[quote name='evanft']I think story's probably a little more important than art for me.
But, the again, I could look at Alex Ross' work all day, even if the story was about potty training.
EDIT: Oh yeah, I'm open to manga suggestions.[/quote]
While neocisco is correct about the art, don't let it detract you from the awesome story, trust me. Honestly, I only like 3 out of the 12 issues based on art alone but storywise, I like all of them. The one I liked least is issue 5 - Big Sky and even then, the dialogue is very well written, especially the magician's.
If you wanna go manga, Death Note is highly recommended. If you like the slice of life stuff with lil to no action, try out Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (rough translation: Record of a Yokohama Shopping Trip). Full Metal Alchemist is quite good (some would argue even better than the anime as it takes different turns from show). Of course, there's the stalwarts - Bleach & Naruto... more Bleach than Naruto at this point. If you like sports manga with a street fighter twist (serve - joke only makes sense if you read): Prince of Tennis. For mech action, try Full Metal Panic. Twisted comedy, go for Azumanga Daioh or Pani Poni Dash (my sig).
EDIT: that Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is actually a bit more difficult to find in your local B & N. Fortunately, I have a link to a translated version of it:
http://ykk.misago.org/Contents