Graphic Novels > S Graphic Novels > 10 GBP to 14 GBP

Advantages: Unique story-telling; brilliant artwork; allegorical themes
Disadvantages: Minimalist and not to everyone's taste

"In the future we will send all the fat people to the moon and they will be as light as a feather" - the protagonist, Amazing Rain Sam Brown's unassuming talent has captivated me ever since I was first introduced to his work on homepage explodingdog.com. The reason for our introduction was slightly cringe-worthy - I had seen his delightful stick figures used in various emo avatars and icons - but I was pleasantly surprised to find that his art ...
...works like so: visitors email him a phrase, any phrase at all, and he draws his interpretation of these on a computer using a tablet. The results are sometimes bizarre, but always entertaining. A phrase may be anything from "i like hotdogs" to "these daisies are overcooked" and the resultant doodles tend to feature adorable stick figures sometimes accompanied by small birds, stars, monsters or angular dogs and robots. Amazing Rain is Mr Brown's ... Read review

Advantages: Original and intelligent
Disadvantages: NONE

This graphic novel is wrote by Frank Miller but also includes his art along with inkist Klaus Janson and colourist Lynn Varley. The story take place 10 years after Bruce Wayne retires from his career as Batman. He has become an old man, not being an actual superhero years of physical torture have taken their tole on Bruce. Since his retirement Gotham City has gone down hill. Criminals rule the streets and are taking over. Ofcorse there is only so ...
...morals command him to take up the mask and belt again for one more fight! This time he becomes more of a vigilanty as he sees no way to save gotham without being ruthless. He teams up with a new Robin a girl this time) and the proceed to try and save Gotham. Unfortunately not everyone agrees with his methods and a certain someone (*SPOILER - Superman *SPOILER) comes in to stop Batman. The fight all comic book fans have been waiting for is upon us! ... Read review

Advantages: Pictures, appeals to kids
Disadvantages: it is underated

The Hobbit is a timeless classic that been fantastically been brought to life in this comic like version of the hobbit. Tolkiens vivid image and ideas about middle earth have been adapted into amazing pictures accompanied by the text. This is a great story with dwarves, wizards, hobbits, dragons, elves and many more fantastic creatures. This has got to be one of the top ten books to read and it appeals to children as well becasue insted of all writing ... Read review

Advantages: Impressive debut with some fantastic art.
Disadvantages: A bit of a copy-cat, falling for some of the Sandman's pitfalls.

...issue mini-series 'The Sandman Presents Lucifer: The Morningstar Option' from 1999 and the first four issues of the regular comic which began a year later, forming another three-part serial and a final, separate short story. It's clear even from this first collection that the recognisable Sandman style is being followed diligently, allocating a finite number of issues to a particular story before moving on to the next and filling the spaces with ...
...the titular protagonist, Lucifer (or whatever name your culture bestows him) is much more prominent in these plots than Gaiman's Sandman was in the long run, though like Dream his role is pushed to the background in the short stories, presuming this book is going to be reflective of the series as a whole. In a further, clearly intentional homage to Sandman, the series would conclude after seventy-five issues in 2006, but now we're getting ahead of ... Read review

Advantages: First half is a surprisingly good ending.
Disadvantages: Second half of unrelated stories is a disappointing waste of time.

...that Neil Gaiman's saga of The Sandman came to a satisfactory close eight years after its first issue hit the shelves. This final paperback collects the three issues comprising 'The Wake' epilogue and three supplementary, independent stories tying up some of the more obscure loose ends before the series is finally put to rest... you know, aside from the other couple of Sandman books Gaiman has written since, and the numerous spin-off comics continuing ...
...The previous book 'The Kindly Ones' was a long and winding road to the Sandman's inevitable death, and 'The Wake' deals with its consequences while also providing a sentimental farewell for the comic series itself. Fortunately, this amounts to more than just a bittersweet parade of favourite characters saying their goodbyes (though it is partly that), with Gaiman and returning artist Michael Zulli working to create something original and distinctive ... Read review