30 Day Challenges Day 9 - 10 Graphic Novels I Can Read Over and Over

I tend not to sit down and read novels any more since I want to spend my sit-down time stitching. Therefore I listen to all the books I can. I do make an exception for graphic novels because if they're worth it, then the time doesn't feel wasted to me. 

10 Graphic Novels I Can Read Over and Over

1. V for Vendetta

I was introduced to this one by a great Chapters clerk. Chapters is a bookstore chain similar to Barnes and Noble, but it's in Canada and is now Chapters/Indigo I think. I've read this book several times and had both a hardcover and softcover edition until I gave the softcover away to a friend. 

"A powerful story about loss of freedom and individuality, V For Vendetta takes place in a totalitarian England following a devastating war that changed the face of the planet." from Forbidden Planet

2. Marvel 1602

I really enjoy this collection. Seeing such futuristic style characters in the Elizabethan era is a refreshing change to the frenetic pacing of some of the modern comics. I didn't realize until recently that the writing (Neil Gaiman) might also be one of the reasons this is so easy to read over and over. 

"Neil Gaiman's vision of the Marvel Universe in the year 1602! The year is 1602, and strange things are stirring in England. In the service of Queen Elizabeth, court magician Dr. Stephen Strange senses that the bizarre weather plaguing the skies above is not of natural origin. Her majesty's premier spy, Sir Nicholas Fury, fends off an assassination attempt on the Queen by winged warriors rumored to be in service to a mad despot named Doom."

3. Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction

I borrowed this from the library after enjoying the somewhat light-hearted movie. This is very different and I feel like I need to read it over and over again to try and catch all the references from myth/folklore, B movies and fables. 

"Drawing heavily folklore, B-movies, ghost stories, monsters and pulp tales this is series about a paranormal investigator from Hell! Hellboy has proved to be a both popular and critical success with its abstract artwork and H. P. Lovecraft-style horror!" from Forbidden Planet

4. The Adventures of Tintin: The Blue Lotus

This was my first Tintin book and I have always enjoyed re-reading it. Yes, the stereotypical characters are unfortunate now that I'm older and can understand them, but I still get the sense of wonder I had when I first read it when I was very young. The plight of the mad boy still gets me. 

" Tintin travels to China in The Blue Lotus, a tale which is generally considered Herge's first masterpiece. It's also Tintin's only foray into actual history, specifically the Sino-Japanese conflicts of the early 1930s. The political tensions combined with the chilling threats of drugs give the story an especially high and realistic sense of danger. Herge's interest in China was spurred by a friendship with a young Chinese student named Chang Chong-chen, a relationship that Tintin mirrors with a Chinese boy also named Chang Chong-chen. Herge paints a vivid picture of China and takes the opportunity to denounce ethnic prejudices (though ironically his artistic depiction of the Japanese businessman Mitsuhirato is quite grotesque)." from Amazon

5. Asterix the Gaul

I first read this when I was much too young to get the humour, and I read it in English. DH tells me it's much funnier in French, but he can't explain how. :) My most vivid memory is the really large Roman soldier that found a tiny basket of strawberries and he was skipping because he was so happy he'd found some. 

"When Roman Centurion Crismus Bonus finds out about Getafix’s magic potion, he kidnaps the druid to force him to reveal the recipe. So Asterix joins his friend in captivity and together they two plan to whip up a surprise with truly hair-raising effects."

6. Fables

I started reading this series after my brother recommended it. I really enjoy trying to decipher who's who from fairy tales and how they are dealing with the "real world". The first book is one of the best. 

"Disguised among the "mundys," their name for normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters created their own secret society that they call Fabletown. From their exclusive luxury apartment buildings on Manhattan's Upper West Side, these creatures of legend must fight for their survival in the new world."

7. Digger

Everyone should read this comic, and the nice thing is you can do it for free here. This is one of the best graphic novels I have ever read. The sense of humour is right up my alley and the story dabbles in mythology which is another interest. 

"Digger Is a story about a wombat.More specifically, it is a story by author and artist Ursula Vernon about a particularly no-nonsense wombat who finds herself stuck on the wrong end of a one-way tunnel in a strange land where nonsense seems to be the specialty. Now, with the help of a talking statue of a god, an outcast hyena, a shadow-being of indeterminate origin, and an oracular slug she seeks to find out where she is and how to go about getting back to her Warren"

8. Batman Year One

Again, my brother had this one on his wish list and I purchased it for that reason. I did not regret it and the story of Batman coming into his own was not only interesting, it felt as if they used some of the material for Batman Begins. I love that movie and found parallels in the graphic novel and the movie that made me enjoy both even more. 

"In 1986, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli produced this groundbreaking reinterpretation of the origin of Batman — who he is and how he came to be."

9. The Black Cauldron

I can't find any sign of this book on the internet, but I swear it existed and I read it to pieces when I was a child. I don't remember if I ever saw the movie, but I had the graphic novel or movie book and read it over and over. I would do that again and read it to DD if I had it or buy it new if I could find it anywhere.

10. Andre the Giant: Life and Legend
This was a fairly recent purchase after I read about it online. I'd always been interested in Andre the Giant after watching him in the WWF, as it was called then, and in my favourite movie of all time, The Princess Bride. I enjoyed reading more about this gentle giant and some of the behind-the-scenes info is startling. 

"Andre Roussimoff is known as both the lovable giant in The Princess Bride and a heroic pro-wrestling figure. He was a normal guy who'd been dealt an extraordinary hand in life. At his peak, he weighed 500 pounds and stood nearly seven and a half feet tall. But the huge stature that made his fame also signed his death warrant."

Sorry I had trouble with the font and formatting throughout this post. My internet was wonky and it was saving things strangely. At this point I'm just glad to get the post done! 

I hope I gave you some ideas for books to try and happy stitching!

Tiffstitch