Lists: 10 Comic Book Series You Need to Read (even if you don't like comics) Part II
10 Comic Book Series You Need to Check Out (Part Two)
Part One can be found here.
Part One was a little heavy on the manga/Japanese comics. This wasn't intentional, but it wasn't surprising, either. I do read a lot of manga, because it's cheap and easy to find, but it's not all I read, so today we'll try to have a more even distribution.
I tried to limit myself to just ten titles, but a couple of extra titles might have snuck in at the end.
In no particular order:
FOR "ONCE UPON A TIME"...
Fables by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham
Monthly issues: running since 2002
Graphic novels: running since 2003
Plot: Hidden in the heart of bustling New York City is a secret neighborhood. Normal folks, like you and I, are unable to enter; powerful spells have been set up so that when we come near, we suddenly remember urgent appointments elsewhere or feel urged to take a different route. But the immigrants who live in the apartments of Fabletown are just as magical as the spells that keep us out. They're Fables, exiled from their Homelands by a powerful Emperor who looms as a constant threat to their security here. There is a war going on, a war of magic and intrigue, and the final outcome is anyone's guess as these immortal beings move between worlds in a never-ending battle.
Why I like it: Ever wonder what happened after 'happily ever after?' Snow White, Prince Charming, King Cole and Bluebeard are just a few of the famous literary figures living in Fabletown, but their charmed lives don't exactly follow the fairy tales we know and love. Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham have done a fantastic job of updating, blending and recreating the stories wegrew up on. Spin-offs like Jack of Fables have really added to the overall mythos of the Fables universe, which has expanded from the 'fairy tale' characters of the first volume to include 'Arabian Nights' and 'Americana' worlds, tapping into folklore from around the world.
FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY/MEMOIRS...
Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman
Original release: 2 volumes, 1972-1991.
This series has gone through several incarnations, first as a serial work in RAW magazine, then as two volumes, and now it's usually printed as a single book. I almost didn't put this on the list because it is most often found as a single volume now, but Maus did begin as a series so here it is.
Plot: Maus is told in a series of dialogues between Art Spiegelman and his father, Vladek, and is the story of Vladek's life in the 1930s and 1940s, when he lives under the control of the Nazis and eventually ends up in Auschwitz, separated from his wife and family. The young Vladek is resourceful, clever and heroic, a sharp contrast to the old man Art interviews, who is paranoid, controlling and drives Art crazy. Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, Art Spiegelman's Maus is probably the most highly acclaimed graphic novel of the 20th century.
Why I like it: It's really, really good. Spiegelman fully utilized the graphic novel medium to tell his story in a way that was compelling, even to those who normally can't stand comics. The peoples of the book are represented by different animals - Jews are mice, Germans are cats, etc - and there's a lot of symbolism in the design of individual panels, making this a popular book to use in school. (I personally got to analyze the hell out of it for one of my English classes, and I still liked the text afterwards. In my opinion, you need a strong story to make that work.)
FOR FANTASY...
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Because really, did you think I was going to make it all the way through a list without mentioning Neil Gaiman? That's just crazy talk!
Original monthly run: 1989-1996
Plot: Morpheus, King of the Dream World, is released from imprisonment and must regain his power. First he must take back his kingdom and regain the magical tools he uses in his office as Dream, and later he sets about retrieving runaway dreams and setting past wrongs right. It's a little hard to summarize the series, because there isn't a really visible overarching plot that I can talk about without revealing spoilers, and there are a lot of short stories mixed in. Hmm...this is the series that launched Gaiman's Endless franchise, and at this point there must be dozens of spin-offs and one-off comics, books, toys and other projects.
Why I like it: It's awesome.
Uh...that's all I got. Great storytelling, great art, fantastic characters. It was very adventurous in the way that the story was told, and in a world dominated by 80s-era superhero comic books The Sandman was absolutely unique. It got a lot of women reading comic books and really helped inspire stores to find shelf space for "alternative" comics. I think. What would I know? During the comic's original run I was too young to read it, so this is just me talking outta my butt. But I really do think The Sandman helped open a lot of doors.
