Graphic Novels

Graphic Novel – Comic books and comics that are bound and sold as hardcover or trade paperbacks.

Manga – Japanese graphic novels or comics. Manga is read from back to front. Major publishers are TokyoPop and Viz Communications."

Collins, Max Allen. The Road to Perdition. Pocket Books, 1998.
Originally published as a single-volume graphic novel, this is the comics work upon which the Tom Hanks movie is based. It's the story of Michael O'Sullivan, a feared and religiously inclined mob hit man who's brutally betrayed-and the fierce vengeance he wreaks. It's 1930 and O'Sullivan works for the Looneys, an Irish mob family with a stranglehold on the politics and businesses of a small Mid-western city. Curious about his dad's mysterious "job," Michael Jr. stows away in his car to see what he does for a living. He inadvertently witnesses his father and one of the Looneys murder a crooked cop and his partners. Fearing what the kid saw, the Looneys set the O'Sullivans up to be killed. They murder O'Sullivan's wife and younger son, leaving him stunned but determined to have his revenge. The Looneys go into hiding, and O'Sullivan and son set out to find them, encountering the celebrities of gangland Chicago along the way. Collins writes a good gangster yarn based on historical personalities and full of crisp dialogue, violent action and brooding overtones of religious redemption. But O'Sullivan is essentially a superhero in a fedora, and his ability to kill an overwhelming number of adversaries with nary a scratch to show for it is a bit unrealistic. Rayner's b&w drawings are striking. They are precisely rendered with strikingly delineated faces. Like movie posters, his drawings capture the action with a combination of slick draftsmanship and the bleak and shadowy forms of cinematic noir.

David, Peter. Supergirl DC comics Young Adult/some language and skin
This is not like the comic books I read when growing up. This one is 223 pages and is divided into chapters and short stories. The theme throughout is good versus evil plus identity issues for Supergirl. I must admit that the super heroes I read about several decades ago battled problems the police couldn't handle but not demons or fallen angels. The dark side is prevalent in this one. Some expletive not deleted and some states of undress plus the topic would make this for mid to older teen appropriate.

Gaiman, Neil (story) Artwork by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenberg, et al The Sandman Vol. IV: Season of Mists. Suggested age group: adult
As children we all heard it was The Sandman who put us to sleep at night. Neil Gaiman turns that childhood figure into a haunting, intense character: Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, often referred to in the Sandman series as simply, "Dream." Morpheus lives in the super-elaborate Dream Castle and is frequently visited by his siblings, among them Destiny, Desire, Death, Delirium, and Despair. Surreal enough for you yet? Try this: Morpheus visits hell in search of one of his old loves who has been stranded there, but when he arrives, he finds hell deserted—except for Lucifer, who has decided he’s tired of the job of keeping hell and hands his keys over to Morpheus, who must now decide what to do with them. It is a dreadful responsibility, particularly when gods and goddesses from cultures all over the world assemble at the Dream Castle to fight over who should be the next ruler of hell. Season of Mists is considered the peak of the Sandman saga by some fans for its riveting storyline, and one of the advantages of this installment is that someone unfamiliar with the storyline and characters can come in at this point and still follow the narrative. The artwork is detailed enough to make your eyes ache, with each panel reminding us that as the King of Dreams, Morpheus is flexible in appearance as well as personality. For example, when discussing the keys of hell with a member of the Oriental pantheon, he takes on an Oriental appearance himself, complete with kimono and epicanthic folds in his eyelids. When speaking with Bast, the cat goddess of Egypt, he develops somewhat pointed ears and a feline appearance. Yet he is still clearly himself in all these guises. The Sandman series is an essential work for fans of graphic novels. Most libraries would catalog it Adult due to some extremely disturbing imagery and offensive potential with the keys of hell storyline in Season of Mists.

