literary fiction graphic novels

Today, anything that smells even slightly of comic books gets a bad rap in some circles, which is why I've put together a list of 11 literary graphic novels all book nerds should read . Even if you've never picked up an Archie comic, these graphic novels will show you just how versatile the medium can be.

I have never been a comic-book reader, but I love graphic novels. Throughout middle and high school, my library reading challenge cards were filled with volumes of Ranma 1/2 , Love Hina , and DragonKnights , even as purists argued that manga didn't "count" as books. (They totally do, BTW.)

Thankfully, kids these days have much better access to graphic novels than I did. Graphically-inclined series like Babymouse and Captain Underpants help ease kids into chapter-book reading with visual storytelling . A number of books for children and teens — including Walter Dean Myers' Monster and Gertrude Chandler Warner's The Boxcar Children — are available in graphic novel formats that motivate reluctant and learning readers to embrace literature .

If you've never read a graphic novel, there's no need to jump into Watchmen or From Hell , although those are both fantastic works of graphic literature. Try out one of the 11 literary graphic novels on the list below, and I'm sure you'll be coming back to the comics shop for more.

'Fun Home' by Alison Bechdel

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This graphic memoir chronicles author Alison Bechdel's relationship with her father, a closeted gay man who may have died by suicide. Fun Home won numerous awards, including the Lambda Literary Award in the Lesbian Memoir/Biography category and the Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work.

'The Complete Persepolis' by Marjane Satrapi

Iranian-French author Marjane Satrapi grew up during the Iranian Revolution of the 1970s. Her early-2000s graphic memoirs, Persepolis and Persepolis 2 , recount how the world changed around her progressive, middle-class family in Iran, how she came to live in France, and how she returned to her homeland. The two volumes are combined in The Complete Persepolis . Persepolis won the Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for First Comic Book in 2001.

'Unterzakhn' by Leela Corman

Growing up on the Lower East Side in the early 20th century, Russian-Jewish twins Esther and Fanya Feinberg navigate life as first-generation citizens in this gorgeous and gritty graphic novel from Leela Corman.

'Kindred' by Octavia Butler, Damian Duffy, and John Jennings

Octavia E. Butler's 1979 speculative fiction novel Kindred got the graphic novel treatment in 2017. Both books center on Dana, a black woman who slips through time to antebellum Maryland, where she meets her ancestors — white and black — and examines what it truly means to be black in the U.S.

'Boundless' by Jillian Tamaki

This collection of graphic short stories from This One Summer co-author Jillian Tamaki highlights the anxieties of contemporary women as they seek to improve themselves — for better or worse.

'Hark! A Vagrant' by Kate Beaton

Perfect for any history buff or literature fan, Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant is chock full of inside jokes that will have you cackling for days.

'Pyongyang' by Guy Delisle

Based on his experiences working as a liaison between French and North Korean production companies, Guy Delisle's Pyongyang examines the curiously sinister nature of the North Korean capital, where everyone is happy and the old and sick don't exist.

'Rolling Blackouts' by Sarah Glidden

While her friends gathered interviews from people living in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, graphic novelist Sarah Glidden shadowed them, creating a work of meta-journalistic art that documents how journalism is done.

'Patience' by Daniel Clowes

Daniel Clowes' Patience is subtitled: "A COSMIC TIMEWARP DEATHTRIP TO THE PRIMORDIAL INFINITE OF EVERLASTING LOVE." So, yeah, it's weird. The story centers on a man whose wife and unborn child have been murdered, and who, decades later, finds a way to travel back in time to save them.

'Agony' by Mark Beyer

Speaking of weird, have you read Agony ? This little graphic novel has a nihilist-grunge aesthetic that's somehow both '90s and now. When you need to chuckle at someone else's misfortune, this is the book you want to read.

'The One Hundred Nights of Hero' by Isabel Greenberg

In this retelling of the 1,000 Nights , Scheherazade becomes Cherry: a young woman married to a cruel king who allows his friend the chance to seduce her for his kingdom and her hand. But Cherry is in love with her handmaid, Hero, and together they hatch a plan to distract Cherry's would-be suitor with a barrage of stories.

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The Best Graphic Novels and Memoirs, According to Experts

Graphic novels push the boundaries of storytelling by using imagery to bring fantastical worlds to life. They can make historical moments accessible and display human emotions that easily get lost in translation in prose. That’s to say it’s not all superheroes and monsters: There’s a whole wide world of literary graphic novels and memoirs to explore. We spoke to 14 experts —including book critics and librarians as well as artists and graphic novelists themselves — to find the best stuff out there. Below, a curated yet wide-ranging list of books that runs the gamut from necessary historical nonfiction to an intimate family portrait. Following the tradition of our Reading Lists , each of the 11 books below were recommended by two or more experts.

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel was the only book recommended by four experts: Teresa Wong , Kate Dehler , Kristen Radtke , and Anya Davidson . The memoir is an intimate family history of when Bechdel comes out as a lesbian and discovers that her father was also gay. Weeks after the revelation, her father dies, leaving Bechdel to grieve and come to terms with these newfound truths. Radtke, who’s a writer and illustrator herself, and whose book Seek You is featured on this list, credits Bechdel as an influence on her own work. “I probably wouldn’t have become a comic artist myself if it wasn’t for Alison Bechdel. I feel like a lot of comic artists can say that,” she says, adding that it was a “breakthrough book” to get more mainstream readers “to read books of comics and treat them as literature.” Wong, author of the graphic memoir Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression , also calls it “hugely influential” because Bechdel digs into her family secrets through “remarkable imagery and layout work” that has stuck with her. “Reading such an emotional, complex story isn’t always as fun as Bechdel’s made it,” Dehler, who’s an artist, says of the self-proclaimed family tragicomic. “The novel is truly hilarious.” Dehler adds that reading the book “feels really intimate — it’s laid out like I’m peeking into a family album. It isn’t overproduced, either, which gives it a raw, honest quality.”

Marjane Satrapi’s book Persepolis , which has since been made into an animated movie, was recommended by three experts. The book follows Satrapi’s life in Tehran from age 6 to 14, a time during the Islamic Revolution and later the Iran–Iraq War. Varud Gupta, author of the graphic novel Chhotu: A Tale of Love and Partition , says Satrapi captures this moment in time “so effortlessly, bringing alive the history and culture of the period through both humor and sadness to weave a captivating part memoir, part political narrative.” Wong calls it “the biggest influence on my own work, because until then I hadn’t realized that you could use comics and in that way to tell a really highly personal story, to tell a true story. And to tell it so beautifully, too.” All three of the experts say Satrapi’s artwork is done in a way that feels deeply relatable to readers. “The cozy illustrations feel like I’m in somebody’s home being told this story,” says Jordan Sondler, author of the graphic book Feel It Out , adding that the intimacy makes this difficult topic “more easily digestible,” while Gupta says Persepolis “uses the graphic novel medium to the full potential.” The book brings a foreign time and place to life through “very simple details allowing the reader to really understand the range of emotions and feelings of the characters.”

Visual artist Janie Korn , illustrator Liana Finck , and freelance comics journalist Anya Davidson all recommend Daniel Clowes’s graphic novel Ghost World. Korn, who discovered the book in her late teens says she “​​felt as if I was in conversation with my oddball peers” and praised the work’s “subtle, snappy wit and easy realism.” Ghost World follows Enid Coleslaw and Rebecca Dopplemeyer as they “float through that awkward limbo that bridges childhood and adulthood,” Korn explains. She appreciates how “cutting and sarcastic” the characters are as they “narrate the existence of suburban adolescence, snarking at the quirks and ironies and collecting eccentric misfits on the way.” Korn adds, “Underpinning it all, effortlessly, is angst and melancholy — and, like, what could be funnier than that?”

Seek You by Kristen Radtke explores loneliness in America through the lens of historical and cultural topics. “Most people think of fiction when they think of graphic books. However, nonfiction stories can be told through pictures, too, allowing for a true story to come even more alive for the reader,” says book reviewer Jordan Snowden . Harry Harlow’s psychological study of monkeys, the invention of the laugh track, and the rise of Instagram are just a few of the historical moments covered in the book. “It’s just so wide-ranging and interesting. It kind of feels like the most wonderful textbook on psychology that you’ve ever read except it’s a comic and it’s about loneliness. It’s just remarkable,” says Malaka Gharib, author of the graphic memoir I Was Their American Dream . The “groundbreaking” book “changes the game in what we expect, supplying information and scientific information to the public using this format.”

