There are two new graphic novels of note on the shelves of your local quality bookstore, both from artists with a long history in comics. "A Drifting Life" (Drawn & Quarterly) from Yoshihiro Tatsumi is a monster of a book, clocking in at 840 pages, and tells several stories simultaneously: the author’s coming of age as an artist, the history of post-World War II Japan and the birth of Manga. Edited and designed by Adrian Tomine, the book is gorgeous, as are Tatsumi’s black and white drawings inside the pages.

In a feature in the New York Times, Dwight Garner calls the book "a big, fat, greasy tub of salty popcorn for anyone interested (as Americans increasingly are) in the theory and practice of Japanese comics. It’s among this genre’s signal achievements." He goes on to say that the novel’s beauties are many: "The book has a rolling, rumbling grandeur. It’s as if someone had taken a Haruki Murakami novel and drawn, beautifully and comprehensively, in its margins."

Here’s a look:

Also new on the comics shelf is "Asterios Polyp" (Pantheon), the debut illustrated novel from David Mazzucchelli, who released a previous work — "City of Glass" — with Paul Auster. Mazzucchelli got his start in comics after graduating RISD by working at Marvel and DC Comics, where he eventually became the regular artist on "Daredevil." His debut solo work follows the titular architect, Asterios Polyp, a divorced middle-aged architect who moves to middle America to start life anew after his New York City apartment catches fire.

Sean Howe said in his Entertainment Weekly review: "It’s as if John Updike had discovered a bag of art supplies and LSD. Elegant, deceptively simple line work and nearly subliminal color symbolism make everything go down like candy. The narrative comes back to earth for a profoundly satisfying climax, but you’ll want to keep turning pages — all the way back to the beginning, for another read."

Here’s a look:

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