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[JackFrost2012]

It's time for my once-yearly trip to the Dallas graphics novel shoppe, and this year, unfortunately, I'm at a bit of a loss. I'm caught up on Queen & Country and I bought Filth back at E3. I don't like superhero stuff (generally speaking) but I do like good comics.

I suppose I should get the Bone-in-One volume and maybe In the Shadow of No Towers ... any suggestions for other graphic novels of the past year?

 

[Darias]

You mean comic books, right?

 

[AniHawk]

It's time for my once-yearly trip to the Dallas graphics novel shoppe, and this year, unfortunately, I'm at a bit of a loss. I'm caught up on Queen & Country and I bought Filth back at E3. I don't like superhero stuff (generally speaking) but I do like good comics.

I suppose I should get the Bone-in-One volume and maybe In the Shadow of No Towers ... any suggestions for other graphic novels of the past year?

Yes, get Bone.

$26.37 at amazon w/ free shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...002-3957209-9609622?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

 

[border]

In The Shadow of No Towers is okay. Though to be honest it's only like 10 pages long, and $20. =\ If you have kept up with the US political scene as obsessively as some people, most of it will just grate on your nerves. I don't like Bush, but even I'm starting to get tired of hearing the same whining over and over again. The parts that are actually about Spiegelman's reaction to September 11 are good, but at least half of it is anti-Bush stuff that you have undoubtedly read someplace before.

Then there's an 8 page supplemental section that consists of very old comics strips....it helps to explain a lot of the amusing allusions made in Spiegelman's series.

 

[border]

I saw this at the used bookstore the other day, and considered picking it up. Currently I'm debating between getting it or getting the Bone collection.

Both books seem to have been highly praised, but they both sound a little bit contrived and predictable. Bone sounds more like fluff than Craig Thompson's book, but I guess it's hard to say having only flipped through both of them.

 

[JackFrost2012]

You mean comic books, right?

Er, yes. But I don't buy single issues, so I said "graphic novels" to specify a large bound collection packed with lots of comicky goodness. It's a binding thing, not an elitist one.

And Blankets is my favorite book I picked up during this run LAST year, so I strongly recommend it!

 

[Matlock]

Ultimates Vol 1 Hardcover

 

[Crazymoogle]

Yeah, buying individual issues is insane, but I guess the superhero crowd enjoys it somehow.

I generally am too distracted by manga, but from north american graphic novels I'd recommend Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson (another top shelf production and literally almost the same size and shape as Blankets). Brian Michael Bendis' early Image trades (Jinx, Fire) are also worth it if you don't mind the silhouette art style.

If you wanted to risk something slightly smacking of superheroes, the only thing I can possibly recommend would be Alan Moore's Top 10 (of which there are two trades covering the entire series). It's Hill Street Blues. Transformers. Serious. Comedy. More subtle and obvious references to other things than I can remember.

 

[Darias]

Ahhh, nifty thought! I never knew such a thing existed!

 

[Crazymoogle]

...which reminds me, did 100% by Paul Pope ever get a graphic novel release?

 

[JackFrost2012]

I've done Bendis' early stuff already, along with Top 10, which I actually read during my brief flirtation with floppies. Wouldn't mind owning it collected, tho. I also read 100% ... uh ... via a magical distribution system which reached Japan. Way, WAY the fuck better than Heavy Liquid and something I would gladly pay money to own in book form.

Too bad We3 isn't done yet...

 

[D2M15]

...which reminds me, did 100% by Paul Pope ever get a graphic novel release?

It's either out now or out next month, if I recall. That was going to be my suggestion, as it's both my favourite, and only, comic of the last two years.

 

[Crazymoogle]

I've done Bendis' early stuff already, along with Top 10, which I actually read during my brief flirtation with floppies. Wouldn't mind owning it collected, tho. I also read 100% ... uh ... via a magical distribution system which reached Japan. Way, WAY the fuck better than Heavy Liquid and something I would gladly pay money to own in book form.

I really wish Bendis would go back to strong stand-alone work, but he does have to make a living, I guess, and some people like to keep buying superhero comics.

Alan Moore's Top 10 Smax spinoff is...disturbing...by the way. But good. I gather there isn't a trade for that yet, though.

Pretty much agreed on Heavy Liquid. I've always found a certain amount of enjoyment from reading Pope's work, but nothing really seemed worth buying full up until 100%. I'm just not insane enough to pay for issues at a king's ransom when I'm still behind on volumes of Vagabond, Berserk, and (insert ten other manga titles here. Thank god Beck is coming in april).

I still need to take another visit down to the store and find some more good independent trades. Almost tempted to pick up Ghost World (the final page makes all sorts of sense that the movie for some reason liked to avoid), but I suppose there is no point in retreads. I seem to periodically give-away graphic novels for some reason (hell, I think I have an early paul pope trade sitting in a box around here somewhere).

I really, really wish Lapham would finally get up and finish Stray Bullets.

Lastly, some voice in the back of my head keeps telling me I should try out Hopeless Savages and Astro City, but I haven't quite puzzled out the best way to do so yet, if either is even a good idea.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Get the "Y, The Last Man" trades. Good stuff.

Oh, and Smax is *funny*.

 

[Crazymoogle]

Get the "Y, The Last Man" trades. Good stuff.

I rather liked it, at first. Picked up the first two trades, one of which might be sitting in a giveaway pile. But between the long ongoing nature of it and the author's frequent sabaticals to write other stuff, I'm not entirely convinced the series will end this decade.

 

[nomoment]

2004 books to get:

1. Bone Collection
2. Doom Patrol: Crawling From the Wreckage
3. Doom Patrol: The Painting That Ate Paris
4. Formerly Known as Justice League
5. Ultimates Vol. 1 HC
6. Absolute Planetary HC (Only if you have extra dough!)
7. She Hulk: Single Green Female

 

[8bit]

I rather liked it, at first. Picked up the first two trades, one of which might be sitting in a giveaway pile. But between the long ongoing nature of it and the author's frequent sabaticals to write other stuff, I'm not entirely convinced the series will end this decade.

Umm, what? I thought it was pretty regularly published. Aren't you thinking of something else?

I also read 100% ... uh ... via a magical distribution system which reached Japan.

Say I was able to access this hypothetical magical distribution system, is it worth looking for 100%? I thought Heavy Liquid was kind of rubbish, and didn't really want to pursue anything else by him.

----


Oh, and keep an eye for The Originals by Dave Gibbons, it's pretty good.

 

[D2M15]

Say I was able to access this hypothetical magical distribution system, is it worth looking for 100%? I thought Heavy Liquid was kind of rubbish, and didn't really want to pursue anything else by him.

The wedding is so off.

 

[BuddyC]

And Blankets is my favorite book I picked up during this run LAST year, so I strongly recommend it!

<3

 

[Agent Dormer]

I actually just finished reading Blankets, got it for Christmas... wow, simply put this is a must buy for anyone. Great, great story.*

*This post does not do Blankets justice, and that makes me sad.

 

[carbonbased]

Berserk.

 

[nomoment]

Oh, and keep an eye for The Originals by Dave Gibbons, it's pretty good.

Oh yes, forgot about that one.

I second this recommendation.

 

[keiichi]

Walking Dead vol 1
Astonishing X-Men vol 1
The Ultimates vol 1

 

[Quadrophenic]

I was going to ask about the Originals...I need to pick that one up...it is out, right?

 

[nitewulf]

George R.R. Martin's novella based in the Song of Ice and Fire universe, "The Hedge Knight" has just been turned into a graphic novel.