Gaiman, Neil. Artwork by Andy Kubert, Richard Isanove, Todd Klein, and Scott McKowen. Marvel 1602. Suggested age group: teens and adults
These names from the Marvel superhero universe are already familiar to many: Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Captain America. We know them through comic books, movies, and television cartoons. However, we are accustomed to seeing them against the backdrop of large cities, complete with astonishing technology, secret hideouts, and latex costuming. In Marvel 1602, these familiar expectations are turned upside down as Neil Gaiman explores the "what if" of placing these figures some three hundred years in the past. The crisis, as always, is dire: the end of the world is imminent and only our heroes can avert the apocalypse, but can they do it in time? The appeal to long-term fans of the Marvel comic universe is a given, and part of the fun of Marvel 1602 is comparing the Elizabethan English versions to their modern-day counterparts. For example, Peter Parker (Spiderman) is there in the form of one Peter Parquagh, though this version has not yet been bitten by the spider that will give him his powers. However, the story is constructed so that readers who know nothing of Marvel comics can enjoy it, and it could be an entertaining introduction to the various characters. Full of twists and turns, Gaiman’s plot is gripping and the artwork is a visual feast. Highly recommended for readers who already enjoy graphic novels and for newcomers to the genre as well.

Pekar, Harvey. Best of American Splendor Ballantine Books, 2005. (Adult – but not excessive in explicit language, sex or violence)
Who is Harvey Pekar? Well, he is a man working as a file clerk in a V. A. hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. He is basically humble and down-to-earth, but can occasionally be testy. He moves in his down-trodden fashion from one cheap apartment to another and about the most exciting thing that happens to him is locking his keys in his car. Your next question, if you are not already familiar with him, might be: who cares? The answer is plenty of people. Harvey Pekar is also the writer and originator of a two decades old autobiographical comic strip called American Splendor which has garnered many fans. Pekar enlisted the talent of underground comic artists to illustrate his "everyman" chronicle. The well-known R. Crumb heads this group and some of the other artists include Kevin Brown, Greg Budgett, Sean Carroll, Sue Cavey, Gary Damm, Val Mayerick and Gerry Shamray. While such a diverse group of artists results in a variety of graphic styles – the quality of the graphics never suffers. The recent film, "American Splendor" (both Oscar-nominated and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival) has revived interest in the comic strip and has attracted new fans. While Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis deliver amazing and memorable performances, most of the critical accolades focus on the screenplay. Harvey Pekar has adapted his own life into a comic strip. Then, screen writers, Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, take Pekar’s life and his body of work and render them beautifully and cohesively into another format or medium – that of film. Both the comic series and the film succeed in making the everyday and ordinary sublime. Both are highly recommended.

Moore, Alan and Kevin O’Neill, Story and Artwork. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. I. Suggested age group: adults
They are not "gentlemen" by most definitions of the term—in fact, one of them is a woman. But the "extraordinary" is one hundred percent accurate. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is an assembly of several prominent figures from Victorian literature, all of whom fall just a bit outside of polite society. Together, they form a crime-fighting team who must save England and the world from the evil machinations of Doctor Fu Manchu. Lovers of Victorian and Edwardian literature will enjoy this tongue- in-cheek treatment of such characters as Allan Quatermain, Captain Nemo, Doctor Henry Jekyll and his alter ego Mister Hyde, Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, and Mrs. Mina Murray. There is also a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume II, in which the team fights the Martian invaders from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. One of the treats of this graphic novel is the literary inside jokes, as when Quatermain cries out "Tell me who you are!" and Captain Nemo replies, "No one." The artwork is lavish in the detailed Victorian style and filled with sight gags, as when Mina Murray examines a group portrait of a former "league" from the late 1700’s. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a witty and intelligent graphic novel, but some depictions of gruesome violence along with several erotic scenes place it squarely in the adult collection.

Spiegelman, Art. (Artwork and story) Maus: A Survivor’s Tale (Part I—My Father Bleeds History). Suggested age group: older teens and adults Art
Spiegelman’s Maus is one of the most unusual pieces of Holocaust literature in existence: a graphic novel that depicts the Jews as mice and the Nazis as cats. However, there is nothing comical or disrespectful in Spiegelman’s treatment of this horrifying subject. Within the first few pages of this groundbreaking work, the reader will be caught up in the narrative of Vladek Spiegelman, Holocaust survivor, as he tells the tale of his experiences to his son. The story switches timeframes from Nazi Germany and Poland of the 1940’s to the present day, and there are also shifts in point of view; the family conflicts of the Spiegelman family and the personality clashes between Vladek and his son, or Vladek and his wife, are treated with all the gravity and seriousness Spiegelman gives to the terrifying background of the Reich’s genocidal policies. This first installment ends with Vladek’s arrival at Auschwitz, to be continued in Maus II. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, Maus is a fascinating and original treatment of the Holocaust.

