For me, this is the hardest category of all to choose. There are just so many options of brilliant original graphic novels out there that I really felt like I needed to read a lot before finalizing this list. I didn’t get nearly as many titles read for this list as I would have liked to, but I feel like these are the best of what I did read. One note: almost all of the picks on this list are mine. Gil and Matt contributed a bit to this, but mostly just to help figure out what the top choice was going to be.
Please leave your favorites in the comments, if only to help me expand my ever growing list of OGN’s to read.
10. Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
9. Fun Home
8. Top 10: The Forty Niners
7. Stitches: A Memoir
6. The Golem’s Mighty Swing
5. 1001 Nights of Snowfall
4. Laika
3. Asterios Polyp
David: This graphic novel from David Mazzucchelli came out earlier this year, but as soon as I read it I knew that it was one of the best comics I had ever read. It is fearsome in its originality, innovatively illustrated, hyper-literate, and a massively enjoyable read, taking us through the mid-life reawakening of the brilliant titular character. It is an astonishing feat by Mazzucchelli, a long time top talent who brought all of his skill set to the table with this work and really raised the bar in terms of what you can accomplish of visual storytelling.
For a far more extensive write up on this title, take a look here for my July review.
Matt: Asterios Polyp is by far the biggest surprise of the decade for me. It literally just came out, and yet after one read not only was I floored, but the book brought itself to number two on my list in a literal heartbeat. David Mazzucchelli, who I had only really known for his work on Batman: Year One with Frank Miller. Asterios Polyp is a complete departure from it, and easily one of the best books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, let alone graphic novel. What amazes me too is that, back when David initially review it, I had very little to no expectation towards the book. However, I do my best to get around to reading everything that is recommended by this website, so I sought out the book, and I feel I have to quote David when he said, “if taking a decade off to create something like that is necessary, well, decades off should be compulsory for Mazzucchelli.” Heck, if taking a decade off to create something like this is necessary, then EVERY comic writer needs to take a decade off. It’s just that supreme.
Asterios Polyp, to me, is what you’d get if Wes Anderson and the Coen Brothers made a movie together, or in this case, a comic. It’s very quirky and funny in a dark way, and to be honest if someone were to snatch up the rights to this book I would hope that the Coen Brothers get to direct. Heck, I should note that while reading the book, the narrator (who in and of itself is a hilariously odd choice) was voiced by Alec Baldwin in my head. Mazzucchelli’s voice is probably the second most amazing part of the book, and the way he writers his character, especially Asterios, is just so perfect in the context of the story. Plus, the story itself is so well fashioned, as we go back and forth between the existential past and present, and while this is a convention used many times before, it feels completely fresh in this context. I have to also point out that the ending (which David claims no one could see coming but I sort of did), is perfect for the book. In fact, if it had ended any other way, the whole book might have been ruined for me now that I have this ending. It just wraps everything up so well.
Continued belowThe most amazing part of the book, though, is by far and large the artwork. Mazzucchelli’s only known work to me from before this book, as I said, was Batman: Year One. That was a pretty straight forward art style: Gotham, Gordon, and the Bat Man, with references to the original design of Batman who had perkier ears. Asterios Polyp completely defies any expectations I had and tackles each page in a new way that is incredible to watch. Whether it’s Mazzucchelli’s choice of shading characters, or the way he deconstructs scenes within scenes, the book is a feat. It’s almost pop art in a way, and the fact that this book is presented as it is makes it all the more interesting. There’s a lot you can take away just from the images, and when the book becomes theoretical and existential it becomes that much more interesting as Mazzucchelli literally breaks things apart and reforms them in a new fashion. I would tell someone to buy this book for the art alone.
2. Blankets
David: I’ve written about this comic so many times I don’t even know what else I can say. Craig Thompson’s autobiographical tale of his childhood and teen years is one of the greatest examples of the comic medium I’ve ever come across. I believe that it should be required reading for teens and that reading of it should pretty much be compulsory. If you read comics and have not read this…well…shame on you.
If you want an extended version of this diatribe, look no further than here. It’s a pretty solid write up on Thompson’s classic if I do say so myself.
