leroy hacker
Member
It's not very surprising though, given that they weren't published by Vertigo.7Th said:
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Non-Superhero Comics General Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Costanza
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Another great autobiography about soviet life by Nikolai maslov.It is entirely pencil sketches done by himself.Simple but very powerful.Interesting fact:Maslov was working as a janitor / doorman when he met a publisher and convinced him to publish Siberia.After it was published he went back to continue his nightshirt at the same building.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
leroy hacker said:
:lol
No kidding. Clowes' Ice Haven is also fantastic. And if you can track down Eightball #23, that's also a keeper.
*slaps head*
Oh but wait, it's about The Death Ray. A superhero.
*bwaw-bwawwwwwwww*
But no seriously, the recent ACME Novelty Libraries have also had some Ware's best work. Rusty Brown, once it's finally done, looks like it's just going to wipe the floor with poor little Jimmy Corrigan.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
gerg said:To put it in image form:
Persepolis
Persepolis is an autobiographical account of Marjane Satrapi's childhood growing up through the Iranian Cultural Revolution, before being sent to France to avoid the ever-more restrictive nature of her home country. It was turned into a film in 2008.
For anyone who liked this, I have to recommend Epileptic. It's by Satrapi's teacher David B; taking nothing away from her own great work it can pretty much be said that she kind of reuses his style to tell her own story.
It's about the artist growing up in France and his family dealing with the crushing effect of his brother's epilepsy in the late 60s/early 70s. When they discover the only surgical options might leave him a vegetable, they try every single occult solution there is, joining every spiritual movement going in Europe at the time. B uses visual imagery and interpretations to capture the mental and emotional experience, filling panels with all sorts of fantastic characters and images. It's a pretty damned amazing and surprisingly fun read, another widely cited candidate for Best Graphic Novel Ever.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
EviLore said:
I'm curious what you think of it. I kept hearing that U2/Travellers song Miss Sarajevo in my head while reading, finally understanding what it really meant. I always found it a tough war to wrap my head around until I read this; now I kind of think it's something everybody should know about.
wenis said:
That's another way to put it
If I had to pick just one, it might be Eddie Campbell's Alec, which you can now get in the oh-so-kickass omnibus, The Years Have Pants. 640 pages for $35.00, collecting all the previous Alec trades, plus some other stuff.
I first read Alec as a twenty-something, and have been growing up in near-lockstep with the character every since. I find it to be one of the most diverse and moving series of stories I've read in the medium. It might lose out to Jimmy Corrigan, but Alec doesn't make me want to kill myself.
I first read Alec as a twenty-something, and have been growing up in near-lockstep with the character every since. I find it to be one of the most diverse and moving series of stories I've read in the medium. It might lose out to Jimmy Corrigan, but Alec doesn't make me want to kill myself.
leroy hacker
Member
My favorite comics/graphic books are probably From Hell and Jimmy Corrigan, but for some extra variety in this thread here are some suggestions of Franco-Belgian comics that have been released in English:
Freddy Lombard, by Yves Chaland.
A sophisticated, adult, and post-colonialist take on Tintin by a modern master of the ligne claire style. Sadly there are only five albums owing to Chaland's death at the age of 31 in an automobile accident. The best two, which are two of my all-time favorite comics, are The Comet of Carthage and Holiday in Budapest.
All of these stories have been released in English over two volumes, first by Humanoids and later by DC. The printing in the DC versions is sort of crappy but they're easy to find.
and from my top comics of the decade post:
The Dormant Beast/December 32nd by Enki Bilal
This book was definitely my favorite comic of the decade, even though I may never read chapters 3 & 4. Enki Bilal has only continued to grow as an artist and a writer since the Nikopol Trilogy in the 1980s and this work is a true masterpiece. The Hatzfeld Tetralogy is the story of Nike Hatzfeld, a man with a perfect memory born in the midst of the Yugoslavian wars of the 1990s and two of his childhood friends. Bilal's story succeeds at being a conventionally compelling sci-fi tale(unlike the Nikopol trilogy), but it is much more than that. It is about memory, history, identity, art and religion. And beyond that there is Bilal's incredible art which is more expressive than ever.
