UKC

Hi

My knowledge of graphic novels stems back to the late 80s/early 90s heyday (V for Vendetta, Watchmen and so on)

What would a 17 year old boy like from contemporary offerings?

Cheers

In reply to Flinticus:

Ranma 1/2
The everyday tale of a teenage boy, who turns into a teenage girl when splashed with water.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranma_%C2%BD

In reply to Flinticus:

I'm really encouraged that you know a 17 year old who is still reading novels. My 19 year old son was a huge reader when younger but with the relentless pressure of school exams and study he simply gave up reading for pleasure.

I still buy him books occasionally but sadly I think they remain unread.

In reply to Babika:


That's the case with me at the moment! Going through a non-reading spell (except holidays). I've started and made good headway into quite a few but...they can't compete with a trip to the climbing centre (when I have energy) or quality viewing after 9pm when I am usually settling down (GoT, Fargo, TrueBlood, The Walking Dead, Peep Show, even The Last Kingdom).

In fact the last reading I did was graphic novels, the first 20 from The Walking Dead comic (story arc differs from the TV drama)

In reply to dread-i:




Thanks for the recommendation but I've gone for Usagi Yojimba, via your advice

I checked out Ranma 1/2: wiki says its skewered towards younger females (peak age 15) so maybe not ideal for a boy (17) heading to uni next year. Anyway the author also wrote Urusei Yatsura, which reminded me of Usagi Yojimba, which I read a lot of and liked.

In reply to Flinticus:

What sort of stuff does he like generally in terms of eg films, books etc?

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Thanks for the interest but too late: I've got him the fist Usagi Yojimbo

In reply to Flinticus:


Wasn't that the name of a Glasgow band?

In reply to Flinticus:

It's not exactly contemporary but I liked the Sandman novels by Neil Gaiman

In reply to aln:

You could be right . Thought it sounded familiar.

In reply to Pbob:
Same age as the Watchman and V for Vendetta. I've got the individual comics bought from then as I was a fan when they came out. A golden era!

In reply to Flinticus:

I would have recommended Warren Ellis' run on Stormwatch, I read it at about the same age and absolutely loved it. It's got a very crude sense of humour but is very good fun. The boys by the same author is also great. I can also thoroughly recommend Elephantmen by Richard Starkings, the art is amazing and the writing is fantastic.

In reply to Flinticus:

Not exactly contemporary, but on a similar things Japanese theme, I remember liking Akira when I was about that age.
It is quite graphic, but by 17 he's probably seen/read similar elsewhere

In reply to Flinticus:

Locke and Key by Joe Hill (Stephen King's son ) would be good. Not a graphic novel as such but there's collected volumes. The main characters are adolescents going through a rough time after a violent home invasion which results in moving to a new town. There's teen angst supernatural stuff history sex n violence and a genuinely moving centre to the story. Great characters involving plot and excellent artwork.

In reply to Flinticus:

If you'd like something with a climbing theme too, you'd have to go to the ends of the earth to find anything better than "The Summit of the Gods".

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Summit-Gods-Vol-1-Jiro-Taniguchi/dp/8496427870/ref=...

It's a 5-part graphic novel series from Japan, in English translation, following a Japanese photographer/mountaineer (Fukamachi) as he tracks down a legendary Japanese hardman alpinist (Jouji Habu) in Nepal, with stories of Mallory's camera on Everest and the SW Face of Everest mingled in, as well as solo winter ascents of big Alps N faces etc... Absolutely brilliant storyline, as well as stunning visuals...

Tony

In reply to Flinticus:

American Psycho, was pretty graphic, but it was also pretty shit.

In reply to Flinticus:

Perhaps also from your timeline, but one of my favourites was Sandman - that's a good collection to work on.

One of Alan Moore's best (and darkest) was From Hell - that was a serious effort to read, so it depends on your nephew's personal tastes and commitment.

More modern is the Dark Tower series, adapted from Stephen King's opus series - quite good also

More contemporary again would be Fables - google that one

And finally, Transmetropolitan - futuristic Hunter S Thompson character - slight adult themes, but as I remember from being 17 that would be awesome just depends on the parents I guess

In reply to TonyG:



I really would recommend this series, the artwork and storyline are both just about perfect.

In reply to sanguine:

Sandman: yeah, got all the comics up to about issue 50 (they are at home in my 'office')

Parents would be OK: dad would have been reading stuff like this at a similar age

I'll look these up for my own reading!

In reply to Flinticus:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/persepolis-i-and-ii/marjane-satrapi/9780099523994

https://www.waterstones.com/book/palestine/joe-sacco/edward-w-said/97802240...

https://www.waterstones.com/book/waltz-with-bashir/ari-folman/david-polonsk...

The foremost and latter are also very good animated movies. The author of Waltz With Bashir - Ari Folman - has been in involved in a few great ones recently.

In reply to James FR:

I'm getting this for myself!!

In reply to Flinticus:

You've probably already decided, but how about a graphic book for a 17 yr old written by a 17 yr old:
Le Diable au Corps, written by Raymond Radiguet ?

This Guardian review explains things nicely:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/jul/17/devil-flesh-raymond-radiguet

Of course, this isn't exactly contemporary, but the subject matter is eternal !

In reply to Flinticus:


Nowt wrong with offering him V for Vendetta or Watchmen. Other than that, most of Neil Gaiman's offerings are a decent bet for a 17 year old.

Alan Moore's stuff can be a bit heavy going - I certainly wouldn't recommend From Hell for a young adult; lots of stuff to take in with very stylised art from Eddie Campbell.

A fair bet would be to look at whatever the Vertigo sub-brand of DC is publishing.

In reply to Flinticus:

Road to Perdition is good- a graphic novel first, a film later.

In reply to TonyG:



Thanks, that's going on my xmas list

In reply to Flinticus:

It has been suggested to me that my 17 year old son would like "Blankets" by Craig Thompson for xmas.