Ok so:

1. I have never read any graphic novels before with the exception of the "Barefoot Gen" series

2. I haven't really read any comicbooks either, other than maybe 4 or 5 random spiderman comicbooks when I was like 6 years old.

So, I am completely new to them/know nothing about them at all or which ones are supposed to be good or anything.

So, basically:

3. I am not interested at all in Marvel or superhero type comics/graphic novels or anything of that sort, I hate superhero/supervillain comics/graphic novels/movies with a passion, it's just not for me.

4. I am not interested at all in graphic novels that have supernatural shit in them. So, nothing with ghosts or demons or anything like that. The one exception I guess would be Zombies, since I love zombie movies and love The Walking Dead show, but, I don't want to read The Walking Dead graphic novel, since I don't want to ruin the show for myself, since this is one of the best shows I have ever seen. However, if there are some other unrelated zombie graphic novels, that would be fine, I would be willing to read those if they are good.

5. I'm not really into manga at all either (shocking, I know), so preferably don't recommend any manga either, unless it's just totally different from traditional manga, and even then, try to mostly recommend non-manga stuff if possible, I really just don't like the overall look/style/everything of manga in general, it's just not for me. That said, if it's Japanese, but isn't of the traditional overall style/you know what I mean of how Japanese manga normally is, and is instead more like an American graphic novel in terms of it's look/style of conversation/etc, but just happens to take place in Japan, like a regular graphic novel, but taking place in Japan, that would be fine, if you see what I'm saying, it's the style/whatever you want to call it of the Japanese Manga itself is that is the problem, having it take place in Japan, on the other hand, is not only not a problem but would actually be good/awesome, as long as it isn't typical manga-style, if that makes sense.

So, basically, what are some good comics, or preferably graphic novels (so that I can just easily buy them off amazon or whatever), that you would recommend? Preferably I would like it to be violent/fucked up, but even non-violent/non-fucked up stuff could be okay too I guess as long as it's really really good.

Ready go

edit: Here's some basic categories that I would be interested, if you know any good, recent graphic novels that fit into any of these categories:

- Crime thriller stuff, like cop/detective type stuff (as long as there isn't anything supernatural in it)

- War stuff (as long as there isn't anything supernatural in it)

- Graphic novels that deal with serial killers (as long as there isn't any supernatural stuff in it, and the serial killer isn't schizophrenic, and doesn't hallucinate, and doesn't have amnesia)

- Graphic novels that deal with peeping toms/voyeurs

- Graphic novels that deal with street racing and asian gang members (as long as it isn't manga)

- Graphic novels that deal with zombies (as long as the zombies are the only supernatural part of it, and the rest of it is completely not supernatural. Like, if in addition to zombies it also has ghosts or monster or demons or spirits or supernatural-heroes or anything like that, I am no longer interested, has to be just traditional zombie stuff where it's just regular ordinary people who suddenly find themselves in a world filled with zombies but nothing supernatural whatsoever other than the zombies themselves, that way it's realistic in all other aspects and thus good/enjoyable)

- Stuff along these lines/similar etc

"the story of O "

 

Originally Posted by Randers

not a novel but maybe you missed this.

http://www.pocketfives.com/f13/movie...7/#post5826859

Yea, I actually saw that post back when you made it, but, that's not really the type of movie I like to watch tbh. I usually hate movies where the main character has schizophrenia or hallucination problems or anything like that. Minor mental problems or perversions are fine, like, if the guy is a serial killer, or a peeping tom or something, that's perfect, but with ones where they are schizo or hallucinating/imagining things, I generally hate those types of movies since they generally show a lot of imagined/not real stuff that the main character is just "seeing" cuz of his illness, and I usually find this to be super annoying, don't really enjoy that sort of stuff at all. So, I guess I should add, that goes for comics/graphic novels as well, I would prefer ones where the main character doesn't have any mental illnesses that are too severe, especially not schizophrenia or hallucinations or memory problems, that type of stuff usually makes me not enjoy it as much.

gantz is a good manga

elfen lied manga

the walking dead graphic is beyond even the show. you're wise to skip it.

highschool of the dead manga

Your parameters are far too narrow.

Switch to novels, read zombie survival guide and world war z.

 

Originally Posted by LadyLuck84

When I was younger I really enjoyed "Maus". If you are at all interested in WWII/Nazi Germany I highly recommend it.

I second Maus.

PM Pupkin

Last Blood
Dreamless

 

Originally Posted by Pupkin

I write several graphic novels. I like one of them.

The one that I like is not violent or fucked up, but it is really really good, even though it sounds like something only teenage girls would like:

marrymemovie.com

It's about a pop star who marries a random fan holding a MARRY ME sign at one of her concerts. Trust me, read it.

I'm writing a zombie movie now based off another comic of mine, "Last Blood," which was recently optioned for a second time. It's about vampires protecting the last surviving humans from zombies so they can live off their blood. Great idea, bad execution on the comic. I hate the comic, but lots of other people like it for some reason and you might as well. The movie will be almost unrecognizable from the comic.

lastblood.net

It does make sense, and here it is, another one I write:

dreamlessmovie.com

It's a World War II romance about an American girl and a Japanese boy who have seen each other's lives in their sleep since birth. Another cool concept poorly executed. Great art, bad writing on my part.

Thanks you vm for these recommendations. The last one (Dreamless) seems by far the most interesting/appealing to me, and I def want to read it.

Is the Dreamless one completely non-supernatural other than them seeing each other's lives in their dreams, or, is there lots of other supernatural stuff in it in addition to that one specific supernatural aspect of it?

Ok good, I will def read it. Thx

I've been reading it ever since my previous post. I just got to the part where his friends try to get him a prostitute for a birthday prank and he goes back to her for advice afterwards. It's an addictive storyline/premise, I like it.

