Inside the world of graphic novels

With the growing popularity of movies based on graphic novels, literati are taking time to redefine their appreciation in the craft of sequential art. As I prepared to see the new “V for Vendetta” adaptation, I took another look at my vast collection of comics and those I have read over the years and decided to throw out a few to recommend from an assortment of the absurd and some more well-known.

“The Walking Dead” – Zombies, zombies and more zombies. Set up like any classic Romero-esque movie, “The Walking Dead” pits humanity against the undead in a world trying to save itself as its members grow in flesh-eating numbers. However, rather than play so much upon the Hollywood B-horror nostalgia of old, “The Walking Dead” becomes less about the monsters people are turning into and more about the monsters trying to survive.

“Fables” – We all grew up with fairy tales and children’s stories. But what if the world in which all these characters lived was attacked by an evil adversary and they were pushed to recreate their town in New York? Combining humor, fantasy and drama, this series earned its Eisner Award with its stories that will never let you see your favorite childhood characters in the same way again.

“Y: The Last Man” – Present day Earth. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary. Nothing futuristic. Same societies. Same conflicts. But one hour will change that. Suddenly, the male population dies simultaneously for no apparent reason. The world is turned upside down as women scramble to take up what were patriarchal positions. Amazonian cults sweep the nation, attempting to wipe out any remaining traces of reminders of male society. But in the midst of everything, a mystery is born in the form of a single remaining man, Yorick, and his male monkey, Ampersand. At once horror and social commentary, the story is one of people trying to find their place in the face of disaster and proving themselves their own worst enemies.

“Transmetropolitan” – Fast-forward to the future. Some things are the same: Politicians are just as two-faced, there is a constant demand for drugs and sex and the general public is as repulsive as ever. Pour in the technology to make everyone’s dreams come true and with a little bit of grit, you have the world of The City, the setting of Warren Ellis’ series that follows the antics of Spider Jerusalem, a journalist modeled closely after Hunter S. Thompson. His antics are brimming with dark wit and cynicism, and you find yourself trying to wipe the excrement off the morality of his stories. Sure enough, however, a depth shines through.

“Blankets” and “Goodbye, Chunky Rice” – As independent comic artists become more popular, Craig Thompson stands as one of the top craftsmen on the way upward.

“Blankets” is a creative rendition of much of Thompson’s life, flavored with beautiful landscapes and parallels between life as a developing young adult and the experiences of his childhood that shaped his personality. The artwork and lush brush strokes across each page add fluidity to the narrative.

Meanwhile, “Goodbye, Chunky Rice” is a surreal story about a little turtle that leaves its best friend to find itself out on the open seas with an eccentric captain and a pair of conjoined twin sisters.

“Local” – Though it’s still in its run as single, monthly comics, this caught my eye after the Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly signing at Velocity Comics. This disjointed series takes place in a different U.S. city every issue, and its ‘people on people’ stories pack a bit of existentialism and interesting introspection. The third issue actually took place in Richmond, and I fell in love with the sketchy art of many of the places I frequent myself.

“Sandman” – Neil Gaiman is a genius storyteller as he created one of the most well-known modern comic series. His stories center around the Endless, manifestations of the human ideas of the constancies of the universe. He also frequently adds in mythological figures of note, historical geniuses including William Shakespeare, and other more obscure comic characters from other series. However, in general, it is Gaiman’s ability to create a storyline that almost harks from “Paradise Lost” and Dante that gains him prestige. Rumor is that Neil Gaiman has plans to release a re-colored series of the books, adding more detail but otherwise not changing the storylines.

“Batgirl” – I grew up collecting comics with my father, who was into the classic superheroes: Superman, Batman, Aquaman and the Fantastic Four to name a few. When he started collecting “Batgirl,” I was expecting the Batgirl of years ago: short cape, pretty face, cheeky personality. However, there was something very different about this new Batgirl. Currently, DC has run with the plotline from “The Killing Joke” in which Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl, has been confined to a wheelchair after the Joker shot her with the intent to kill Commissioner Gordon.

Since then, Gotham City has been struck by a devastating earthquake and through the wreckage came Cassandra Cain, a young girl raised not in speech and human contact but by martial arts and combat.

Taking up a darker stead in the world of superheroes, the new “Batgirl” brings into question the morality of crime fighting and the lengths one will go to become a real human being instead of a killing machine.

Comics are often disregarded as less than worthy of note among certain crowds of book readers. However, if one takes a look at a few of these titles and takes the time to explore the workings of story and character, the world of comics can be just as complex as that of literature.