'm talking about.

Also, all should read it. Gentleman's Quarterly got that right.

[turtlex]

Wizard Magazine 211 ( platinum edition ) has a list of recommended independent graphic novels.

Since we have a current NOMINATION process open for Best Graphic Novel of All Time, I thought I'd list these out.

The 25 Indie Gems Even The Most Ghoulish Marvel Zombie or Dedicated DC Devotee Must Read Before They Die : Per Wizard Magazine

1. Acme Novelty Library
2. American Splendor
3. Black Hole
4. Blankets
5. The Blot
6. Bone
7. Bottomless Belly Button
8. Box Office Poison
9. Curses
10. Eightball
11. Epileptic
12. The Essex County Trilogy
13. Frank
14. Fun Home
15. Grickle
16. It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken
17. Johnny The Homicidal Maniac
18. Love & Rockets
19. Maus
20. Optic Nerve
21. Palestine
22. Persepolis
23. Pop Gun War
24. Pistolwhip
25. The Sketchbook Diaries

A few of the above have already been nominated for Best Graphic Novel. Check out this list and make your nominations.

Personally, I love that both Maus and Love & Rockets are on the list above. They're two of my all time favorites.

Nominate Your Favorite Graphic Novel - Click Here! (http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?t=7714)

[Seymour_Glass]

I've read a couple of those. Good stuff.

[sarajean]

ooooooooooh, has love and rockets already been nominated?

runs to see...

[turtlex]

You got L&R, sarajean. That's a classic. I love those books!

I've read a bunch of those listed above: Bone is excellent, and Maus is one of my all time favorites.

[Sam]

I've heard good things about Persepolis but haven't read it.

If you haven't heard of Age of Bronze, you should check that out too. It's a retelling of the Trojan War via the comic medium.

[Seymour_Glass]

Ummm...
This seems awkward, how this thread fell to the wayside, but read Scalped.

That is all.

[Sam]

And I'm gonna recommend Marvel's Alias written by Brian Michael Bendis. It was the book that started their MAX line. It coupled great storytelling with intriguing characters. It created a "real" character with real flaws and uninhibited writing. The artwork takes some getting used to, but it works for the grittyness of the title.

Check it out.

[pathoftheturtle]

Holy crap! Eleven pages of this, and no mention of Will Eisner, the inventor of the graphic novel concept? :doh:

I'm enough of an old-timer that I use the term "Trade Paperback" for a collection format of books originally published in series. Basically the same thing, though, and with the way the industry works nowadays, there's no point in splitting hairs.

One more superhero T.P. not yet listed here that's pretty classic: Marvel's Secret Wars.

And a book that I read recently & dug very much; Baranko's The Horde. I'd recommend it for those into comparative religion and social analysis. http://www.humanoids-publishing.com//products/prod.php?id=132

[turtlex]

Hey Friends - We'll be putting up the Best Graphic Novel of All Time polls later tonight or early tomorrow.

A lot of the GN's mentioned here are in the polls.

When you see them, please stop by, vote and share your opinions!

[fernandito]

I almost had a heart attack yesterday when my brother, MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD, told me that he hadn't read The Dark Knight Returns yet.

I locked him in a room with nothing but a bucket and the GC, and didn't let him out until he finished.

[turtlex]

:lol:

Now that is brotherly love !

[Sam]

I did note that he gave his dear brother NO PAPER. Careful, he may use the pages.:panic::P

[turtlex]

Just finished The Complete Strangers In Paradise: Volume One by Terry Moore.

Excellent.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41fjIMGyLxL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

[Sam]

I've heard good things about it but have yet to read it. I really want to read Y: The Last Man. It sounds like an interesing concept.

[turtlex]

Y is a great story.
You should pick it up, Sam.
It's a good read.
The second one is about to be published.

[Sam]

Second one? Are they doing another Y series?

[turtlex]

Already published : Book One
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Z1f9BYdSL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

Out on May 12th : Book Two
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518ryViBBeL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

[Sam]

Ah. I gotcha.

[Seymour_Glass]

I hate how I get a little over halfway through a great series (Y), and then they publish freaking hardcovers.

