Comments on: Ampersand’s recommended non-superhero comics.

By: Alas, a blog » Blog Archive » Ampersand’s favorite graphic novels

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:04:17 +0000

[…] Nancy asked me to list my 10 or 20 favorite graphic novels. Actually, I posted a favorites list in 2003, but looking through the list now there are several comics I want to add. So here it is, reposted […]

By: Scooter

Scooter — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I’m in total, enthusiastic agreement with the inclusion of Horrocks’ “Hicksville” on this list. One of my very favorite graphic novels ever.

By: Coalition of Good Comics

Coalition of Good Comics — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I think City of Glass was just re-released too. It was out of print for a while.

By: PinkDreamPoppies

PinkDreamPoppies — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I sincerely hope that the comic of Ghost World tells a significantly different story from the movie because, frankly, the movie was terrible.

Man, I’m losing all of my arthouse cred lately. First I say I don’t like the Sandman series, and now this… Next I’ll end up revealing that I hate Pulp Fiction.

Oops.

By: April Follies

April Follies — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Usagi Yojimbo - an adaptationm of Japanese semi-legendary figures, with characters represented as anthropid animals. Rather like reading a Kurosawa film. :)

By: Kelseigh

Kelseigh — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

You could, technically, count the Zot! Earth Stories (i.e., the late B&W stuff) as non-superhero, because Zot himself isn’t really the point in most of them. The one about Terry I read over and over, even today.

By: Elayne Riggs

Elayne Riggs — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Most of the comics world is currently buzzing about Joe Kubert’s YOSSEL, but as I still can’t pick up any Holocaust-related literature after all these years, I’ll just recommend Marjane Satrapi’s PERSEPOLIS and a new antho I just got published by Dark Horse called AUTOBIOGRAFIX.

By: Tom T.

Tom T. — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I’m also violating the no-superhero rule, but I must recommend Kurt Busiek’s Astro City. As the comments on Amazon describe, it’s a reinvention (and not a deconstruction) of the superhero genre. It does the best of any such work I’ve ever read at telling stories about real people, and setting forth what day-to-day life is like for someone who just happens to have super powers.

By: Ampersand

Ampersand — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I haven’t read any of the three titles Elayne mentions (although I want to).

Usagi Yojimbo is a terrific comic, but to my mind not quite as good as the other stuff I’ve recommended here.

As for Astro City, the early issues were very good, but it seems to me that the more recent issues haven’t been as lively. It’s certainly better than most superhero fare, but I don’t think it’s in the same class as Watchmen or Zot!, let alone Maus or Stuck Rubber Baby.

By: adamsj

adamsj — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

First, another big cheer for Stuck Rubber Baby, and a recommendation to duck over to Howard Cruse's website, where you can get a taste of it before plunking down your dollars for this masterpiece. Cruse's Barefootz are also out there, available (I believe) through Denis Kitchen of Kitchen Sink Press. Think of them as a gently twisted version of DC Comics' Sugar and Spike. While you're at FanBoy Graficks getting your Los Bros. Hernandez fix, look for a title called Sinner, by Jose Munoz & Carlos Sampayo. They've got issues #4 and #5 right now, so you may have to hunt for the others. These guys are great--I haven't gotten to see their Billie Holliday bio, but I want it. One other item that is perhaps my favorite funny book ever: David Boswell's hilarious, beautifully drawn Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman.

By: Coalition of Good Comics

Coalition of Good Comics — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I didn’t like the Ghost World movie either.

Second on the Reid Fleming.

And I’ll raise you Ed the Happy Clown by Chet Brown.

By: twig

twig — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re at all into manga, Clover by CLAMP is less a fantastic story as an absolutely gorgeous graphic design, but definitely worth a look. All of it is translated by Tokyopop (but they actually did a semi-good job), as is Alien Nine which is just wierd as all get out. Neon Genesis Evangelion is rather an old standby, the translations are pretty good.

Hellsing just started being translated, and if you’re into insane vampiric religious infighting… it’s pretty fun.

As far as comics go, I don’t think it can get much better than Sam Keith, either Maxx or Four Women are great series. I also enjoy Strangers in Paradise but that’s a very, very large collection of graphic novels to start investing in. More than Sandman at this point, I think. Leave it to Chance is good adventure stuff with an old ‘Little Orphen Annie’ feel and…

Girl Genius, Studio Foglio. I can’t possibly reccommend this one enough, it’s totally awesome. The only problem is waiting for it to come out ^^;

The Red Star isn’t too bad, but somehow I keep getting the feeling I’ve seen it all before. Great art, though.

By: twig

twig — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Sorry… forgot Nausiica and the Valley of the Wind. Big omission there.

By: Shawn Fumo

Shawn Fumo — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Lots of good suggestions in both of these entries and the various comments.

Just want to give backup to Mr. Punch and Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind. Nausicaa is one of my favorite comics of all time.

By: Simon

Simon — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Just to offer an utterly different opinion here, I thought the “Ghost World” film was brilliant - but I don’t like Daniel Clowes’s comics. His drawing is good, but his “Ghost World” turned me off, and his “David Boring” was adequately described by the second world of the title.

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

For manga, “Nausicaa” is absolutely wonderful, “Clover” is more style than substance but worth reading if you’re into that kind of girly cyberpunk style (if you liked Stephenson’s “The Diamond Age”). “Four Shoujo Stories” has an excellent story by Keiko Nishi, more realistic than most manga. “Revolutionary Girl Utena” isn’t as stylistically gosh-wow as those are, but it’s the best attempt I’ve seen at a feminist manga; I spent two hours talking about how it related to Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze once.

Frederick Schodt, whose name I’m probably misspelling, has two very worthwhile books on manga, “Manga! Manga!” and “Dreamland Japan.”

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I'd have to vote for Nausica and Hicksville as my top two. Maybe add Graphitti Kitchen by E. Campbell. Although, there is also Bruno which forever shall lie in no man's land between a story/character driven style and being told in a daily comic format (also in book form). But of course I'd say that, i draw it. :-)

By: twig

twig — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I agree that “Revolutionary Girl Utena” is one interesting piece of work, however I think the anime pulls the concept off better than the manga. At 39 episodes with some serious repeating themes, it can be a bit of a drag at times, but is well worth the watch, and you’ll certainly have something to say about it when you’re through.

(Knows this is supposed to be a /comic-book/ thread but it really is a good anime, honest!)

By: pseu

pseu — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Another “Reid Fleming” fan here. I’d heard rumors a few years ago they were trying to do a movie version and have been grateful that it never came to pass.

I know they’re not his best work, but I absolutely LOVE Crumb’s “Fat Freddy’s Cat” series. If you’ve had experience with drugs and/or sardonic cats, you’ll get a chuckle out of these.

By: Coalition of Good Comics

Coalition of Good Comics — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

A Reid Fleming Movie?!?! Yikes!!!

And a minor correction–”Fat Freddy’s Cat” is by Gilbert Shelton, a part of the “Fat Furry Freak Brothers” collection.

Or do you mean Crumb’s “Fritz the Cat”?

Both are good.