The latest "Nexus Graphica" hearkens back to my "Geeks With Books" days as I provide a guide to which graphic novels a neophyte should attempt first.
| Quote: |
| While I rank Watchmen among the great sequential works, its success depends heavily on readers who understand the tropes of traditional super-hero comics. Writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons expertly used the well-established storytelling methods of the time (1986). By revitalizing and reinventing the superhero genre, then entering its 50th year, the duo influenced an entire generation of writers, artists, and filmmakers. For a reader new to the form, Watchmen may as well be written in Greek. |
| Quote: |
| The first volume of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman (Preludes and Nocturnes) assumes a working knowledge of the long-running DC continuity, and, much like Watchmen, is not a good selection for the novice. The second volume (actually collected first) The Doll’s House, works within the series’ own mythos, which makes it much more accessible to neophytes. |
| Quote: |
| Maus presents a conundrum for the pretentious "literature crowd." It uses funny animals and illustrations to tell its story, but it won a Pulitzer Prize. Surely the acclaimed Maus cannot be a comic book! Upon its publication, bookstores typically shelved Maus in Judaica rather than with the rest of the graphic novels, which for a time were all kept in humor. Masterfully employing sequential art techniques, Art Spiegleman’s extraordinary Holocaust tale provides a perfect gateway for the new comics reader. |
I go on to discuss several other graphic novels– good and bad for new readers– such as Sin City, Persepolis, Asterios Polyp, Bone, and V for Vendetta.
Check out the whole column at Sf Site.