Essential graphic novels?

[Lynnwood]

Which ten graphic novels should I have in my library? -- I'll accept the first installment-trades of ongoing series as well. Here is my list, perhaps not in order of significance:

V for Vendetta
A History of Violence
Preacher
Maus
300
From Hell
Watchmen
The Dark Knight Returns
Pride of Baghdad
Kingdome Come
Punisher: Man of Stone

[Siddon]

Absolute Sandman Vol 1.
Marvel Masterworks Dr. Strange Vol 1.
Fantastic Four Omnibus vol 2.
Daredevil Frank Miller Omnibus
Dark Knight Returns

Y the Last Man Hardcover (coming later this year)
Planet Hulk
Watchmen
Agents of Atlas
Persepolis

[Neorama]

Watchmen
The Dark Knight Returns
V for Vendetta
The Walking Dead (All Volumes)
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (call me crazy)
300
From Hell
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
The Crow
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
30 Days of Night

[jesse_custer]

Which ten graphic novels should I have in my library? -- I'll accept the first installment-trades of ongoing series as well. Here is my list, perhaps not in order of significance:

V for Vendetta
A History of Violence
Preacher
Maus
300
From Hell
Watchmen
The Dark Knight Returns
Pride of Baghdad
Kingdome Come
Punisher: Man of Stone

I would strike History of Violence (because it is only just good), Preacher (because the first volume is not the best), 300 (because it is one of Miller's worst), Pride of Baghdad (because it is only just good), and Punisher: Man of Stone (because although Punisher is great, he is hardly essential compared to others) off the list.

I would replace them with Absolute Sandman Vol. 1, Black Hole, and the complete one-volume Bone for starters.

Also, 30 Days of Night is one of the worst things I've read.

[Agent Helix]

There is no world, good or ill, where Johnny the Homicidal Maniac is ever "essential".

[Dr. Flem]

So when you say Preacher, you mean all volumes?

Batman: The Long Halloween
Watchmen
The Goon: Volume 1 (and the rest)
Hellboy: Volume 1 (and the rest)
B.P.R.D: Volume 1 (and the rest)
Blankets
Daredevil visionaries: Frank Miller - Volume 2
Superman Birthright
Madman: Volume 1(Image collection and the rest)
Daredevil: Volume 1 (From Smiths and all the way through the Bendis/Maleev run)

[Infra-Man]

Keep:
Watchmen
The Dark Knight Returns

Add/Substitute:
Y: The Last Man
Fantastic Four Omnibus
Bone
The Contract with God Trilogy
Starman
Thor Visionaries - Walt Simonson
Superman: Secret Identity
Optic Nerve (collections)

[Neorama]

There is no world, good or ill, where Johnny the Homicidal Maniac is ever "essential".

Sorry, it and Haunted World of El Superbeasto are good for a laugh. They're not mind expanding or groundbreaking, but suit my taste of humor.

[Athena Bast]

Fables

Is Sandman still acceptable?

[jesse_custer]

Haha, you should be asking if Fables is acceptable in a conversation like this. Sandman is almost without question essential.

[Ilash]

The complete series of the following:

Sandman
Preacher
Transmetropolitan
Fables (still ongoing though)
Y The Last Man
Bone
Powers

Batman: Year One
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Watchmen
V For Vendetta
The Escapists
Superman: Secret Identity
Kingdom Come

[leonaozaki]

For me it would be:

Neil Gaiman and Jill Thompson, Sandman: Brief Lives
Dave Sim, Cerebus: High Society
Jamie Hernandez, Locas: the Maggie and Hopey stories
Gilbert Hernandez, Palomar
Hayao Miyazaki, Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
Rumiko Takahashi, Maison Ikkoku
Chris Ware, Jimmy Corrigan
Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis, vol 1
Alan Moore and various artists: Swamp Thing: Love and Death (the 2nd trade)
Grant Morrison and various artists, Invisibles: Apocalypstick

[Black Vespa]

A Contract with God
Palookaville : Clyde Fans pt. 1
It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken
The Goon : China Town
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
The Watchmen
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen v.1
Batman : Year One
Batman : The Killing Joke
Transmetropolitan Vol. 1: Back on the Street
100 Bullets Vol. 1thru ??
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Supermarket
Batman: Year 100

[mgs]

I've been mulling this one over, while going over most of my collection. Ultimately, what makes it hard is determining what is essential and what is a graphic novel.

For my list, I've 'tried' to include GN's that are not collections of singlie issues, that are original, form one, continuous story, and consist of one book only..

Fun Home
Selina's Big Score
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Electra Lives Again
Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others
Elric of Melnibone
Cancer Vixen
Persepolis
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
Minor Miracles
Alice Sinn: Dead Wonderland

These, I considered, as they are excellent, but do not qualify:
La Perdida
Watchmen
Summer Blonde
Tales of the Fear Agent

[leonaozaki]

I've been mulling this one over, while going over most of my collection. Ultimately, what makes it hard is determining what is essential and what is a graphic novel.

For my list, I've 'tried' to not include GN's that are not collections of singlie issues, that are original, form one, continuous story, and consist of one book only..


Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others


Pretty sure that was first published in individual issues.

rob

[Black Vespa]

Watchmen
Dark Knight Returns
Sin City
V for Vendetta
From Hell
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Maus
It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken
Ghost World
Clyde Fans
One Hundred Per Cent
Y The Last Man
The Sandman
Stray Bullets
100 Bullets
Berlin

[jackmcmanus21]

anything by Frank Miller

[spider kovacs]

anyone else a big Daniel Clowes fan? I would put David Boring on any essential list. fantastic story.

[yankee]

I gotta say v for vendetta man! Movie was pretty bad, but graphic novel was too awesome!

[DubipR]

Got me looking over my bookshelves, but I think I got the essentials down:

1. Tintin- all the stories (Herge)
2. The Invisibles (Morrison and friends)
3. Sandman (Gaiman and friends)
4. It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken (Seth)
5. Like A Velvet Glove Cast In Iron (Clowes)
6. The Complete LOCAS (Jaime Hernandez)
7. The Complete PALOMAR (Gilberto Hernandez)
8. Blankets (Thompson)
9. Goodbye, Chunky Rice (Thompson)
10. Box Office Poison (Robinson)
11. Three Fingers (Koslowski)
12. King (Koslowski)
13. La Perdida (Abel)
14. The Chuckling Whatsit (Sala)
15. Breakfast After Noon (Watson)
16. Y The Last Man (Vaughan/Guerra)
17. Berlin (Lutes)
18. Jar of Fools (Lutes)
19. The Golem's Mighty Swing (Strum)
20. Stray Bullets (Lapham)