Graphic novels you all should be reading

I've always preferred books to television shows and movies, in terms of story-telling. It's a fairly straightforward reason. When you're watching a TV show or a movie, everything is there for you. Your senses of sight and hearing are manipulated by the audio visuals on screen. The part that's left to my imagination, especially the non-horror-thriller (where the music plays a role) is fairly limited.

Books, on the other hand, are a world apart. The only sense of the story you get is from the words that you read. A really good author, to my mind, is someone who can invoke a multitude of feelings onto you merely by describing a scene. Your imagination is allowed to run wild. All sorts of scenarios are suddenly possible because your mind is dictating the scenes that you're visualising. Stephen King's Salem's Lot is a classic example of this, for me. Just by reading - only from words - he manages to transfer the unnerving feeling of eeriness that permeates Salem's Lot on to you.

So, what then do we make of comics? Or their (generally) longer form - Graphic novels? On the one hand, you read graphic novels. On the other hand, you get to see the scenario. Sure, you lose the audio aura that you get from TV and movies, but you're still seeing whatever it is the author wants you to see - your imagination isn't really allowed to run free.

So, if I'm going to be consistent, I will have to place it in these terms:-

Books >> Graphic Novels >> TV/Movies

With that in mind, here are some graphic novels you really should have read or should be reading:-

Batman: The Killing Joke


This isn't really about Batman. This graphic novel is all about The Joker. (One of) His possible origins. The dynamics of his relationship with Batman. And most profoundly, his view on life. I don't want to disclose too much here, but let's just say it does a brilliant job of arguing for madness. Let's also just say The Joker (or the writer, rather) did a better job persuading me on the case for madness than fricking Adam Smith did on the case for economics.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns


One of the seminal fights in the DC Universe. While The Dark Knight Returns is a favourite of many people, the reason I think it works so well is its juxtaposition of the viewpoints between Superman and Batman. And while Superman is Superman, this graphic novel reinforces why a lot of people (not me necessarily) think Batman is superior to Superman. And to be fair, in a Batman versus Superman "Who is greater" argument, bring up "The Dark Knight Returns" while defending Batman and your opponent ought to say, "Point taken."

The Stand


So I'm cheating a bit here, cos "The Stand" is made up of 6 graphic novels. The Stand is based on Stephen King's The Stand - an apocalyptic battle between good and evil in a disease-ravaged United States. I think a really cool theme in "The Stand", beyond this good versus evil thing, beyond its magnificent artwork, is its exploration of what it means to be a society.

Mirage's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles


To be fair, I'm biased. To also be fair, you should just fricking read it.

The Death of Superman


I know, I know. Yet another DC Comic. If you're wondering, I'm not so much a Marvel person. In any case, this is probably the most famous of all Superman story arcs. And it's easy to see why. It pits Superman against Doomsday in an epic battle across the United States, ending in Metropolis. The art is, I think, the best among all the Superman stuff I've read. But more poignant is the expressions on the characters (Lois, Jon and Martha Kent, Jimmy Olsen) as they watch their hero getting the crap beat out of him.

From Hell


From Hell is a story about Jack the Ripper, and the graphic novel on which the movie of the same name was based. The plot is magnificent in its intricacy. Also, you get a historical, mythological and architectural tour of London. It's a really long read but it's completely worth it.

Watchmen


Who watches the Watchmen? I read the Watchmen! (Moving along...) Anyway, it was listed as #17(!!!) of Time magazine's "ALL-TIME 100 Greatest Novel" list, alongside such luminaries as The Lord of the Rings, Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird and beating out such novels as Things Fall Apart and The Sound and The Fury. The storyline is spectacular, with an intricately-woven plot that fits nicely altogether. Plus, like all good stories, it has bigger questions in mind - What maketh a hero? Do heroes really think differently from the rest of us? Do we need heroes?

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck


My favourite graphic novel ever. Seriously. Upon completing the 2 volume series, I went into serious introspection for a week. Basically, it tells of the evolution of Scrooge McDuck, from a duckling to the world's richest duck. It tells of his adventures from the Mississippi to South Africa to the Klondike. It teaches the glory of accomplishment through sheer hard work. It gives advice on what it means to be a 'great man.' Look, if you read this end to end and ponder on everything, you're probably, like me, going to think you were born in the wrong place and time. And how the frontier, any frontier, is the sexiest thing in the world.