Bone

Bone by Jeff Smith is debatably the best comic I have ever read.  Not only is it a fun, gripping, read I also love the art.  I finished the entire series and found nothing about it that I did not like.  It was a perfect mix of funny and serious.  The art was really good (which is usually all I care about) but in this graphic novel I enjoyed the story so much that even if the art was not as good I would have liked it.  I was pretty surprised how intense the story got.  It started off so fun and happy and then went dark and serious very quick.  I highly suggest everyone to read this graphic novel.  Everything about it is amazing.  The character's develop along with the story so well.  I recommend reading everything in the series because it only gets better as it goes and you discover more about the plot.  Bone is a truly amazing piece of literature.

White Ninja!!!!!

I read White Ninja for my online comic.  Online comics are a very interesting format and I do think they are the future but I really did not enjoy this web comic much at all.  The humor was immature adult humor and was only meant to try and induce a quick laugh on the reader.  I found a few of them to be moderately funny but nothing really struck me as laugh out loud funny.  Mainly I feel this is caused by a lack of ability to connect to the reader.  Most fun successful comic strips are based upon the artists personal experiences.  This really helps the reader connect to the story and it makes the antics that take place way more funny because they can connect to it.  White Ninja was crude and boring.  The art was very weak and unimpressive.  I think White Ninja does have potential as it did make me laugh but it really needs a lot of work.  The author / artist should really make it more personal instead of just throwing in a stupid crude punch line.  Definitely not a huge fan of White Ninja.

Batman Arkham Asylum

Dave Mckean is awesome!  That is all there is to say.  Batman Arkham Asylum was incredible.  It was so creepy and mildly disturbing at times but wow, what a true psychological thriller.  There was really very little to actually do with Batman.  Mainly it was all about the mind and the development of a historical, integral part of Batman lore.   Mckean was a perfect choice as the artist for this as well.  The entire story had an almost dream like state to it and Mckean's use of rough paint and collage really fit well into it.  There was very little action that took place in the book but it was so psychologically interesting and so creepy it kept me glued to the pages.  It's one of the best comics I've ever read.  It makes you think about all kinds of things that a person normally wouldn't want to think about like what makes us sane and what are our personal motives in life and what we do and think is right.  I loved this graphic novel.

Sweets: A New Orleans Crime Story

Sweets: A New Orleans Crime Story by Kody Chamberlain was a riveting mystery.  I actually hadn't read a mystery graphic novel before this one and was skeptical about how the graphic novel format would suit a real mystery.  I enjoyed it well enough.  I've never been a huge fan of mysteries so I'm a bit biased but overall I found it to be a fun read.  The art was good enough as well.  I don't have to much to say about this comic besides the fact that it was a fun enough and mysterious story with good art.  Just not a huge fan of mysteries but that is just a personal preference.

Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid On Earth

Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid On Earth was a quite interesting take on the layout and use of the graphic novel story format.  I chose this book based solely upon it's cover.  I know you are not supposed to judge a book by it's cover but this cover was just too neat.  It had to be an interesting graphic novel just based upon it's shape and cover design nothing bad could start off so interestingly.  I was not wrong.  The story was great.  My heart felt for each of the characters and I stressed when they did.  This I feel is a sign that a graphic novel has success.  The drawings and colors of the comic are beautiful as well which keeps you engrossed in the story and makes you slow down while you read.  The layout throughout the comic reflected that of the cover.  Everything about this comic was a unique fun read and the attachment the reader feels for the characters really makes this an extremely successful graphic novel. 

Blacksad

Blacksad was one of the most visually pleasing and stimulating comics I have ever read. Not only was it done in watercolor which is already ridiculous the standard to which they rendered every panel was mind blowing. The attention to detail and the simplicity of the panel layout made this graphic novel a very fast read. Most people discount anything that smells of even the slightest amount of furry culture. Although this comic could be put into that category it really breaks the stereotype of anything furry (talking, walking, animal) related being automatically lame. Every page was packed with dynamic action and powerful character design. It's impossible not to think this comic is awesome. The story is a riveting mystery which keeps the reader on his toes. I can't wait to get a hold of volume two and finish the series. The care the artist took with this graphic novel is really a feat in and of itself. I was reading an article about the making of the graphic novel and it said that if the artist made even the slightest screw up on the page (yes they did every panel on the same sheet) they would scrap the page and start again. This comic is a gorgeous riveting read that everyone should experience.

Mermaid Forest

I started Mermaid Forest thinking it would be a fun up beat Manga with pretty mermaids and fun and games, like the content of most mermaid stories that you associate with young people.  As I read more of Mermaid Forest I found out just how wrong I was.  This Manga is extremely creepy and has an odd undertone that made me slightly uncomfortable.  The idea of the pursuit for everlasting health is a cliché idea that has been passed down from myth to myth for ages.  The thing I liked about Mermaid Forest was how interesting a take they developed upon that common myth.  To gain everlasting health one has to eat the flesh of a mermaid.  This might sound easy but it is absolutely not.  Only a small majority people manage to survive the toxins in the mermaid’s skin and obtain their goal of everlasting youth.  Most people either die, become “Lost Souls” , or become terrible fish monsters.  This Manga was a fun read but very strange at the same time.  Manga reads very quickly with a lot of fun action sequences.  Didn’t take long to finish this one but I’m still formulating my opinion as to whether I would recommend it to people.