Higher Learning

Graphic novels are produced in a wide range of genres: humor, mystery, fantasy, nonfiction, and so on. This is a collection of graphic novels that are more literary than average; these titles are, on the surface, able to be enjoyed for great art and stories but are richer, with more complicated themes or background knowledge, and should take more time to read. Here are a few adaptations of literary greats as well as some single-titles that are book-lenth and book-depth. There is also a range of genres here, from the literary mystery to intelligent fantasy.

The Tale of One Bad Rat

by Bryan Talbot
Dark Horse Comics 1995
1569710775
Helen Potter is homeless and living on the streets of London, her only possession the Beatrix Potter books she took when she left home. She makes her way by panhandling and relying on the kindness of other street kids, but because of the sexual abuse in her past and her resulting retreat into imaginative landscapes, she has trouble forging real connections with others. Accompanied by her visions, especially a large rat that represents her "bad" self, she decides to seek out Beatrix Potter's house in the English countryside, hoping that she will find peace there. An excellently written and plotted storyline along with realistically drawn art combine to make this tale of abuse overcome a compelling read.

Ruse: Enter the Detective

by Mark Waid
Art by Butch Guice
CrossGen 2002
1931484198
Combine settings and costumes akin to Victorian England, a sardonic detective, his beautiful but equally sharp female partner working in a fantasy world where magic and mystery go hand in hand, and you have Ruse: Enter the Detective. Set on the planet Arcadia, Simon Archard and Emma Bishop work to keep their city of Partington safe from nefarious deeds. Complex deduction, wordplay, strong female characters, and beautifully detailed artwork make this an excellent and unique addition to any graphic novel mystery collection.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

by Lorenzo Mattotti and Jerry Kramsky
Comics Lit, 2003
1561633305
Mattotti and Kramsky retell Robert Louis Stevenson's tragic tale of Dr. Henry Jekyll. Mattotti's lurid colors, strong contrasts, and twisted perspectives create an aura of horror and suspense that add to Kramsky's adaptation. The adaptation itself preserves plenty of the original to be honest while still condensing it for the graphic novel format. Good as a standalone title or as a counterpoint to the original novel, this is a good choice for those wanting to add literary adaptations to their graphic novel collection.

Metamorphosis

by Franz Kafka, illus. Peter Kuper
Art by Peter Kuper
Crown, 2003
1400047951
Kuper's adaptation of Kafka's tale of the unfortunate Gregor Samsa loses a little in story, but its creepy, sharp-angled art adds a whole other layer. Seeming to be made up of mostly silhouettes and carvings, the art creates a sense of unreality that lends itself well to the tale.

Paul Has a Summer Job

by Michel Rabagliati
Drawn & Quarterly, 2003
1896597548
Paul, a high-school dropout, takes a job as a replacement counselor at a summer camp for underprivilaged kids even though he doesn't know the first thing about kids or the wilderness. After a beginning in which all the kids in his cabin make fun of him for losing his temper and ticks off his partner, he eventually figures out how to relate and starts to actually care about the kids. The artwork is simple--black & white line drawings--that are appropriate for the slightly nostaligic tone of the story as Paul looks back at the "summer of 79." Many young adults will relate to Paul as he struggles with the kids, falls in love, and lives happily ever after.

The Sandman series

by Neil Gaiman
Vertigo/DC Comics
No collection is complete without the original 10 graphic novels compromising The Sandman series, one of the most original, influential, and critically acclaimed titles to date. The Sandman series tells the stories of the Endless, seven siblings who are the living embodiment of the essential concepts--Desire, Despair, Death, Delerium, Dream, Destruction, and Destiny--that drive all humans. Blending history, mythology, reality, fantasy, and philosophy, Gaiman's creation (and the beautiful and various art that go along with it) is the prime example of why graphic novels are not fluff fiction. While Dream is the main character in many tales, all of the siblings are fully developed, almost too real, characters with interesting lives, problems, and duties of their own. Excellent both on the level of individual works and on the larger framework of the whole storyarc, The Sandman series is one of the must-haves for any good graphic novel collection.

Preludes and Nocturnes
Illustrators: Dave McKean, Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III
Introduction by F. Paul Wilson
Collecting issues #1-8 of The Sandman
1563890119

A Doll's House
Illustrators: Dave McKean, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III
Introduction by Clive Barker
Collecting issues #8-16 of The Sandman
0930289595

Dream Country
Illustrators: Dave McKean, Kelly Jones, Charles Vess, Colleen Doran, Malcolm Jones III
Introduction by Steve Erickson
Collecting issues #17-20 of The Sandman, plus the raw script for #17
156389016X

Season of Mists
Illustrators: Dave McKean, Kelly Jones, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Matt Wagner, Dick Giordano, George Pratt, P. Craig Russell
Introduction by Harlan Ellison
Collecting issues #21 - 28 of The Sandman
1563890410

Fables and Reflections
Illustrators: Dave McKean, P. Craig Russell, et al.
Collecting issues #29-31, 38-40, and 50 of The Sandman plus The Sandman Special #1, "The Song of Orpheus"
1563890895

A Game Of You
Illustrators: Dave McKean, Shawn McManus, Colleen Doran, Bryan Talbot, George Pratt, Stan Woch, Dick Girdano
Introduction by Samuel R. Delany
Collecting issues #32-37 of The Sandman
1563891050

Brief Lives
Illustrators: Dave McKean, Jill Thompson, Vince Locke
Afterword by Peter Straub
Collecting issues #41-49 of The Sandman
1563891387

World's End
Illustrators: Michael Allred, Gary Amaro, Mark Buckingham, Dick Giordano, Tony Harris, Steve Leialoha, Vince Locke, Shea Anton Pensa, Alec Stevens, Bryan Talbot, John Watkiss, Michael Zulli
Introduction by Stephen King
Collecting issues #51-56 of The Sandman
1563891719

The Kindly Ones
Illustrators: Dave McKean, Marc Hempel, et al.
Collecting issues #57-69 of The Sandman
1563892057

The Wake
Illustrators: Dave McKean, Michael Zulli, Jon J. Muth, Charles Vess
Introduction by Mikal Gilmore
Collecting issues #70-75 of The Sandman
1563892790