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Anyone like graphic novels? What are you reading?

34 replies

RubaiyatOfAnyone · 26/11/2023 16:45

Many years ago, pre-children, i used to love graphic novels and read tons. I got into them with Sandman in my teens, and read loads over my 20s, from Preacher to The Invisibles, Hellblazer to Gloom Cookie. (I also have a degree and MA in English Lit for anyone worrying about my reading habits, i just really like the combo of art and story in graphic novels).

my kids are now old enough that i have occasional flashes of free time. in a fit of nostalgia went looking for a new graphic novel to read, but everything out there seems to be either

  1. 2D superhero marvel/dc stuff which struggles to be interesting;
  2. real life accounts of depression or abuse or similar struggles which are not my bag in graphic or standard novels; or
  3. ULTRA violent, and to a certain extent misogynistic.

Vertigo publishing which used to do quite a bit i wanted to read has closed down, and no one else seems to be trying to market to the “intelligent, literate, adult, and women-friendly” market.

the only good graphic novels i’ve read recently are some of the “Phoenix Presents” ones my 9yr old DS gets from the Phoenix comic, and they are great but marketed at 9-12 yrs old.

what is everyone else enjoying at the moment?

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CrossPurposes · 30/11/2023 17:22

RubaiyatOfAnyone · 30/11/2023 08:39

@CrossPurposes ooh, somehow i missed that series was based on comics - seems obvious now i’ve thought about it. Did you ever read Rising Stars by the guy who wrote Babylon Five? That was another good one about kids born with mysterious powers.

I've not heard of it but I'll look out for it.

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 30/11/2023 08:39

@CrossPurposes ooh, somehow i missed that series was based on comics - seems obvious now i’ve thought about it. Did you ever read Rising Stars by the guy who wrote Babylon Five? That was another good one about kids born with mysterious powers.

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CrossPurposes · 28/11/2023 17:43

Also Runaways by Brian K Vaughan and Adrian Alphona with the gorgeous covers by Jo Chen. It lost its mojo when Vaughan left the series.

CrossPurposes · 28/11/2023 17:36

I like the biographical graphic novels by Bryan and Mary Talbot.

faffadoodledo · 28/11/2023 08:29

Also enjoyed the Ragged Trousered Philantrooists, decades after reading the novel.
Alison is good
Still live Posy Simmonds
Persepolis and
Jerusalem - both taught me lots abut geopolitics.

Keeping my beady eye on this thread!

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 27/11/2023 13:07

@Toefingers Oh yes, i bought Hilda <cough> for dd. Brilliant stuff. Love the cartoon more than a middle aged woman should as well.

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 27/11/2023 13:05

@KatBurglar I have read Fables, but I think they carried on after i last read, so should see where they got to - i thought it was a great concept, but after the first few i got the impression the writers weren't sure where to take it.

Seconds looks fab - definitely on the list! Thank you!

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 27/11/2023 13:01

@Labradeedle @Toefingers both Neverlanders & Stick it to em sound great, both on the list. Thank you!

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MorvernBlack · 27/11/2023 12:43

FizzingAda · 26/11/2023 18:37

I recently bought my first graphic novel, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. I read the book a long time ago, and it was also serialised on r4. It's a political story written in the early part of the last century I think, about a team of painters and decorators and their exploitation. Quite a famous book. I saw an artist had done the drawings, so I bought it.
i used to read graphic classic comics as a child, Wuthering Heights etc etc.

The Rickard Sisters have also produced a graphic novel called No Surrender about the Suffragettes and another more general story book.
https://rickardsisters.com/

Rickard Sisters – Rickard Sisters

Rickard Sisters

https://rickardsisters.com

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 27/11/2023 12:35

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 27/11/2023 06:56

Ah - I was going to recommend Persepolis too but I see you’ve already tried it.

Such a fantastic book, and full of humour and sharp satire.

I know - i'm slightly disappointed in myself that i don't love the very literary and worthwhile ones, but i just don't. i'm definitely a "for escapism and fun" reader.

