Graphic Novels

[Xerus]

Does anyone here like graphic novels? I usually like to go to book stores and search for those comic book like novels with great artwork and cool stories. My favorites are.....

The Finieous Treasury

Super Information Hijinks, Reality Check

Cameron and his Dinosaurs

Amulet

The Kingdom Hearts manga series

And there's this online graphic novel I'm getting into called, The Dreamland Chronicles.

http://www.thedreamlandchronicles.com/

Reading these books almost makes me feel like watching Saturday Morning cartoons. And I can just picture these novels getting animated and voice artists that would be perfect for each character.

 

[Baby Gonzo]

I love The Dreamland Chronicles! It's a fantastic Web-comic. I love kid friendly comics

I love all kinds of comics and graphic novels. Most of my physical collection consists of manga, but there are also long format, graphic-novel styled Web-comics that are free to read.

One of my favorite American made graphic novels is a little known comic called Lunar Boy, which was created by a friend of mine from college. His Web-comic, Lunar Boy Land is a prequel to the books that he has out. http://lunarboyland.com/ This comic is kid friendly.

Another of my favorite long form comics is Sorcery 101. (http://veiledtruths.com/) It's spin off comics, As We Were, Strange Someone, and From Scratch are also great reads. These comics are intended for an older. PG-13 audience. Unfortunately, I don't think there's a book out yet, but I think the first few chapters can be purchased and downloaded to be put on an ipod.

There are other comics like....
http://www.sisterclaire.com/ - Sister Claire, (PG-13) which is about a pregnant nun
http://www.junglestudio.com/roza/?date= - Roza, which is just pretty and well done.
http://thebrainseed.com/brightleaf/ - Brightleaf, which is a new comic that is just getting started, but it's already fantastic

....and SO many others I recommend, but I really have to get to work now!

 

[GonzoLeaper]

I like comic books. And graphic novels. And some limited manga. And whatever other term one wants to apply to animation. Cartoons and comic books- I like both pretty well. (But I am selective of which ones.)
As far as comics that I like to read nowadays, it's mainly Archie.
But I do browse through some of the DC and Marvel titles from time to time. There's a few other select comics I like from various publishers and many are TV-based titles. I've looked through some of the latest Muppet comics from BOOM, but I haven't been terribly impressed with the artwork and the stories didn't seem to be that funny either. Maybe I just picked a bad issue. The Muppet Peter Pan does look much better on artwork though- hopefully the script is well done too.

 

[dwmckim]

I like comic books. And graphic novels. And some limited manga. And whatever other term one wants to apply to animation. Cartoons and comic books- I like both pretty well. (But I am selective of which ones.)
As far as comics that I like to read nowadays, it's mainly Archie.
But I do browse through some of the DC and Marvel titles from time to time. There's a few other select comics I like from various publishers and many are TV-based titles. I've looked through some of the latest Muppet comics from BOOM, but I haven't been terribly impressed with the artwork and the stories didn't seem to be that funny either. Maybe I just picked a bad issue. The Muppet Peter Pan does look much better on artwork though- hopefully the script is well done too.

I've loved comics since i was a kid. They always seemed like a great combination between tv and books - you could see the action and expressions on characters' faces as well as the enjoyment of reading. I always loved anthologies of my fave comic strips (which goes back to having all these handed-down Peanuts paperbacks when i was a kid) and still do. As per comic books i always liked more comedic ones which are really kind of rare (i do still love Archie comics and will pick up several if i see them at the secondhand store; can get a whole bunch for real cheap - i dearly love slapstickish humor and they do it well.) Never really got into super "super-hero" or action-based comics but i did eventually get into Marvel's Alpha Flight and ended up collecting all three runs of the title.

Also bought the comic book versions of Simpsons and Ren & Stimpy regularly since both really maintained and kept alive the spirit of the respective shows (and in the case of R&S were often BETTER than the actual shows).

I'd be curious as to which issue of the Muppets comic you checked out as it may very well have been a weaker issue. I've been loving the heck out of these and they've felt more Muppety than some of the stuff the "actual" writers. I'll admit Langridge's art takes getting used to if you're not into that type of style (personally i love more wild underground-abstract art in terms of the Muppets and i'd actually like to see Langridge go a little more wild, though i seem to be in the minority on that one). Maybe you might be one of the fans that would more appreciate the four-issue compilation books.

Have you had a chance to check out BOOM's Farscape comics? I've been loving these immensely (though i do tend to look much more forward to the regular stories continuing the story more than the backstory titles featuring D'Argo)

 

[GonzoLeaper]

I'd be curious as to which issue of the Muppets comic you checked out as it may very well have been a weaker issue

I think it was one of the Peg Leg Wilson issues. I mean, storywise I guess it was okay, but some things just seemed to fall flat.
And to be really frank, I just thought the artwork looked really awful and that's kinda turned me off too.
But I do like the artwork from the Muppet Peter Pan comics- that seems to be a much nicer and better representation of the Muppets.

Maybe you might be one of the fans that would more appreciate the four-issue compilation books.

Probably. I usually prefer to read story arcs all at once if possible.
(Which is generally what I wind up doing with the "new look" Archie story arcs.)

Have you had a chance to check out BOOM's Farscape comics? I've been loving these immensely (though i do tend to look much more forward to the regular stories continuing the story more than the backstory titles featuring D'Argo)

Hmm- didn't realize BOOM was doing Farscape. To be honest, I haven't really watched any of Farscape other than bits and pieces. Maybe if I had a chance to check out the show I might be more into it and appreciate the comics better.

 

[Drtooth]

Also bought the comic book versions of Simpsons and Ren & Stimpy regularly since both really maintained and kept alive the spirit of the respective shows (and in the case of R&S were often BETTER than the actual shows).

The ones written by Dan Slott, maybe... but there was a LOT of junk they published once he left. I remember a LOT of bad art creeping in halfway through the run... sometimes they even used pictures cut from the style guide! But the Dan Slot/ Mike Kazaleha or Ken Mitchrony ones really captured the spirit of the show, while making it uniquely its own.

You haven't read BAD comic adaptions until you've read Carlton Comics' Hanna Barbera comics. Horrible, sloppy artwork, loose handle on the characters (I.e. interchangable dialogue... interchangeable with any cartoon character that ever existed). I read a Yogi Bear reprinted in a Harvey comic edition that was just terrible. Like it was written by a foreign guy from a weird country who had only the barest grasp of American pop culture. One comic was all about Yogi Bear seeing the "Hi Guy" shaving cream spokesman in the mirror with NO plot for 5+ pages. That crap wouldn't fly today!