Both Beth Hetland, a comics professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Leigh Hurwitz, the outreach librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, mention BTTM FDRS by Ezra Claytan Daniels and Ben Passmore. The novel takes place in the fictional working-class neighborhood of “Bottomyards” on Chicago’s South Side. “As artists, fashion designers, and DJs gentrify the neighborhood, there is a gooey, horrifying presence engulfing one crumbling factory turned cheap apartment complex,” Hurwitz explains, calling the book an “Afro-futurist horror-comedy” that deals with “gentrification, urban blight, housing, and race.” She adds, “You will want to stay in this book forever.”

Roz Chast’s graphic memoir Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant was recommended by both Wong and Finck. The book tackles the somber subject of her parents aging in an “extremely funny” way, according to Wong, who adds that the book is also “sad and heartbreaking.” While Chast is known for injecting dark humor into all of her work, this particular memoir stands out to Wong. “I really am in awe of how she can balance the dark with the light and be entertaining as well as meaningful and impactful.”

“ Grass is one of the more recent graphic memoirs that I’ve read that really touched me,” says Wong. She explains that it’s “not an easy read”: It tells the story of a Korean woman taken hostage during World War II to be a comfort woman for Japanese soldiers. “It is a very dark time in history, but it’s an important one to learn about,” Wong says. Radtke echoes these points, too, calling it a “devastating” book that “everyone should read.” Done in the style of traditional Chinese and East Asian ink-wash painting, the artwork in Grass is “very evocative” and “matches the story well,” according to Wong.

For a lighter, “deeply hilarious” read, Radtke and Korn love Walter Scott’s Wendy: Master of Art series. “I absolutely adored being an interloper at the University of Hell, Canada, alongside Wendy as she pursues her MFA,” says Korn, who enjoyed delving into the “chaotic, hilariously art-world antics.” Both she and Radtke recommend this for artists specifically, since “anyone who’s ever been to art school, or wanted to be an artist or, like, failed in an artistic endeavor will see themselves in their pages,” Radtke explains. Adding to the situational humor, “the lines in the book are funny,” says Radtke who thinks the “classically comic” style further communicates Scott’s jokes. “The characters pulsate and sweat and look visually like the caricatures that they are,” Korn explains. “For example, the most accomplished student in the program, who is almost otherworldly, is drawn as a literal alien. When the students gather at a bar and get increasingly drunk, their faces begin to turn into scribbles and slide off their skulls.”

From Hell was recommended by Finck and Hetland, who says, “This book is a master class in writing.” The crime-fiction graphic novel paints a picture of who the serial killer Jack the Ripper was and what his motivations were. “The way that Alan Moore weaves together a wide range of source material in his narrative is nothing short of wizardry,” says Hetland. As for the artwork, she explains that Campbell’s drawings “encapsulate some of the frenetic chaos of the media frenzy and fear at the time” and effectively capture the “foggy London atmosphere” through “immediate, swift” illustrations.

Radtke and Davidson both recommend Emil Ferris’s My Favorite Thing Is Monsters. The fictional graphic diary is told from the perspective of a 10-year-old who’s trying to solve the murder of her upstairs neighbor. Radtke notes that all of Ferris’s illustrations are drawn with ballpoint pen on lined paper, setting it apart from most other graphic novels. “Emil is able to have such control of her pen in a way that I just don’t see,” Radtke explains. “The images feel extremely three-dimensional even when she’s just using pen, and it speaks so well to the young narrator. It feels very alive and youthful.” Radtke says this book has mass appeal since it draws in fans of more traditional comics and literary readers. “It really straddles that line in such an interesting way,” she says.

Davidson and Hetland recommended The Hard Tomorrow by Eleanor Davis. The graphic novel follows a couple as they try to conceive and build a home, all while political strife builds in the world they live in, too. “It’s a book that came out prior to the events of 2016 and is a story crafted from Davis’s fears of where the country was headed,” Hetland explains, adding that it “feels deeply personal in how it talks about the choices we make for the future.” Davis’s artwork portrays “deep-seated feelings that can be hard to name or pinpoint,” Hetland says. “Describing how someone feels or their internal thoughts just isn’t as poignant as bearing witness.”

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10 Graphic Novels for the Literary Minded

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As graphic novels continue to become more widely accepted by the general public, I encounter more and more people unsure about where to start reading.  There's a lot of product out there, which can make it difficult to find the right entry point.  Additionally, many pick the wrong entry point and tend to run screaming from the medium. But when you read a bad book, you don't swear off books, you just swear off that author, or perhaps that genre.  The same should be true for Graphic Novels.  And so with that in mind, I offer you 10 graphic novels for the literary minded, broken down by genre to give you a fighting chance at picking something you might enjoy.  I've avoided the usual suspects - Maus , Watchmen , and the like, which are both excellent of course, but have also been recommended a million times before - in favor of some more recent offerings that you may or may not have heard about. 

For fans of detective fiction:  'Stumptown' by Greg Rucka (writer), Matthew Southworth (artist), Lee Loughridge and Rico Renzi (colors). Oni Press, 2011. Hardcover. Full Color. 144 pages. $29.99

A tightly plotted detective story that follows P.I. Dex Parios as she investigates the disappearance of a casino owner's granddaughter. During her investigation Dex encounters two different sets of thugs, the 7th richest man in Oregon, his well-intentioned daughter, and his ill-intentioned son, among other things. The story begins with our hero being shot in the chest and then cleverly works its way backwards. A nice character piece, Stumptown is filled with evocative, moody art that well-captures the tone of any good detective story and capitalizes on the Portland setting.  Originally published as five single issues in 2009 and 2010, the hardcover edition is stunning, with matte paper and a larger size. 

If you like this, also try:  'Alias Vol. 1' by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, 'Batwoman: Elegy' by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III, 'Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl Vol. 1' by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, and 'Batman: The Black Mirror' by Scott Snyder, Francesco Francavilla, and Jock.

For fans of sci-fi: 'Black Hole' by Charles Burns (writer/artist). Pantheon, 2005. Hardcover. Black & White. 368 Pages. $29.95

One of the greatest sci-fi graphic novels ever created, Charles Burns’ Black Hole effortlessly sets up a metaphor for sexual awakening and adolescence by making mutations a sexually transmitted disease.  Burns’ teenage characters deal with the results of their sexual activity in a variety of ways that are shockingly honest and painfully real.  Fundamentally about being different, finding yourself, love, and loss, Black Hole ’s twelve single issues were collected in one volume in 2005.  With impeccable writing that captures a timeless teen voice and stark black and white artwork that has the atmosphere of 70’s teen horror films, Black Hole stands out as one of the boldest graphic novels in print. 

If you like this, also try: 'Preacher' by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, 'Top 10' by Alan Moore and Gene Ha, 'Planetary Volume 1' by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday, and 'DV8: Gods & Monsters' by Brian Wood and Rebekah Isaacs. If you prefer your Sci-Fi with a dystopian bent, as is all the rage, you should consider the excellent: 'Y: The Last Man' by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, 'The Walking Dead Vol. 1' by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, and 'Revolver' by Matt Kindt

For fans of young adult:  'Friends With Boys' by Faith Erin Hicks (writer/artist).  First Second, 2012.  Softcover.  Black & White.  224 pages.  $15.99

An energetic and thoroughly engaging story about a teenage girl headed to high school after being home schooled her whole life.  Though her three older brothers are already installed safely at high school, Maggie faces her own challenges, especially as their mother has recently vanished, with no sign of returning.  With incredibly expressive art and vivid character design, Hicks’ story leaps off the page with its enthusiasm and sweetness, tinged (as all high school stories probably should be) with just enough darkness to keep things interesting.  There's also a supernatural element to Friends With Boys , and the way it resolves is decidedly unexpected and strengthens the book’s metaphors even more powerfully.

If you like this, also try:  'I Kill Giants' by Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Niimura, 'Anya's Ghost' by Vera Brogsol, and 'Ghost World' by Dan Clowes

For fans of literary fiction:  'Asterios Polyp' by David Mazzucchelli (writer/artist).  Pantheon, 2009. Hardcover. Full Color. 344 pages. $29.95

David Mazzucchelli’s Asterios Polyp is the not terribly unique tale of a man’s midlife crisis, told in a brilliant and effective way.  Asterios, unhappy with his life, sets out on a journey to make himself a better person, and through introspection and deed comes to potent and emotional realizations. Told with subtle beauty that constantly pushes the boundaries of creativity and utilizes the comics medium to its fullest potential, Asterios Polyp is one of those books that sets the standard for what comics can be. 

