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1rojse
I've recently acquainted myself with the world of graphic novels, and am looking for some SF recomemndations in this vein. Suggestions?
3AHS-Wolfy
Battle Angel Alita has to be mentioned (especially with the James Cameron movie coming up at some point).
4iansales
Check out Cinebook, who are printing English editions of several French/Belgian graphic novel series.
Also absolutely superb are Scarlet Traces, Scarlet Traces: The Great Game and HG Wells' War of the Worlds by Ian Edginton and d'Israeli.
Also absolutely superb are Scarlet Traces, Scarlet Traces: The Great Game and HG Wells' War of the Worlds by Ian Edginton and d'Israeli.
6rojse
Since I started the topic, I had best mention the books that have got me interested in graphic novels:
Watchmen - an alternate history where superheroes first rose to prominence in the 1940's.
V For Vendetta - a novel set in a dystopian England.
Akira - Tetsuo, a young motorcycle gang member, starts to develop psychic powers, and the power makes him go somewhat mad. Lots of social commentary beneath the surface, quite well-drawn, and lots of action.
Watchmen - an alternate history where superheroes first rose to prominence in the 1940's.
V For Vendetta - a novel set in a dystopian England.
Akira - Tetsuo, a young motorcycle gang member, starts to develop psychic powers, and the power makes him go somewhat mad. Lots of social commentary beneath the surface, quite well-drawn, and lots of action.
7ogodei
Liked Akira, loved Watchmen (although the tone got to be drag after a while), and haven't read V for Vendetta yet. Its definitely on my TBR list.
The first GITS series (Vol 1) is an often-read favorite. I liked the combo of hard sf concepts packed into a dense political, action oriented plot arch. It reads like a noir spy novel in 2029. My only issue was with the form factor of the U.S. Dark Horse release which cramped the detailed artwork. The second volume extends the storyline but, IMHO, focused too much on advancing the artwork instead of the tech concepts. Still good though, especially if you like the first series.
Appleseed, by the same author, is a post-apocalyptic military thriller. I read the entire series but couldn't for my life tell you how it ends. The plot seemed to meander through the middle volumes which I find to be a commonality in some of the longer Japanese series.
The first GITS series (Vol 1) is an often-read favorite. I liked the combo of hard sf concepts packed into a dense political, action oriented plot arch. It reads like a noir spy novel in 2029. My only issue was with the form factor of the U.S. Dark Horse release which cramped the detailed artwork. The second volume extends the storyline but, IMHO, focused too much on advancing the artwork instead of the tech concepts. Still good though, especially if you like the first series.
Appleseed, by the same author, is a post-apocalyptic military thriller. I read the entire series but couldn't for my life tell you how it ends. The plot seemed to meander through the middle volumes which I find to be a commonality in some of the longer Japanese series.
9iansales
#8 Have you seen the collector's editions published by Don Lawrence Collection? See here. If you're a fan, they're definitely worth getting.
10rojse
#7
I've read Ghost in the Shell and put up a review (I still need to write up about five or so reviews, I've been somewhat lazy in this regard recently).
No doubt you will think I am horribly wrong in my assessment of the book.
I've read Ghost in the Shell and put up a review (I still need to write up about five or so reviews, I've been somewhat lazy in this regard recently).
No doubt you will think I am horribly wrong in my assessment of the book.
11jnwelch
Watchmen, V for Vendetta and Akira are all great.
You might enjoy Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, starting with Preludes and Nocturnes, and Brian Vaughan's Y: The Last Man series.
You might enjoy Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, starting with Preludes and Nocturnes, and Brian Vaughan's Y: The Last Man series.
12bluetyson
Superboxers, Six From Sirius, Enki Bilal, Judge Dredd, Transmetropolitan, Ocean, Orbiter
13jseger9000
Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed, Akira, V for Vendetta and Watchmen are all terrific.
If you liked Akira, you might want to check out Katsuhiro Otomo's Domu.
I would recommend anything by Yukinobu Hoshino. He does 'hard' sci-fi. I'd especially recommend his 2001 Nights (3 volumes). A collection of interrelated short stories that pays homage to 2001 and The Arabian Nights and tells a whopper of a story.
He also did a very good adaptation of James Hogan's Two Faces of Tomorrow.
I also liked Byron Preiss and Howard Chaykin's adaptation of The Stars My Destination.
If you liked Akira, you might want to check out Katsuhiro Otomo's Domu.
I would recommend anything by Yukinobu Hoshino. He does 'hard' sci-fi. I'd especially recommend his 2001 Nights (3 volumes). A collection of interrelated short stories that pays homage to 2001 and The Arabian Nights and tells a whopper of a story.
He also did a very good adaptation of James Hogan's Two Faces of Tomorrow.
I also liked Byron Preiss and Howard Chaykin's adaptation of The Stars My Destination.
14ogodei
#10
Actually I generally agree with your points though I disagree with your conclusion. I think I'm seeing the work from a perspective of having read many other manga versus US or UK graphic novels.
You're right about the art shifts but this is fairly common in Japanese manga and anime. That, and the concept of the writer interjecting footnotes and asides throughout the text, is a throwback to the style of Osama Tezuka who is the 'grandfather' of manga. It may also be a result of the fast production schedules they produce these things under. I didn’t see anything inappropriate in it.
The storyline does run more to episodes rather than focusing on a single, coherent storyline. The Puppeteer bit doesn't start until 2/3 of the way through as the finale of the series for instance. But again, I take this as the nature of the medium in Japan v. the US or UK. Masamune should have done a better job planning a single, over-arching storyline but I don't think he saw a real need to do so given his audience.