[turtlex]

SG - I feel your pain ( and have pre-ordered ).

[fernandito]

*Adds to the Y lurve.

[Seymour_Glass]

Just checking in to remind you guys that Scalped kicks major ass. Read it.

[turtlex]

SG - Can you give us a little more info... Storyline, etc?

[Seymour_Glass]

So this guy, Dashiell Bad Horse, is an FBI agent sent back to the Indian reservation where he was raised to take down Chief Red Crow, who's opening a casino to try to bring koney to the rez and improve life for his people. Unfortunately, he did it by murder and extortion. So Bad Horse goes undercover and becomes a rez cop who gains Red Crow's trust, kinda. Then there's Catcher, the old alcoholic mystic who knows a lot of stuff that he shouldn't and couldn't know, Gina Bad Horse, Dash's mom, who used to be a part of an uprising 20+ years earlier. And a lot more. I don't want to give too much away. Social commentary, black humor, great characters, suspense, dry-as-bones art and spot-on dialogue.

Read it. please. I really don't want it to get cancelled.

[turtlex]

Coming August 11th, 2009 - A new edition of V for Vendetta will be published.

This is called Absolute V for Vendetta and is a hardcover, slipcased edition.

I also saw it at a couple of comic sites being called The Absolute Edition of V for Vendetta.

Amazon has it as Absolute V for Vendetta. It's available for pre-order there for about $63.00.

According to one site - additional material included will be cover sketches and a special sketch section.

The basic description : Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s powerful epic about loss of freedom and individuality gets the Absolute treatment for the first time in this new, oversized slipcase edition! This new edition features the improved production values and coloring from the 2005 hardcover in larger format for optimum enjoyment of the stunning art and story that the Portland Mercury called, 'Perhaps Moore’s most powerful work.'

:rock: I just got notice from Amazon that Absolute V for Vendetta is shipping!!! :rock:

[Sam]

YAY FOR PAM!!!!

[Seymour_Glass]

KICK ASS!

[turtlex]

And... Neil Gaiman's Absolute Death is out on October 20th!

Absolute Death


These different "absolute" versions are expensive, but really cool.

[Brainslinger]

I really like the Death character. At $64 it's way out of my price range though. ;)

[turtlex]

I really like the Death character. At $64 it's way out of my price range though. ;)

Me, too... however, I do have it in my cart... just incase!

[darkwolf]

Sandman is what got me into the graphic novels, and what made me fall in love with the Vertigo imprint. So I'm probably going to be the millionth person to recommend Sandman, Y: The Last Man, Preacher, 100 Bullets, Pride of Baghdad, etc etc etc.

DC wise, I'll probably catch some heat for this, but I HATE superman, even though I'm quite familiar with his story, supporting characters, etc. There was one graphic novel that stood out though: Red Son. The deluxe edition is coming out November 17th, well worth your $17. Its about Superman landing in communist Russia instead of Smallville, and that's all I'll say about it. Phenomenal story-telling, and great art! Also another one that's been recommended a trillion times probably, The Dark Knight Returns. On top of that, Batman: Year One, Batman: Knightfall series, The Killing Joke, Watchmen (this one changed MY LIFE!).

From Image comics, I recommend Spawn, although I haven't read anything in ages, I started that series when it first came out. Awesome art, great dark stories and characters. Also, probably for the millionth time, The Walking Dead. I was recommended this and finally years later I finally started reading the collected TPB's. Great story, and apparently its going to be made into a TV show on AMC! Also, I saw that The Darkness was recommended, and I second, or third, or whatever that recommendation! Very dark, humorous, great art. Also look into Witchblade, for they tie in sometimes.

Marvel... Ah, Marvel... What got me into comics, and reading in general. I remember being a horrible reader in 1st-3rd grade, until my mom bought me a stack of comic books from a garage sale, all classic 80s Marvel titles. I instantly fell in love and improved in reading, and the teachers seemed to notice. By 5th grade, I had a high school reading level. Because of comics. But I digress. X-Men: Age of Apocalypse is awesome. So is the Dark Phoenix saga! The House of M series blew my mind, LOVED that!

[Sam]

I know I've said it before, but I can't find it so here it is again.