Matt: Blankets is by far the most personal comic I’ve ever read, let alone of the decade. And it’s that sense of sheer intimacy which makes the story so incredibly powerful. There are so many harrowing moments of honesty and integrity in it, there’s no wonder it’s received so much acclaim from everyone, let alone us. Craig Thompson bares his true soul inside this book, which almost acts as a full auto-biography for the young author/artist. In fact, I can guarantee that some of the material that Thompson describes about his childhood is not something he easily wrote or drew about. There is really some sad and disturbing material in there. But Thompson is able to access his memory as if it happened to him yesterday and write such a real story that it is absolutely impossible to deny the relevance of this book.
The most interesting part of the comic is how relatable it is, though. On one hand, it’s such a personal story that it’s no one else’s but the authors. On the other, there are so many moments in the book where, while reading it, I can say “Wow. This happened to me. I know what that felt like.” While reading it, I felt so inside the story that it made the experience of reading it slight uncomfortable, but in the good way (note: that sentence just reads all kind of odd). Obviously I can’t relate to all aspects, like having a sibling or growing up in religious home, but there’s still enough to connect with. Essentially, the entire middle section to which the “true” story (point) lies is a first love story, and everything from going to a religious school that has camping trips and meeting a girl to having an awkward fallout was all something that happened to me. It made Blankets that much better.
Now, as David has probably pointed out somewhere in this article, he was for the most part the lead instigator of the OGN list. I have read a few, but to be honest, most of the OGNs I own are from before this decade, and the ones I would have added to the list have publishing dates of 1994 (such as The Mystery Play (and yes, this WAS my way of mentioning it!)). When David gave me a list of books to read, Blankets was humorously enough the only one I already owned (yes, sometimes I buy books with the intention of reading them and they end up sitting for a while…). I am so glad that I finally took the time to sit and read this book, though. While difficult at times to push through some of the darker moments of the book, Blankets is very much a story worth reading, and is by far and large an excellent example of a book that transcends the “comic book stereotype”, or stigma, that many people have.
Continued below
1. Pride of Baghdad
David: Pride of Baghdad was my most anticipated graphic novel of the entire decade. While almost everything else on this list sort of came out of nowhere for me, I awaited Pride of Baghdad with the fervor of a comic book cultist. After all, if I do belong to any sort of tribe or clan, I’d have to say it is the one that worships at the feet of Brian K. Vaughan. This title combines Vaughan, one of the preeminent writing talents in comics today, and Niko Henrichon to tell a tale of a trio of lions making their way across war torn Baghdad. Given the pair of creators associated with it, you can understand my excitement.
I do have to say though that this title failed a little bit in terms of reaching my expectations, which were admittedly quite lofty. I loved it, but I felt like I didn’t connect with the story fully from an emotional stand point. The characters were well drawn and it was an engrossing story, but I just didn’t connect as much as I would have liked to. That is no fault of Henrichon, whose visuals in this story are visionary. The lush landscapes and shattered streets of Baghdad really come to life through Henrichon’s work, and it is that work that makes this title what it is in my mind. Which is weird to say as a BKV fanboy.
Matt: When I first read Pride of Baghdad, I sat down and wrote a pretty big review of it that was published on this site. It’s one of those books I always meant to read, and when I finally bought it it ended up sitting for a bit. One morning I got out of bed, grabbed it off my shelf, and laid back down. I didn’t move until I finished the book. Pride of Baghdad is by far and large the greatest thing I had the pleasure of reading all year. Everything about it — the story, the characterizations, the allegories, the artwork (oh my goodness, the artwork!). The book is quite possibly a dream come true for comic fans, in all honesty, and I don’t think I can stress it enough how much I truly believe everyone should buy and read this book.
Now — I’ve already written quite extensively on the book as is, so if you’d like to see my thoughts on it, I’d refer you to the past review archives. However, if you look at my list for top OGNs of the decade, I hope you will see my rather adamant enthusiasm to the title. All I have left to say is buy this book, or rent it at a library, or borrow it from a friend. It’s a wonderful read.
Individual Lists
David
1. Blankets
2. Asterios Polyp
3. Laika
4. Pride of Baghdad
5. 1001 Nights of Snowfall
6. The Golem’s Mighty Swing
7. Stitches: A Memoir
8. Top 10: The Forty Niners
9. Fun Home
10. Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
Matt
1. Pride of Baghdad
2. Asterios Polyp
3. Blankets
5. Pride of Baghdad
6. Pride of Baghdad
7. Pride of Baghdad
8. Pride of Baghdad
9. Pride of Baghdad
10. Pride of Baghdad
What do you think is the best OGN of the decade? Do you not think it’s Pride of Baghdad for some odd reason? Let us know what you think with this fun poll and the comments!
