Guess what! I'm now the manga and graphic novel buyer for my bookstore! Well, it's still kind of unofficial but I'm getting my wishlist together anyway and wanted to throw it out to you guys for some suggestions. What are your favorite graphic novels and manga series'? Which ones do you recommend to absolutely everyone and which ones make you do a little happy dance when you see them on store shelves?

I already have a good list going but seriously, I want this to be the best graphic novels section of any graphic novels section ever!

You probably already have all of these, but...

Anything Astro City, particularly Astro City: Confession and The Tarnished Angel.

Mouse Guard.

Watchmen. Much as I didn't like the story, it's an important and definitive work.

Kingdom Come. A fantastic deconstruction of the 90s anti-hero and also one of the most beautiful painted comics ever.

Oh sweet, Astro City was not on the list yet but totally is now and I had forgotten about Kingdom Come. I read it quite a while ago but I do remember it being freaking awesome.

Astro City: Confession is one of the kindest treatments of Christianity I've ever seen in comics, as well as one of the best overall stories I've seen in the medium.

And in Kingdom Come, the scene where Magog breaks down with remorse is one of the coolest ends to a villain's arc I've ever seen. It's so atypical of the way comics tend to go, and that makes it really powerful. And the story is FULL of stuff like that.

TL;DR: I'm glad my suggestions are useful!

Maus. Loved it.

This sounds like a thing that I need to read. Right now.



So useful! Thank you so much Man, I'm so far from expert. I mean, I can take pride in knowing that I far outgeek my coworkers but I am only one woman and I know that there are so many amazing things I haven't even heard of yet <3



Awesome. This is another thing I have to read. It's something that's sold pretty well in the store but I'm glad to see it recommended here too

Sandman is probably already on the list. But if not, it should be. So should Lucifer, which was spun off from the portrayal of the former ruler of hell in Sandman.
Transmetropolitan is always awesome.
Fables in all its epic glory.
There are also some small TPBs of Firefly that Dark Horse published, and IDW has some great Ghostbusters adventures.
Oh, how could I forget Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Especially the original Eastman & Laird run.

Promethia, anything by Faith Erin Hicks, Girl Genius, Avatar comics.

Totally. It's absolutely amazing.

The Invisibles, for people who want to read something fucked up and awesome.