Astro City. Check it out if you haven't. I'm rediscovering it myself and the stories are STILL great. It's a great read with compelling characters, interesting heroes, and a very unique twist to the superhero story. One of the best titles to have ever been printed.

[darkwolf]

I've just remembered Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughan. Only read the first volume, but it was pretty damn good!

[turtlex]

darkwolf - You've named some of my all time favorite GNs. There are a lot of Neil Gaiman fans here, and Sandman ( and Death ) are wonderful titles. Without a doubt.

Dark Phoenix is right at the top of my all time favorites list... right there with V for Vendetta.

I wish you'd been around when we did our Best Graphic Novel of All Time polls. We had a lot of fun with that ( pssst... Watchmen won ).

I've never been much of a Spawn fan, however. :shrugs:

I don't mind Superman.. but if I had to go for the true-red-white-and-blue... I'd go with Captain America. I love Cap.

Sam!! Where have you been, my partner in crime !!

[Sam]

You keeping up with the Dark Age story Pam? It's not Busiek's best, but it's still pretty good.

[fernandito]

Does anyone else here read The Invisibles?

[darkwolf]

darkwolf - You've named some of my all time favorite GNs. There are a lot of Neil Gaiman fans here, and Sandman ( and Death ) are wonderful titles. Without a doubt.


That's great to know! I met Neil Gaiman a few years back at Temple University. He was doing a reading there. Awesome dude, very humble, gracious, and one of the nicest people you'd ever meet! I got him to sign my first volume of Sandman too!

[Brainslinger]

Does anyone else here read The Invisibles?

I have read some of those GNs. A bit of a mixed bag for me. Some of it seemed way pretentious but other times very interesting and fascinating.I haven't caught the last book yet.

[Sol Invictus]

Top Three Series

"The Walking Dead" will blow your mind. Post-apocalyptic zombieland with very strong socio-cultural undertones and dialectic.

"The Sandman Series" is just beautiful. Can't be described any other way. A serious work of literary art!

"The Dark Tower Series" is very well done. Compliments to Robin Furth and Jae Lee! Kinda wish Lee stayed on through Fall of Gilead as lead artist though.


Top Three Non-Fiction

"The People's History of the American Empire" is standard. An abridged graphic version of his alternative epic, very well done.

"Palestine" is raw and emotional but as critical as an Op. Ed. Really makes you reconsider the Middle East conflict.

"Persepolis" should be read in High Schools. Mainly same comments above.


Top Three Graphic Novels

"Watchmen". There's enough comments on the web for this. Wonderful piece of moral relativist lit.

"Black Hole" is beautiful. Feels like Alice in Wonderland for our century.

"The Cat with the Really Big Head"...fucking priceless!

[Seymour_Glass]

Does anyone else here read The Invisibles?

You migt have known about my love for this series before. Also, there's a book about it coming out called "Our Sentence Is UP". it's kinda like Grant Morrison: The Early Years, except focusing in the Invisibles. And, there's a Grant Morrison doc in th:onfire::onfire::onfire:

[darkwolf]

Top Three Series
"Black Hole" is beautiful. Feels like Alice in Wonderland for our century.


Read this last week, loved it. How does it feel like Alice in Wonderland?

[MasterRanger]

Has anyone seen this? http://www.radicalcomics.com/titles/books/caliber-vol-1

Seems strangely familiar. Is this associated with the DT stories? Seems not to be. If not, it looks obviously inspired by it IMO.

[fernandito]

Whoa whoa whoa, WHAAAAT?

Can anyone say RIP OFF ?!?!?!


------

Synopsis

From visionary writer Sam Sarkar comes a stunning reinvention of the Arthurian legend where the might of the Round Table rides the Old West with guns blazing.

In the far reaches of the Old Pacific Northwest lies a world where lawlessness runs rampant and only a mystical six-shooter forged from the metal of the legendary Excalibur can balance the scales.

With Caliber in hand and posse at his side, Arthur must fulfill his destiny as the Lawbringer to defeat evil and restore order to his home.

Soon to be a major motion picture to be produced by Johnny Depp's production company Infinitum Nihil and Radical Pictures.


