True North Country Comics presents the top 10 go-to comic book and graphic novel list from Gisèle Lagacé.
Gisèle is a comic artist and writer. Her most current work includes Ménage à 3 for Pixie Trix/Udon and Exorsisters for Image Comics. Her previous efforts include Archie Meets Ramones, a Betty Boop mini for Dynamite, Jem and the Holograms for IDW, a lot of cover artwork and many webcomics.
Here is Gisèle Lagacé’s top 10 go-to comic book and graphic novel list:
1. Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi
“My favorite romantic comedy series which inspired me greatly in my own work. Rumiko makes you care for these characters. It ran in a seinen (for men) magazine in the ’80s but it’s written for everyone. A true gem.”
2. Genshiken by Shimoku Kio
“A very fun and extremely well drawn series that follows the lives of the members of a college club for geeks. I can’t see how anyone who reads comics couldn’t like this.”
3. Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi
“My favorite adventure series bar none. A little long but if you take your time and aren’t in a rush to finish it, you’ll always find joy every time you get back to it. For anyone intimidated by its length, I’d say try Mermaid Saga, also by Rumiko Takahashi.”
4. Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi
“My favorite comedy series of all time. I’ve yet to have found any other series that has made me laugh as much. Once you get the basic premise, you can jump in almost anywhere in this average length manga series. Stories are short and very fun.”
5. Shiver by Junji Ito
“I could’ve selected almost any series from Junji Ito but I think this collection of short stories is a good starting point for someone wanting to check out the master of horror.”
6. Power Girl: Power Trip by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
“I enjoy Superman and Supergirl but Amanda & Co have made me LOVE Power Girl. If all corporate superhero comics were this good, I’d read much more of them. Awesome stuff.”
7. Savage Dragon: Legacy by Erik Larsen
“A fun creator own superhero book (not for kids) where the status quo is out the window. When things happen in this book, they happen. Things don’t get magically restored. You can start with almost any issue but I think the issues collected in Legacy are a good starting point.”
8. Batman Adventures Vol 1. by Kelley Puckett and Ty Templeton
“My favorite Batman universe. The animated series on TV was great but this series based off the TV show should not be overlooked. It’s just as good. Love it.”
9. Robin (1993-2009) Vol. 3: Solo by Chuck Dixon and Tom Grummett
“Because I always preferred Batman without Robin, I always thought I didn’t like Robin, but turns out that once I read his solo adventures, I actually LOVE Robin. This is my favorite run of Robin.”
10. The Flintstones Vol. 1 by Mark Russell and Steve Pugh
“Probably the best comic series I read in recent years. Although it looks nothing like the original animated series it’s based off, it’s the same basic idea of following these families to make social commentary. Great stuff.”
You can discover more about Gisèle on Twitter at @ GiseleLagace and online at http://www.giselelagace.com