Five graphic novels for beginners

At The Barnes & Noble Book Blog Nicole Hill suggested five graphic novels for readers unfamiliar with the genre yet willing to give it a try. One title on the list:

The Sandman

Sometimes the easiest way to try something new is to do it with an old friend by your side. Who better to fill that role than everyone’s favorite master of macabre myth, Neil Gaiman? The Sandman series, centering on Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, essentially made the DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, which has built its bread and butter on stories that step out of the superhero vein. Gaiman’s story of the dream king mixes mythology, fairy tales, and legends (allusions, allusions as far as the eye can see!) in the masterful way he has in any format, except this time he has the help of some truly, well, graphic imagery. (And if you start plowing through the stories now, you’ll be all caught up in time for the release of the new prequel series, The Sandman: Overture, in October.)

Read about the other entries on the list.

Also see: Jimmy So's eleven must read graphic novels, Mary Talbot's top ten graphic memoirs, Rachel Cooke's list of the ten best graphic novels, Lev Grossman's top ten graphic novels, Malorie Blackman's top ten graphic novels for teenagers, Danny Fingeroth's top ten graphic novels, and Andre Arnold's top ten graphic novels.

--Marshal Zeringue