Good Comic Books

[AlwaysInnocent]

Does anyone know any good comic books to read (or graphic novels if you prefer that name)? I have never really been into comic books (probably because superhero comics dominate the comic books world, and I simply don't like them), but recently I got into The Walking Dead and I found it to be very refreshing. But now I am done with it and am looking for something new, something similar to it.

I like dark comic books, preferably with a lot of dialogue and character development. But it is hard to find anything that I want to read (I am very picky). Most comic books seem way too colorful for my taste (not just figuratively speaking, but also literally -- I prefer the black and white comic books).

It can be manga. I also like Death Note and Monster, for example.

[AlwaysInnocent]

The thing about superhero comics is that I remember them as very linear. Issues are pretty isolated and self-contained stories (with some exceptions). I want a continuous story that develops over time. There is also the predictable plot setup:

<begin_issue>
* Everything starts out "normal" / peaceful. Maybe some minor conflict in the main character's life.
* Villain does something bad.
* Superhero is notified and starts to investigate.
* Superhero and villain encounter each other and start struggling.
* Superhero appears to lose because of some trap or whatever.
* Superhero wins anyway by exploiting the situation.
* Happy end.
</end_issue>

I want to see some bigger picture. Superhero comics never seem to have that bigger picture.

[AlwaysInnocent]

Have you seen the walking dead tv show?

Yes. This is why I started reading the comic book version.

[AlwaysInnocent]

OK. I have read the summaries of the suggested comics and this is my current priority list:

1. Lazarus
2. Maus
3. Watchmen
4. Blankets
5. Y: The Last Man

Not sure about the Sandman. It seems like any other superhero comic.

[AlwaysInnocent]

sandman isn't a superhero at all

Wrong comic, I suppose?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandman_%28DC_Comics%29

[AlwaysInnocent]

I am almost finished reading Maus. What an incredible story. To think it is possible to tell about the Holocaust in a comic book form seems outrageous at first, but when you start reading it, you will quickly see that there is nothing wrong with comics (or rather, graphical novels) as a medium. The horror still feels very real. It also makes you empathize with the survivor Vladek Spiegelman and depicts a real living human with real feelings, with real experiences, with both many flaws and talents. It not only shows how the Holocaust shaped him, but also how a big part of his personality outlived the Holocaust.

Really, comics do not deserve the bad reputation that they have (like that they cannot be taken seriously, that they are for "geeks" or children, etc.). There is something about graphical novels that I really like. It is hard to put my finger on it, though.