If you like this, also try:  'Big Questions' by Anders Nilsen, 'Exit Wounds' by Rutu Modan, and 'Blankets' by Craig Thompson.

For fans of action/adventure:  'Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E' by Warren Ellis (writer), Stuart Immonen (artist), Wade Von Grawbadger (inks), Dave McCraig & Paul Mounts (colors).  Marvel, 2010. Softcover. Full Color. 304 pages. $34.99

Nothing has more action and adventure and balls to the wall superhero fun than Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E .  A “big two” comic book that feels unabashedly unlike a “big two” comic, Nextwave somehow manages to both celebrate and parody the superhero genre, and the result is a raucously funny adventure that includes everything from samurai robots and broccoli men to killer koala bears.  The characters have huge witty personalities and are insanely flawed, which makes them all the more interesting.  Warren Ellis expertly plays them off one another and the visuals pop with unbridled enthusiasm, creativity seeping from every inch of every panel.  In a perfect world, far more superhero comics would be like Nextwave .  

If you like this, also try:  'Strange Tales Volume 2' (from Marvel, by various independent artists), 'Freakangels Vol. 1' by Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield, also, being collected in April, 'Legion of Monsters' by Dennis Hopeless and Juan Doe. 

For fans of short fiction: 'Demo Volume 2' by Brian Wood (writer), Becky Cloonan (artist). Vertigo, 2011. Softcover. Black & White. 160 pages. $17.99

A collection of connected but independent stories rendered in expressive black and white.  Each story focuses on a different character as they adjust to unique circumstances in their lives. All the stories connect thematically by suggesting "superpowers" of a sort, but in a realistic, real-world, and non-spandex way.  How each character embraces (or shuns) their circumstances, and how Brian Wood weaves the aberrations into his characters' lives is fascinating.  Becky Cloonan's lovely, fluid work captures emotion and character so quickly you'll be astonished.  

If you like this, also try: Gabrielle Bell's 'Lucky', Jeffrey Brown's 'Unlikely', Adrian Tomine's 'Shortcomings', and Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly's 'Local'.

For fans of fantasy: ' Castle Waiting Volume 1' by Linda Medley (writer/artist). Fantagraphics, 2006. Hardcover. Black & White. 472 pages. $29.95

Castle Waiting , a brutally funny book with a giant heart, has a new spin on fairy tales with a feminist bent that will draw you in and keep you reading from page one. Focused on the Sleeping Beauty Castle, abandoned by its princess, Medley’s story highlights previously minor characters, as the castle becomes a home for misfits, thus creating an endless tapestry of intriguing stories spinning out from the castle residents.  Medley’s world is expertly crafted and completely believable, while her black and white artwork is clean and highly detailed with an emphasis on character design and acting.

If you like this, also try: 'Finder' by Carla Speed McNeil, 'Castle Waiting Volume 2' by Linda Medley, 'Mouse Guard' by David Peterson, and 'Fables Volume 1' by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham

For fans of mystery: 'Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites' by Evan Dorkin (writer), Jill Thompson (artist). Dark Horse, 2010. Hardcover. Full Color. 184 pages. $19.99

If there's anything wrong with a group of talking, supernatural crime solving animals, rendered in stunning watercolor, then I don't want to be right.  Beasts of Burden has no right to make any sense, but it just does.  Evan Dorkin creates, in these talking dogs and cats, characters that you will instantly fall for amid smart mysteries that expertly unravel. Equal parts mystery, humor, and adorable, the only thing better than Dorkin's writing is the Jill Thompson watercolor artwork that accompanies it.  This gorgeous hardcover edition collects a four-issue mini-series, as well as three previously published short stories.  

If you like this, also try: 'Greendale' by Joshua Dysart and Cliff Chiang, and if you enjoyed the animal angle more than the mystery angle, try out 'We3' by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.

For fans of noir:  'The Last Of The Innocent' by Ed Brubaker (writer), Sean Phillips (artist), Val Staples (colors). Icon, 2011. Softcover. Full Color. 112 pages. $14.99

Smarter than your average noir, this story by Ed Brubaker about a man trapped in an unhappy life (and nostalgic for the life he might have had) is impossible to put down. Like any good noir, you can’t help rooting for your main character, even though he’s even worse than those he strikes out against.  Clever visuals by Sean Phillips- which alternate between dark, noir-appropriate art and Archie comics inspired art to represent the main character’s nostalgic longing- come together in a brilliant way that fully realizes Brubaker and Phillips’ themes of nostalgia.

If you like this, also try: the rest of the 'Criminal' series by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips as well as Darwyn Cooke’s adaptations of 'Richard Stark’s Parker' series, 'The Hunter' and 'The Outfit'.

For fans of memoir/non-fiction:  'Paying For It' by Chester Brown (writer/artist). Drawn & Quarterly, 2011. Hardcover. Black & White. 292 pages. $29.95

A memoir of Chester Brown’s own experiences soliciting prostitutes in his native Canada, Paying For It is somehow the opposite of titillating, despite the subject matter.  Brown’s story insightfully examines both the sociopolitical aspects of prostitution as well as the very nature of long-term romantic love, and perhaps more to the point, if such a thing even exists.  Illustrated in a stripped down style that fits the matter of fact approach, Brown’s book will make you think long after you put it down.  

If you like this, you might also try:  'Fun Home' by Alison Bechdel, 'How To Understand Israel In 60 Days or Less' by Sarah Glidden, and 'Persepolis' by Marjane Satrapi, which though all wildly different in subject matter from 'Paying For It' are all excellent comic memoirs/non-fiction.

My mother read How To Understand Israel In 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden this past year for a project I was doing, and her first comment back to me was that she really liked it, but she didn’t understand how it was a comic. A long strange series of emails later, I realized it was because she just couldn’t comprehend of a comic as anything other than superheroes (and in fairness to her, when I was a teenager that’s pretty much all I brought into the house).  It’s a funny thing, once you’re deep in comics, to step outside and realize how few people understand the difference between genre and medium, at least as it applies to comics. To many people all comics are irrelevant because they perceive them all as being about people running around in spandex fighting supervillains.  But nothing could be further from the truth. Comics are a vibrant medium that can tell any story imaginable, and as illustrated above, do exactly that, with regularity.

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Column by Kelly Thompson

Kelly Thompson is the author of two crowdfunded self-published novels. The Girl Who Would be King (2012), was funded at over $26,000, was an Amazon Best Seller, and has been optioned by fancy Hollywood types. Her second novel, Storykiller (2014), was funded at nearly $58,000 and remains in the Top 10 most funded Kickstarter novels of all time. She also wrote and co-created the graphic novel Heart In A Box (2015) for Dark Horse Comics. Kelly lives in Portland Oregon and writes the comics A-Force, Hawkeye, Jem & The Holograms, Misfits, and Power Rangers: Pink. She's also the writer and co-creator of Mega Princess, a creator-owned middle grade comic book series. Prior to writing comics Kelly created the column She Has No Head! for Comics Should Be Good.

She's currently managed by Susan Solomon-Shapiro of Circle of Confusion.

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I'd recommend pretty much anything from First Second if you are interested in story. I'm currently reading through their whole back catalog. Big thumbs up to Friends With Boys mentioned above which was released a page a day online before its release tomorrow (I pick up my hard copy tomorrow, wOoT! ) and also Zita the Space Girl by Ben Hatke. I'm not so worried about what genres or target age I read, I want good story, good characters, and good artwork. I'm rarely disappointed by First Second. 

Excellent.  I've only read a couple of the highlighted above (Nextwave, Castle Waiting), but I plan to read many more, soon.

For those interesed in either literary fiction or nonfiction I would recomend Persepolis 1 and 2 by Marjane Strapi. If you like the science fiction and don't mind superhero stories I would recomend The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite and The Umbrella Academy: Dallas by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba.

No love for Eddie Campbell's Alec books? Possibly the most literary-minded comics graphic novels I can think of.

v for vendetta by alan moore?

The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman is what started my interest in Graphic Novels.  Lots of literary and historic references.  I would call it a cross between Literary and Fantasy.

