Any fans of graphic novels/manga?

I've just recently started getting into Japanese manga (translated to English) and really loving it. I picked up the hardcover deluxe editions of horror master Junji Ito's works like Uzumaki, Gyo and Tomie. Also interested in purchasing the Vagabond series by Takehiko Inoue. His artwork is probably the best I've ever seen in any comic/graphic novel/manga period. Also the story of Vagabond is incredible, based on the life of the legendary samurai Musashi Miyamoto.

As for graphic novels, Im really interested in purchasing the Absolute Edition of Watchmen as well as The Incal by Jodorowsky.

Anyone else interested in such books?

 

Would like to see the Absolute Edition (no...don't think I'm in the mood to buy it, I spend enough on comics I haven't read yet). Losing my Mobius GN collection in the basement flood is perhaps the hardest blow for me from that; I loved The Incal!

My first real dip into manga came in the form of First Comics reprinting Lone Wolf and Cub, the tale of a Ronin carrying his toddler son throughout his wanderings in feudal Nippon. Never less than impressed, at how a simple brush-stroke could convey so much information without taking the time for a full-blown sketch. I don't know if it's the average age on the Japanese consumer that calls for more intricate plots (ergo more material, ergo more drawing, ergo more ergonomic drawing); or if it's just the artist himself, acclimated to a more brisk pace in producing the work; I only know these guys could be considered the greatest draughtsmen in the world, if we could only slow down and appreciate half of what they put into their work, making it seem like nothing.

Needless to say, Kojima's work here is not the traditional manga-style we expect today, with the giggling schoolgirls with legs up to there, and huge, bold explosions of facial exagguration. But for an American comic reader who was just starting to understand the language of Mobius and Herge and Milo Minara and Uderzo, and other European graphic narration, this was a way to ease into it. Then came Epic/Marvel's serilization of Akira; and once I could accept the pacing and the outlandishness of the plot mechanics...then my niece helped me on from there.

Frankly, more into the animation and anime, because that's my first love (if I had a first-born, I might just try to sneak in "Ghibli" as a middle name)(heh - no pressure, youngster-!)

 

Lots of us are, see our favs here:

Post a single comic book frame*

 

If you liked Lone Wolf and Cub then I highly recommend Vagabond. Its also the tale of a Samurai and the artwork is probably the best I've ever seen. I love anime too.

 

Yes Im familiar with that thread and have even posted in it but my thread is about entire manga series and not just single frames from comics.

 

I've got a number of them, including:

• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (based on the original novels while being influenced by the movie)
• Afterschool Charisma
• Astro Boy
• JLA (several of the trade paperbacks)
• Ranma 1/2 (the first manga series I followed)

With the graphic novels, I tend to pick them up more for convenience since I usually already have the actual issues but it would be difficult to find them. In a few cases it would be too expensive to purchase the actual comics even if they were available. This is a case with the two volumes of Showcase Presents featuring The Metal Men (which contains more than 35 issues for $30).

BTW, you mentioned Watchmen above. DC Comics recently released a new 12-issue miniseries called Doomsday Clock that is a sequel to Watchmen (three issues have been released so far). It ties into the recent events in the DC Universe, including:

• Flashpoint
• The New 52
• DC Rebirth

I've read the issues and so far they have all ranged from good (1) to excellent (2 and 3). I'm looking forward to reading more.

 

I have those issues of Lone Wolf and Cub in a longbox somewhere, extraordinary!

 

Nice! You should check out Vagabond and Blade of the Immortal. Both are really good samurai manga series too.

 

Blade of the Immortal is probably my favorite Manga. Just got the movie and looking forward to seeing it.

Also great:
Battle Angel Alita (Not sure about that movie though)
Caravan Kidd
Crying Freeman
Lone Wolf and Cub

I also like the goofier stuff (or I did when I was a lot younger...):
Gunsmith Cats
Dirty Pair
Cutie Honey

 

Concerning Battle Angel Alita, the OAV is just a short snippet of the entire story, containing two of the early stories in the manga. It's pretty good, although I find the art style of the OAV a bit rough.

 

Re: Battle Angel - I was talking about the pending live action 'Big Eye' movie from Robert Rodriguez. The preview makes Alita look like she stepped out of a Margaret Keane painting.

 

My mistake. I hadn't heard much about a live-action for a long time. Last I heard, James Cameron was going to do the "live-action" movie based on the manga. I remember reading that he did Avatar as preparation with CGI for doing Battle Angel Alita.

 

Not a big fan but the few I've read - all by Alan Moore - have been very good indeed: Watchmen, V for Vendetta and (to a lesser extent) Tom Strong.

 

I'm thinking about getting the Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set. Huge fan of the anime and soundtrack but never read the manga before. The hardcovers look amazing:

 

I just bought the complete sets of Lone Wolf & Cub, Blade of the Immortal and Samurai Executioner. Couldn't be happier.