Update: I just got to the end of the online graphic novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it man, thank you.

Is the only continuation of the storyline in the non-graphic book format, or is there also a physical graphic novel that goes further than where the online one ended?

Alright, I'll check it out, against my initial bfactor-instincts to stay away from those types of storylines for the most part lolz

What do you have against manga b, the graphic style or the narrative style? Curious, cuz i personally stopped reading any western comics as soon as i started finding out about manga.

Try out Liar Game:
"The card reads as follows: Congratulations! You are one of the 1 in 100,000 people who has been entered in the amazing LIAR GAME TOURNAMENT! Along with the postcard there are 100 million yen in notes. That's the beginning of the Liar Game. When the game ends, in 30 days, you will have to return your 100 million. If your opponent steals them, he can keep them as a prize, and you will have a debt of 100 million... A mind-boggling, psychological thriller that looks into the nature of the human mind as well as the never ending battle between truth and lies."

This manga is awesome, it's almost like Battle Royale but for money. Filled with game theories and psychological stuff, any poker player would enjoy it IMO. It's so successful in Japan they've turned it into a TV drama series and several movies.

orrrr Death Note:
"An overachieving 12th grader, Yagami Light is an aspiring young man who seems destined for success. Unfortunately, his daily habits bore his incredible intelligence--So when a strange black notebook falls from the heavens during his class, it isn't long before he takes it for himself. The Death Note's instructions claim that if a human's name is written within it, that person shall die, as well as various other rules. Skeptical at first, he finds, to his horror/fascination, that the Death Note is real, by testing it on criminals. With this supposed gift of God, Light swears upon his grave that he will 'cleanse' the world of the evil and needless people that inhabit it, thus creating a utopia for all. With the Japanese Police, FBI, Interpol, and world's greatest detective, L, hot on his tail, will Light's ideals prove too fantastic to realize, or will he succeed bringing justice?"

I know supernatural stuff is not your thing, but Death Note uses it in a strong yet subtle manner within a realistic setting. The focus will be less on the supernatural aspect and more on the cat-and-mouse game between the antihero and the authorities. Shitloads of amazing plot twists, and with only 108 chapters, it's a shorter read than your typical manga.

I've already seen Death Note the movie (and Death Note 2).

I've also read Battle Royale, as well as seen the movie (I read the book first, and liked it about 500,000,000,000,000 times as much as the movie, even though I liked the movie too, the book was just totally off the chartsishly good tho).

As for why I don't like anime or manga, well, if you read what I wrote about it earlier in the thread, it's not that I just automatically hate it as a rule (although 99+% of the time, I do indeed hate it), it's just that 99+% of the time, it shares this incredibly ghey style/mannerism/I dunno how the fuck to describe it, but you know what I mean, the way they do that thing where they say their emotions/feelings out loud even when they reeeeeaaaally really really really really fucking don't need to, cuz it's reeeeeaaaally really really really fucking obvious, but they do it anyway, and without any periods or pauses, like, some kid is stalking some classmate of his home from school trying to build up the courage to ask her out and he'll say out loud "I am nervous about whether she will like me back the way I like her this makes me nervous and scared that maybe she won't and then that will be embarrassing and that would be bad and then what would I even do or say I don't know what I should do or if I should ask her out today because it is so scary and that makes my cheeks feel hot and weird and look at her hair the way it glistens in the sunlight is making me feel all warm inside and that is a new feeling to me that I have not felt before because I am young and that is interesting to me because I am not sure what is going on so I don't know if I should ask her out now or if I should go home oh wait she turned a different route than normal this is confusing to me because normally she does not go that way I wonder why she did that I wonder if she is in trouble that makes me feel worried for her and now I feel I should trail her more closely to make sure she is okay because I have feelings for her and they make me want her to be safe because blah blah blah blah blah blah (SHUT THE FUCKKKK UPPPPPP ALREADY YOU FUCKING ANIME/MANGA FUCKHOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEfm,sdfjsdfjs dkjfklsdjjfsdgfj)

That, and the way they look/the overdone motion streaks they put all around people when they are supposed to be doing a flying kick or jumping through the air, that stereotypical super-fast blur streaks shit they put next to everything all the time, I fucking hate that kind of shit. And the weird faces where they are somehow both white and asian at the same time, but not the way a bi-racial white-asian person looks in real life, but rather that weird looking anime-white that they like to use a lot. And the constant retarded hairdo's and overly heroic/serious facial structure/look that the males have when they are standing next to their damsels in distress, or about to fight someone. And the overly innocent/helpless/infantile facial look that the female characters have, where they'll look like their face is almost of a 4 year old girl or something any time they are worried about something even though they are supposed to be 20. I dunno, I could go on and on and name like hundreds (literally) of different things that the vaaaaaast majority of anime movies and manga books tend to always do, stylistically/whateverly a lot, which pisses me off/which I don't enjoy at all, but I think you get the picture.

The thing is though, on the ultra rare occasions that there is a graphic novel or an animated movie or show where the style/general characteristics of how it looks/etc isn't "anime/manga" style, despite it taking place in Japan, but rather, looks/feels like an American animated movie or graphic novel, but just happens to take place in Japan, in those cases I don't have anything against the anime/manga when and only when they fall into that category of anime/manga where they look/feel like American animated/graphic movies/novels and just happen to take place in Japan. In fact, I like that even better than if it takes place in America. It's just, for 99+% of the Japanese ones, they do have that stupid traditional anime/manga look/feel to them that 99+% of all anime/manga all share with each other.

Sigh, I dunno if you understand what I'm saying. I already tried to explain this earlier in the thread, but I think pupkin was the only one who understood exactly what I was trying to say, in regards to this.