Graphic Novels for a 10 Year Old...

[Galieo]

My son, 7 1/2, really enjoyed the compilated Bone by Jeff Smith. I highly recommend it.


Oops, damn my eyes for not seeing M. Chance's reference to the Bone series. I definitely second that motion.

 

[Mistwell]

I second:
Bone
"Herobear and the Kid" by Mike Kunkel (Astonish)

In addition to those, I own, have read, and enjoyed all the following:

"Leave It to Chance" James Robinson and Paul Smith (Homage)
"Scary Godmother" Jill Thompson (Sirius)
"Owly: Flying Lessons" (or any of the Owly comics actually), by Andy Runton (Top Shelf)
"Spiral-Bound" by Aaron Renier (Top Shelf)
"Tommysaurus Rex" by Doug TenNapel (Image)
"Little Lit: It Was a Dark and Silly Night" edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (HarperCollins)
"Pinky & Stinky" by James Kochalka (Top Shelf)

I also think Thieves & Kings might be appropriate, and is quite good. Probably that, Bone, and Leave it to Chance are the closest to the genre you are looking for.

 

[Cergorach]

How about Tin Tin? Or some of the other older stuff?

Btw. When I was younger my parents wanted me to read, I hated books at that age, the text didn't entertain me. So I started reading graphic novels, eventually comics too, I read so many that my parents started to despair "read some real book for once". When I got older I started to appreciate the written word a lot more and eventually graphic novels became something I sometimes read, but I read a LOT of science fiction and fantasy books (the bigger the better). So there might be hope yet...

 

[Pbartender]

So don't sweat the content as much as the language in which it's conveyed. Those comics I mentioned, from 20 years ago, were pretty straightforward/classic in their storytelling, which helps.

Absolutely... While we aren't prudes by any means, we like to keep pretty close tabs on the stuff our kids are reading and watching. When we're not certain, we read it or watch it first.

We did that with Mouseguard, in fact.

Anyway, JLA stuff like The New Frontier is a pretty good benchmark for what aim for... There's nothing necessarily wrong with "adult" subject matter and serious plot lines, so long as they're dealt with in an appropriate and respectable manner.

Mouseguard, for example, deals with death, deceit, betrayal, honor, revenge, self-sacrifice, and does it in a very serious, grim way, despite it being ... but he loves it, and largely understands what's going on.

 

[GSHamster]

I loved Tintin and Asterix when I was young.

 

[Klaus]

I loved Tintin and Asterix when I was young.

Agreed on Asterix. Those are masterworks, specially the ones produced before Goscinny died and Uderzo took the reins alone.

 

[Mark Chance]

Brian Jacques's Redwall has gotten the graphic novel treatment. I have no idea if it's worth the money or time, since I've only read the novel (which I do think is a fine book; in fact, I taught it this year to my fourth-grade class).

 

[mmadsen]

Another vote for Bone.

 

[Klaus]

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, by Don Rosa.

Awesome stuff.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Jeff Smith's Bone series.

Fifthed for Bone. Just picked up the first volume recently myself, after hearing about it for years.

Also, I think a 10 year old certainly might find PS238 to be to his liking, and possibly Nodwick as well. The best part is, you can look over some of the daily strips for both series at Aaron Williams' site to see before you buy. (http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/)