Looking for recommendations

[scratchie]

I'm looking for recommendations for some non-superhero graphic novels (or ongoing comics) to read.

I love:
Daniel Clowes' work, esp. Ghost World. Ice Haven and The Death-Ray are pretty amazing as well, but truth be told, I like everything Clowes has done.
Peter Bagge's work
La Perdida by Jessica Abel
Fables by Bill Willingham
Anything by Moebius/Jean Giraud (esp. for the artwork).
Lynda Barry's work; although I usually find it hard to get into that sort of primitive artwork, her writing makes up for it.

I like quite a bit:
Epileptic by David B
Black Hole by Charles Burns
(either of these may rise up to "love" on subsequent readings)

I enjoyed :
Brownsville by Neil Kleid and Jake Allen
The Outsiders by Dave Gibbons
but I thought both of those were a little shallow and "by the numbers" (seen it all before at the movies, you know).

As you can probably tell, I like introspective, character-driven stories, although my tastes are pretty broad. I don't particularly like ultra-violent anything, though (unless it's a Scorcese movie).

So... any recommendations for what I should check out next? Thanks in advance.

[swinebread]

Hands down from the titles you've mentioned I would suggest Blankets by Craig Thompson (one big trade), and Love & Rockets by the Hernandaz bothers (several collections). You can't go wrong with these.

You like David Clowes so you must have read David Boring, right?

You might like Joe Matt’s autobiographical stuff, Peep Show with The Poor Bastard the best collection.

The Walking Dead is a great zombie survival story, with a big emphasis on character development; the zombie stuff is really just background.

Bone is great children’s comic that is deceptively deep and fun all in the same.

Y the Last Man, one of the best out there, all the men in world die except one.

A horror title I would suggest is the three Uzumaki (The Spiral) books by Junji Ito.

From Hell by Alan Moore, a real mindbender about Jack the ripper and the nature of reality.

I also like Usagi Yojimbo, a samurai rabbit in feudal Japan, has great insight into Japanese culture.

Tintin by Hergé

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud has a great discussion of comics using the comic format to tell the story.

[scratchie]

Hands down from the titles you've mentioned I would suggest Blankets by Craig Thompson (one big trade), and Love & Rockets by the Hernandaz bothers (several collections). You can't go wrong with these.

Where's a good place to start with L&R? I suppose it's time I take the plunge.

I've seen Blankets in the store before, but it looked like it might be a little too "precious" for me.

You like David Clowes so you must have read David Boring, right?

Oh, yeah. I've read everything I can find by him. I really like DB but I don't put it on his "top tier" with Ghost World; I think that somehow, it promises more than it delivers.

The Walking Dead is a great zombie survival story, with a big emphasis on character development; the zombie stuff is really just background.

I've read the first two trades of this and enjoyed it a lot. I'm definitely going to keep going with this.

Thanks a lot for the other recs, too. A lot of people seem to love Usagi Yojimbo and Bone, so I'll probably check those out at some point as well.

[swinebread]

Where's a good place to start with L&R? I suppose it's time I take the plunge.

Well almost any book is good but there are two separate storylines going on in L&R. The Locas stories (punk rock girls) by Jamie, and the Palomar stories by Beto. The House of Raging Women is a good place to start, it is the 5th collection. It’s not the best but you’ll get to know the characters well enough for the later trades. My favorites are Poison River, The Death of Speedy, Chester Square, and Love and Rockets X. I think it’s by the 7th trade that the two stories begin being collected separately. So if you read the later collections you’ll be reading only one of the continuing stories. That’s why I suggested The House of Raging Women. The really early volumes have sci-fi elements that are completely dropped by the 4th volume (I think).

I've seen Blankets in the store before, but it looked like it might be a little too "precious" for me.

If by precious you mean sentimental, yes it is, but Thompson is so masterful in the execution of the story that it doesn’t matter. If you don’t want to buy it then get it at the library, but read it. This is the Watchmen for non-fanboy crowd.

Oh, yeah. I've read everything I can find by him. I really like DB but I don't put it on his "top tier" with Ghost World; I think that somehow, it promises more than it delivers.

Yeah, most folks feel that way, but it is my favorite. It just clicked for me on so many levels.