Stradley, Fabbri, Dalla Vecchir, McCaig. Star Wars: Jedi Council: Acts of War. (Not intended for children)
Long before the shadow of the dark side fell with the emergence of the Phantom Menace (Star Wars Episode I) there is galactic unrest. A renegade group of warriors named the Yinchorri are threatening peace in the galaxy. The Jedi Knights, under the leadership of the Jedi Council, are the keepers of peace, and are always there to bring balance and restore order. A task force led by Jedi Master Mace Windu is deployed to the Yinchorri world to do just that. Many Jedi are killed, as well as one of the leading members of the Jedi Council. While on Yichor the Jedi find themselves out numbered and out gunned, but in true Jedi fashion they escape victorious and conquer the Yinchor system. Although it appears that a victory has been won by the Jedi, Yoda, suspects a deeper motive. In the end it is discovered that the Yinchorri were only ponds in the eyes of Dark side. With the threat of Yinchorri control eliminated by the Jedi, the Sith Lords, followers of the dark side of the force, can continue their plans of galactic control uninterrupted by this potential foe. An interesting action packed read.

Yoshizumi, Wataru. Marmalade Boy #2. 2002.
This graphic novel is the second in a series by one of the leading Japanese manga creators, Wataru Yoshizumi. The book is read right-to left and back to front in authentic manga-style. The story follows Miki, a high school girl, who is facing her parent’s remarriage, a new stepbrother, Yuu, who is also a love interest, along with Ginta, a former and possibly continuing love interest. Other characters include Arimi, Yuu’s former girlfriend and Meiko, Miki’s best friend. There is also a background story of a tennis match with a rival high school. This is a continuing story in the Marmalade Boy Series. It is recommended to high school students with an interest in Japanese manga and/or those enjoying stories of teenage love mixed with sports. According to one teenager that enjoys reading Japanese manga, "teens like to read these books because they are funny."

Recommendations by Age

Pre-Teens | Younger Teens | Teens | Older Teens/Adults

Pre-Teens

Akiko

Astro Boy

Bone

Cardcaptor Sakura

Digimon

Dragon Ball Z

Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders

Electric Girl

Hikaru no Go

Magic Knight Rayearth

Miracle Girls

Yotsubato (older children)

Pokemon Adventures

Rave Master

Rebound

Record of the Lodoss War: Welcome to Lodoss Island

Sailor Moon

Sand Land

Shaolin Sisters

Tokyo Mew Mew

Whistle

Younger Teens

Amazing Spider-Man

Avengers

Duel Masters

Fantastic Four

Fruits Maker

JLA

Kare Kano

Miyazaki’s Spirited Away

Peach Girl

Ranma ½

Spider-Man

Spy Boy

Teen-Titans

Ultimate Spider-Man

Ultimate X-Men

Uncanny X-Men

X-Men

Teens

Bleach

Samurai Champloo

DNAngel

Dragon Ball

FLCL

Gundam Wing

Full Metal Alchemist

Initial D

Love Hina

Marmalade Boy

Naruto

One Piece

Ruroni Kenshin

Saint Seiya Knights of the Zodiac

xxxHolic

Yu-Gi-Oh

Yu-Yu-Hakusho

Zatch Bell

Older Teens/Adults

Abenobashi: Magical Shopping Arcade

Ai Yori Aoshi

Astro City

Blade of the Immortal

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Fushigi Yugi

Get Backers

Hana Kimi

Immortal Rain

Legal Drug

Lupin III

Sin City

Samurai Deeper Kyo

Tokyo Babylon

X/1999

Helpful Websites About Graphic Novels

Wikipedia Entry on Graphic Novelshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novels

Comic Book Awards Almanac: Glossary (for a definition of graphic novels) http://users.rcn.com/aardy/comics/awards/glossary.shtml

Reviews of Graphic Novels for Kids, Teens, and Adults http://www.noflyingnotights.com/

What are Manga and Anime? http://stuff.mit.edu/people/rei/Expl.html

Librarians’ Guide to Anime and Manga http://www.koyagi.com/Libguide.html

BBC Guide to Anime and Manga http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A487604

April 13, 2005