Mind MGMT, Volume 1: The Manager
Writer/ Artist/ Cover Artist: Matt Kindt
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels • Science Fiction • Action & Adventure
Setting: USA • Mexico • China • Baghdad, Iraq • Tanzania
Published April 2013 by Dark Horse | Collects MIND MGMT #1-#6
iBooks Best of 2013 (accomplished graphic novels) • YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten) (2014)
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Blankets
Author/Illustrator: Craig Thompson
Published by Top Shelf Productions
Setting: Wisconsin, United States
Genre: Graphic novel, Memoir/Autobiography
Literary Awards: Harvey Award for Best Artist (2004) | Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best Graphic Album–New (2004) | #1 in Time Magazine’s 2003 Best Comics list | #8 in Time Magazine’s Best Comics of the Decade | 2004 Harvey Award for Best Artist, Best Cartoonist, and Best Graphic Album of Original Work | 2004 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album and Best Writer/Artist | 2004 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Artist and Graphic Novel or Collection
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Watchmen
Writer: Alan Moore | Illustrator: Dave Gibbons | Colorist: John Higgins
Setting: New York City, 1985
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
Published by DC Comics
Hugo Award (1988) | Named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Novels
My first encounter with a graphic novel was holding a rather thick comic book with the title “Death of Superman” that belonged to a neighbor. I had no idea what a graphic novel was at the time (only a comic book) but it got me reading all right. Having watched Superman and Batman when I was younger, I wasn’t new to the world of comic heroes. Our dog was even called Sheena. Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. Sound familiar? Reading comics was a different thing because my parents couldn’t afford them. I resorted to borrowing Archie double digests from classmates, and Tin Tin and Asterix from the school library. An Archie Double Digest was a luxury and when they eventually bought me one, I was the happiest little thing on Earth. When I got older and my parents could spare some money for my voracious appetite for reading, I bought X-Men and X-Files comics.
Alice famously said, “What is the use of a book… without pictures or conversations?” While we might all agree with Alice on that, books intended for a more ‘mature’ audience don’t have any traces of pictures- well, at least most of them, but we still read them, don’t we? So when graphic novels emerged, I’m sure children of all ages rejoiced. You bet I did.
Having discovered graphic novels lately, I posted a personal challenge to read five graphic novels next year but when I discovered the 7th Annual Graphic Novels and Manga Challenge hosted by Nicola, I decided to join that instead. My aim is to read 12 graphic novels or comics.
The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31, 2014. This year has three levels of play:
The Five-Eyed Bookworm 