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Screen Rant

The 10 best graphic novels (updated 2023).

Have you been looking for a graphic novel with great artwork and an enticing story? If so, check out our list of the best graphic novels as of 2023.

Graphic novels are soaring in popularity now and have been a cherished medium for a long time. As more books are adapted into graphic novels, their presence on bookshelves and online will continue to grow. You may have always thought a graphic novel is a comic book that depicts superheroes, but that's not always true. There are many different types of graphic novels, the same way you would find any other type of book .

The world of graphic novels continues to grow as popular novels start becoming adapted to the graphic space. These books are growing in popularity without signs of slowing down.

Choosing the best graphic novels isn't always an easy decision. There are tons to pick from and more are being added to the zeitgeist every day. They also cover a wide range of topics, genres, and illustration styles. Here we have rounded up the best graphic novels on the market to make your search a bit easier. Since there are so many options, we decided to give you a leg up on the search.

Look at this roundup and pick out your next read. We've included some pros & cons of each of these graphic novels for you to review. Once you've read through this guide and considered the unique appeal of each novel, use it to find the next graphic novel on your to-read list! Graphic novels have been prevalent for many years. These types of novels have been riveting audiences going back to even your grandparents' times. If you are on the fence about jumping onto the graphic novel bandwagon, then there are a few things you should know about them.

On the brink of the Arab Spring, Anna, an American girl living with her ex-pat family, and Layla, and Egyptian girl, are best friends. Anna’s mother’s cancer has returned and she struggles with fitting in, worries about the future, and even fears if she’s inherited the same cancer-causing gene. Meanwhile, Layla’s family is facing a health crisis and hard medical decisions of their own. Their friendship is tested when their cultural perspectives around family and medicine don’t align, but a crisis at the Tahrir Square demonstration shows them both what’s really important.

From the get-go, the human elements of their friendship that can survive cultural traditions and assumptions are there. You’ll fall in love with the relatable characters and root for them to overcome their struggles. The book borrows a lot from anthropology and can cover tough subjects, but the comic makes these difficult subjects easy to understand for all audiences.

Lissa: A Story About Medical Promise, Friendship, and Revolution

The golden age, the high soft lisp, the art of war, the city of ember, the complete maus.

Lissa centers around a friendship that transcends major social divides. You will love the story of how their friendship survives different perspectives, medical trauma, and a crisis that brings them together amidst revolutionary unrest in 2011 Egypt.

• Breaks down heady concepts into an engaging read
• Relatable characters with strong themes of diversity, friendship, and understanding
• Interesting for young girls
• Sad story. Expect difficult situations and themes.

Furthermore, if you have decided that you want to get a graphic novel but aren't sure how to choose one, you are in the right place.

Tilda is the main character and rightful heir to her father's throne. She wants to make life better for everyone. However, her younger brother challenges her, and as a man in this time period, he gets the throne and exiles Tilda. Tilda and her faithful companions are on the run and have a lot of work to do to regain the throne that is rightfully hers.

The Golden Age is an excellent graphic novel. The images alone could tell the tale. The only drawback is that the tale is a familiar one that has been told before many times throughout history. Also, there are some parts that are hard to follow. Overall, this is a worthwhile read for anyone.

The Golden Age is among the best graphic novels because it is a riveting tale of a historical period that includes political elements. You will love how this story comes to life in such detailed and beautiful images that you almost don't even need the words. When looking for a graphic novel that you won't be able to put down, then The Golden Age is the one you want.

• Beautiful pictures
• Excellent character development
• This book is a revelation
• Some things are difficult to follow

Henandez will take you on an inventive and sometimes steamy tale that will have you developing connections with the characters. Each book in his series can either be stand-alone or as part of a group; you will be satisfied at the end of each book. Many fall under the spell of Rosalba "Fritz" Martinez, including many husbands. This graphic novel will continuously surprise you as you won't be able to guess what is coming up next.

Most people will begin reading this graphic novel as a teenager and continue well into adulthood; that is why The High Soft Lisp is one of the best graphic novels on the market. The main drawback is that this book is not intended for kids, and you should be skeptical, allowing teenagers to read it. Overall, this book is an excellent choice if you enjoy graphic novels.

The High Soft Lisp by Gilbert Hernandez is an incredible graphic novel that you will sincerely enjoy. This book makes it on the list of the best graphic novels because of how intense and surprising this story can be. You will appreciate how original and inventive this book can be. It's a great book that you will want as part of your collection.

• Enjoyable read
• Great illustrations
• A surprising story
• Not intended for young adults

This story is the sad story of a boy who is asked to draw a picture of his family. The only problem is that family takes on a different meaning for Jarrett as his mom is an addict who comes in and out of his life. His father is someone he doesn't even know. This young boy lives with his grandparents, who are loud and outspoken. This book tackles the difficulties children encounter who don't come from a standard nuclear family and the issues they take on being in a family that is grappling with addiction.

Overall, Hey, Kiddo is a great graphic novel that you should get. The only drawback is that the book, though inspiring, is dark and sad. This memoir is a book that will capture its audience quickly and leave you more knowledgeable about the challenges faced when dealing with addiction.

Hey, Kiddo is a profoundly deep and riveting book that has made the best graphic novels list. This book was a finalist in the Nation Book Awards, and it is a tale that will capture your heart. This story is one that you will love to add to your collection of graphic novels as it tells a tale that is often swept under the rug but should be talked about more often.

• Excellent story
• Very inspiring
• Images are remarkable
• Can be sad and dark at times

This story is a provocative story about coming-of-age. The story is about a teenager who got himself into some trouble and is facing prosecution for murder and armed robbery. The whole story is told by Steve as he comes to terms with what is happening, including Juvie, the trial, and his life. He portrays his thoughts as though watching his own life in movie form.

Monster is among the best graphic novels because of how amazing this book really can be and the impact it can have on teens. The main drawback is that the main character seems to change persona so quickly that it's challenging to keep up with.

Monster is a fantastic graphic novel written by Walter Dean Myers and Guy A. Sims. The illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile are incredible and make this book much more riveting. This book helps you to see yourself more clearly, and it is a genuinely stand-out graphic novel. The adaption of this book is one that will create a new generation of fans.

• Very compelling story
• In-depth and realistic
• Excellent images
• Main character has a changing persona

Furthermore, there is little differentiation between flashbacks and the current time. Overall, this book is a great read.

New York Times bestselling cartoonist Kate Beaton releases her memoir about her move from the tight-knit East Coast of Canada to the oil fields where she worked to pay off her student loans. She documents the adjustment from an idyllic, culturally distinct home in Nova Scotia to Albertan oil drilling, where accidents occur daily but are never talked about.

With her illustrations, Beaton transforms the machinery, oil fields, and Canadian landscape into the Oz to her small-town Nova Scotian Kansas. From the beginning, Beaton sets up the stakes as a young woman from a small town who has to make difficult choices. The adversity can seem like a lot and even for people who aren’t from her part of the world, this can hit close to home.

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands

If you’re looking for a new title about surviving hard situation in the face of adversity, look no further. If you’re a fan of the Hark! A Vagrant comic series, Kate Beaton dropped her life story in 2022 in graphic novel form. It’s a real treat that gives fans of the Vagrant comic series a glimpse into where the author came from.

• Great for fans of the Hark! A Vagrant series
• Richly and smartly illustrated
• Engaging and relatable story
• Tough situations and themes can be difficult to read

This graphic novel was written by Sun Tzu, who has been thought to be a military general as well as an advisor to the king in Southern China. The state it represents is Wu, and the book takes place sometime around the 6th Century BCE. Though the authorship does raise some doubt among modern scholars, the book is still influential and riveting. This book is about military strategy and treaties that make The Art of War incredibly impactful.

Overall, The Art of War should be owned by any graphic novel enthusiasts. The only real drawback of this book is that it is concise comparatively. However, that can be a good thing if you are looking to get through a book relatively quickly. One thing that will bring this graphic novel home for you is the images that tell a story all of their own.

The Art of War takes its place among the best graphic novels because it is filled with small details that make it attractive. From the binding to the intense story, you will love this graphic novel and want it as part of your collection. The book isn't overly graphic, but enough that it makes for a great read. This book is one you are going to want to read a few times over.

