Graphic Novels

To paint comic books as childish and illiterate is lazy. A lot of comic books are very literate - unlike most films. - Alan Moore

My frugality was my only defense against becoming a comic book collector growing up. Almost every week my brother would go to Tower Records to look at music. I was completely uninterested in spending money on music and would wonder to the neighboring Comics and Comics to look through the shelves. I looked. I was interested. I read. I barely bought anything while I was there. It seemed like the kind of thing I would get sucked into spending money on every week and I just didn't want to do that. I bought a few random X-Men comics that interested me and I own the TMNT graphics novels, but that's it. In college I received the start of The Sandman as well as Watchmen. I loved them, but better to received the fully bound and completed graphic novel as a gift than to get sucked into some model where I need to spend money every week or month to get another issue.
I listen to a podcast called The Incomparable which has a bunch of people who share my tastes in movies, music, TV, books and other cultural things. Sometimes they do a "comic book club" and talk about comic books. Last year they talked through Ex Machina and Y:The Last Man. Since I agree with most of their opinions of entertainment, I got and read both of those series. I thought Ex Machine was good and I absolutely loved Y:The Last Man. Loved it! You should read it. It was awesome.
Ever since then I have been patiently awaiting the group to do another comic book club and recommend more graphic novels to me. They have failed me! FAILED ME! I took a quick recommendation from a friend to read We3, but it was fast over. That got me thinking that instead of trusting random strangers from the wired (who have great taste), I should call out to my friends whose opinions I trust and demand they provide recommendations. I present them to you now. Read on!

• Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. (from Gabe)
• Saga (from Damian)
• Fables (from Chris)
• Lieutenant Blueberry (from Chris)
• Forming (from Chris)
• Sleeper (from Chris)
• All Star Superman (from Chris)
• Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery (from Chris)