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7 Days, Day 8, Post 6: Top 5 Graphic Novels

For seven days I was supposed to be blogging about any topic that my readers see fit to get me to write about, having asked on here and on Twitter. Unfortunately the bank holiday weekend coupled with an OU assignment I had completely forgotten about has put me back a few days. Sorry. Here, for your reading delectation, is Day Six, presented on Day 8, subject submitted by Joe Lee.

I can't really claim to be a huge authority on Graphic novels, having what would be described by most comic book geeks as 'a pitiful collection.' But I do love a good one, so here is my entirely subjective list of the graphic novels that have really moved or tickled me since the tender age of 12, when I first found a copy of Aliens vs Predator in my newsagent.

1. The Walking Dead.

Technically not a single graphic novel, but instead a continual story that follows a rag-tag group of survivors through a zombie apocalypse. What really moves me about this is the wonderfully rich ways the characters are written, coupled with the sparse but haunting style of the drawing. Always gripping, frequently hilarious, this is a must have for me.

2. Chasing Dogma.

As with many things in geek life, Kevin Smith does it best.  This tale of exactly how Jay and Silent Bob make their way between the films Chasing Amy and Dogma is the only graphic novel to have made me laugh out loud from start to finish. It's good enough that Kevin Smith was able to plagiarise half of his own work for the plot of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

3. Watchmen.

Of course. A seminal moment in comic book history, and like so much of what Alan Moore has done, breathtaking from end to end. The interweaving plots, the use of seemingly real news clippings, and best of all the comic-within-a-comic Tales Of The Black Freighter just make this the most ambitious and perfectly realised graphic novel ever produced.

4. Daredevil Vol 1: Guardian Devil

Another Kevin Smith entry, but this couldn't be any further from Chasing Dogma. The character of Daredevil has always been intriguing, but Smith's own weaving of his religious tale around a taut and suspenseful noir backdrop is for me the best tale from one of my favourite characters. Genuinely moving in places, the conflicts within Matt Murdoch have always been what drives Daredevil's books, and Smith and Queseda capture that brilliantly.

5. Civil War.

Normally event comics are a nightmare. The studio, in this case Marvel, realises there are just too many plots in their universe and enlist someone to do a bit of a spring clean.  Cue needless fights between friends, enemies switching sides, yadda yadda. But Civil War, which examines the very Watchmen-esque possibility of unmasking and registering all superheroes for the sake of humanity is perfectly done, and the battle scenes are superb. The moment when Peter Parker unmasks at a news conference is one of the tensest moments in comic book history.

Geeks, feel free to tell me how utterly wrong my choices are.....GO!