Your remarks about the characters not being developed throughout the first series is right on point. Except for Togusa and Motoko none of the characters are even given much background. And as far as the metaphysics in the Puppeteer's arguments, well, don't get me started on the metaphysics. This tends to be far, far overdone in many manga in my opinion. I will just say that it is both fairly tame and fairly appropriate in this series as opposed to some others I have read.
I guess I came into this work after reading multiple other manga and having seen the first GITS movie and some of the other GITS shows. I already had an introduction to the universe, the characters, and even large parts of the plot. I definitely had NOT read Watchmen or V for Vendetta which are not only different beasts from this work but from any other graphic novels you will read. (Actually, Watchmen is the first graphic book I mentally considered as a proper "novel" at all). All that put my first reading in different state of mind than yours I think. Compared to other manga I think this one is better than most, especially at creating an interesting and (generally) believable technological future.
Edited for clarity
Actually I generally agree with your points though I disagree with your conclusion. I think I'm seeing the work from a perspective of having read many other manga versus US or UK graphic novels.
You're right about the art shifts but this is fairly common in Japanese manga and anime. That, and the concept of the writer interjecting footnotes and asides throughout the text, is a throwback to the style of Osama Tezuka who is the 'grandfather' of manga. It may also be a result of the fast production schedules they produce these things under. I didn’t see anything inappropriate in it.
The storyline does run more to episodes rather than focusing on a single, coherent storyline. The Puppeteer bit doesn't start until 2/3 of the way through as the finale of the series for instance. But again, I take this as the nature of the medium in Japan v. the US or UK. Masamune should have done a better job planning a single, over-arching storyline but I don't think he saw a real need to do so given his audience.
Your remarks about the characters not being developed throughout the first series is right on point. Except for Togusa and Motoko none of the characters are even given much background. And as far as the metaphysics in the Puppeteer's arguments, well, don't get me started on the metaphysics. This tends to be far, far overdone in many manga in my opinion. I will just say that it is both fairly tame and fairly appropriate in this series as opposed to some others I have read.
I guess I came into this work after reading multiple other manga and having seen the first GITS movie and some of the other GITS shows. I already had an introduction to the universe, the characters, and even large parts of the plot. I definitely had NOT read Watchmen or V for Vendetta which are not only different beasts from this work but from any other graphic novels you will read. (Actually, Watchmen is the first graphic book I mentally considered as a proper "novel" at all). All that put my first reading in different state of mind than yours I think. Compared to other manga I think this one is better than most, especially at creating an interesting and (generally) believable technological future.
Edited for clarity
15concoctionist
I have to agree with jnwelch.
Watchmen and Sandman are really staples for any graphic novel fan.
I particularly enjoyed Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn. It was definitely an interesting read. I kind of cried some parts too hahaha.
Here's a graphic novel review about it i found on the web.
Watchmen and Sandman are really staples for any graphic novel fan.
I particularly enjoyed Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn. It was definitely an interesting read. I kind of cried some parts too hahaha.
Here's a graphic novel review about it i found on the web.
16Papiervisje
In no particular order:
All the volumes of Weird Science, Weird Science-Fiction and Weird Fantasy by EC Comics (recently re-published in wonderful hardbacks)
Bryan Talbot: The Adventures of Luther Arkwright
Alejandro Jodorowsky is the writer of several Sci-Fi series, illustrated by different artists. Some of his best are:
The Metabarons (with Juan Gimenez) and John Difool (with Moebius)
Did someone already mention Alex Raymond with Flash Gordon ? Or Frank Hampson with Classic Dan Dare ?
Mentionables:
Mike Allred: Red Rocket 7
Dennis Bajram: Universal War One
Darren Aronofsky: The Fountain
Some Manga Sci-Fi:
Kazumasa Takayama: Chronowar
Hiroki Endo: Eden, It's an endless world
Katsuhiro Otomo: The Legend of Mother Sarah (3 volumes) and Memories
Hishashi Sakaguchi: Version (2 volumes)
Naoki Urasawa: Pluto (after a story by Otsamu Tezuka)
All the volumes of Weird Science, Weird Science-Fiction and Weird Fantasy by EC Comics (recently re-published in wonderful hardbacks)
Bryan Talbot: The Adventures of Luther Arkwright
Alejandro Jodorowsky is the writer of several Sci-Fi series, illustrated by different artists. Some of his best are:
The Metabarons (with Juan Gimenez) and John Difool (with Moebius)
Did someone already mention Alex Raymond with Flash Gordon ? Or Frank Hampson with Classic Dan Dare ?
Mentionables:
Mike Allred: Red Rocket 7
Dennis Bajram: Universal War One
Darren Aronofsky: The Fountain
Some Manga Sci-Fi:
Kazumasa Takayama: Chronowar
Hiroki Endo: Eden, It's an endless world
Katsuhiro Otomo: The Legend of Mother Sarah (3 volumes) and Memories
Hishashi Sakaguchi: Version (2 volumes)
Naoki Urasawa: Pluto (after a story by Otsamu Tezuka)
17iansales
Sadly, a lot of Jodorowski's graphic novels haven't been completely published in English. The Incal and Metabarons have, but not Megalex or Techno-priests.
18guigontijo
My Favorite is the french "Aquablue" by Cailleteau and Vatine.
19brightcopy
I heartily recommend The Compleat Moonshadow. Helluva read, though not hard (or even firm) SF.
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