Comics

Craig Thompson - Habibi
Now, this is probably one of the most beautiful comics I have ever had the joy of reading. And Craig Thompson is an excellent story teller. Give yourself the gift of this beautiful masterpiece.
Schuiten/Peeters - Les cités obscures: La théorie du grain de sable
This is the real reason to learn French. Because Schuiten and Peeters construct such extraordinary bandes dessinées. They have a very balanced sensorium of story telling and compelling visual language. Allez-y!
Osamu Tezuka - Black Jack
Why is it that Osamu Tezuka is not so well known in the western world? It is a pitty. Black Jack combines Osamu Tezuka's education as a doctor with his skill as a manga artist. And the good thing is that this is only the first of total 17 volumes of Black Jack. Go get them all.