Comic & manga advice, people!

[telophase]

riofriotex said, in a comment on my post about librarians discussing manga:

I really need to learn more about graphic novels. I've just been hired as a university librarian, but part of my domain includes the curriculum collection (including picture books, juvenile literature, textbooks, etc.). It's mostly used by local teachers and education majors at the school, so graphic novels that are particularly suited for school libraries and use in the classroom would be needed in the collection, in my opinion. I would love some suggestions on where/how to learn more about the genre.

I fanpushed Usagi Yojimbo and said I'd ask you guys. Howzabout it? :D

Comments

Love to give an opinion

[buddleia.livejournal.com]

I think an obvious choice would be some of The Sandman run, by Neil Gaiman, particularly A Dolls House. These are not for children - serial killers and a certain amount of horror - but for teens and young teens, I think they would be ideal.

A classic, and I mean classic, graphic novel is Watchmen by Alan Moore. It's very bleak, but very subtle and complex and uses the comic format amazingly well. Again, it's not for children at all, but for teens it's a good info dump on the cold war, the eighties fear of nuclear war, huge and terrifying moral decisions, and some of the psychology of caped heroes/vigilantism.

I see Maus recommended above. It's amazing, but it is a very adult book. It's about the holocaust, via Art Spiegelman's relationship with his father and uses animals as metaphors (mice as jews, cats as Germans, etc.). I think every teenager should read it but I really wouldn't give it to children, it tore me apart.

For children, Princess Nausicaa would be excellent, the young protagonist is wonderful and the post-apocalyptic setting beautifully realised. I'd also recommend The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman for younger children.

I suppose some obvious choices for children as well are the Tintin books, by Herge, and the surprisingly adult Asterix and Obelix books by Goscinny and Uderzo (the in-jokes are priceless and must have been a nightmare to translate from the original French). I picked up a lot of French from untranslated Tintin books and I know a few others who did. They're ideal for this.

Re: Love to give an opinion

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

So much love for Tintin and Asterix.