Unfortunately, since DC had no idea what the fuck they were doing their Humanoids venture collapsed in less than a year and the final two volumes of the Hatzfeld Tetralogy were never released in English, leaving me stuck at the second volume's cliffhanger ending. Thanks DC!
Freddy Lombard, by Yves Chaland.
A sophisticated, adult, and post-colonialist take on Tintin by a modern master of the ligne claire style. Sadly there are only five albums owing to Chaland's death at the age of 31 in an automobile accident. The best two, which are two of my all-time favorite comics, are The Comet of Carthage and Holiday in Budapest.
All of these stories have been released in English over two volumes, first by Humanoids and later by DC. The printing in the DC versions is sort of crappy but they're easy to find.
and from my top comics of the decade post:
The Dormant Beast/December 32nd by Enki Bilal
This book was definitely my favorite comic of the decade, even though I may never read chapters 3 & 4. Enki Bilal has only continued to grow as an artist and a writer since the Nikopol Trilogy in the 1980s and this work is a true masterpiece. The Hatzfeld Tetralogy is the story of Nike Hatzfeld, a man with a perfect memory born in the midst of the Yugoslavian wars of the 1990s and two of his childhood friends. Bilal's story succeeds at being a conventionally compelling sci-fi tale(unlike the Nikopol trilogy), but it is much more than that. It is about memory, history, identity, art and religion. And beyond that there is Bilal's incredible art which is more expressive than ever.
Unfortunately, since DC had no idea what the fuck they were doing their Humanoids venture collapsed in less than a year and the final two volumes of the Hatzfeld Tetralogy were never released in English, leaving me stuck at the second volume's cliffhanger ending. Thanks DC!
TheDarkKnight774
Member
Cool thread. I love superhero comics, but also the non as well. I think i've read most of whats in the OP so far. Need to catch up on scalped though
You're missing out on some of these great Crime comics:
Queen & Country
Great great spy comic out there. He also did a novel that continued from the comics that was a great read. From wikipedia: The series is centered on Tara Chace, an operative of the Special Operations Section of SIS, colloquially known as the Minders. It attempts to portray the bureaucracy and politics which the agents deal with realistically, as well as including the dangerous missions typical of the spy genre.
Whiteout
Don't let the crappy movie adaptation turn you away from one of Rucka's early detective/crime comics. This follows a detective in the artic as she attempts to solve a murder in the artic.
Torso
BY FAR the best thing Brian Bendis has done. Its the telling of America's first serial killer. Truly mesmerizing work
From Hell
And speaking of serial killers, Alan Moore's great telling of Jack the Ripper
Criminal
While not as good as Sleeper or Gotham Central (which I guess could be viewed as superhero books), this slow burn crime series by Brubaker always delivers.
Stray Bullets
It takes some time to let this series build, but after a couple volumes it gets REALLY fascinating to see how all the various stories start tying together.
That's it for now, I might come back to the thread to post other greats in the humor, fantasy, misc realm.
You're missing out on some of these great Crime comics:
Queen & Country
Great great spy comic out there. He also did a novel that continued from the comics that was a great read. From wikipedia: The series is centered on Tara Chace, an operative of the Special Operations Section of SIS, colloquially known as the Minders. It attempts to portray the bureaucracy and politics which the agents deal with realistically, as well as including the dangerous missions typical of the spy genre.
Whiteout
Don't let the crappy movie adaptation turn you away from one of Rucka's early detective/crime comics. This follows a detective in the artic as she attempts to solve a murder in the artic.
