Forum - View topic[kind of OT] American comics reccomendations
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Wolverine Princess
 Posts: 1100 |
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I was farting around on the internet a couple of days ago and discovered that Jhonen Vasquez, the man behind Invader Zim, made a couple of comic books. Zim was one of my favorite cartoons back when it was on Nickelodeon a few years ago, so I ran out to the library to see if I could find any of his stuff. I found Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Squee's Wonderful Big Book of Unspeakable Horrors, and I'm totally hooked on them. I used to be a close-minded snob who thought that all American comics were stories about superheros with their manties on the outside on their spandex uniforms, but now I want more! I'm reading a lot of Slave Labor Graphics stuff right now, like Lenore and NIL. Could anyone reccomend some other good American graphic novels along these lines? They don't have to be as "gothy" as these ones; I just want to read something fun.
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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The Sandman by Neil Gaimon is quite good, very soul-consuming though. But it's definitely something I would recommend checking out, because while it does have some ties to the DC universe, it's mostly not connected at all to the superhero thing.
It also seems to have been a gateway drug type thing for me and my roommate in getting us into North American comics. |
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jaybug39
 Posts: 552 Location: Oregon, Is it FOOTBALL yet? |
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Find works by Frank Miller, Alan Moore, J. Michael Strazinski, did I spell that right? Been a bit since Babylon 5 eh?
Won't the local comic shop let you thumb through some titles? |
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Patachu
Past ANN Contributor
 Posts: 1325 Location: San Diego |
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If you like the madcap energy that Vasquez brings to his work, then try reading Bryan Lee O'Malley's "Scott Pilgrim" series. It has that same sort of scratchy-inked, artist-is-barely-in-control feel. All the comics nerds have a huge hard-on for it right now, because it just seems really cool.
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Kagemusha
 Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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Scott Pilgrim embodies all that is holy in the world and should be read by any self-respecting human being.
Now that I've got that out of the way, recommending comics really depends on what your taste in manga is. SP happens to be one that bears some similarities to manga in terms of art and storytelling. Another universal recommendation is Bone, an epic fantasy with a healthy does of humor. Right now the one volume edition (a whopping 1300 pages) is out of print, and I'm not sure if Jeff Smith has any intention of creating a new edition, so if you stumble across it in a bookstore pick it up. For fans of mature fantasy or horror, Sandman is pretty much unbeatable. Another fantastic horror/fantastical epic is Hellboy (much better than the movie). While Sandman draws from world mythology, Hellboy get's its inspiration from old pulp serials, with a healthy dose of humor to balance the often bewildering story. Good drama/romance comics include the epic slice-of-life tale Box Office Poison and Craig Thompson's autobiographical tale Blankets. The latter is especially girl friendly (or so I've been told by female friends), basically telling the story of Thompson's first love and struggle with his own faith. Beautiful artwork as well. A good action/adventure series is Y the Last Man. While my opinion of it wavers from trade to trade and it's pretty overated by drooling fanboys, it's a fun read and I know from experience manga fans will dig it. Anyone into dark and gritty seinen stories will probobly dig the over-the-top crime saga that is 100 Bullets. If you really want to read some crazy stuff, Frank by Jim Woodring is simply brilliant. Word-less, surreal fables that manage to be fun and incredibly though-provoking thanks to Woodring's amazing ability to tap into the subconsious. One of those titles that takes graphic storytelling to a new level. I've got other recommendations, but it would be helpful to know what kind of manga you like. |
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Wolverine Princess
Posts: 1100 |
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Whoa, I didn't expect to get this many recommendations so soon! I'm definitely going to look into Scott Pilgrim now, since everyone's been raving so much about it.
As far as my taste in manga goes, I'm mostly into shojo. Teen angst and romance (heterosexual or gay, I like shojo/shonen ai too) is my territory, but I also like over-the-top stories bursting with energy and stuff with a dark, brooding atmosphere. I have pretty well-rounded tastes; I pretty much read anything I can get my hands on. The only things I really don't like are shonen action/adventures with demon fighting and magic stones. Don't get me wrong; I like Naruto and One Piece as much as the next person, but I just can't stand the whole "magic rock” element. Harems aren't my thing, either; and I'm not big on hentai. |
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Gorgoroth
 Posts: 15 |
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Well I like several american style comics. but th ebest I think is Deadman. I know its published by DC comics but I dont know who wrote it, sorry.
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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Knowing you, yeah. What about zombie related stories? |
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Dranxis
 Posts: 591 Location: Ohtori Academy |
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I'm going to have to second Sandman and Bone, both of which are excellent fantasy titles in their own unique ways. Though I'm having alot of trouble finding the original b&w trades of Bone..
Just wondering, can anyone tell me if Cerebus is any good? I hear about it from time to time and it looks like something I'd like. |
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CrockPot
 Posts: 75 Location: Jackson, MS |
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Something that I find fun to read online is MegaTokyo which has a lot of over the top stuff in it. Though lately it seems to be going for some romance.
For something that you can hold in your hand I can't ignore what others have already said about the Sandman series. Loved it. |
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Wolverine Princess
Posts: 1100 |
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If the story is well executed, then yes. Werewolf, vampire, zombie, mermaid, and hell, even unicorn stories are fun if they're done right. But not when they're just an exercise in character clichés and bring nothing new to the table. |
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Kagemusha
Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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Sometimes (mainly the first half) it's brilliant; as good as comics get. The second half is very often painful to read, as Sim either tediously explores his theories about relegious text or goes on about his insane, misogonistic worldview. I'd definitally recommending reading it (especially High Society, Church and State, and Jaka's Story), as it's an amazing, amazing epic, but after years of churning out an issue a month independently (an incredible achievement), Dave Sim basically went bonkers, or at least became VERY disconnected with society. If you want to read some of his crazy writings (he often published rants in the monthly issues), try this website:http://www.theabsolute.net/misogyny/sim.html. I've heard from diffrent people that Sim is actually a nice guy, just a bit out there, so I'd reserve judgement. In anycase, definitally look into those trades I mentioned, as they're amazing. EDIT:Wrong like. That does contain his many rants, but if you want something a bit easier to read, here's an analysis of his views as they grew increasingly extreme over the years:http://www.aslan.demon.co.uk/sim-mad.htm |
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JoshuaStChristopher
 Posts: 351 |
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I'll also say Sandman, most definitely. After reading just the first volume I found it to be more enjoyable than any other manga or anime I've read. It's been collected in (I believe) ten graphic novels. They get better, too, as they go along.
And look for anything by Jeremy Norm Scott. His stuff is fantastic. You can read some of his works on his personal website, http://www.ape-law.com/evilmonkey Enjoy! |
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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There are actually twelve trade volumes, although the last volume is a set of sidestories about the Endless. And there are two Death comics, as well as some other little specials that Vertigo ran around Christmas two years (one with Death, one with Desire). And of course, the comic Lucifer is a spin-off, showing the story of Lucifer from Sandman. |
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Wolverine Princess
Posts: 1100 |
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I'm not really looking for OEL/Global Manga. I've read enough to be fairly educated about them, and I want to broaden my horizons with comics without heavy stylistic manga influences. |
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