Favorite Graphic Novels?

[Patrick G.P]

I'm a big comic book fan, here are some favorites/recommendations of the top off my head:

Xavier Dorison: Sanctum (Very Lovecraftian, Highly recommended!)

Fred Van Lente: Weird Detective: The Stars are Wrong

Shawn Aldridge: Dark and Bloody

Alan Moore: Watchmen, Providence, DC Universe

Roger Stern: Spider-man (His entire run on the character)

Genndy Tartakovsky: Cage!

Neil Gaiman: Sandman

J.M. DeMatteis: Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt

Stan Lee: Spider-Man (His entire run on the character)

Scott Snyder: Batman: The Black Mirror

Mike Mignola: Hellboy, Witchfinder

Jeph Loeb: Batman: The Long Halloween

Garth Ennis: Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits

Frank Miller: Batman: Year One

[crow]

The later works of Yoshihiro Tatsumi are incredibly dark and pessimistic. Especially this particular story about Hiroshima, which goes in a very different direction than one would usually expect. A Drifting Life is huge, and one I remember as being a very special read.
Others I like are Junji Ito, Asano Inio, and Rumiko Takahashi. Asano Inio especially has a grim (realistic) view of the world, perhaps even more terrifying than Junji Ito in some ways.
I've enjoyed the few parts of Sandman I've read, I should really get back to it.
Glad to see Calvin & Hobbes mentioned quite a bit, it's a favorite of mine as well.

[Ibrahim]

Quote Originally Posted by Patrick G.P

I'm a big comic book fan, here are some favorites/recommendations of the top off my head: Xavier Dorison: Sanctum (Very Lovecraftian, Highly recommended!) Fred Van Lente: Weird Detective: The Stars are Wrong Shawn Aldridge: Dark and Bloody Alan Moore: Watchmen, Providence, DC Universe Roger Stern: Spider-man (His entire run on the character) Genndy Tartakovsky: Cage! Neil Gaiman: Sandman J.M. DeMatteis: Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt Stan Lee: Spider-Man (His entire run on the character) Scott Snyder: Batman: The Black Mirror Mike Mignola: Hellboy, Witchfinder Jeph Loeb: Batman: The Long Halloween Garth Ennis: Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits Frank Miller: Batman: Year One

A nice list, which nevertheless neglects to mention the artist in many cases. No comics without those who put in the hours to make it all visible. Imagine writing 'the army marched over the crest of the hill.' No sooner said than done. Now imagine having to draw it, horse by horse, saddle by saddle, rock by rock...

[Patrick G.P]

Quote Originally Posted by Ibrahim

A nice list, which nevertheless neglects to mention the artist in many cases. No comics without those who put in the hours to make it all visible. Imagine writing 'the army marched over the crest of the hill.' No sooner said than done. Now imagine having to draw it, horse by horse, saddle by saddle, rock by rock...

You are absolutely right of course. The artist goes a very long way in compiling my list of favorites, so here they are:

Sanctum - Christophe Bec
Weird Detective - Guiu Vilanova
Dark and Bloody - Scott Godlewski
Watchmen - Dave Gibbons
Providence - Jacen Burrows
Dc Universe - Diverse (This is a collection of Moore's early DC stuff)
Spider-Man - Steve Ditko, John Romita Sr among others
Sandman - Diverse (though love Sam Keith's artwork)
Batman: Dark Mirror - Jock, Francesco Francavilla
Batman: The Long Halloween - Tim Sale (Love his work on Batman)
Batman: Year One - David Mazzucchelli
Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits - Will Simpson

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

Much of the time either the artist or the writer is doing most of the wowing.

I don't think Spiderman would be much at all without Ditko, Romita and Gil Kane. I've yet to see anyone make much of a case for Stan Lee as a writer. Take his classic collaborators away from him (who were often plotting the stories) and how many good comics are you left with?

Alan Moore and a lot of the writers who followed him often outshine their artists.

[Patrick G.P]

Quote Originally Posted by Robert Adam Gilmour

Much of the time either the artist or the writer is doing most of the wowing. I don't think Spiderman would be much at all without Ditko, Romita and Gil Kane. I've yet to see anyone make much of a case for Stan Lee as a writer. Take his classic collaborators away from him (who were often plotting the stories) and how many good comics are you left with? Alan Moore and a lot of the writers who followed him often outshine their artists.

I quite enjoy the early Spider-Man issues by Stan Lee in creating a down to-earth, relatable character. And the overall sense of fun in reading his earlier exploits is one of the things I like about Spider-Man and I think Lee was crucial to these aspects of the character. As you say, the artists often did as much with Spider-Man as Lee did in terms of plotting, and I feel when Romita takes over for Ditko, there is a shift in storytelling that is probably as much him as Lee.
Alan Moore, Garth Ennis, Neil Gaiman and the likes are in a whole other league when it comes to writing comics, and often outdid the artists they were working with. Many of the early DC stories of Moore are excellent examples of this.

[Zaharoff]

I appreciated Ditko quite a bit.
During his Spiderman run, I sought out his earlier work for Marvel, many of those one-off stories he did with Lee, as well.
When Blue Beetle rebooted, I strung along because Ditko was the new illustrator.
His later works became too preachy for my tastes.
That, and I had lost interest in comics.

[Zaharoff]

My Ditko - and pretty much comics - collection are the bound Spiderman and Doctor Strange.
The latter is still readable for me.
I am far removed from my teenage years for Spidey, alas.
Could say the same thing about superhero movies.

[beetlebox]

Just read "The Private Eye" by Brian K. Vaughan, which I heartily recommend.

"Years after the digital cloud "bursts" and exposes all of our most confidential hopes and fears, THE PRIVATE EYE is set in the inevitable future where everyone will have a secret identity. Following an unlicensed P.I as he's thrust into the most important case of his life, this sci-fi mystery explores the nature of privacy with frightening prescience."
Also available online: Download Comics - Panel Syndicate

I'm a big fan of Brian K. Vaughan, who is also responsible for SAGA:
Saga | Series | Image Comics

and Y:The Last Man from Vertigo comics

[Severini]

Maus is phenomenal.
I also really love From Hell, Watchmen and the Swamp Thing all of them by Alan Moore.
Also, the graphic novel adaptation of Clive Barker´s The Books of Blood.