The Art of the Graphic Novel

Before I start this blog let me clarify that I am, by no means, an expert on graphic novels. I can't launch into a in-depth discussion with you regarding the history of the art form, or even the careers of famous writers/illustrators. I'm not a literary critic. I'm not one of those obsessive fans. As a reader, I don't even have that many graphic novels under my belt. I simply love and respect the medium...a trait I have in common with my husband. (So be forewarned, the poor guy is about to be mentioned...a lot) I just felt like sharing with you what I've (we've) read and liked so far.

That said, I'll start with the only series of graphic novels that I have followed and collected as a fan. I looooove Neil Gaiman's writing. I've devoured each of his novels within a day or two of buying them. So, of course I've read "The Sandman". Neil Gaiman's story-telling skills are incredible. He weaves myths and tales from all over the globe (and across time) into the fabric of the mythic story he himself created. Somehow, the result is not fractured, but a unified world. The series follows Dream, a member of The Endless, and his siblings - Death, Desire, Despair, Destruction, Destiny, and Delirium. If you love fantasy, myths, and legends you should definitely look into the series:

The last graphic novel I read was "Watchmen" written by Alan Moore (also the author of V for Vendetta) and illustrated by Dave Gibbins. My husband's friend lent it to him, but it wasn't in the house very long before I picked it up. My husband and I had to take turns reading it since I sort of stole it out from under him. To be honest with you, there's so much involved in the plot of these graphic novels (especially this one) that I'm having a hard time summing them up. I guess what I can tell you is that it's about a group of very flawed, very human, retired superheros - and a series of tragic events which befall them. The Sandman can be very dark at time, but also had moments of humor. To me, Watchmen felt tragic and black all the way around. As the mystery surrounding the story line grew, I found that I couldn't stop reading.
And as an illustrator, I was absolutely taken by Dave Gibbons' skill at sequencing his panels. It was like watching a movie. In fact, it was one of his opening sequences that made me realize this graphic novel was going to be so much more than I originally thought I was in for:

His illustrations move like a piece of film. He zooms into that detail of the happy-face button in a puddle of blood and then slowly pulls us (the viewer) out. As we fly up and away, we can see more and more of the picture. One of the main characters strolling through the blood as a man tries to hose down the sidewalk, then aaaaall the way back up the skyscraper to the detective looking over the side. Visually, that got me. I don't even know how long I stared at this page. Wow.
Apparently, there's a Watchmen movie due out in '09. You can see pics and stills from it on the official website. I feel a little geeky because I'm kind of psyched about the prospect.

Speaking of graphic-novels-turned-movies...the hubby and I have also been buying and reading the Sin City books by Frank Miller. I'm sure most of you have seen (or at least heard of) it already, so I'll spare you the details. Except to say that having seen the movie first and then reading the graphic novel, I'm impressed at how faithful the movie was to the books. They didn't mess around with the dialogue and most of the shots in the film are direct translations from Frank Miller's (mostly) black and white illustrations. They basically used the novel to storyboard the movie, and did a fantastic job. This is Marv, my husband's favorite character:

Next up is the new graphic novel based on Stephen King's epic "Dark Tower" series. My husband introduced me to the series years ago and I tore through them. I read the first two books on our one-week vacation to FL. The graphic novel version actually starts with the storyline from "Wizard and Glass" which is in the middle of the series. It's a good place to start because that book is a flashback to the adolescence of the main character, Roland Deschaines, and sets up the rest of the tale. Stephen King was interviewed by NPR this week. (If there's anything I'm obsessed with, it's NPR.) To read a portion of the interview, and to see more images from the graphic novel, click here. The illustrations are by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove. They are a perfect match for the material. They're intense, gorgeous, and thick with impenetrable shadows.

I haven't started reading the graphic novel version yet. I gave it to my husband as a Christmas gift, and am nice enough to let him get a crack at it first. Haha!

And lastly, there's the graphic novel that I want to read, but have yet to do so. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is an autobiography about her childhood in Iran and also currently an animated film. I haven't seen the film yet, but have been hearing about the novel for ages. I'm determined to read it first. I actually had the book in my hand at my last trip to Barnes and Nobles, but I already had gone over my $50 gift certificate, and had to put it back. It'll definitely be mine the next time around.

So...what are you reading?