Dragons & Jetpacks discussion

So I'm relatively new here, but I thought I would throw this out there. Within the past month or two I've had half a dozen people ask me about what, if any, graphic novels I read. Unfortunately this is an area I am vastly unfamiliar with, though I read quite a few comics as a kid. Any suggestions from anyone on what you may have read and what a good starting point would be?

I myself have not read that many graphic novels, but the ones i have read were really good, i should probably read more! If only they weren't so expensive...

I imagine a lot of people will second me on this when i say you should read Neil Gaiman's 'The Sandman' novels. Both the story and the artwork are superb, especially if you're into fantasy.

I also really enjoyed the Preacher books that i've read.

I've been reading all the Marvel (well, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Avengers and a couple of other heroes like Ms Marvel) comics I can get my hands on lately :D Not even in any order, just getting them from the library as I see them.

The Sandman came as the most recommended so I suppose that's the place to start, besides everything else by Neil Gaiman I have read I have loved so odds are good I'll like this too.

Other than that The Watchman was the other series that people tend to talk about being brilliant, though growing up I read a lot of x-men and x-force comics so I would like to pick something in that realm too.

And then there is always Batman...

Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it!

Afterlife with Archie - Book One

This is what I'm currently reading as far as graphic novels go- and of course I second (third?) Sandman

So separate issue altogether, do you mainly read electronic versions or does nostalgia and the collector impulse take over and you buy a "real" copy

I mostly borrow from the library :P

But I don't like to read electronic versions of comics unless it's an advanced copy. Even then, it's not ideal but there's no other choice.

Agreed, mostly I listen to audiobooks (don't hate me), that's my first choice and then it's pretty evenly divided between digital and hardcover. All my audiobooks I either check out or download from the library.

Audiobooks of graphic novels? They do those? :o

No just audiobooks in general, I just finished Ready Player One on audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton, very very good. Graphic Novels I'm just starting to try to get into.

A dramatic reading of a graphic novel, complete with sound fx would be good! :P

That does sound fun, if your interested, some of the Star Wars novels on audiobook are full of all kinds of sound effects and music. Lightsabers, explosions, everything, makes a huge difference!

Actually, Rinn, they do. I have the audiobook of DC's Kingdom Come miniseries, and it's amazingly well done.

Mark wrote: "No just audiobooks in general, I just finished Ready Player One on audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton, very very good. Graphic Novels I'm just starting to try to get into."

Wil Wheaton! That's so cool!!

I would always recommend Watchmen for a read. I love it!

I'm also reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time graphic novels as they are published. But the graphic novel series isn't finished so may not be a great thing to start with if you haven't read the written series.

I've also read Batman: Year One, and The Lovecraft Anthology, Vol 1, The Lovecraft Anthology: Volume 2, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 - all of which were good!

I also have From Hell, Batman: Arkham Asylum - A Serious House on Serious Earth, and 3 Game of Thrones graphic novels on my shelves waiting to be read!

I've also recently become interested in investigating the Star Wars: Omnibus series of graphic novels!

Wow thanks Kirsty, that sounds like a healthy list to get me started!

I read all the ice and fire series multiple times over starting when I was an undergrad, are the graphic novels the same story or do they add anything new to the plot?

I don't know much about them at the moment to be honest, I'm currently working my way through the books for the first time (on book 3 pt2 currently) so want to wait till I'm through to pick them up. The artwork looks good though!

A lot of the Marvel NOW books are fantastic.

is a great teen hero book.

should be a TV series I swear. I'd watch it all the bloody time.

is just...like wow!

Read The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes and The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll's House in the last couple of months - freaaaaaky but really good! Will hopefully pick up vol. 3 soon.

I also read Batman: Arkham Asylum - A Serious House on Serious Earth recently. Jesus. That's even more of a treat!

Saga and Ratqueens. Both brilliant! Also Guardians of the Galaxy

George rr martins hedge knight series is good.I like graphic novels,but dont read very many.Want to read clive barkers.

