By now you're probably sick of hearing all the hype about Watchmen. Heath Ledger isn't in it, and you don't even wear a watch. Plus, you're a literary purist and you heard that they changed the book's ending to make it more Hollywood.
Here are five graphic novels that you can read while everyone else goes to the movies:
"Maus," by Art Spiegelman
The two-part epic, a true story about a Holocaust survivor, his son and the effects of World War II on their people, earned a Pulitzer Prize and forever redefined the possibilities of what comics could do.
"Our Cancer Year," by Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner
Fans of the Pekar comic "American Splendor" — and its movie adaptation — might have missed this 1994 title about Harvey's fight against cancer. I know, but it's funnier than it sounds.
"Blankets," by Craig Thompson
This story, also true, beautifully depicts a boy coming of age, discovering love and dealing with religion. It has prettier pictures and is a faster read than any other 600-page work.
"Palestine," by Joe Sacco
Journalist and world-traveler Sacco first got attention with this eye-opening account of his journey to Israel in the 1990s. He shows how everyday people — on both sides — are affected there by the fighting that is consistently going on around them.
"Fun Home," by Alison Bechdel
In flashbacks, the author relates how she realized that she is a lesbian. Soon, she discovers that, in her family, she's not the only one hiding her truth. The title refers to the family funeral home that Bechdel's father ran. Ouch.
c. 2009 Louisville Courier-Journal