• An excellent story
• Beautiful colored images
• Brings you back to the history of 5th Century BC
• Somethings are hard to understand

The City of Ember talks about two children who have spent most of their lives in darkness. Lina is one of the children, and she lives her life in optimism, believing that there is something beyond the city she lives in. Doon is more practical. He believes he can fix the blackout issues if given a chance. Eventually, the two teams up and uncover something much more going on. This dystopian story is incredible as it brings a hopeful message.

This book is an extraordinary tale that will leave you wanting more. The chapter edition of the book is excellent; the graphic one brings it to life. The only drawback is that it leaves you with questions that have no answers to them. Overall, The City of Ember is an excellent book that will steal your imagination and take you on an awesome ride.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau is among the best graphic novels because it is a story about a doomed city, and everyone loves an adventure. This book was initially made to be a novel, and it was adapted to be a graphic novel in order to bring the riveting tale to life through a series of well-done illustrations that make it even better. You will love this book.

• A fun story
• Characters are well developed
• Images add to the uniquness of the story
• You are left with a lot of questions

This graphic novel is about a Jewish survivor of Europe during the Hitler era. Maus is an approach to the stuff that you don't want to speak about through a diminutive time. The story is told in cartoon form, with the mice being Jews and the Nazis being cats. This astonishing tale will bring you through one of the grisliest times in history through a unique take that is going to capture you. A story that follows bloody pawprints through history and brings about a meaning that applies to everyone.

Overall, The Complete Maus is among the best graphic novels on the market because of how intense and mesmerizing it is. As this book is written from the view of a son to an Auschwitz survivor, the author appears to be a bit harsh on his father. A powerful book that you will love and read over again.

This book is a Pulitzer prize-winning story that is riveting. You will love how intense this book can be on the realities of a time our world prefers to ignore. If you are looking for one of the best graphic novels, then The Complete Maus is the one you want. You will learn and appreciate every step of this book as you go through the fantastic tale of survival.

• A riveting story
• Easy to read
• Images add to the story
• The son is a bit harsh on his father

The story itself isn't as important as the themes the book covers. Watchmen is more about morality and politics. It encompasses true humanity and what it is to be a superhero. The book can be dark and isn't light reading. You will not expect what transpires in this graphic novel, but you will love it just the same. You will see the human condition through intensely honest eyes as it is lasting power. This graphic novel is going to leave you in your seat.

Overall, Watchmen is a graphic novel you want to read. It makes it on the list of the best graphic novels because of how truthful it is. Besides being dark, one of the hardest parts of this book is that it offers no real answers to improving the human condition. It could have proposed new ideas. However, despite that, this graphic novel does raise important questions that are worth thinking about.

Watchmen is considered one of the best graphic novels in history and has won the Hugo award for the chronicle of falling from grace. You will sincerely love this groundbreaking series that was written by the same author who wrote V for Vendetta. The images are high-quality and recolored that will make them more intensely gratifying.

• An interesting take on being a superhero
• Excellent images that add to the story
• A neat depiction on what life could have been
• Offers no real solution to the human condition

Why You Should Read Graphic Novels

There are many reasons why graphic novels should make it onto your reading list:

They are appealing to both reluctant readers and those who are advanced. The pictures and texts make these novels fun and more appealing to anyone who struggles with reading, and the storylines backed by images are appealing to those who love to read.

Many traditional books have been turned into graphic novels. If there's ever been a classic novel you've wanted to read, chances are you can find a graphic version.

The best graphic novels are excellent tools for teaching. These novels are great for teaching inference and for breaking down harder-to-read stories and headier subjects. The vocabulary is often complex and literary devices can be taught from these novels. The non-linear formats make them unique and more engaging.

The format of the graphics can also help those who are trying to learn English or another language. Plus, they are suitable for children who have special needs. Images are an excellent tool for helping those who find vocabulary challenges.

Many graphic novels have in-depth messages that are brought home by the combination of images and conversations. Graphic novels aren't just for superheroes anymore. There are many slice-of-life stories and many have large moral dilemmas.

How To Choose A Graphic Novel

If you are new to the graphic novel movement, then you are going to need some help picking the right one for you.

Genre – One thing most people seem to forget is that a graphic novel is a format, not a genre. The genre encompasses the type of story you're reading, from literary to romance to Western and science fiction. Pick the genre you usually enjoy reading about when you pick out your first graphic novel.

Illustrations – If you find a graphic novel that has an excellent storyline but subpar images, then you are going to be disappointed. The novel you choose should have images that are going to draw you in as well as a riveting story. Also, art is subjective and graphic novels come in many visual styles. From a traditional "comic book" style to realism, the illustrations also fit the tone of the story. You'll find different visual styles that enhance the story and communicate deeper themes with images, not just the words on the page.

Get Advice – Sometimes, picking the best graphic novel is still challenging. Therefore, you want to get advice from a graphic novel enthusiast. Most readers of graphic novels have a crucial way to pick one, and they can help you find yours.

Choosing the best graphic novel is still difficult for everyone because of the sheer velocity of novels that the market has to offer. The list above shows you some of the best novels on the market today. Take a look and pick the one that appeals to you most.

Happy reading!

Q: What’s the difference between a graphic novel and a comic book?

While many people dismiss graphic novels as comic books, they are two distinct forms of literature. Though both focus on storytelling through illustration, comic books appear as serials and periodicals. If the comic book series is serialized, the story happens over a sequence of events, it can be difficult to understand one comic book in a series without having read the prior releases. If it's episodic, usually slice-of-life stories, you can jump into any issue and immerse yourself in the issue's story without a lot of background information. Think of comic books like TV shows and graphic novels like movies. The best graphic novels are complete stories from beginning to end, though just like traditional novels and movies, they may be part of a series.

Graphic novels are longer than the average comic book and cover a complete range of genres including mysteries, classics, historical fiction, realistic fiction, and non-fiction. Comic books typically focus on superheroes with some exceptions.

Q: How does a graphic novel work?

Unlike traditional novels which include only text—or text with an occasional illustration in children’s books—graphic novels are complete novels written in comic book format. The storyline progresses in panels or frames with both text and illustrations. Text is typically within a box, and dialogue and characters' thoughts are in speech bubbles. The story is also told more visually, and a good graphic novel will tell you just as much if not more about the story with visual cues. You’ll find graphic novels in both paperback and hardcover formats.

Q: Should I limit my child or teen’s reading of graphic novels and steer them toward traditional novels?

According to most educators, reading the best graphic novels is just as good for children and young adults as traditional novels. Though it’s best to encourage students to read a variety of literary styles, graphic novels have as much merit as traditional ones. Young children still learn to decode words and follow storylines, and teens and young adults can enjoy a variety of storytelling styles, just as in traditional novels. In fact, many educators point out some advantages of graphic novels, including promoting a better understanding of sequencing through the paneled storytelling format. They also encourage visual perception and art appreciation. Some studies indicate that graphic novels promote better comprehension because they encourage visual memory.

Graphic novels promote literacy every bit as much as traditional novels and reinforce the same reading, punctuation, and grammar skills. Some studies suggest a benefit for readers with autism because they are able to visually read cues from characters’ expressions.

Q: Are graphic novels and Manga the same?

Manga and graphic novels have much in common, but Manga are Japanese comics. The Japanese have a long history of illustration and animation in literature and pop culture. Manga follows a format very much like paperback novels with many books featuring black and white artwork and others in full color. Not only is the style of illustration very distinctively Japanese, but they are read from right to left. Manga features English translations with the original Japanese artwork.

Q: Are graphic novels just for kids?

There are many great graphic novels for kids and it’s clear that they are a favorite genre for children. However, there are also many fantastic graphic novels for adults in all genres from horror, history, and true crime, to Shakespeare. Many adult readers also enjoy a wide range of erotic in graphic novels.

Q: Are the illustrations in graphic novels considered fine art?

The complex illustrations found in both comic books and graphic art novels are absolutely works of art. In fact, some of the most instantly recognizable artwork in popular culture comes from graphic novels. Although graphic art illustrators are uniquely talented, the illustrations aren’t traditional “fine art” because the work is so widely available in print. There is also a distinction made between art created as a means of expressing an artist’s unique vision or that created for beauty, and the artwork created for a specific purpose such as illustrations for a story.

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The Best Reviewed Graphic Literature of 2021

Featuring alison bechdel, kristen radtke, barry windsor-smith, guy delisle, aminder dhaliwal, and more.

