The Blot’s Favorite Graphic Novels of 2008

This was going to be a Top 10 list but as the days kept going and I still hadn’t published my list I decided to condense it to three awesome books and one honorable mention. If you’re looking for something to read then definitely check these out. They’re all entertaining, remarkably well done books that would probably be garnering much more publicity if they were straight up novels. Enjoy!

The Joker
Written by Brian Azzarello and Illustrated by Lee Bermejo

The Joker, published by DC Comics, is probably the best graphic novel of the year. The book was getting rave reviews and selling out everywhere so I knew I had to buy it. The Joker takes the latest incarnation of the character, portrayed beautifully on screen by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, and brings him to the DC Universe through the eyes of one of the Joker’s thugs, Jonny Frost.

The book’s official description reads: “The Joker has been mysteriously released from Arkham Asylum, and he's none to happy about what's happened to his Gotham City rackets while he's been ‘away.’ What follows is a harrowing night of revenge, murder and manic crime as only The Joker can deliver it, as he brutally takes back his stolen assets from The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face, Killer Croc and others.”

The Alcoholic
Written by Jonathan Ames and Illustrated by Dean Haspiel

The Alcoholic, published by DC Comics imprint Vertigo, is amazing for many reasons, but what really brought me into the story was never knowing which parts were true and which were fiction. Author Jonathan Ames obviously loosely based the book’s title character of Jonathan A. on himself, so it can only be assumed that many of these crazy tales are actually true.

The book’s official description reads: “This touching, compassionate, ultimately humorous story explores the heart of a failing writer who's coming off a doomed romance and searching for hope. Unfortunately, the first place his search takes him is the bottom of a bottle as he careens from one off-kilter encounter to another in search of himself.”

Too Cool To Be Forgotten
Written and Illustrated by Alex Robinson

Too Cool To Be Forgotten, published by Top Shelf Productions, is a fun, interesting look back at one’s high school years from an adult perspective through time travel by way of hypnosis. The book looks at questions that haunt many of us, “What could we have done differently?” and “How would those changes affect our lives today?”

Too Cool To Be Forgotten features “Andy Wicks, a forty-something father of two who’s tried everything to quit smoking -- from going cold turkey, to the latest patches and nicotine chewing gums -- so he figures he'll give this hypnosis thing a try. What's the worst that could happen? Unfortunately, Andy gets dealt a fate worse than death -- high school! Transported back to 1985, Andy returns to his formative years as a gangly, awkward teenager. Is he doomed to relive the mistakes of his past, or has he been given a second chance to get things right? One thing's for sure … this time he’s going to ask out that girl from math class.”

Honorable Mention:
This award goes to Bottomless Belly Button, published by Fantagraphics, written and illustrated by Dash Shaw. This book is listed at the top of almost every Top Graphic Novels of 2008 list I’ve seen, but I can’t officially add it to mine because I haven’t read it yet. But I did buy it a few weeks back so it at least got my $$$’s vote. I plan on reading it the next chance I get and I suggest you do the same. Then we can have a spirited debate as to whether it really was the Top Graphic Novel of 2008.