Graphic Novels: A Reader’s Guide

S ome of the more interesting material on the market includes: Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa (New Society). The dramatic and moving story of a schoolboy who witnesses the destruction of Hiroshima by the atomic bomb. In Japan, this powerful anti-war statement has been the subject of three live-action films, an animated feature and an opera.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller with Klaus Jenson and Lynn Varley. (Warner Books).

Corto Maltese in Siberia by Hugo Pratt (Nantier-Beall-Minoustchine). Drawn in a style reminiscent of “Terry and the Pirates,” the Corto Maltese series offers all the elements of a 19th-Century Ruritanian adventure novel: a dashing rogue of a hero, exotic settings, glamorous adventuresses and power-mad villains.

Heartbreak Soup and The Reticent Heart by Gilbert Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books). Two collections of interlocking stories about the tiny Latin American town of Palomar.

Japan, Inc. by Shotaro Ishinomori (UC Press). Ishinomori combines a readable story with an explanation of how the booming Japanese economy functions. This rare example of a didactic graphic novel is well worth studying, as many MBA candidates are discovering.

Los Tejanos by Jack Jackson (Fantagraphics Books). A biography of Juan Seguin, a hero of the Texas War of Independence who found himself caught in the conflict between Latino and Anglo cultures after the war.

Love & Rockets by Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books). Jaime has a flair for more dramatic illustrations than his brother, Gilbert, and these stories, set in a skewed world of punk rockers and lady wrestlers, are lighter and more rambunctious than the “Heartbreak Soup” series.

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon).

The Silver Surfer: Parable by Stan Lee and Moebius (Epic Comics). Jean “Moebius” Giraud is one of the most popular fantasy illustrators in Europe, and this baroque comic showcases his cinematic layouts and understated use of color.

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (DC Comics). One of the most elaborate comic-book-style graphic novels, praised by aficionados for the “richness of its texture.”