Comics aren't only about superheros or fat cats who like lasagna. If you haven't delved into the pool of comics and graphic novels, I highly recommend it. Here are some of my favorites.
The Works of Marjane Satrapi:
Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian cartoonist and filmmaker. Her most famous works are Persepolis 1 & 2, which have been reimagined as an animated film, if movies are more your thing. The film is also written and Directed by Satrapi, so it is very similar to the comics. Persepolis is Satrapi's Memoir, of her experiences growing up in Iran, moving to Europe for her teen years, and eventually returning to her family. Persepolis, like most comics, is a quick read, and immediately solidified Marjane Satrapi as one of my favorite authors. Other excellent works by Satrapi include Embroideries, which tells the stories of several women in her family, and Chicken and Plums, which tells the story of Satrapi's great uncle in his dealings with Love and Death.
David Boring by Daniel Clowes:
David Boring is a psychological puzzle of a graphic novel, and follows the bizarre story of David Boring, a young man with an obsession with butts, through a world which is possibly ending. Great if you like films like Inception or Being John Malkovitch. Rated R for sex and nudity.
Black Hole by Charles Burns:
Black Hole is a Body Horror/ Teen Drama about a group of high schoolers in the seventies. The kids have already begun to experiment with drugs and sex (it is the 70s after all) when an STD called "The Bug" begins to spread through the community. The bug manifests itself differently in each person. At once moving, disturbing, and totally gross, Black Hole, is a satirical take on the way our society treats sex and deviance. Rated R for pretty much every reason.
Questionable Content by Jeff Jacques:
Questionable Content is the comic that started it all for me. It is a humorous webcomic with over 3000 strips to its archives, and updates every weekday. Usually four panels long, QC follows the sweet and awkward Marten and his relationships both platonic and otherwise. Marten also has a pet robot named Pintsize who is terribly rude. QC is interesting to read in its entirety because the art, characters, and style have all changed so much since its inception.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal By Zachary Weiner:
If you're looking for something that is not horrifying, confusing, or with a plot over 3000 strips long, Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal may be a better fit for you. A hilarious, online, humor comic, SMBC follows no plot, and makes jokes about philosophy, math, statistics, and computor science, among other elements of the human condition. An excellent brain-treat for a one-minute work break, or an amusing comic that you can read all afternoon, Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal will make you laugh, and possibly help prepare you for your statistics or philosophy finals.
I Think I am in Friend Love with You by Yumi Sakugawa
Hands down, the cutest and least offensive item on this list, I think I am in Friend Love With You is an adorable story about an adorable monster who has some really strong non-romantic feelings for another monster. The book is extremely brief (you could read it in about five minutes if you didn't stop to enjoy it) but not without heart. It explores the often overlooked or purposefully ignored significance of relationships that are developed through technology and social media. I Think I am in Friend Love With You, will likely bring a smile to your face, and, if you are a bit of a softie, a tear to your eye. Appropriate for all ages.