"With a great story and great art, Caliber is one of the best books i've read in a while."- Express Times

[MasterRanger]

I went to put this on the social news site Digg.com and someone beat me to it:

http://digg.com/arts_culture/Caliber_First_Canon_of_Justice_Vol_1

[Brainslinger]

To be fair it seems just a retelling of the Arthurian legend except in Western form. The Dark Tower was certainly not that, although it had stuff in common, like the quest etc. Arthur to Roland was an ancestor, i.e history.

The only similarity I can see so far (apart from the Western genre) is the idea of the revolvers forged from Excalibur. And that was something introduced late in the Dark Tower series. It wasn't really intrinsic to the story at all.

Novels spoilers:
They provided a key to the Tower at the end, just as the sword in the stone (in some versions of the legend) was the key to Arthurs kingship,) but through much of the story we just knew they were special as heirlooms but they didn't seem to be anything other than guns. And apart from the special properties mentioned, that's pretty much all they were. Even Walter was able to use his magic to evade them.

If they're just translating the Arthurian legends to western, it's quite possible they came to the idea of sword to gun independently. Of course, you'd think that with a basic retelling the Excalibur guns would have been created that way from the start rather from a melted down sword (after all if this character is Arthur, who had the original sword in that world?) so that idea itself is a little suspect but not really proof of a rip off.

[herbertwest]

To me, the banner on the website definitely reminds me DT.
Doesnt the woman seem to be sitting?

[Hannah]

Seems a little too similar to me. Suspiciously so. But, meh. Who cares? If it's good, it's good. It still can't be better than the DT.

[WeDealInLead]

I've read this and it honestly didn't seem anything like TDT at all. I bought it on a whim and ended up trading it in because art seemed too digital

[TheCrisisKing]

If you guys want a cool look at a superhero, checkout Old Man Logan by Mark Millar (writer of Kick Ass and Wanted) which is about a old and gritty Wolverine. Another book also from Millar that you should read is Marvel 1985, which is about Marvel villans escaping to the real world and going nuts.

But the best book of all time, better than Watchmen in my opinion, is Millar's American Jesus. It's the story of the return of Christ as he reflects on his childhood. It has an insane twist and is just awesome

[RIsanove]

There are some comics I find myself re-reading regularly and never get tired of:
"Batman: Year One", "Y: the last man" and "Preacher" of course.
"The Ultimates" 1 and 2 by Millar and Hitch.
"Criminal" by Brubaker and Phillips.
The "Alias" series by Bendis and Gaydos.
"Stray Bullets" by Lapham (just wish he'd finish it already)
"Lieutenent Blueberry" by Charlier and (Moebius) Giraud
"The Death Notes" by Ohba and Obata.
and a little gem of a graphic novel "Scene of a crime: A little piece of Goodnight" by Brubaker and Lark.

[Sam]

All of the Marvel stories you mentioned are on my regularly read list, and I believe "Alias" is one of the best written graphic works that I have ever read. Also on that list are the "Astro City" stories (all of them), the Garth Ennis run on "The Punisher" MAX series, "The Boys" (just for the fun of it if nothing else), and Bendis's "Powers" series. I haven't read "Stray Bullets" but have heard good things about it. I've read several of "Y: the last man" and really want to read the rest of them. Maybe some day soon.

[turtlex]

I'm currently building my Y The Last Man GN collection. They keep coming out with those darned "deluxe" hardcovers!!

[WeDealInLead]

DMZ and Scalped are two ongoing series I think everyone should read. DMZ is already at collection #7 and Scalped just came out with #6. It's not sci-fi, it's not about magic, it's not some bizzaro super-hero stuff Warren Ellis would write. It's about things that very well could happen.

Rex Mundi recently wrapped up. It's about Europe if Catholic church and inqusition were still the leading power. It's happening between two World Wars. Interesting stuff for sure.

Battlefields by Ennis, Northlanders by Brian Wood, Gravel by Ellis, Air (name slipped my mind), Ex Machina and Madame Xanadu are some other ongoing comics I'm into that are already collected in trades.

I'm also a big fan of Star Wars comics and GNs. Pretty much every series about SW is ace while one shot trades (so anywhere between 4 to 6 comics collected) are hit and miss.

