Ten Book Tuesday... Read Graphic (Novels)
Okay, first thing first. A graphic novel is not simply a
longer version of a comic book, but a serialised comic can be published in a graphic novel format. Graphic novels are
usually stand-alone stories, so they can be read in their entirety in a single
book.
And if you think graphic novels are nothing but spandex and
superheroes, think again. Here is a selection of ten classic and up-and-coming
graphic novels for the seasoned fan to expand their horizons, or for newcomers
keen to dip a toe into a diverse new medium of storytelling.
Considered by some to be the penultimate classic of graphic
novels, in the multi-award winning Sandman
Neil Gaiman weaves together ancient mythology, folklore and fairy tales. Volume
one tells the story of an occultist who attempts to capture Death in order to
bargain for eternal life, but who captures Death’s younger brother, Dream,
instead.
This is where the acclaimed television series began.
Kirkman’s Walking Dead has redefined
the survival horror genre. Led by former police-officer Rick Grimes, a diverse
band of survivors look for a future in a world that no longer has one. It is
far more than an apocalyptic zombie tale; it is a story that questions what it
means to live in a world populated by the dead.
From Hell is the
New York Times bestselling graphic novel set in the mind of a madman whose
savagery and violence gave birth to the 20th century: Jack the Ripper.
Detailing the events leading up to the Whitechapel killings, and the infamous
murders themselves, this dark masterpiece of historical fiction was adapted
into a major motion picture starring Johnny Depp.
Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling
author Joe Hill creates in Locke &
Key a unique dark fantasy world set in a New England mansion, complete with
doors that transform all who dare walk through them, and home to a hate-filled
and relentless creature. It is a tragic but uplifting story of a family living
in the aftermath of loss.
Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus
is widely considered a classic and profound story of the Holocaust. Art
Spiegelman anthropomorphises the characters (Nazis are cats, Jews become mice)
in the tale-within-a-tale story of his father, Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish
survivor of Hitler’s Europe, and himself as he tries to come to terms with his tortured
family history.
One of the most critically acclaimed series of the last
decade, Y the Last Man is at once
humorous and socially relevant. It is the story of the only human survivor of a
plague targeting every mammal possessing a Y chromosome. In his travels Yorick,
the last man, is accompanied by a mysterious government agent, a brilliant
young geneticist and his pet monkey, Ampersand.
The sell-out hit Revival starts on a day in rural central
Wisconsin
when the dead come back to life. Officer Dana Cypress must deal with the
aftermath: media scrutiny, religious zealots and government quarantine. While
the living have to learn to deal with those who are supposed to be dead, Dana
is also trying to investigate the murder of her recently-returned sister.
The adaption of this coming-of-age
graphic novel won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. Blue is the Warmest Colour is about
Clementine: a French high school student who finds love in an unexpected place.
When she meets Emma, a blue-haired punkish girl, Clementine finds herself in a
relationship that will test her friendships, her family, and her own ideas
about herself and her identity.
Blankets is an
autobiographic tale of sibling rivalry between brothers growing up in the
isolated countryside, and the budding romance of two lovers in the face of
falling from grace and faith. The novel garnered numerous accolades, including
Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz Awards for Best Graphic Novel and Best Cartoonist.