Well, friends, another grim and grueling plague year is drawing to a close, and that can mean only one thing: it’s time to put on our Book Marks stats hats and tabulate the best reviewed books of the past twelve months.

Yes, using reviews drawn from more than 150 publications, over the next two weeks we’ll be revealing the most critically-acclaimed books of 2021, in the categories of (deep breath): Memoir and Biography ; Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror ; Short Story Collections ; Essay Collections ; Poetry ; Mystery and Crime ; Graphic Literature; Literature in Translation ; General Fiction ; and General Nonfiction .

Today’s installment: Graphic Novels & Graphic Nonfiction .

Brought to you by Book Marks , Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for books.”

1. The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel (Houghton Mifflin)

14 Rave • 8 Positive Read an interview with Alison Bechdel here

“… a far more sprawling project than Bechdel’s two previous and entirely virtuosic graphic memoirs … The format is larger, too, and the reader feels more space on the page to breathe, which can’t be a random choice. (One imagines very little about the art Bechdel puts out into the world is random) … Bechdel also departs from her usual monochrome to offer a whole generous P. T. Barnum palette. And between chapters she includes airy spreads painted with a flowing brush instead of her trademark boxed-in drawings made with a quivering pen … The book makes you see exercising as a kind of touchstone, the way going back to the same place every year can be. You love to see the landscape, but the true experience is internal: dealing with your own change … Part of the pleasure of Bechdel’s books is the conversation she’s in with herself, all the layers: the drawings, the captions, the dialogue, the annotations of the world, the storyboards that move the narrative, the burbling monologue of her mind. This is a true delight of graphic literature, and nobody does it better. You feel as if you’re peering through a plexiglass panel right into Bechdel’s marvelous brain … Bechdel’s genius is such that even a plain old writer suddenly wishes for the ability to annotate her own text.”

–Elizabeth Weil ( The New York Times Book Review )

2. Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke (Pantheon)

11 Rave • 6 Positive • 1 Mixed • 1 Pan Listen to an interview with Kristen Radtke here

“Kristen Radtke’s Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness defies categorization—and it does so in spectacular fashion. At once a memoir, a personal essay about loneliness, an exploration of the science of solitude and its effects, and an invitation to come together in a world built to separate us, Seek You looks at isolation as a problem and investigates where it comes from, how it shapes us, and why we should battle against it … In Seek You , Radtke’s cuts to the marrow of our inner lives as well as our online lives and public selves to explore the ways in which community, interaction, and even touch affect us, especially when these elements are missing … The beauty of Seek You is that it feels like a communal experience. Reading this book is reading about ourselves and our lives … Seek You accomplishes a lot and its unique hybrid nature makes it a must-read. However, perhaps the most important thing it accomplishes is telling everyone that they aren’t alone in their loneliness, and that could be the first step into ending the loneliness epidemic.”

–Gabino Iglesias ( NPR )

3. Monsters by Barry Windsor-Smith (Fantagraphics)

7 Rave • 3 Positive • 1 Mixed Read an excerpt from Monsters here

“Windsor-Smith is known for his meticulous inking, and his cross-hatching gives Monsters ’ world and characters remarkable dimension. His inks are mostly very tight and specific, but in the opening sequence, the lines have a wildness that contributes to the chaos … As impressive as Windsor-Smith’s cross-hatching is, it’s equally powerful when he minimizes the linework … The superhero influence is strongest at the start of Monsters , and Elias’ mission to rescue Bobby unfolds in an exhilarating car chase that leads to a devastating shootout. The dramatic sound effects punctuate key moments in the action, and the shootout is a showcase of how lettering impacts storytelling, with line weight, letter shape, and balloon placement working together to create a feeling of total mayhem … Monsters has breakneck action and lots of atmospheric horror, but the majority of the book is domestic and workplace situations, highlighting Windsor-Smith’s skill with character acting. Emotional beats are exceptionally clear, and he pays close attention to the different ways people experience pain, internalize it, and release it. It brings vitality to these characters and conversations, and by withholding information, the script creates a sense of intrigue that keeps the momentum moving forward when there isn’t much in the way of spectacle.”

–Olivier Sava ( The A.V. Club )

4. Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall, Illustrated by Hugo Martínez (Simon & Schuster)

7 Rave • 3 Positive Read an excerpt from Wake here

“… embraces a more significant, more authentic history of resistance … Hall has offered up this ancestral pain and used it as a lens through which we might attend to those previously rendered invisible. The book’s unmistakable and unapologetic power is amplified by Martínez…His work evokes multiple symbols. Slave ships power through waves that look like both water and flames. They are an excellent accompaniment to Hall’s stories within the story … Hall has written, and Martínez has illustrated, an inspired and inspiring defense of heroic women whose struggles could be fuel for a more just future.”

–Rosemary Bray McNatt ( The Guardian )

5. Factory Summers by Guy DeLisle (Drawn and Quarterly)

6 Rave • 3 Positive

“But even in this comic, the author appears before us in the guise we now know so well – a baffled outsider trying, and often failing, to navigate a culture that isn’t his own … But the book isn’t really about social class so much as it is about men and their agonising inability to talk to one another … It’s this plangent undertow that makes Factory Summers worth your time. We all know about summer jobs. Many of us have experienced the borderline bullying that comes with a certain kind of envy and fear. But the emotionally silent world of men is more difficult territory to reach and it finds its perfect expression here in Delisle’s effortless concision: so much paralyzing gaucheness in a beer belly, a pair of bandy legs, a head bent over a homemade sandwich; so much sadness in a single glance.”

–Rachel Cooke ( The Guardian )

6. The Trojan Women by Euripides and Anne Carson, Illustrated by Rosanna Bruno (New Directions)

6 Rave • 1 Positive

“It’s a joy to come across a mistress of the art taking rumbustious pleasure in revisiting the matter of poetry itself … Simultaneously straight-talking and experimental, the Canadian has been reclaiming the classical tradition as an essential resource since the 1980s … her writing remains as fierce as ever. At this #MeToo moment protesting against the objectification of women, her Trojan women are drawn as literally animal, the spoils of war … Carson’s purposeful play bypasses nostalgia for the kind of traditional forms on display in another creative revisioning.”

–Fiona Sampson ( The Guardian )

7. Cyclopedia Exotica by Aminder Dhaliwal (Drawn & Quarterly)

5 Rave • 4 Positive • 1 Pan

“The current, intense political climate allows us to immediately pair each character’s situation to a very real physical and psychological human experience, which Dhaliwal constantly contrasts with old-world ideas and norms … The simple, quick line-art style partners really nicely with the colouring by Nikolas Ilic. Prior to publication, the novel was serialized on Instagram. The nature of Instagram’s aesthetic, with its daily panels, as well as the ideas it brings up against fake vs. real life, make the platform a perfect museum for the story. It’s fun to imagine this story coming out as a newspaper comic in earlier times. Reading the comics over breakfast, taking a look into how hypocrisy and prejudice can affect people, would have been a great meditation before the workday started. Today, it’s an all too relevant reminder that we should get to know our neighbors.”

–Esinam Beckley ( Montreal Review of Books )

8. Tunnels by Rutu Modan, Trans. by Ishai Mishory (Drawn & Quarterly)

“How to describe this complex and thrilling book? Think of it as Raiders of the Lost Ark as reimagined by a feminist Hergé, with a few light top notes of Raja Shehadeh thrown in for good measure (the latter being the Orwell prize-winning Palestinian lawyer who writes about hiking in the occupied territories). Every page is gripping, every frame profoundly political. If Modan has given us a tightly plotted adventure story, she has also delivered a brilliantly daring satire … To have built such a wonderfully witty and enjoyable comic on such vexed territory is quite some achievement. But then, Modan is a uniquely talented artist and writer.”

9. The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (Drawn & Quarterly)

5 Rave • 1 Positive

Read an interview with Keum Suk Gendry-Kim here

“Vividly rendered … The Waiting, is graphic novel as reclamation project, an attempt to preserve before it is too late not a documentary history so much as an emotional one … There is an immediacy, an intimacy, that emerges from these panels, which reveal both memory and art-making as processes. Nothing is fixed, Gendry-Kim is suggesting. We know ourselves only from the bits of information we have been allowed to have.”

