GraphicNovelReporter.com’s Best Graphic Novels of 2008

John Hogan, GraphicNovelReporter.com's Editorial Director has selected the following as his "best of" list for 2008. See how many of his picks made your personal "best of" list:

Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra (Vertigo)
After years of telling us the story of the last man left on earth, Brian K. Vaughan wrapped up his series with a stunning conclusion that hit like a punch in the gut. True to his vision till the end, Vaughan left readers in a daze with this powerful epic.

Too Cool to Be Forgotten by Alex Robinson (Top Shelf)
What could have been a simple “grownup goes back in time and relives being a teenager” tale gained additional oomph in Alex Robinson’s hands. A man who desperately wants to quit smoking gets the satisfaction he was really looking for and never knew could exist in a touching but never sentimental way.

The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames and Dean Haspiel (Vertigo)
Don’t be fooled; this isn’t a true memoir. Is it? No, it’s somewhat made up. And that’s the charm. Don’t try to figure out which parts are real and which are made up; just enjoy the gripping tale of a man coming to terms with his drinking problem and the many loose ends of his life.

Alan’s War by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
Alan Cope was a young soldier in World War II. Decades later, he met and befriended artist Emmanuel Guibert. Alan’s recollections of war and how he lived his life during it provided a canvas that Guibert used to create incredibly rich and vivid illustrations.

American Widow by Alissa Torres and Sungyoon Choi (Villard)
Amid a sea of 9/11-related books, American Widow stands out for taking a truly beautiful graphic-novel approach. Marrying words and pictures in wonderfully understated ways, Alissa Torres turns her memoir into a work of true poignancy.

Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw (Fantagraphics)
A massive volume (more than 700 pages!) that centers around the Loony family and the announcement that Maggie and David Loony are splitting up after more than 40 years of marriage. Funny beyond belief and touching too.

The Country Nurse by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)
The third in Jeff Lemire’s Essex Country trilogy wraps up his subtle and varied storylines. It’s a book that is best savored along with the first two in the series, but it’s also self-contained.

Zot! The Complete Black and White Collection: 1987–1991 by Scott McCloud (Harper)
A wonderful collection that is both long overdue and right on time. Zot! was an amalgam of several different comics styles that served the late-’80s style and sensibilities perfectly.

Slow Storm by Danica Novgorodoff (First Second)
A strange friendship forms between an illegal immigrant and a female firefighter when a devastating storm hits. Stunning illustrations give Slow Storm a rich, lustrous feel that perfectly matches the gentle touch of the story within.

What It Is by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
More than just a reference book, What It Is captures what we all love about the format so much and puts it in wild and inventive form on the page. It’s a book that works well for would-be creators, new fans, and people who have loved comics for a long time.

Here's What Others Have Selected as Their Favorites of 2008

NPR’s Best Graphic Novels of 2008

Skyscrapers of the Midwest by Joshua W. Cotter (Adhouse Books)
Local by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly (Oni Press)
Good-Bye by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn and Quarterly)
Alan’s War: The Memories of G.I. Alan Cope by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
Heavy Liquid by Paul Pope (Vertigo) 

Publishers Weekly Best Comics of 2008

Aya of Yop City by Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie(Drawn & Quarterly)
What It Is by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child by Rick Geary (ComicsLit)
Alan’s War by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
Kramers Ergot 7 edited by Sammy Harkham (Buenaventura Press)
The Education of Hopey Glass by Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue(Viz)
Achewood: The Great Outdoor Fight by Chris Onstad (Dark Horse)
Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw(Fantagraphics)
Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds(Houghton/Mariner)
Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki(Groundwood Books)
Travel by Yuichi Yokoyama(Picturebox)

American Library Association's 2008 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Laika by Nick Abadzis (First Second)
Re-Gifters by Mike Carey (DC/Minx)
The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam by Ann Marie Fleming (Penguin Group)
Blue Beetle: Shell-Shocked and Blue Beetle: Road Trip by Keith Giffen (DC Comics)
King of Thorn, volumes 1 and 2 by Yuji Iwahara (Tokyopop)
Sidescrollers by Matthew Loux (Oni Press)
After School Nightmare, volumes 1 through 5 by Setona Mizushiro (Go Comi!)
Emma, volumes 1 through 5 by Kaoru Mori (CMX)
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis (Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux)
The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine)

Bookslut’s Top Graphic Novels of 2007

1. (tie) Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot (Dark Horse Books)
1. (tie) The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine Books)
2. Shooting War by Anthony Lappé and Dan Goldman (Grand Central Publishing)
3. The Blot by Tom Neely (I Will Destroy You)
4. Flight, Volume Four, edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Villard)
5. Laikaby Nick Abadzis (First Second)
6. Artesia: Afire by Mark S. Smylie (Archaia Studio Press)
7. Regards from Serbia by Aleksandar Zograf (Top Shelf)
8. Essex County Volume I: Tales From the Farm, by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)
9. Bookhunter by Shiga (Sparkplug Comics)
10. Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Birds, Bees, Blood, & Beer by Ben Templesmith (IDW Publishers)
11. The Nightmare Factory, based on the stories of Thomas Ligotti (Fox Atomic/Harper Paperbacks)
12. Red Eye, Black Eye by K. Thor Jensen (Alternative Comics)

Salon’s Graphic Novel Picks of 2007

The Salon by Nick Bertozzi (St. Martin’s Griffin)
Terry and the Pirates, Volume 1 by Milton Caniff (IDW)
Chance in Hell by Gilbert Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)
French Milk by Lucy Knisley (Epigraph Publishing)
I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets! by Fletcher Hanks (Fantagraphics Books)
Two-Fisted Tales, Volume 2 by Harvey Kurtzman, et al. (Gemstone)
The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus, Volume 1 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (Marvel)
All-Star Superman, Volume 1 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC Comics)
The Blot by Tom Neely (I Will Destroy You)
Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Oni Press)
Bookhunter by Jason Shiga (Sparkplug Comics)
Apollo’s Song by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical) 

Time Magazine’s Best of 2007

1. Achewood by Chris Onstad, www.achewood.com
2. The League of Extraordinary Gentleman: The Black Dossier by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill (Wildstorm)
3. All Star Superman, Volume 1 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC Comics)
4. Marvel Zombies by Robert Zirkman and Arthur Suydam (Marvel)
5. Jack of Fables, Volume 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges, Tony Aikins, and Andrew Pepoy (DC Comics)
6. Erfworld by Bob Balder, www.erfworld.com
7. The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman (Penguin)
8. Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan (Drawn & Quarterly)
9. Sentences: The Life of M.F. Grimm by Percy Carey and Ronald Wimberly (Vertigo)
10. The Complete Peanuts, 1963-64 by Charles M. Schulz (Fantagraphics)

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