Think comic books are just for kids? Think again.
Last month in our Lifestyle section, we took a look at the joys of reading. There’s really nothing quite like becoming immersed in a story and transporting yourself to a different world inside those pages. The summer is a wonderful time to get some quality reading done. Many turn to the latest murder mysteries while other return to old favourites or classics. But one form of literature is often ignored by adult readers – the comic. Maybe you read comics in your youth, enjoying the latest adventures of superheroes like Superman and Spider-Man but now such stories seem a bit childish. But comic books – graphic novels as they are sometimes called – have come a long way over the years and offer much more than just costumed heroes. There are complex, dramatic and engrossing stories told through this medium that offer truly great reading experiences. If you’re curious about what these graphic novels are about, here are some notable titles to check out.
Maus
Here is a perfect example of how comics can use its unique medium to tell some of the most important stories of our lifetime. Based on author Art Spiegelman’s interviews with his own father who was a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor, the comic depicts the humans as animals in these real-world settings during WWII with Jewish citizens as mice and Nazi soldiers as cats. Not only a revealing and harrowing tale of one of the darkest periods in human history, but also a look at the relationship between a son and his father.
V for Vendetta
An Orwellian dystopian tale told as an action comic. Set in the United Kingdom in an alternate timeline where a nuclear war has crashed the world into chaos and seen the rise of a fascist control of the UK. However, the tight grasp of those in power is challenged as a vigilante figure known as V emerges on a personal path of revenge while inspiring the society at large to rise up. A thrilling and impactful look at the extremes of fascism and anarchism clashing.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Many people look comics and graphic novels as big, stylized action-packed stories but here is proof that they can tell small, quiet and personal stories while using the platform to its full potential. This semi-autobiographical coming of age story follows a young girl named Minnie growing up in 70s San Francisco and her struggle to make sense of the complex relationships and feelings she’s experiencing in her teenage years. Sometimes shocking, often beautiful and very earnest tale
The Watchmen
Yes, there are indeed superhero stories on this list but certainly not ones you are expecting. Take for instance, this ground-breaking story set in an alternate reality of the USA where a group of crime-fighters known as The Watchmen have operated to great popularity for years. Decades after they’ve disbanded, one of their members is murdered and a conspiracy begins to unravel that threatens the entire world. While full of crazy costumes and super powers, the story takes a look at some serious subject matter, showing these “heroes” as flawed, petty and even deranged individuals.
The Dark Knight Returns
Even one of the most popular costumed heroes gets a graphic novel that offers something for older readers as well. Set decades after the Batman we all know and love has retired from crime fighting, the story finds Bruce Wayne an old man forced to watch his city fall to crime once again. Pushed too far, he once again dons his iconic mask and cape to return to the streets of Gotham and deliver justice. A very different look at Batman, presented as a bitter, angry, obsessive and violent man passed his prime but not ready to surrender.
From Hell
Even the horror genre is well-represented in this vivid medium, and this tale boldly takes on one of the most notorious and mysterious criminals of all-time. Set in Victorian London, the novel looks back at the real-life crimes committed by Jack the Ripper and seeks to offer an identity to the killer himself. Touching on a myriad of scandals and news items of the day, this gothic story gives a fascinating exploration of one of the greatest mysteries while commenting on the class system of the time.
Persepolis
It’s amazing how many brilliant artists turn to graphic novels as a way of telling their own very personal stories and how much the medium offers in their storytelling. This autobiographical tale looks at Marjane Satrapi life growing up as a child and spanning to her early adult years in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It is an insight into a world most of us know little to nothing about, giving us unimaginable access to the difficulties of life at this time as well as the culture of Iranian people.