Tim the Spectator

Three graphic novels you should read

This is the start of what I intend will be a regular feature on Tim the Spectator - 3 things you should read/watch/do, as recommended by Tim.

Today we start with three of my favorite graphic novels.

Don’t roll your eyes, ‘graphic novel’ is not just a fancy way of saying comic book.  Writers and artists using the comic form have produced intricate works of art, that can only be described as novels that happen to have pictures.

Here’s three a recomend.  Read them curled up on a couch, preferably by a flickering fire.

BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN
by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

If you saw The Dark Knight then you’ll enjoy The Long Halloween.  Ths story had a massive influence on the writers of the movie.  For instance the entire scene where Batman meets District Attorney Harvey Dent for the first time was lifted from the pages of this book.  The Long Halloween follows Batman through a year of his career, as he battles all of the major villains of his rogues gallery, while a mysterious murderer kills off the major figures of Gotham’s criminal underworld.  It’s a tense thriller with surprising emotional depth.  Heroic characters turn villainous, and Batman/Bruce Wayne struggles with the legacy of his murdered parents.  And the ending hides a plot twist so cunning you’ll never see coming.

STAR WARS: LEGACY 1
by John Ostrander and Jan Duusema

Do you remember when Star Wars used to be good?  Before Lucas and Co decided CGI was more important than a coherent plot?  I do, and that’s why I love Star Wars: Legacy.  This new ongoing series from Dark Horse comics resets the Star Wars story about 150 years after the end of Return of the Jedi.  The Sith have returned and retaken control of the galaxy, while what remains of the Democratic Alliance forces and the original Empire (now led by a benevolent emperor) attempt to overcome their mutual distrust to free the galaxy from evil.  The main character is Cade, a decendant of Luke Skywalker who has become a drug addict, and wants nothing to do with his Jedi heritage.  Legacy is sophisicated, full of plot twists, and much more adult than typical Star Wars fare.  But it is also heaps and fun, and retains that element of adventure that made the original movies classics.

WATCHMEN
by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

Watchmen is the graphic novel that redefined the graphic novel.  Set in an alternate 1980s in a world where Richard Nixon is still president, the Vietnam War was won, and heroes in costumes are a real life occurence, this is a novel that challenges and explores the idea of what it means to be a super hero with super-hero responsibilities.  And it’s probably a good idea to read it before the movie adaptation comes out.  I’m anxious about the movie, as the book is so full of little details and genre-bending story telling techniques that I can’t see how it could be put on screen without losing something.  But then again I used to think the Lord of the Rings couldn’t work on screen either.