Graphic Novels: The Classics

Over nearly a century, the comics industry has established itself as a rich and diverse format that offers an incredible array of amazing tales. Long perceived as simply being the domain of superheroes, graphic novels have come into their own over the past three decades. More and more readers are recognizing the significant storytelling accomplishments the field has to offer. But those looking for a good place to start can find the thousands of available titles difficult to wade through. Here’s a primer on the best, the ultimate classics in the graphic novel industry --- the perfect place for any new graphic novel reader to start. Read and enjoy; you won’t be disappointed.

THE COMPLETE MAUS: A Survivor’s Tale Art Spiegelman Pantheon ISBN: 9780679406419 • Buy from Amazon.com A child of Holocaust survivors, Art Spiegelman created a striking retelling of Nazi Germany in MAUS. He took a disturbing quote from Adolf Hitler (“The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human”) and used it as inspiration for turning the Holocaust into a grisly cat-and-mouse game. Moreover, he laid bare his own troubled relationship with his father and his guilt over the suicide of his mother. The result is epic and so simple at the same time; the combination is ultimately so disarming that the reader is overwhelmed by the sheer force of it all. You don’t so much read MAUS as surrender to it. The atrocity of the situation is magnified by the storyteller’s innate gift at bringing out such specific examples of humanity, from its simple joys to its deep sadnesses. Is there something very telling about the child of a Holocaust survivor depicting his own people as rodents and their oppressors as sly cats? Possibly. The question is certainly worth pondering while reading, especially considering how Spiegelman and his father interact and the painful way they can’t ever seem to see eye to eye. But the use of cartoon animal imagery in the book shows off the fact that this is the most insidious example of the predator and prey relationship in recent human history. The first MAUS won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992 (its almost equally moving sequel, MAUS II, is collected here as well) and was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award, and deservedly so.

WATCHMEN Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons DC Comics ISBN: 9780930289232 • Buy from Amazon.com

SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING, Book 1 Alan Moore, Steve Bissette and John Totleben Vertigo/DC Comics ISBN: 9780930289225 • Buy from Amazon.com

V FOR VENDETTA Alan Moore and David Lloyd Vertigo/DC Comics ISBN: 9780930289522 • Buy from Amazon.com Arguably the most famous and respected graphic novel writer, Alan Moore is a legend in the field. His works have been hailed as brilliant, and over the past quarter century, the prolific writer has managed to create some of the most memorable works in comics history. No list of the best graphic novels would be complete without his name; for our listing of classics here, we had to limit his representation to just three works. These are the three essential works of Moore, but there are others that are excellent and deserving of attention. If Moore’s name appears, it’s virtually a given that what you’re about to read will be terrific. Moore first made a name for himself in the American comics market for his work on Saga of the Swamp Thing. Within the pages of this monthly comic book, which he began writing in 1984, Moore took an underdeveloped monster comic and transformed it into a creepy, surreal horror series. This first collection reprints the initial books in Moore’s run on the series (several more volumes of his work are available; all of them are worth reading), and it includes one of the most singular chilling moments in graphic novel history: A scene in which Abby, a human with a powerful connection to Swamp Thing, realizes the truth about her husband Matthew, who is not at all as healthy as he may seem, and his work for the evil Blackriver Recorporations. In these pages, Moore shook up an entire industry and showed everyone what the form could deliver. Moore kept right on shaking things up in 1986’s WATCHMEN, probably his seminal work. WATCHMEN was a reworking of the comics of the industry’s heyday in the 1940s and 1950s. But in Moore’s vision, superheroes battled alcoholism, sexism, impotence, love, politics and isolation just like everyone else in the world. No longer were heroes just superhuman; Moore put the emphasis on the human and laid his characters bare for all to see. Added to the mix were a backdrop of Cold War-era fears and threats of nuclear aggression and, to boot, a murder mystery. The story is intense and sprawling, as well as perfectly complemented by the intricate artwork of Dave Gibbons. V FOR VENDETTA technically predates WATCHMEN --- it was originally published in England in 1981, but it was first published in America in 1989 --- and features a creepy iconoclast out to overthrow a fascist British government. At turns violent and gritty, V FOR VENDETTA combines some of the outrageous elements of political paranoia with a call to action. The title character, a mysterious figure who may or may not be acting solely out of revenge, is one of the impressive creations of comics history. It’s not an overstatement to say that it would be almost impossible to appreciate the modern state of the graphic novel format without reading Moore’s work. The outstanding quality of his output since the early ’80s has continued at its unparalleled level ever since. These three works represent America’s first introduction to Moore; what he has continued to do (such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and FROM HELL) can be forgiven for being overshadowed by his other works. That doesn’t mean they should be missed, though.

