Confessions of a Serial Reader – The ones that are Graphic Novels

I have just recently read my first graphic novels and it so happens that both of them are first in a series books. I enjoyed both of them and plan on continuing with both series.

The Drops of God series written by Tadashi Agi and illustrated by Shu Okimoto.

Volume 1 of this series was not only my first graphc novel but also my first experience with a manga book. Originally a hit in Asia and later translated to English this has become a treat for wine enthusiasts all over the world.

It’s about the estranged son of a well known wine critic who has recently died. Young Shizuku has turned his back on his father and the world of wine he was trained for beginning at a young age. He has gone to work for a beer distributor. His father’s will, however holds a surprise. Shizuku is pitted against another young man who had ingratiated himself with Shizuku’s father. They are in competition to identify thirteen stellar wines known as The Drops of God. The winner of the competition will inherit the valuable Kanzaki wine collection.

The artwork and the story are incredibly well done and entertaining. I learned a lot about wine and wine tasting and even though the focus is on French wines I’m looking forward to continuing with the story in the next volumes.

I was a little hesitant to try this a manga but the book has a handy warning

when you try to open it to read from left to right - I only opened it the wrong way a couple of times and quickly got used to reading right to left.

The Unwritten series written by Mike Carey and illustrated by Peter Gross

This series is a more traditional format and the first volume is actually a collection of the first 5 issues of this ongoing series.

Tom Taylor is the son of a famous author. He is also the model for the main character in his father’s books about Tommy Taylor, a young wizard. Tom’s father disappeared and now Tom makes his living by appearing at fan conventions and while he resents his dad, he really has no other career. It is at one of these conventions that Tom meets a mysterious young woman who causes Tom to begin questioning his own identity and whether or not he is truly the son of Wilson Taylor.

The journey Tom begins in this first volume takes him to places where his father did his writing and he meets up with a strange group of people who seem to be involved in some sort of conspiracy. The story turns both violent and mysterious and the final of the five sections takes you into the past and leaves you eager to explore the series further. I already have the next two volumes out from the library and plan to read them soon. This series appealed to the Harry Potter fan in me as well as being an interesting and fun mystery.

The artwork in this one is well done in all phases of the story including present day, the fantasy world of Wilson Taylor's books and the historical sections.


What about you? Have you read any graphic novel series? Which would you recommend?