Torso
BY FAR the best thing Brian Bendis has done. Its the telling of America's first serial killer. Truly mesmerizing work
From Hell
And speaking of serial killers, Alan Moore's great telling of Jack the Ripper
Criminal
While not as good as Sleeper or Gotham Central (which I guess could be viewed as superhero books), this slow burn crime series by Brubaker always delivers.
Stray Bullets
It takes some time to let this series build, but after a couple volumes it gets REALLY fascinating to see how all the various stories start tying together.
That's it for now, I might come back to the thread to post other greats in the humor, fantasy, misc realm.
gketter said:Whiteout
Don't let the crappy movie adaptation turn you away from one of Rucka's early detective/crime comics. This follows a detective in the artic as she attempts to solve a murder in the artic.
Dude we don't talk about the movie. It never happened.
Got it.
But yes the GN is really fantastic and paced beautifully.
Hip Flask and Elephantmen
Blade Runner mixed with The Island of Dr. Moreau, sorta.
About the lives of Animal/Human hybrids (Elephants, Rhinos, Hippos, etc) referred to as "Elephantmen" and their lives assimilating in future society after they were used as genetically bred soldiers made to fight World War III.
If you like it, and you should, pick up War's End and The Fixer. Both are essentially "bonus chapters" to SAG, although I will admit I didn't find them nearly as moving as SAG.EviLore said:
As for The Invisibles, the first trade isn't too great but the first Volume (which is the first three trades) IMO was really good, as was the second volume (next three trades). Sadly, the last volume (one big trade) was pretty weak.
as a long time dmz sufferer i really can't endorse it. starts off ok-ish and then you end up with retardation, cliff hangers and gaidens after those cliff hangers that can last way too long. (lfk was right :fistshake
same thing with northlanders but the sven arc (the first one) is alright.
same thing with northlanders but the sven arc (the first one) is alright.
favouriteflavour
Member
After Young Liars I have been dead keen to read stray bullets if it was actually goddamn available to buy at all.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
leroy hacker said:
These both sound awesome. I don't think my Canadian grade school French is strong enough to muddle through the rest of Dormant Beast though.
Karakand said:as a long time dmz sufferer i really can't endorse it. starts off ok-ish and then you end up with retardation, cliff hangers and gaidens after those cliff hangers that can last way too long. (lfk was right :fistshake
If it makes you feel any better I didn't want to be :lol
I might pick up the later volumes of Northlanders just to see how I feel about them, the first one was so cool.
kame-sennin
Member
Costanza said:
A lot of the comics in your OP wouldn't exist without the influence of EC comics:
Old Man Sven returns in a one-off you should at least read that. Lindisfarne (9-10) is OK just about a little kid. The completed long arc (Cross and something) gets points for trying with narrative structure it just doesn't really come together in the end. The current long arc (Plague Widows) is agonizingly dull.LiveFromKyoto said:
As stated before, this thread makes a pretty silly distinction, but whatever. Where does Gotham Central fall?
I'll second Laika. I picked it up a couple years ago based on a NeoGAF recommendation and wasn't disappointed. Of course, I'm partial to every story that based on or inspired by that dog.krypt0nian said:
This is how you appreciate comics in all its forms without shitting on "lesser" forms.
Add Orbiter to that list.EviLore said:
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
gdt5016 said:
Have you read #2? Anyway, he'd hate it. There are vaguely powered characters in it. Big no no.
TheDarkKnight774
Member
Dan said:
My thinking is its a non-superhero book, it just happens to occur in Gotham, but its a cop show where capes and the freaks exist.
I didn't put it in my Crime list just because i could see some thinking it doesn't count. But the series is the best cop comic i've ever read.
BenjaminBirdie said:
Yeah, I read.
All I can remember is the beatuful landscapes and great character designs. Plus that kind of dreamy reality-switching feeling Murphy is pulling off really well.
Then something about the main character being the chosen one or something.
Like I said, Joe's art FTW.
Edit: Gotham Central is NOT a superhero book.
