Quote:
Originally Posted by LeftHandedGuitarist
My dislike of Alan Moore is a gut feeling comes from seeing the film adaptations of his works (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Constantine, From Hell) and hating everything about them. The entire tone just irks me and is extremely off-putting.
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I'm not sure what "tone" those adaptations have in common, but as others have said, they all deviate quite a bit from Moore's comics (this is not like Mark Millar, where the movies give you a pretty good idea of what his comics are like, only toned down). Moore is such a huge influence on modern comics (both superhero and fantasy and horror) that if you really don't like his stuff, you'll probably not like a lot of the other recommendations people have mentioned, either (Sandman, Lucifer, Hellblazer, etc.). I think you should give him a chance, maybe with something you haven't seen adapted, like his
Swamp Thing, or
Supreme.
OK, recommendations... Geez! There's so much stuff out there, and so much
different stuff. I second a lot of the stuff already mentioned, and would add Kurt Busiek's
Astro City. It's a good gateway into superhero comics, since it's set in an original universe and doesn't assume you're familiar with decades of continuity (although some knowledge of DC/Marvel history would help you pick up on various references). Excellent writing and art, and really explores both the human and fantastic sides of its characters.
Also, European comics also have a lot to offer, with a slightly different style of art and storytelling to American comics. These days, they're much more accessible in English than they used to be, too. (European comics are typically published in "albums" of about 40-60 pages, about half the length of an American-style "graphic novel" paperback, but in larger page format.)
For science fiction, I would recommend:
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Valerian (Mezieres & Christin), in which a duo of agents (rebellious redhead Laureline and affable company man Valerian) travel through space and time, investigating and neutralizing threats against a galactic civilization. Think
Star Wars (there are long articles listing everything Lucas stole from the comic),
The Fifth Element (Mezieres did a lot of the design for the movie, and Besson is just starting production on an adaptation of the comic),
Doctor Who... There's loose continuity between adventures, and the series improves considerably as it goes. The high point is the recently translated
Destination Cassiopeia, but it's a bit unconventional and could be hard to follow if you don't know the setup, so maybe start off with
Ambassador of the Shadows or
Heroes of the Equinox. (From
Cinebook)
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Cities of the Fantastic aka
The Obscure Cities (Schuiten & Peeters), might technically be described as steampunk, since it mixes 19th-century architecture with
Metropolis-style futurism, but don't let that put you off: these are absolutely unique tales of individuals caught between rationalism and the surreal. Think Jules Verne crossed with J.G. Ballard... Each album or book (some are a bit longer than the European standard) is a standalone story, usually set in a different city, so start anywhere. (From
NBM and
Alaxis Press)
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Orbital (Pellé & Runberg) is pure space opera, like the action-movie version of
Babylon 5. Again we have a duo of agents (one human, one alien) of a future galactic coalition, but here politics take center stage, as secessionist terrorists as well as conspiracies within the government threaten to overthrow a fragile peace. Each adventure is split across two albums, with continuity in between, so start from the beginning. (From
Cinebook)
On the fantasy side:
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Alone (Gazzotti & Vehlmann) is a post-apocalyptic story where, for whatever reason, most of the population has suddenly disappeared, leaving a small group of children to survive as best they can, facing various threats. Pretty "realistic" at first, but as the mysteries of their world deepen and come more to the fore, it becomes more firmly fantasy. Think
Lost crossed with
The Tribe or
The Hunger Games. (If this were a book series, it would probably be classified as YA.) Each album is essentially an "episode": a self-contained chapter in an ongoing story. The first four are available in English, and make up the first "season". (In French they've just started the third "season" with album nine.) (From
Cinebook)
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Thorgal (Rosinski & Van Hamme) is classic heroic fantasy in the
Conan mold, though Thorgal is much more of a family man, forced to fight by circumstances outside his control. It's nominally set in the Viking era, but draws in magic, aliens, lost civilizations and pretty much any fantasy trope you can think of. It's by no means groundbreaking, but likable characters, solid plots and marvelous art makes this a popular favorite. There's some loose continuity, but most albums are standalone adventures (a few adventures are split into multiple parts), so you can start pretty much anywhere. (From
Cinebook)
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Corto Maltese (Pratt) is a languid adventure series with mystical elements, about a sailor who drifts around exotic locales and shady people during the early 20th century. One of the absolute classics of European comics, it's just now being released in a new English edition. Each book is a standalone adventure. (From
NBM and
IDW Publishing)
didn't he just. Mind you, he is quite an odd fellow to put it mildly. I don't think he likes anything does he? 
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