BONE: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume Jeff Smith Cartoon Books ISBN: 9781888963144 • Buy from Amazon.com Beginning in 1991 and continuing on for the next 12 years, Jeff Smith created a long epic story simply called Bone. Equally accessible for children and adults, Bone is the story of three cousins, all with the last name of Bone, who have been unceremoniously kicked out of Boneville. As they try to find their way back, they encounter a strange cast of characters --- some human, some animal and some indescribable. A delightful fantasy, Bone belies simple description --- it’s not just a children’s fable featuring funny cartoon characters, although it certainly appears that way at the beginning. But as the 12-year-long story unfolds over 1,300-plus pages, it becomes something much more: a darker story of courage and heroism. Most of all, it’s a completely satisfying romp.

THE CONTRACT WITH GOD TRILOGY Will Eisner W. W. Norton ISBN: 9780393061055 • Buy from Amazon.com Long considered to be the first graphic novel, A CONTRACT WITH GOD comes from comics pioneer Will Eisner, who created fictional Dropsie Avenue in New York City’s Lower East Side to serve as the setting for his semiautobiographical work. The Jewish merchants and inhabitants of Dropsie Avenue play out their lives here and embody quintessential American experiences. Eisner uses the Great Depression, World War II, civil rights and more to encompass the large canvas of his work. Three separate volumes are included here; they seamlessly blend together to create a rich landscape of human drama.

THE SANDMAN, Volumes 1-10 Neil Gaiman and various authors Vertigo/DC Comics • Buy from Amazon.com After the success of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing created a mini-British Invasion in the comics world in the mid-’80s, fellow Brit Neil Gaiman created the astoundingly literate Sandman. Loosely tied in to the superhero mythos of the DC Comics brand, Sandman inhabits a universe all its own. Its title character, named Dream, is one of seven siblings known as The Endless (his sister Death is largely responsible for inspiring the Goth look of the early ’90s). Other members include the delightful Delirium (based on Gaiman’s friend Tori Amos), Destruction, Despair, Desire and Destiny. Gaiman begins his series by establishing Dream’s place in the world as he returns to his post after years of imprisonment. With his realm in disarray, he begins to rebuild, while in the background, classic elements of horror and mystery play out. The story has conveniently been collected into 10 separate volumes (other larger collections also exist) that can be read as stand-alone pieces or, even better, as a complete unfolding work. Sandman contains some of the best works of fantasy to ever grace comics’ pages. The tension of the drama playing out is all too real for the reader as Dream fights to maintain his rightful place in the Endless against deceit and treachery. Gaiman’s work was recognized in 1991 with a World Fantasy Award. His characters are aptly named --- the series is endlessly entertaining. Each re-reading reveals something new and invigorating. These are great tales smartly told.

OUR CANCER YEAR Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner Running Press ISBN: 9781568580111 • Buy from Amazon.com Harvey Pekar is probably most well known for his work on American Splendor, a movie of which was made starring Paul Giamatti. But this tender story tells the painful and touching tale of his discovery that he has lymphoma and must begin chemotherapy. The news comes as Pekar and his wife, Joyce Brabner, are preparing to buy a house. As always with Pekar’s work, OUR CANCER YEAR is most remarkable for its utter normalcy. Pekar is an everyman through and through. As such, when he battles his disease, he does it in a comically human way. The title of this work is apt, too, because Pekar and his wife experience everything together in this fight against cancer. Pekar’s strengths as a storyteller shine in this volume as his cancer battle is contrasted with the first Gulf War, going on at the same time. War too is an all-too-human affliction, but Pekar is able to find the glorious in even the most mundane traits of mankind. That’s always been his gift, and it’s on full display here.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS Frank Miller, with Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley DC Comics ISBN: 9781563893421 • Buy from Amazon.com Left to his own devices, as with Sin City or 300, Frank Miller’s work can border on misogynistic and humorously homoerotic. Here, though, with one of the most famous comic book characters of all time, Batman, Miller is able to cut through the extraneous materials to get right to the heart of the man: bizarre, savage, committed, driven and maybe even insane, but all for a good cause (namely, the eradication of evil and injustice in Gotham City). THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS debuted in 1986 and turned Batman into the dark iconic figure we know him as today (elements of this characterization had certainly been present prior to this, but they were overshadowed by the campy 1960s Batman TV show). In the story, Batman, now an old man, has retired. It’s been a decade since he’s been seen in Gotham City. But as his beloved city becomes overrun with crime and squalor, he decides its time to come out of retirement and get the job he started done right. To do that, he’ll need help (including a new female Robin) and he’ll have to battle the establishment, symbolized most notably by Superman, who doesn’t believe in Batman’s reckless vigilante ways. THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS is a tale of ideologies and how our perception of right and wrong, justice and retribution, and crime and punishment all ultimately decide our role in society. Miller doesn’t scrimp on the action, either. Batman’s final battle with the Joker alone makes this story worth reading. Miller takes risks with the artwork that pay off tenfold as well. This is not just any superhero story, and it shows.

--- Compiled and written by John Hogan

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