Just came here to say Grant Morrison's run of Doom Patrol is a masterpiece. While the Doom Patrol are a group of superheroes this comic does a completely new take on them. This isn't a superhero comic, just a comic with a lot of weird shit. This is probably my favorite work by him yet even after reading the Invisibles and his other stuff this still remains my favorite Morrison piece.
Came in here to post Blankets and Jimmy Corrigan the Smartest Kid on Earth. I was beaten but I highly recommend both. I was able to relate to the main character in Blankets because I had some similar crap going on in my life when I read it.
It has really good art but after reading issue #2 I might drop it or wait for a trade. I don't really see where it's going and lost interest half way into it. It sucks because I was really excited for issue #1. Might just not be my cup of tea.
Costanza said:
It has really good art but after reading issue #2 I might drop it or wait for a trade. I don't really see where it's going and lost interest half way into it. It sucks because I was really excited for issue #1. Might just not be my cup of tea.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
gketter said:
BUT THE TEEN TITANS ARE IN IT!
BURN IT!!
(This is why this thread is fundamentally flawed. Why don't you just say "No Bad Comics Allowed"? Superhero and non-superhero comics both have them.)
There's some kick ass stuff in here. I just finished Like a Velvet Glove Cast In Iron by Daniel Clowes. Gotta say it's my least favorite of his work. David Boring was pretty sweet though. I definitely recommend it if you're a Clowes fan.
The book depicts the misadventures of its eponymous character, whose main interests are finding the "perfect woman" and learning more about his father, an obscure comic artist who he has never met. All this occurs in a nameless American city, against the background of a looming nuclear conflict. Trying to imagine what a one-sentence sales pitch for David Boring would sound like, Clowes jokingly told an interviewer "It's like Fassbinder meets half-baked Nabokov on Gilligan's Island."
This thread reminded me that I have a mad back catalog of Robert Crumb books I need to get through.
The book depicts the misadventures of its eponymous character, whose main interests are finding the "perfect woman" and learning more about his father, an obscure comic artist who he has never met. All this occurs in a nameless American city, against the background of a looming nuclear conflict. Trying to imagine what a one-sentence sales pitch for David Boring would sound like, Clowes jokingly told an interviewer "It's like Fassbinder meets half-baked Nabokov on Gilligan's Island."
This thread reminded me that I have a mad back catalog of Robert Crumb books I need to get through.
Here are some of my recent favorites:
G.I. Joe COBRA Vol. 1
Story by Christos Cage and Mike Costa
Art by Antonio Fuso
Not being a fan of G.I. Joe in the slightest, I pretty much avoided this book like the plague. But I'll be damned if every comics journo on the planet wasn't gushing about it. Eventually I just gave in and gave it a read, and I'm so glad I did. The story takes place just as Joe is getting off the ground, and before Cobra is a known entity. Chuckles, a gifted field agent with a talent for pissing off his superiors, gets taken off of Joe and re-purposed as a spy. His first mission? He has to infiltrate a small terrorist organization the government's been keeping tabs on. And it just gets fucked up from there.
Locke & Key
Story by Joe Hill
Art by Gabriel Rodriguez
If Steven King wrote comics, these are the comics he'd write. "Joe Hill" is actually Joseph King, so I guess that makes sense. Locke & Key tells the story of the Locke family moving into the town of Lovecraft after having suffered a terrible tragedy. Naturally, they take up lodging with their uncle, who lives in the mysterious Keyhouse. But something's not quite right, and the Lockes are in for more than they bargained for. This book is totally worth it if you're a Steven King fan, a horror/mystery fan, or if you just dig a good read. I can't really do this book justice without dropping some major spoilers, so you'll just have to trust me - this book is crack on Scott Pilgrim levels.
Local
Story by Brian Wood
Art by Ryan Kelly
I picked this up after all of the fanfare the hardcover got last year, and it was probably one of the best reading experiences I've had in years. It's a bit of an anthology, with each story taking place in a different town that the central character's moved to, but there's a strong theme of trying to find oneself present throughout. If you've ever wanted to escape your life and start over in a new town far away, then this book is for you.
