Genre: The Graphic Novel
Feb. 28th, 2010 09:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kitewithfishFrom http://sightergoliant.livejournal.com/14203.html
1) Read my 5 genre-picks
2) Comment with your 5 picks in a new genre, specifically recommended for the initial poster
3) Post 5 picks from that genre on your own journal, tailored to a general audience
4) Special Rule: your "general audience" picks can be the same as specific recommendations, too, nobody's keeping score.
So, I read a lot of graphic novels/ comic books, and I think that you should read the following:
SANDMAN- by Neil Gaiman- This is not my favorite series, but it is by far one of the seminal works in the medium. The protagonist, Dream, is the anthropomorphic embodiment of dreams. The stories run an incredible range, from those based on Greek mythology, to totally original works. One of my favorites is "Midsummer Night's Dream," the "The Dream of 1000 Cats" and "World's End," all of which are metatextual retellings of other stories from other genres.
KABUKI- by David Mack. Kabuki is a lovingly illustrated series with a heavy use of water color and ink, with beautiful gradual transitions from one image to another, all of which are symbolic to the main character. The main character is Kabuki, whose mother was an Ainu comfort woman raped and left pregnant in a coma by the son of the elderly general who protected her and intended to marry her. The daughter grew up trained to be a hired killer after her rapist father returned to carve the word "Kabuki" into her face. She works for as an assassin for a group called "The Noh," but the story tells of her gradual escape from them and the psychological prison in which she lived while working for them. The writing and tone are slow, dream-like explorations and the art is expansive and experimental- Mack works with collage and watercolors, depending on his mood, and the work is enthralling.
LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN-Alan Moore- This, this, this is a book for people who enjoy layered reference. The main characters are refugees from 19th century fiction, treated as if they were real people living in a shared world. Moore is incredible dense when it comes to his references- every shop name in London is a reference to something from contemporary literature. Characters include: Mina Harper, Dr Jekyll, Captain Nemo, Alan Quatermain, the Invisible Man, a brief appearance by Sherlock Holmes, and the ancestor of James Bond. The art is not my favorite- overly angular, but it fits with the spikey tone of the story. It's short- two volumes so far, but I think you would like the attitude of the main characters. No one's a hero in this book. No one.
LUCIFER- Mike Carey. This is a technically a spin-off of Sandman, in that the Devil we see Carey writing is introduced by Gaiman, but this series takes the war between God and the Lightbringer to new levels. Carey's depictions of hell is creative and unique, with long running plots that evolve, twist, and resolve into something utterly new before the end. Nothing is predictable, and everything is possible. Including Lucifer's ultimate challenge- a new, godless creation beyond the end of space and time.
ASTRO CITY- Kurt Busiek- This series is an exploration of the superhero mythos without being a deconstruction of it. Each issue is a short story focused on one character from the millions that make up Asro City. The characters are reimaginings of classic comic book tropes, but are incredibly full of life and their own take on classic issues and problems. The art is beautiful, and it's clearly done by someone who loves the superhero genre so famous in American comics but with a clear awareness of its strengths and flaws. A little research shows that most of the place names for the city are variations on the names of famous comic book authors and artists.
1) Read my 5 genre-picks
2) Comment with your 5 picks in a new genre, specifically recommended for the initial poster
3) Post 5 picks from that genre on your own journal, tailored to a general audience
4) Special Rule: your "general audience" picks can be the same as specific recommendations, too, nobody's keeping score.
So, I read a lot of graphic novels/ comic books, and I think that you should read the following:
SANDMAN- by Neil Gaiman- This is not my favorite series, but it is by far one of the seminal works in the medium. The protagonist, Dream, is the anthropomorphic embodiment of dreams. The stories run an incredible range, from those based on Greek mythology, to totally original works. One of my favorites is "Midsummer Night's Dream," the "The Dream of 1000 Cats" and "World's End," all of which are metatextual retellings of other stories from other genres.
KABUKI- by David Mack. Kabuki is a lovingly illustrated series with a heavy use of water color and ink, with beautiful gradual transitions from one image to another, all of which are symbolic to the main character. The main character is Kabuki, whose mother was an Ainu comfort woman raped and left pregnant in a coma by the son of the elderly general who protected her and intended to marry her. The daughter grew up trained to be a hired killer after her rapist father returned to carve the word "Kabuki" into her face. She works for as an assassin for a group called "The Noh," but the story tells of her gradual escape from them and the psychological prison in which she lived while working for them. The writing and tone are slow, dream-like explorations and the art is expansive and experimental- Mack works with collage and watercolors, depending on his mood, and the work is enthralling.
LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN-Alan Moore- This, this, this is a book for people who enjoy layered reference. The main characters are refugees from 19th century fiction, treated as if they were real people living in a shared world. Moore is incredible dense when it comes to his references- every shop name in London is a reference to something from contemporary literature. Characters include: Mina Harper, Dr Jekyll, Captain Nemo, Alan Quatermain, the Invisible Man, a brief appearance by Sherlock Holmes, and the ancestor of James Bond. The art is not my favorite- overly angular, but it fits with the spikey tone of the story. It's short- two volumes so far, but I think you would like the attitude of the main characters. No one's a hero in this book. No one.
LUCIFER- Mike Carey. This is a technically a spin-off of Sandman, in that the Devil we see Carey writing is introduced by Gaiman, but this series takes the war between God and the Lightbringer to new levels. Carey's depictions of hell is creative and unique, with long running plots that evolve, twist, and resolve into something utterly new before the end. Nothing is predictable, and everything is possible. Including Lucifer's ultimate challenge- a new, godless creation beyond the end of space and time.
ASTRO CITY- Kurt Busiek- This series is an exploration of the superhero mythos without being a deconstruction of it. Each issue is a short story focused on one character from the millions that make up Asro City. The characters are reimaginings of classic comic book tropes, but are incredibly full of life and their own take on classic issues and problems. The art is beautiful, and it's clearly done by someone who loves the superhero genre so famous in American comics but with a clear awareness of its strengths and flaws. A little research shows that most of the place names for the city are variations on the names of famous comic book authors and artists.