–David L. Ulin ( The Los Angeles Times )

10. Celestia by Manuele Fior, trans. by Jamie Richards (Fantagraphics)

5 Rave • 3 Mixed

“Ambitiously realized by Manuele Fior and eloquently translated by Jamie Richards, Celestia —Venice’s oneiric double—is a visual poem and modernist dance in graphic novel form, encompassing diaphanous terrains and gothic undertow, exuberantly tumescent with allusions to literature, art, and architecture … Richards’ expressive portrayal of Pierrot complements Fior’s suggestive approach. Their linguistic collaboration resembles a graceful pas-de-deux between layers of idea and perception. Fior’s painterly panels, like his organic narrative, often do not follow the sequential action-to-action layout of traditional comics, but employ disorienting shifts in perspective, scene, and mood—bringing to mind Brodsky’s metaphor of Venice as a trammeling labyrinth.”

–Thuy Dinh ( Asymptote )

Our System:

RAVE = 5 points • POSITIVE = 3 points • MIXED = 1 point • PAN = -5 points

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The Fascinating World of Graphic Novels: Exploring a Visual Literary Renaissance

Unveiling the rich history, diverse subgenres, and influential works in the captivating realm of graphic novels .

Graphic novels have emerged as a powerful and dynamic form of storytelling, captivating readers of all ages with their unique fusion of art and narrative. These visually engaging masterpieces have redefined the literary landscape, bridging the gap between traditional prose and visual storytelling. In this article, we delve into the genre of graphic novels, tracing its origins, exploring its evolution, and shining a spotlight on some of the most influential works and authors that have shaped this fascinating realm.

Defining the Genre: Embracing Artistic Narratives

At its core, a graphic novel is a book-length work that employs illustrations, often in a comic book style, to convey its narrative. These illustrations are more than just pictures; they play an integral role in advancing the storyline, complementing the written text, and adding depth to the characters and their emotions. Graphic novels encompass a wide array of genres, themes, and artistic styles, making them a versatile medium that appeals to a diverse audience.

History and Development: From Humble Beginnings to Literary Prowess

The roots of graphic novels can be traced back to ancient times, where visual storytelling was prevalent in ancient Egyptian and Roman art. However, it wasn’t until the late 18th and early 19th centuries that the concept of “sequential art” gained prominence through the works of artists like Rodolphe Töpffer and William Hogarth. These pioneers utilized sequential visual panels to depict humorous and satirical stories.

The modern graphic novel, as we know it today, owes much of its development to the comic book industry of the early 20th century. Comics, with their serialized storytelling and captivating illustrations, gained immense popularity during the Great Depression. The release of “Action Comics #1” in 1938, featuring the iconic Superman, marked the beginning of the superhero genre’s rise.

The term “graphic novel” itself was popularized in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the publication of works like Will Eisner’s “A Contract with God” and Richard Kyle’s “Graphic Story Magazine.” These creators sought to elevate comics to a more mature and respected form of literature, garnering critical acclaim and laying the foundation for the graphic novel revolution.

Key Subgenres: Exploring the Vast Spectrum

The world of graphic novels encompasses a rich tapestry of subgenres, each bringing its own unique themes, art styles, and storytelling techniques to the table. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key subgenres that have flourished within this dynamic literary medium:

1. Superhero Adventures

One of the most recognizable and influential subgenres in graphic novels is the realm of superheroes. Embodied by iconic characters like Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man, superhero comics have enthralled readers for generations. These tales of extraordinary individuals fighting for justice and battling supervillains have become an integral part of pop culture .

Notable Work: “Watchmen” by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons – This groundbreaking graphic novel deconstructs the traditional superhero narrative, exploring complex themes of power, morality, and identity.

2. Fantasy Epics

Within the realm of graphic novels, fantasy epics transport readers to enchanting worlds filled with magic, mythical creatures, and epic quests. The genre has given rise to enthralling tales of heroism, exploration, and self-discovery.

Notable Work: “Sandman” by Neil Gaiman – This fantastical saga follows Dream, one of the Endless, as he navigates through the realm of dreams, weaving intricate and captivating stories.

3. Autobiographical Narratives

Graphic novels have become an outlet for personal expression, allowing creators to share their life experiences, struggles, and triumphs in a deeply intimate way. Autobiographical graphic novels offer a glimpse into the lives of their authors, fostering empathy and connection with readers.

Notable Work: “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi – A poignant memoir depicting the author’s coming-of-age during the Iranian Revolution, offering a powerful exploration of identity and cultural displacement.

4. Historical Retellings

Some graphic novels take readers on a journey through history, reimagining significant events, or shedding light on lesser-known narratives. These works provide a visually compelling and accessible approach to learning about the past.

Notable Work: “Maus” by Art Spiegelman – A harrowing Holocaust narrative that employs anthropomorphic animals to depict the human characters, offering a haunting and emotional portrayal of the author’s father’s experiences.

5. Science Fiction Wonders

Science fiction graphic novels delve into speculative and futuristic worlds, exploring technology, space exploration, and the human condition in the face of the unknown.

Notable Work: “Akira” by Katsuhiro Otomo – A cyberpunk masterpiece set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, blending captivating visuals with a complex narrative.

Influential Books and Authors: Pioneers of the Graphic Novel Renaissance

The graphic novel landscape is graced by visionary authors and artists who have left an indelible mark on the medium, pushing its boundaries and elevating its status in the literary world. Here are some influential works and creators that have shaped the trajectory of graphic novels:

• Art Spiegelman: Widely regarded as a pioneer of the graphic novel genre, Spiegelman’s “ Maus ” (1986) earned critical acclaim for its emotional and raw portrayal of the Holocaust. The graphic novel won the Pulitzer Prize, cementing its place in literary history.
• Alan Moore: Renowned for his revolutionary works, Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” (1986) stands as a monumental achievement in graphic storytelling. The deconstruction of the superhero genre and the exploration of complex themes set a new standard for the medium.
• Neil Gaiman: With his captivating and imaginative storytelling, Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman” (1989) became an iconic fantasy epic that expanded the possibilities of what graphic novels could achieve.
• Alison Bechdel: “ Fun Home ” (2006), Bechdel’s powerful and introspective memoir, played a significant role in bringing the graphic novel format into mainstream literary discussions, receiving widespread acclaim.
• Marjane Satrapi: “Persepolis” (2003) is Satrapi’s compelling account of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, touching readers with its authenticity and emotional depth.
• Osamu Tezuka: Known as the “God of Manga,” Tezuka’s prolific body of work and the creation of “Astro Boy” (1963) helped establish manga as a globally recognized art form.
• Chris Ware: Renowned for his intricate and emotionally resonant works, Ware’s “Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth” (2000) received widespread acclaim for its poignant storytelling and unique art style.

Conclusion: Unraveling the Infinite Potential of Graphic Novels

The realm of graphic novels is a vast and boundless universe, one that continues to evolve and push the boundaries of storytelling. From its humble origins as sequential art to its current status as a respected and celebrated literary medium, graphic novels have carved their niche in the literary world.

Through superhero epics, fantastical journeys, intimate memoirs, historical retellings, and futuristic wonders, graphic novels have captured the hearts and minds of readers worldwide. As the genre continues to grow and diversify, it opens new avenues for creators to share their visions, emotions, and narratives with an ever-widening audience.

Embracing the rich history, exploring the diverse subgenres, and celebrating the influential works and authors within the graphic novel universe provides a glimpse into the endless potential of visual storytelling. Whether you’re a seasoned graphic novel enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this captivating genre awaits, inviting you to embark on a visual literary adventure like no other.

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The 50 best graphic novels of all time, ranked.

A comprehensive ranking of the best 50 graphic novels of all time is an impossibly subjective process bound to infuriate nearly everyone. So, naturally, it’s my second assignment on ONE37PM’s comics beat.

There are arguments over what qualifies as a graphic novel. Following the strictest definition, some might argue that it applies only to books written in a single, unified novel format—but let's spice this list up and throw that definition out the window. This list will include everything from indie graphic novels to acclaimed comic runs and a handful of manga, though admittedly not as much of the latter as the genre probably merits. Maybe we’ll do a ranking of the top 10 manga of all time one day!

For graphic novels that are collected versions of single issues (nearly all of them on this list) the dates listed are from the first publication of the single issues, rather than the date the collections were published. Full disclosure: if there’s a suspicious prevalence of comics around 2014, that’s when I worked in a comic shop and read everything that came out, so there’s some bias there.