Check out Loveless by Azzarello if you like your westerns bloody as hell.

And yeah... add DMZ and Scalped to your shelves. It's absolutely GREAT stuff.

[fernandito]

I started collecting DMZ , but I became very bored with it by around Vol 4 and I stopped reading the series altogether. Right now I'm too occupied with Morrison's The Invisibles and Ellis's Preacher novels to bother going back to it. I think I'll eventually pick up where I left off .... maybe ...

[Yaksha]

Sit back and here we go( BTW lots of Batman. What can I say he has good books)


Planet Hulk
Kingdom Come
Preacher
Fables
Y The Last Man
Scott Pilgrim (check Magna section)
Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombie vs Army of Darkness
Identity Crisis
The Walking Dead
Irredemable by Mark Waid
Wanted
Batman: Hush
Batman: The Killing Joke
Runaways
Batman: The Long Halloween
Batman: Dark Victory
Batman: RIP
The Dark Knight Returns
The Dark Knight Strikes Back
Green Lantern Rebirth
Infinite Crisis
52
Countdown
Final Crisis
Sinestro Corps War
Invincible
Civil War
House Of M
New Avengers
Marvel 1602
Death and Return of Superman
Flash Rebirth
The Flash Rougue War
(Pretty much anything written by Geoff Johns)
Justice
Kick-Ass

and thats all.......for now

[turtlex]

Wow, some great recommendations there!!

Some of my favorites that you've listed :


Kingdom Come
Preacher
Y The Last Man
Identity Crisis ( haven't read the whole series yet but plan to )
Wanted
Batman: The Killing Joke
Green Lantern Rebirth
52
Civil War
Flash Rebirth


My personal recommendations would have to include : V for Vendetta ( of course ), X-Men: Dark Phoenix Saga, Maus I and II, X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda, and Strangers In Paradise ( all of them ).

[Yaksha]

I totally have a much bigger list. I work across the parking lot from a books a million so in my free time i read graphic novels.

Oh and try Irredemable it has a very interesting premise.

[Yaksha]

Uncanny X-Men: The Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire

[turtlex]

Nice book.

Oh, and seriously, way cool sig and av! :thumbsup:

[Yaksha]

thank ya. Warpath is like one of my fave X-Men especially after the graphic novel I mentioned above

[fernandito]

Warpath is a beast in the Messiah Complex saga(s). Have you read that yet ?

[Yaksha]

Oh yeah Messiah Complex, Messiah War where he is brutally awesome.

[WeDealInLead]

Some bad news: Unknown Soldier and Air have both been cancelled. US will finish with this arc and it will come to a logical end. I'm not sure what's going on with Air and how many issues/arc will there be. There are some things that rub me the wrong way about that author but the story was very cool.

[fernandito]

Isn't Unknown Soldier from Vertigo ? What happened ? I was under the impression it had very strong sales.

[WeDealInLead]

Apparently not haha.

I'm of the opinion that the comics that are based more on reality never do as well as ever-so-tired superhero comics.

[turtlex]

Super cool news ...

... Just read that X-Men : The Dark Phoenix Saga is being released in a hardcover edition!

Available at Amazon for about $49.00 bucks. ( list price is $74.99 ! ) To be released on August 10, 2010.

Description : Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT Penciled by JOHN BYRNE Cover by JOHN BYRNE When the Dark Phoenix rises, suns grow cold and universes die! Gathered by Charles Xavier, the X-Men have dedicated their wondrous abilities to protect mankind - even those who hate and fear them. Now, these incredible individuals embark on an adventure that will span the expanse of the cosmos. One of their own, Jean Grey, has unwittingly attained power beyond conception - and been corrupted, absolutely. The X-Men must decide: Is the life of the woman they cherish worth the existence of an entire universe? Collecting X-MEN #129-138, CLASSIC X-MEN #43, BIZARRE ADVENTURES #27, PHOENIX: THE UNTOLD STORY and WHAT IF? (1977) #27. 352 PGS.

Since this is probably my all time favorite X-Men story arc, I'll be getting one of these!!

