Unlike the many of you that have been reading comic books your entire lives, I came into the genre a bit later. Nevertheless, my passion for comic books and the graphic novel format shouldn't be questioned -- I love comics. A lot. However, being a girl who reads comics is still considered something of a rarity. In fact, most of my friends would rather pick up a PEOPLE magazine than sit down with a graphic novel to read a good story. One of the questions I sometimes get from guys who love comic books is how they should go about introducing funny books to their girl friend. Obviously, it's something they are interested in and passionate about, and something they really want to share with their significant other. And I don't blame them! Even with Batman and Iron Man movies becoming huge successes at the box office, graphic novels are still somewhat hard to delve into -- and let's face it, most girls don't head to the comic shop for their weekly fix all that often.
The problem with this question is that there is really no definitive answer because not all girls are the same and will like the same things. There are, however, suggestions that can be for books that would appeal to women, in my opinion. Now, I'm not really one for holiday gift guides, but it's also no accident that these suggestions are coming just in time for the holiday season; in case, you know, you haven't bought your girlfriend anything for Christmas yet.
I decided to list a few of my favorite titles that I personally feel would appeal to the majority of women who are inclined to give graphic novels and comic books a chance. Some of the books I chose will be familiar to most of you, and some of them not so much. Keep in mind girls are different. Just because one of them is totally into an action packed superhero title, doesn't mean all of them would be into that. Regardless, I've tried my best to present a few books I felt would help you introduce your girlfriend to comics.
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HABIBI is a graphic novel that is not only absolutely gorgeous (the way the book is bound is really beautiful), but it's also an amazing story. Chronicling the lives of Dodola and Zam, refugee children who had been sold into slavery (and escaped), the story is sent in a world of fantasy -- of Arabian Nights and harems. The book deals with a lot of very revelant topics from the love that grows between the two children through their combined experiences, to the political atmosphere of the Middle East. The book is written by BLANKETS writer Craig Thompson and has been six years in the making. Habibi is a beautiful love story which would appeal to any reader.
Thompson's BLANKETS is another book that would appeal to any reader, and details the relationship between two children and later, a romantic love story. BLANKETS is a fantastic "coming of age" story that would appeal to both male and female readers.
Women are sometimes drawn to books about other women or girls because they can relate to the experiences some of these characters endure. ANYA's GHOST is a graphic novel by Vera Brosgol about a young girl who is struggling into her adolescence. She, like many of us, has an obnoxious younger brother, a best friend who is sometimes a little bit mean to her and a boy at school that she really, really likes. Things become a little bit more complicated when Anya falls into a well and discovers...a ghost! It's a very sweet and charming book, and a lot of fun to read.
HARK! A VAGRANT Is a book I personally keep on my coffee table at home because I don't think anyone who has read it has had anything bad to say about it. Creator Kate Beaton keeps a fantastic website where she makes her comic strips available to read. They are intelligent, humorous and sassy. If you want something that will make laugh, HARK! A VAGRANT which compiles Beaton's strips all into one great package is a book you should absolutely look into. She's an incredibly talented creator and the book itself is lovely.
There are some really great more mainstream books that may appeal to female readers, as well. One series that all of us at Comic Vine adore is Vertigo's FABLES. The series, written by Bill Willingham, takes characters from some of our favorite fairy tales and sets them in the real world. The books themselves are stunning and reading just one will not be enough.
WITCHBLADE Compendium Volume 2 is also a great title if you are looking for an action packed book. While the volume itself doesn't contain all of writer Ron Marz's work on the series, it does chronicle at least 20 of his issues and will serve to highlight the gradual evolution of Sara Pezzini's character.
If your girl friend likes to see women kicking major butt then she should definitely give Greg Rucka's QUEEN AND COUNTRY a chance, as well as Brian Michael Bendis' SCARLET.
Most of these titles can be found at your local comic shop or through the Amazon website. What books would you recommend? Have you read any of the books listed above?