I've read the first two trades of this and enjoyed it a lot. I'm definitely going to keep going with this.

Great stuff, I’ve been reading the monthly comics. Somebody had to make it popular!

Thanks a lot for the other recs, too. A lot of people seem to love Usagi Yojimbo and Bone, so I'll probably check those out at some point as well.

Hopefully they’ll have them at the library as well. Bone has actually been recommend by librarians so it SHOULD be there.

Good Hunting!

[berk]

I really recommend starting at the beginning with Love and Rockets, even though that first book isn't always indicative of where the series went later on. But part of the fun is seeing how the characters change and grow over time, as well as the development of the Hernandez brothers' respewctive styles. Each of the collections has a charm of its own, and each of them is absolutely indispensible reading IMO, so start with #1 and carry on from there. If your reaction is anything like mine, you'll be hooked and won't ever have to ask again where to start with them, because you'll already know you want to read the next book, and then the next one, and then ...

[Johhny Blame]

I'd say start at the beginning of Love and Rockets too. Get one of the giant ass hardcovers. Palomar or Locas, I've only actually read the Palomar part. Also, check out Stray Bullets.

[scratchie]

If your reaction is anything like mine, you'll be hooked and won't ever have to ask again where to start with them, because you'll already know you want to read the next book, and then the next one, and then ...

Cool. Maybe I'll start with #1 and if I'm not blown away, I'll try #5 next.

[Ryan K]

If you like Clowes' stuff, you might want to try Adrian Tomine's Optic Nerve.

There are 3 collections:

32 Stories. Collects Optic Nerve Vol. 1 1-7.

Sleepwalk and Other Stories. Collects Optic Nerve Vol. 2 1-4

Summer Blonde. Collects Optic Nerve Vol. 2 5-8.

Each issue is a stand alone story, so you don't have to read them in any sort of order. In fact I'd suggest skipping 32 Stories at first and see if you like his later more polished stuff first.

Another one I'll highly recommend is Alex Robinson's graphic novels Box Office Poison and its semi-sequel Tricked. Box Office Poison is easily one of the best reads I've ever had.

Bone's excellent too, I read somewhere that they are going to be reprinting the Bone: One Volume Edition this fall, so keep an eye out for that. All 55 issues for $39.95. Seriously one of the best deals you'll find.

[scratchie]

If you like Clowes' stuff, you might want to try Adrian Tomine's Optic Nerve.

Ah, yes. Optic Nerve. This was originally recommended to me years ago as "If you like Clowes, you might like this." I bought a few early issues (this was 7-8 years ago, at least, when the full-sized issues had just started) and found them kind of annoying. However, I have read (what I believe to be) the most recent two issues, which are the start of a three-part story arc, and enjoyed them a lot. I'm hoping I won't miss the third part, since my LCS is pretty flaky when it comes to non-mainstream comics.

Another one I'll highly recommend is Alex Robinson's graphic novels Box Office Poison and its semi-sequel Tricked. Box Office Poison is easily one of the best reads I've ever had.

Thanks, I'll look for that.

Bone's excellent too, I read somewhere that they are going to be reprinting the Bone: One Volume Edition this fall, so keep an eye out for that. All 55 issues for $39.95. Seriously one of the best deals you'll find.

Given the number of raves I've seen for Bone, I'll definitely keep my eyes open for that. Thanks!

[Schmakt]

Peter Bagge's work

are you reading Peter's current series from Dark Horse, Apocalypse Nerd?
I'm highly enjoying it...
and some original art I bought from him here if you wanna see:
http://forums.comicbookresources.com...d.php?t=145725

:)

[scratchie]

are you reading Peter's current series from Dark Horse, Apocalypse Nerd?
I'm highly enjoying it...

I'm enjoying it... when it comes out. What's he done, three issues in the last year? It's fun, but I don't enjoy it as much as Sweatshop (which was a masterpiece of snark, IMO), let alone the classic Hate issues.

[kissmecomix]

If you like drama, or a story of love and revenge, try Serenade written and drawn by Barbara Jenkins. Serenade is the Flagship title of Kiss Me Comix voted 2004 as a must read by Comicskins.com