I don't think there is a political agenda behind the 99 if thats what you are saying, but I understand what you mean, the series was borne because of a desire to promote understanding, instead of him being an artist.
I've never read a graphic novel before, but the Prince of Baghdad looks interesting, so a fable might be a good way to start. I have a lot of books in Queue, so maybe I'll order this on Amazon and put it on my stack. I'm currently waiting for 'The Empire of Silver,' a historical fiction about the Mongolian empire written by Conn Iggulden. If you are into novels I'd recommend him, the best book to start with is 'The Emperor,' which is a historical fiction about Julias Caesar, birth through death. I warn you though, its 4 books and about 5,000 pages of reading if you are afraid of that type of thing