[DoctorDodge]

Usually, when people make a graphic novel recommendation, well let's be honest: usually, and this is especially if it's something that the person is currently completely raving about and can't get enough of, it's something dark, profound, and will change the way you look at comics.

The current graphic novel series I'm obsessing over is none of those things. Instead, the graphic novel series I'm recommending you go out and buy right now is Scott Pilgrim.

I'll be honest, before hearing about the movie, I knew nothing about the Scott Pilgrim series. I hadn't even heard of it. Probably not surprising, considering they've only decided to release the volumes in the UK this year!

Of course, when you hear one of your favourite directors ever is taking a break from original work and has decided to adapt a comic series instead, you'd want to find out everything you can. So, the moment I saw volume 1 last week, I immediately bought it.

Oh. My. Gosh. This has got to be one of the funniest comic series I've read in a long while, and I've read Sam and Max, for crying out loud! Random, self referential and brilliant, Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life begins the story of our "hero", a lazy sod who's 23 years old, "in between jobs", in a rock band and is currently on the rebound from a bad relationship by dating a 17 year old high schooler. Everything's ok for him...until he meets the girl of his dreams (quite literally) Ramona Flowers and falls head over heels for her. It's not long before he feels that this girl is perfect for him. There's just one problem: in order to date her without any major problems, he's gonna have to deal with her 7 evil exs in OTT, mega awesome, video game style battles.

That's the very basic jist of the series, anyway, but, like the work of Edgar Wright himself, including Spaced and Shaun of the Dead, it's also so much more than just having a fucking great laugh. It's also a great story about a guy who seriously needs a lesson in growing up, with tons of characters that have their own unique backstories, some involving messy relationships, others involving heartbreaks, and some involving getting kidnapped by criminal masterminds.

One word of warning: if you can't stand the look of manga whatsoever, you aren't going to like this one jot. Clearly, the writer/artist is one of the biggest manga fans there is, making everything from the awesomely drawn battles to the expressions in perfect manga style! I'm not saying I hate this - quite the reverse, in fact - I just know that for some, manga isn't everyone's cup of tea.

I can't recommend this series enough. Hilarious, multi-layered, and surprisingly action packed, this series matches Edgar Wright's style down to a T. Already since last week, I've bought and read through the 2nd and 3rd volumes, and I plan on getting the 3 remaining volumes very, very soon. Only problem is of course, like a lot of manga, it's a really quick read, even by graphic novel standards, but that's not too bad: considering how many storylines, characters and backstories are jammed into the first 3 volumes, I already feel like going over them again just to remember who's who, what's what, and why do vegans have superpowers again? I'll be honest, I can't wait for the film, but this series is awesome all on its own. Get it!

[turtlex]

DD - Awesome write up/recommendation!

[Brice]

Super cool news ...

... Just read that X-Men : The Dark Phoenix Saga is being released in a hardcover edition!

Available at Amazon for about $49.00 bucks. ( list price is $74.99 ! ) To be released on August 10, 2010.

Description : Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT Penciled by JOHN BYRNE Cover by JOHN BYRNE When the Dark Phoenix rises, suns grow cold and universes die! Gathered by Charles Xavier, the X-Men have dedicated their wondrous abilities to protect mankind - even those who hate and fear them. Now, these incredible individuals embark on an adventure that will span the expanse of the cosmos. One of their own, Jean Grey, has unwittingly attained power beyond conception - and been corrupted, absolutely. The X-Men must decide: Is the life of the woman they cherish worth the existence of an entire universe? Collecting X-MEN #129-138, CLASSIC X-MEN #43, BIZARRE ADVENTURES #27, PHOENIX: THE UNTOLD STORY and WHAT IF? (1977) #27. 352 PGS.

Since this is probably my all time favorite X-Men story arc, I'll be getting one of these!!

:o Pam buying comics??? I am shocked. :P

[DoctorDodge]

DD - Awesome write up/recommendation!

Cheers, Pam! I was a little worried my write up was unnecessarily long, especially for a comedy comic, but what the hell, for a comic this good, it's worth it!

