A "Where to Start" Guide on Graphic Novels

Quite often, I'm asked, "Why, Amanda. You love Graphic Novels, but I've never been a huge fan. I have no idea where to start, because comics have so much history behind them! If I wanted to give them a shot, which ones should I start with?" And my answer typically includes some of these fantastic titles. Don't think too much on the order. I kept thinking of new titles as I was writing it. 

 

10) Runaways, by Brian K. Vaughn -- For those that enjoy superhero stories as a friend, but aren't sure you want to take things further, then I recommend Runaways. While the series has its ups and downs, it's easy to fall in love with the characters. The plot is simple: When 6 kids discover their parents are actually supervillains and that they've inherited their parents' powers, they decide to runaway, vowing to reject their parents' evil legacy.The comic is very addicting until you get to... oh, I say, right after Joss Whedon writes his arc. It's not the best graphic novel of all time, but it's a really good starting point for other graphic novels. Plus, it features some fun cameos, like Spiderman, Captain America, and Cloak and Dagger.

  

9) Speaking of Brian K. Vaughn, he also wrote a really great series titled Y: The Last Man. According to the product description, "Yorick Brown is an escape artist; has a fabulous girlfriend who's traveling in Australia; and possesses a genetic make-up that's allowed him to survive a plague that killed every male being on the planet except for him and his pet monkey. Yorick is the last man on earth, and in the resulting chaos, he must find a way to help save the human race." This graphic novel is clever and addictive, and once you start reading it, it'll be hard to put down.

 
8) I figured it was necessary to include a more main-stream comic character on this list somewhere, and since all the other superheroes had super-long arcs that wouldn't be kind to new comic readers, X-23: Innocence Lost gets on this list. X-23 is the clone of Wolverine, except she was born and trained to be nothing but a killing machine. Oh, and she also has claws on her feet too, making her backflips rather dangerous. Innocence Lost is her backstory, and the ending almost had me tearing up. I don't like where the comics are taking her character now, but this comic is tragic and well-written.

 

7)Ghost World is a brilliant little indie comic that is for those of you that prefer a more realistic, down to earth story. It's a coming-of-age story about two friends that wonder what to do with their lives once they leave high school. The Amazon.com review states, "Dan Clowes described the story in Ghost World as the examination of "the lives of two recent high school graduates from the advantaged perch of a constant and (mostly) undetectable eavesdropper, with the shaky detachment of a scientist who has grown fond of the prize microbes in his petri dish." From this perch comes a revelation about adolescence that is both subtle and coolly beautiful. Critics have pointed out Clowes's cynicism and vicious social commentary, but if you concentrate on those aspects, you'll miss the exquisite whole that Clowes has captured. Each chapter ends with melancholia that builds towards the amazing, detached, ghostlike ending." Also: Check out the movie that came out in the early 2000's.
  

6) Maus is the story of the holocaust... Told in poignant black and white, with each Jew drawn as a mouse and each Nazi drawn as a cat. Even with this change, the story is powerfully realistic. Art Spiegelman, the author, got the inspiration for this comic after interviewing his father about his experiences with the Holocaust. And the result of this interview is beautiful, tragic, and memorable. If it doesn't touch you emotionally, chances are, you're a Cylon. Definitely pick up this graphic novel if you even have a passing interest in the Holocaust or historical graphic novels.

 

5) Blankets by Craig Thompson is an autobiographical comic about Craig's youth with his Christian family, his first love, and all other sorts of experiences he's had growing up. Blankets is a comic that's thoughtful and highly intelligent. Recommended for readers that prefer real-life stories.

 

4) Bone by Jeff Smith is both a light-hearted comedy and a mature fantasy. Young readers will see it as merely an entertainment, but older readers will see the darker overtones, and that's what makes this comic brilliant. The comic gradually matures from a simple comic tale to a Tolkienesque epic.

 

3) Featuring hordes of the undead, The Goon by Eric Powell is a zombie-fueled action story that's just a lot of fun to read. Check this out if you're not convinced: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P21Re_mB2Q

 2) The Killing Joke by Alan Moore is pretty much THE essential Batman comic. In an attempt to prove that anyone can go insane after just "one bad day," the Joker shoots Barbara Gordon and tortures Commissioner Gordon. It's a rare and chilling look at the Joker's twisted psyche. And because it's a one-shot comic, you can read it in less than an hour! 

 

1) Okay, I'm not even going to lie: I love fairy tales. Especially mature ones, and Fables by Bill Willingham is a fairy tale. Actually, no, Fables is a fairy tale that takes existing fairy tales and twists them into grotesque shapes. "But wait," you say, "aren't fairy tales already a bit GRIM (so-to-speak-no-pun-intended). For example, Hansel and Gretel burned that witch to death!" Well, in Fables, that happened. Then (minor spoiler here) Hansel went mad, began killing people for being witches, including his own sister, then came over to our world and was responsible for the witch trials that took place in the 17th century. The magic of Fables is its ability to constantly change our perceptions of the characters in stories. Oh, and it's ability to take characters like Boy Blue and turn them into complete badasses. It's not just fairy tales that are used; it's characters from any story (such as Frankenstein or even the Ice Queen from Narnia). These Fables now exist in our world after they were driven out of their homelands by an evil Adversary. The concept sounds ridiculous, but I flippin love Fables. Like, seriously, if I could marry this series, I totally would. It's that incredible. And does anyone else think Joel David Moore would make an awesome Flycatcher: 

 

(BTW, Flycatcher and Boy Blue are my favorite characters). Before anyone complains about the absence of Watchmen, Scott Pilgrim, The Walking Dead, Kick-Ass, or whatever other graphic novel that has been made into a tv show or movie, just know that I didn't include those, because unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know about them already. I also didn't include a lot of superhero comics that would be difficult to get into without background information (Sorry, Blackest Night!). So there you have it! 10 Graphic Novels that will turn you into a Graphic Novel reader! So go forth, my friends! Read!