And by literary I don't mean pretentious, I just mean graphic novels that are doing interesting things with storytelling the way a good novel would. Character work, themes, ambiguity, stuff that sticks with you for a while after you finish it. Not just punch punch explosion, though I'm not opposed to some of that either if the writing is there.
I read maus years ago and loved it. Read persepolis too and same deal. But those are the only two that ever make it onto the "books everyone should read" lists and there has to be more out there that hits on that level. My local bookstore has a graphic novel section but it's 90% superhero stuff and 10% manga and I don't know enough to tell what's worth my time just from covers.
What I'd love is something with the emotional weight of a cormac mccarthy novel or the quiet dread of kazuo ishiguro but in graphic novel form. Does that exist? I feel like this medium can do things prose can't and I want to see it actually doing that.
by death00p