The Monday List: Comics for People Who Don't Know How to Read Comics (and also prefer calling them "graphic novels" because it sounds mature)

1. Alan Moore - V for Vendetta.
2. Runaways (especially Brian K. Vaughan and early Joss Whedon)
3. Brian Wood - DMZ (ongoing, also Demo is also a very good book)
4. Dan Clowes - Ghost World (my first)
5. Buffy, Season Eight (even if you don't like what happens with the characters, it's interesting to see how Buffy translates into a different medium. Also Fray, which is a good read for people who enjoy how smart Joss Whedon is with language)
6. Terry Moore - Strangers in Paradise (and Echo, although that one might be hard to find and is ongoing)
7. Alison Bechdel - Fun Home.
8. Craig Thompson - Blankets.