SPEAKING OF COMICS THAT OPENED DOORS...
The Collected Works of Rumiko Takahashi
OK, this is a little different, and I know a lot of you are probably going "Huh?" But when I think
about the rapid rise of manga's popularity over the past decade among the general populace, I think the artist that may have had the biggest role in that is Rumiko Takahashi.
One of the first major Japanese series widely available in America was Ranma 1/2. Heck, at the time Ranma was pretty much the face of Viz Media. They printed Ranma comic books, dubbed Ranma DVDs, and produced countless posters, t-shirts and toys. In the late 90s, it was one of the few manga you'd find at big stores like Barnes & Noble. Popular with boys and girls, Ranma 1/2 really helped push manga into comic book stores (for a while it was even printed in single monthly issues, like American comic books) and showed that translating Japanese manga for American audiences could succeed.
If Ranma 1/2 pushed Japanese graphic novels into the comics industry, another one of Takahashi's series, Inu-Yasha, pushed manga into the mainstream. It's been extremely popular, with the anime running on Cartoon Network and the manga series consistently selling extremely well.
Why I like it: *shrug* Maybe I'm giving Rumiko Takahashi too much credit. But she's a solid writer who creates funny, entertaining stories. When you go to anime conventions, there are always plenty of people dressing up as her characters. She has a very enduring fanbase. While I wouldn't necessarily single out any one of her series for being mind-blowing amazing, she's an author worth checking out. IN America several of her stories have been released, including the series Ranma 1/2, Inu-Yasha, Maison Ikkoku, her Mermaid saga and parts Urusei Yatsura as well as several short story collections.
FOR FANS OF "CLASSIC" LITERATURE...
Age of Bronze by Eric Shanower
Original montly run: running since 1998
Graphic novels: running since 2001
Plot: Drawing on sources as varied as Homer's epic Iliad and the plays of Shakespeare, Eric Shanower's Age of Bronze series tells the story of the Trojan War. There are no gods and goddesses directly interfering with events; the story is told with as it would have played out in history. Thetis, for example, doesn't seem to be a supernatural nymph, but a sort of priestess, and Chiron isn't a horse-legged centaur. The gritty reality of this most famous story is painsakingly researched, and created with beautiful black and white art.
Why I like it: The art's gorgeous, and it's really interesting to see how Shanower has combined the many legends and myths surrounding the Trojan War and combined it with what can be ascertained from the historical record. That said, the slow release of the graphic novels drives me batty.
FOR AN INTRIGUING NEW SERIES...
Ooku: The Inner Chambers by Fumi Yoshinaga
Original Japanese edition: not sure, unfortunately
American release, published by Viz: first volume published in August
Plot: Set in the Edo era, Ooku is an interesting alternative history of Japan. A mysterious disease wipes out the men; after two or three generations only a quarter of the male population's previous size remains. Women have taken over the positions of power; they are the heads of households and government leaders; even the Shogun is now a woman. Men have become so rare that only the wealthiest families can afford a husband, and desperate women will pay exorbitant prices for a chance to get pregnant. But the most beautiful and the most clever men are sent to live in the palace harem of the Shogun.
Why I like it: It's such a simple idea, really: take men away from a country like Japan, where men dominated every aspect of daily life, and what happens? But it's fascinating to see how Yoshinaga plays with her culture's past, and how Japanese society changes and evolves. It did annoy me that the speakers use Ye Olde English, with 'thee' and 'thou' sprinkled all over. It doesn't flow smoothly from the tongues of the speakers. But the role reversal creates a surreal "what-if" story to enjoy.
Other titles that almost got put onto the list, but didn't quite make it (again, no particular order):
Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa
The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde by P. Craig Russell
Zot! by Scott McCloud
Elfquest by Richard and Wendy Pini
something by Frank Miller, but to be honest I've never actually read any of his books. (Yes, I know. I suck.)
Persepolis by Marjane Satropi
Battle Angel Alita/Gunnm by Yukito Kushiro