Oh, btw, regarding The Dark Phoenix Saga: is that something that can be read from start to finish on its own, or does it actually require knowing a lot more backstory than "our heroes are mutants, and so are the villains" to really get it? I'm ok with references to past stories that I won't get, I am a Dr Who fan after all (did you know? :D), I'm just wondering if this saga actually continues off something else major and that I need to read that - or look up wikipedia - before reading TDPS?

[turtlex]

Super cool news ...

... Just read that X-Men : The Dark Phoenix Saga is being released in a hardcover edition!

Available at Amazon for about $49.00 bucks. ( list price is $74.99 ! ) To be released on August 10, 2010.

Description : Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT Penciled by JOHN BYRNE Cover by JOHN BYRNE When the Dark Phoenix rises, suns grow cold and universes die! Gathered by Charles Xavier, the X-Men have dedicated their wondrous abilities to protect mankind - even those who hate and fear them. Now, these incredible individuals embark on an adventure that will span the expanse of the cosmos. One of their own, Jean Grey, has unwittingly attained power beyond conception - and been corrupted, absolutely. The X-Men must decide: Is the life of the woman they cherish worth the existence of an entire universe? Collecting X-MEN #129-138, CLASSIC X-MEN #43, BIZARRE ADVENTURES #27, PHOENIX: THE UNTOLD STORY and WHAT IF? (1977) #27. 352 PGS.

Since this is probably my all time favorite X-Men story arc, I'll be getting one of these!!

:o Pam buying comics??? I am shocked. :P

:P Yeah, try not to be too surprised at this. Frankly, this is super cool. A hardcover edition of my favorite, so yeah - Marvel took a look at my posts and decided they needed my 50 bucks! :lol:



DD - Awesome write up/recommendation!

Cheers, Pam! I was a little worried my write up was unnecessarily long, especially for a comedy comic, but what the hell, for a comic this good, it's worth it!

Oh, btw, regarding The Dark Phoenix Saga: is that something that can be read from start to finish on its own, or does it actually require knowing a lot more backstory than "our heroes are mutants, and so are the villains" to really get it? I'm ok with references to past stories that I won't get, I am a Dr Who fan after all (did you know? :D), I'm just wondering if this saga actually continues off something else major and that I need to read that - or look up wikipedia - before reading TDPS?

re: Your write-up .... --> No, not long at all. That's what this thread is for - to recommend and encourage other people to read a good graphic novel!! :thumbsup:

For sure the Dark Phoenix Saga is a complete arc and can be read stand-alone. It does play into other things in the future ... but the story itself actually uses some cool references and explanations in the story to explain what you might need to know. It's just a good story.

You can usually pick up the softcover of Dark Phoenix Saga for 15 bucks or so. The fancy fifty dollar Hardcover Edition isn't necessary ... except, you know, for me! :blush:

[DoctorDodge]

You can usually pick up the softcover of Dark Phoenix Saga for 15 bucks or so. The fancy fifty dollar Hardcover Edition isn't necessary ... except, you know, for me! :blush:

Let me guess: you've already got the softcover? One of the problems of being a fan: you usually have to get the best stuff at least twice!

It's like one of the things keeping me from getting Lost: Season 4 - a brand new Doctor Who cd box set is gonna be released for 70 quid, but it's half price on Amazon! I've got 2 of the 5 stories already, and I can get the remaining three dirt cheap off iTunes, but it's got new bonus content!!! How can I not get it? Ugh, being a collector sucks!

I've seen the softcover of The Dark Phoenix Saga in my local library, so I think I'll check that out next time I'm there. Anyway, cheers for the tip! With all the huge story arcs in every single comic mythology out there, it's good to know there's one I can understand without getting a ton of other volumes! :lol:

[turtlex]

Um.... I may have one or two copies of the softcover edition of The Dark Phoenix Saga, yeah!

Oh, library copy is perfect ! Then, if you decide it's one of the defining stories in comic book history, you can go ahead and just get the Hardcover when it's released. :lol:

[DoctorDodge]

A very good idea! If I had a job to justify all my geeky needs, that is! :lol:

[Erin]

I just got done reading Pride of Baghdad and now I'm depressed as shit.


It really was a thought-provoking and moving story, however. And it is BEAUTIFULLY illustrated.