I do think this thread is doing a good job of highlighting the massive spectrum under the broad heading of 'graphic novel' though. It's long past the time that sniffy readers could dismiss them as mere comics.

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 27/11/2023 12:32

@JaninaDuszejko that's a FABULOUS list, thank you. I've ordered Lumberjanes, and i'm delighted to see that Posy Simmonds has a sequel to Literary Life which i loved but somehow never thought to look up for other stuff by.
Have added all your other suggestions to my now growing 'To Be Read' list.

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KatBurglar · 27/11/2023 11:29

Have you read the Fables series, about fairy tale characters living in New York? They are good.

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley (of Scott Pilgrim fame) is great, too.

JaninaDuszejko · 27/11/2023 07:54

Might have to read the Bunny vs Monkey book I got for DS myself at this rate!

Drwhattf · 27/11/2023 07:52

Book marking!
I gave upon graphic novels same reasons as you op.
looking forward to some stuff to enjoy!
(and yes, bunny versus monkey is the only thing I’ve read recently! It’s good 😀)

Toefingers · 27/11/2023 07:47

I was recommended this dystopian graphic novel which is so good. It’s a little bit titillating so you might read it as mysoginistic as there are females who are scantily dressed BUT they are kick ass strong women so I could overlook this … and there is some violence but nothing extreme, it’s an excellent story about a dystopian society which felt original. Love finding gems like this. Artwork is amazing

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0957291469/ref=tmmpapswatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=

I also read my kids Bunny v Monkey - which is linked to the phoenix comic - bit silly and their only strips not full narratives but I do enjoy them

Labradeedle · 27/11/2023 07:34

Neverlanders by Tom Taylor is brilliant. Clever story based on Peter Pan (with a swearing Tinkerbell).

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 27/11/2023 06:56

Ah - I was going to recommend Persepolis too but I see you’ve already tried it.

Such a fantastic book, and full of humour and sharp satire.

JaninaDuszejko · 27/11/2023 06:33

Slightly more grown up than Bunny v Monkey, have you read Lumberjanes? Have you read Posy Simmonds? She might hit the spot. The Guardian does a Graphic novel of the month which might have some suitable suggestions. Otherwise here are some I've enjoyed recently:

Esther's Notebooks 1. Tales from my ten-year-old life by Riad Sattouf. Based on a year of weekly interviews with the daughter of a friend of the author. Captures the voice of a 10-11 year old really well.

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. YA and my DC are obsessed but a light fun read.

Aya, Life in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie set the Ivory Coast in the 1980s might be fun as well.

Graphic novel of the month | Books | The Guardian

Every month Rachel Cooke reviews graphic novels

https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/graphic-novel-of-the-month

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 26/11/2023 22:46

Ps @SandcastleQueen i also, sadly, am often reading Bunny v monkey. The shame…

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 26/11/2023 22:40

@MaudGone that King Lear does look interesting, thank you. Yes, Fun Home is one i’m aware of but it very much comes under my category (2) in my OP, not so much a fun read.

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 26/11/2023 22:35

@SandcastleQueen thank you - never heard if Rat Queens or Bad Machinery but they sound right up my street. ordered!

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MaudGone · 26/11/2023 22:27

There's a good version of King Lear, illustrated by Ian Pollock, published by Can of Worms Press. I was going to recommend "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel, but it's another autobiographical one, so you might not like it.

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 26/11/2023 22:23

@Tiddlywinkly thank you - Alison looks very interesting and beautiful, i’ll definitely give that a go. Sabrina looks exactly how i’d expect the graphic equivalent of a booker shortlist book to look, and i usually treat the booker as a helpful list of books to avoid, so i might skip that for now 😊

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RubaiyatOfAnyone · 26/11/2023 22:20

@LifeofBrienne i’m not going to lie, i know Persopolis is incredibly well thought of but i tried to read it when it came out and it was so grindingly depressing i just couldn’t. I know it is autobiography and all real, but i read for entertainment and plot so it really isn’t aimed at me.

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