The Nobody
Story and Art by Jeff Lemiere
Jeff Lemiere's getting a lot of attention now for work on Sweet Tooth, and most people who've been keeping up with him are probably going to recommend The Essex County Trilogy (which is also great), but most people seem to gloss over Lemiere's first work for Vertigo, last year's The Nobody. As you might be able to guess by looking at the cover, our (sort of) central character is the famous Invisible Man. There's no origin story to be found here - the book begins with him shuffling into town, and pretty much keeping to himself. But when he befriends a local girl, things get way out of hand. Lemiere does what he does best here - he takes a small town and gives it a heartfelt story, and the result is spectacular.
I know I'm forgetting a ton or recent stuff, so I'll add more later.
G.I. Joe COBRA Vol. 1
Story by Christos Cage and Mike Costa
Art by Antonio Fuso
Not being a fan of G.I. Joe in the slightest, I pretty much avoided this book like the plague. But I'll be damned if every comics journo on the planet wasn't gushing about it. Eventually I just gave in and gave it a read, and I'm so glad I did. The story takes place just as Joe is getting off the ground, and before Cobra is a known entity. Chuckles, a gifted field agent with a talent for pissing off his superiors, gets taken off of Joe and re-purposed as a spy. His first mission? He has to infiltrate a small terrorist organization the government's been keeping tabs on. And it just gets fucked up from there.
Locke & Key
Story by Joe Hill
Art by Gabriel Rodriguez
If Steven King wrote comics, these are the comics he'd write. "Joe Hill" is actually Joseph King, so I guess that makes sense. Locke & Key tells the story of the Locke family moving into the town of Lovecraft after having suffered a terrible tragedy. Naturally, they take up lodging with their uncle, who lives in the mysterious Keyhouse. But something's not quite right, and the Lockes are in for more than they bargained for. This book is totally worth it if you're a Steven King fan, a horror/mystery fan, or if you just dig a good read. I can't really do this book justice without dropping some major spoilers, so you'll just have to trust me - this book is crack on Scott Pilgrim levels.
Local
Story by Brian Wood
Art by Ryan Kelly
I picked this up after all of the fanfare the hardcover got last year, and it was probably one of the best reading experiences I've had in years. It's a bit of an anthology, with each story taking place in a different town that the central character's moved to, but there's a strong theme of trying to find oneself present throughout. If you've ever wanted to escape your life and start over in a new town far away, then this book is for you.
The Nobody
Story and Art by Jeff Lemiere
Jeff Lemiere's getting a lot of attention now for work on Sweet Tooth, and most people who've been keeping up with him are probably going to recommend The Essex County Trilogy (which is also great), but most people seem to gloss over Lemiere's first work for Vertigo, last year's The Nobody. As you might be able to guess by looking at the cover, our (sort of) central character is the famous Invisible Man. There's no origin story to be found here - the book begins with him shuffling into town, and pretty much keeping to himself. But when he befriends a local girl, things get way out of hand. Lemiere does what he does best here - he takes a small town and gives it a heartfelt story, and the result is spectacular.
I know I'm forgetting a ton or recent stuff, so I'll add more later.
SpiderJerusalem
Banned
Penguin said:I enjoyed this
me too!
Theres so much in this thread I've been meaning to buy.:lol
Whiteout was good and I need to catch up on Queen and Country, I have no idea where I left off on that. Love Strangers in Paradise and Transmetropolitan too and Bone. I just don't usually buy the non cape stuff in monthlies anymore except for random stuff I see....Transmet and SiP I did but I guess I'd rather just do trades. They're easier to share.
Milk and Cheese
FUN!
Dork too
Squee
Pai Pai Master
Banned
No love for Skydoll?
It's obviously a larger project than the traditional monthly book, but the art is some of the best I've seen in any comic.
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