I want to get into graphic novels/comic books. suggestions?

Hellboy
DMZ
Preacher
Arkham Asylum
Maus
The Perhapanauts
The Walking Dead
Northlanders
Zombie Bomb

Y
Fables
Walking Dead
Invincible
Powers
Preacher
Sandman
Lucifer
Marvel's recent Cosmic stuff (Annihilation, Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy)
Star Wars Legacy

Casanova, and anything that has Matt Fraction's name on it is worth a look.

From what you've written, you seem to like more "realistic" or biographical graphic novels rather than superhero/supernatural themed comics. I think you would like Fun Home by Alison Bechdel.

Also good work (but not in the bio/non-fiction style)

The Unwritten
Sweet Tooth
Secret Six
Swamp Thing
Asterios Polyp
Batman Year 100
Batman:Vampire

Sandman is amazing. I'll be the umpteeth person in this thread to recommend it.

The standards: Maus, Watchmen, Batman year one .... Of note: Summer Blonde

In that vein, I'd recommend Ghost World (much better than the movie version).

Some of Warren Ellis' lesser known work is pretty good...I've spent a lot of time at the library lately looking up cheap entertainment and read a few of his books that I would not have picked up otherwise.

Fell is a great but quirky crime drama
Ocean is a great self-contained story...I read somewhere that he originally wrote it as a movie script, and I really hope it does get turned into one some day, because it's an awesome sci-fi set '20 minutes into the future'

Speaking of Ellis, you should pick up Global Frequency.

They've all been mentioned already, but I love Preacher, The Walking Dead, Black Hole, Love and Rockets, Watchmen and Ghost World.
I also really dig Jonah Hex, and am fairly disgusted about the movie adaptation...

Cant believe it hasnt been mentioned yet- The Boys, Gareth Ennis's most recent and most fantastic novel. (plus he's Irish)
Gonna second Preacher, Y and Maus. Watchmen too, but thats such a given, theres a reason why its called The Citizen Kane of graphic novels. Have heard good things about The Walking Dead too, though I've just read the first couple of books.

I have a tattoo of Death from the Sandman series on my arm.

watchmen and kickass are both movies based on graphic novels so i'd suggest reading one of those then going and watching the money. Or just watching the movies lol
If you're looking for a comic book series to read I think xmen is always great. I wouldn't suggest just like jumping in to the original series now but you could pick astonishing xmen... i thought it was great.
If you want something different from like a comic book then you could try some japanese comics like bleach or full metal alchemist. Both are fairly good series.

Transmetropolitan

Strangers in Paradise
Black Hole