Graphic Novels for Guys (and Gals)

As kids we all liked comic books but as adults who really needs or cares fore spandex-clad muscle-heads with identity problems? I’m convinced that comic books have never really gone out of style; it’s the packaging that’s wrong. To that end let me tell you there are some great graphic novels on the market that no grown-up should be without! I’m talking about illustrated stories that are every bit as hard-hitting and character-driven as the most popular bestseller! Don’t believe me? Check out the following list and then run, don’t walk to your nearest (on-line) bookstore:

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman

Maus: A Survivor's Tale

It’s entirely possible that no one really understood the concept of a graphic novel until Maus: A Survivor’s Tale hit the best-seller lists. This riveting graphic novel took an incredible thirteen years to complete and recounts the struggle of Art Spiegelman’s father and his survival of the Holocaust as a Polish Jew – drawing largely on his recollections of the ordeal. Germans and Jews are depicted as cats and mice with other animals thrown in for good measure. The book also follows Spiegelman’s troubled relationship with his father and the way the effects of war reverberate through generations of a family. In 1992, Maus: A Survivor’s Tale won a Pulitzer Prize Special Award. The rest – as they say – is history. Maus has been studied by scholars and students a like. Anyone who thinks comics are just for kids will have a different perspective after reading this tale.

To the Heart of the Storm by Will Eisner

Perhaps best known as the creator of The Spirit, Will Eisner was equally known as the “father” of the graphic novel. To the Heart of the Storm(1991) is a compelling, award-winning autobiographical novel about a young man who recalls his life while riding a troop train during World War II. Widely regarded by critics and fans alike as Will Eisner’s finest autobiographical work and showcasing his mastery of storytelling, art and dialogue, To the Heart of the Storm makes for powerful reading.

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Kim Dietch

A visually beautiful, intricate yet powerful narrative, by one of today’s most creative and imaginative illustrators. The Boulevard of Broken Dreams takes us to New York City in 1933. The setting: the Fontaine Talking Fables animation studio, where alcoholic animator Teddy Mishkin is hard at work on the latest cartoon short for Waldo the Cat, the “star” of Fontaine’s stable of animated characters. Asks the audience what is “sane” and where does sane/insane draw the line?

Batman? Forget about him! These graphic novels and many more are available from Pantheon Books, a subsidiary of Random House Books or Amazon.com.

Check ‘em out and remember, it doesn’t really matter WHAT you read…as long as you READ!