by SE Mathews

Created on: December 05, 2008

The graphic novel in the form of a novel, comic collection or manga, has come into its own in recent years and there is a variety of storylines for a discerning reader to choose from.

However, even now when people say that they don't not like "comics", they are often referring to the narrow world of comics that is the superhero franchises or the newsprint collections such as "Peanuts" or "Calvin & Hobbes".

If a person wants to bring his or her friend to the dark side that is the new world of graphic novels, it may be best to find out what might hook them because that's the key: Finding what they are interested in and then recommending a few titles. It is best to start with the short titles because reading a graphic novel does take getting used to so start them out easy.

My list of 10 recommendations include manga, traditional comic, and graphic novels and it is no particular order:

1. Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms by Fumiyo Kouno. A story done in two parts. The first part takes place about 10 years after the bombing of Hiroshima and concentrates on a young female survivor and her cautious steps towards life and romance. The second part takes part in the 1970s and how the bombings still affect a family. The artwork is in simple black and white but there is nothing simple about this beautiful, breathtaking story.

2. Daisy Kutter: The Last Train by Kazu Kibuishi. Set in an alternate Wild West with steam punk robots and machinery, Daisy Kutter is an old style, former bandit who loses her store to a businessman who wants her to do a train job for him. Although targeted at young adults/teen readers, Daisy is a heroine that all ages can enjoy with a storyline that doesn't skimp on the blood or the double entendre. A fabulous read.

3. Transmetropolitan Vol 1: Back on the Street by Warren Ellis (author) and Darick Robertson (illustrator). Spider Jerusalem hates everything and the city he lives in is a dump on an epic scale. If you like nihilism and sarcasm, then this is the comic for you.

4. Blankets by Craig Thompson. A slice of life memoir of a young man's coming of age. It is huge (600 pgs) but once started, it goes down easy.

5. Vagabond (series) by Takehiko Inoue. Inoue's retelling of Musashi Miyamoto, the infamous swordsman, is short on words, but long on gorgeous art. Inoue takes advantage of the graphic novel's strength (visuals) in the telling of Takezo's rise to become Musashi. It is brutal, but beautiful.

6. The Sandman Vol 1: Preludes and Nocturnes

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