The comics and graphic novels to look forward to in 2016 – part one - On The Guardian
The comics and graphic novels to look forward to in 2016 – part two - On The Guardian

I've never read one, but I own two graphic novels that I hope to read on my next trip... Saga, Volume 1 and The Pretenders.

It was the Halloween ComicFest today, so I picked up a few free comics to try out, as well as browsing for new titles at my local independent comic store :)

Think about half my reading now is graphic novel and comic formats. Always on the look out for a new series. Recently finished Paper Girls, and working through Wicked and The Divine at the moment. Also reading Once and Future, and Ascender

Oh and Die, which is awesome

Ahh I've read a little Paper Girls which was good, and I liked what I've read of Rat Queens too. I saw Ascender in the shop which I've noted as wanting to read, but not sure if need to read Descender first?

Definitely need to read Descender first. Pretty sure Ascender won't moke sense without it

Okidoke, thanks for the advice, thought that might be the case :)

Worth the read anyway. Descender was really good.one of the first series I got into

At least half of my reading is comics. (I hate the term 'graphic novel' because most of them are more like short stories than novels.)

There is a new adaptation of a Neil Gaiman story: Snow, Glass, Apples. It is one of my faves from this year. It tells the real story of Snow White and her not wicked step-mother.

Another recent fave is Paper Girls which just ended with Volume 6.

I'm giving a try to Planet of the Apes Omnibus because it is written by Daryl Gregory.

Really enjoyed Paper Girls. Quirky and different. May check out Planet of the Apes.

Ahh Snow, Glass, Apples is on my tbr pile somewhere.

I'm a comics writer and artist when I have time (that I'm not spending reading my Marvel vs DC books!) We have an upcoming comics festival in Yorkshire called Thought Bubble so I'm looking forward to that.

I tend to Wishlist the comics everyone is excited about in the moment and buy at least 6 months later if there's still a halo of critical acclaim about the title (helps if the title has gone on sale, too!) (Same with videogames / books / etc. tbh.) My local libraries are great and I have been working my way slowly through The Walking Dead. Also have Master Keaton, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Seraph of the End, Delilah Dirk, 1001 Knights compendium, A Girl on the Shore and lots lots more on my TBR / reading shelves...

Unusually I have pre-ordered NK Jemisin's upcoming Far Sector tho on Comixology as I love the MC visual design... tho I've not read Broken Earth trilogy yet so I'm just going on her reputation!

Ascender looks really beautiful, I don't think I see much with that sort of watercolour art style.

Emmeline wrote: "I don't think I see much with that sort of watercolour art style ..."

Many of Jeff Lemire's books are watercolor, not just Descender/Ascender, and he is good writer.

I do something similar to you as far as usually waiting a while before reading something new.

If folk are happy to read digital comics/graphic novels, the current Humble Bundle is pretty good:

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/15...

It's a great offer, Vinca! I'm tempted by the Alex Ross book on its own...

It's a great offer, Vinca! I'm tempted by the Alex Ross book on its own...

Sadly stick with paper. Never really gotten into the digital side of things for books in any form but still a good offer

I've read so many great graphic novels lately! Sticking with the sci-fi/fantasy theme first I loved Teen Titans: Raven which is a Teen Titans mini series before they got together to form the iconic group.

Non theme related graphic novels that excited me lately were the two books in the Four Points series, Compass South and Knife's Edge which has great art. It's about pirates and sailors, in short.

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me is a beautiful LGBTQ+ friendly novel with a hard lesson taught and learned.

And finally, Pumpkinheads which is a sweet little graphic novel perfect for autumn...too bad it's January...

Series' that I am collecting are Fables and Sandman, graphic novels are fairly pricey so I'm not getting everything in physical.

I've recently read Descender and Ascender series which were great - good storylines and beautiful art.

For something a bit lighter, Lumberjanes is wonderful (friendship to the max!) and Giant Days reminds me more than a little of university days!

I'm currently reading Mouseguard which feels like a slightly more gritty Redwall and is a visual delight.

Odds and sods that I have which are interesting are: Books of Magic (more Gaiman), Okko (samurai and demons/magic), and Alpha (a fairly wordless exploration of the development of geology and life since the Big Bang)