The list is ranked, but outside of the top ten or so that can be vague and occasionally arbitrary, in case you’re baffled at how Sex Criminals beats V for Vendetta and "The Dark Phoenix Saga." A few classics won’t make the cut, but if your favorite didn’t make the list, it’s probably because I haven’t read it yet. Let us know on Twitter and we'll add it to the reading list (not to this list, though, that ship has already sailed).

Also, for simplicity, we'll be listing where to buy these collections new, but definitely consider supporting your local comic shop or buying these used from eBay or similar retailers. There may be very little in the top ten that’s unexpected, but I’m guessing there could be a few surprises throughout the top 50. Enjoy - and/or prepare to get very angry at - my list of the 50 best graphic novels of all time.

RELATED: Where to Read Graphic Novels Online

50. Sunstone (2011)

You’ll find plenty of superhero comics on the list and plenty of comics suitable for all ages. Sunstone is neither. Graphic novels are more than caped crusaders, and Sunstone is a fun recent reminder of the kind of story to help broaden the medium’s genres. This comic by Stjepan Šejić and his wife Linda Lukšić Šejić is a full embrace of all things kink and erotica, but what puts it on the list is its central focus on the way the past traumas of two people in a same-sex couple interfere in their relationship and the long road to healing.

49. Dorohedoro (2000)

A man named Caiman woke up one day with his memories gone and his head swapped with a lizard’s head. Now, he’s hunting for the sorcerer who did this to try to find a way to get his head and his life back. It’s an intricate and bizarre story that spirals out from there in a dozen different ways, but Dorohedoro is rarely afraid to embrace the strange.

48. The Surrogates (2005)

Every year, The Surrogates feels a little more prescient. The Surrogates is a cyberpunk story in the Blade Runner -type lineage. Here, everyday people have idealized “surrogate” humans they pilot to go out into the world and interact with people, but when an anarchist named Steeplejack starts eliminating surrogates, the detective investigating the case develops uncertainty about how reliant people are on themselves and each other on the perfectly crafted images they project.

47. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2006)

There have been Star Wars comics nearly as long as there have been Star Wars movies, and there have been some really good runs, but few that even come close to John Jackson Miller’s Knights of the Old Republic . A prequel to the game of the same name, the comic follows young, clumsy padawan Zayne Carrick on the run after he’s framed for killing his peers. It’s a journey that touches on everything from the "Mandalorian Wars" to corruption festering at the heart of the "Jedi." Too many Star Wars comics have felt tethered to the plots and characters of the movies - Knights of the Old Republic is a testament to what the comics can accomplish when they’re allowed to stretch their wings and become full sci-fi adventures in their own right.

46. 300 (1998)

What 300 gets wrong in terms of homophobia and a bit of old-fashioned xenophobia puts it relatively low on this list, but the fact that it’s here at all is a testament to how much it gets right. 300 absolutely nails the feeling of an epic. Characters are exaggerated and all the dialogue is almost cartoonish in its boisterousness, but it lends the book an utterly mythological feel that leaves readers unable to escape a pure giddiness as these Spartans march into their final battle.

45. Monster (1994)

What responsibility does a doctor hold for the life he saves? Can he live with himself if one act of seeming goodness allows others to commit unspeakable evils? Monster , a tense and philosophical thriller is the manga for those who might find the stylization of others in the genre too extreme. A doctor reckons with the consequences of his decisions after a former patient is discovered to be a serial killer.

44. Copperhead (2014)

One of the most pure space-westerns, Copperhead introduces all the ideas of a galaxy-spanning sci-fi story but rarely takes that beyond the confines of a small town on the frontier. A woman takes her son and runs from an abusive relationship to set herself up as the sheriff in a rural town, quickly finding herself deeply embroiled in the complex and dangerous local politics.

43. By Chance or By Providence (2017)

Becky Cloonan specializes in ethereal gothic romance, and this self-published anthology she both writes and illustrates is Cloonan firing on all cylinders. The individual stories are relatively short but layered with tragic romance and dramatic ironies that feel evocative of Arthurian legends like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It’s exciting and spooky, and Cloonan’s art is always just a treat to look at.

42. Mushishi (1999)

Ginko wanders around protecting people from spirits, but in this manga series that often involves more therapy than fisticuffs. Mushishi takes a surprisingly tender approach to its exorcisms, with cases usually fixed by resolving the emotional turmoil spurring the spiritual crisis. It's worth noting that new copies are expensive, so definitely consider buying this one used.

41. Spider-Man: The Gauntlet (2009)

The Gauntlet is one of the greatest Spider-Man stories ever and highlights the heroes' arguably unparalleled rogue’s gallery and the hero’s complicated relationships with many of them. Some of these encounters are better than others, with the definitive Lizard story "Shed" being particularly good, but the real standout is two issues focusing on the Rhino that may be two of the best and most emotionally moving Spider-Man stories ever.

40. Metabarons (1992)

Alejandro Jodorowsky and Juan Giménez’s Metabarons gets a lot of comparisons to Dune in ways that run deeper than the author’s previous work involving that book. Like Dune , Metabarons is a sprawling blend of almost feudal family dynasty politics with truly wild sci-fi landscapes and setpieces.

39. The Dark Phoenix Saga (1980)

There’s a reason Fox tried not once, but twice to make a live-action version of The Dark Phoenix Saga work. It’s the story of Jean Grey’s uncontrolled ascent into near-godhood and the lengths the X-Men (and Jean herself) will go to to defend both humanity at large and each other. It’s an emotional powerhouse and helped to cement Chris Claremont as the defining X-Men writer.

38. American Vampire (2010)

One of the most fun aspects of American Vampire is how willing writer Scott Snyder is to throw out the traditional vampire lore. With various "strains" of vampirism, Snyder throws out the old rules about sunlight and silver in favor of new, wholly American takes on the myth. It’s a decade-hopping tale that starts with a young woman in the Golden Age of Hollywood abused and left for dead, but the story expands over time into a story of grudges and obsessions that span human lifetimes.

37. Superman for All Seasons (1998)

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s The Long Halloween is widely beloved, but spoiler alert: you won’t find it on this list. For my money, the pair’s best work at DC Comics was Superman for All Seasons . It’s fairly simple as far as Superman stories go, but its strength is in tapping into the minds of the supporting cast closest to Clark Kent. Each of the stories offers a beautiful and well-written perspective on the hero with a masterful, Norman Rockwell-esque visual style that’s Tim Sale at his best. There’s rarely been a more heartfelt encapsulation of the "Man of Steel," though there’s at least one better Superman story later on in this list.

36. Bloom (2013)

Bloom is a tender coming-of-age romance about Ari, a kid who wants nothing more than to leave his father’s bakery to pursue music, and Hector, another boy hired to replace him who has a passion for baking. There’s a humble elegance to Bloom , with a romance and central family conflict. It’s a story of love, responsibility, and some insanely delicious-looking baked goods. 

35. Monstress (2015)

Maika is a young woman trained to be a supernatural weapon wielded by a tyrannical authority, but as a cycle starts over again and more children are put at risk, she runs away with them and fights for survival, even as she seeks to better understand her psychic links to the world’s supernatural undercurrent. It’s a great story truly elevated by some of the most beautiful artwork of the last few decades that blends various manga and steampunk influences.

34. Mouse Guard (2006)

In a world of predators, mice need to band together if they have any hope for survival. Mouse Guard’s medieval-inspired setting is gorgeous and though their conflicts may be small, the stakes are life or death. This medieval mouse story manages the careful balance of feeling both grim and adorable in equal parts. 

33. Starlight (2014)

Duke McQueen is a classic daring pulp hero who was taken away for an interstellar adventure in which he saved the universe. The only problem: when he returns to earth, no one believes him and he’s a laughing stock even within his own family. But years later, the universe comes knocking again and the elderly Duke McQueen gets one more shot at being a hero. Mark Millar would occupy a lot more spots on a "worst graphic novels" list, but Starlight easily counterbalances…almost all of that.

32. Bingo Love (2018)

A compassionate story of love long-deferred. Two young women meet at church and quickly discover they have feelings for each other, but bigotry in their community keeps them apart for much of their lifetime until they rediscover each other in their later years and that spark is rekindled. LGBTQ romances are often notable as disproportionately tragic and it’s nice to see a pure romance story that not only doesn’t revel in the torture of its main characters but celebrates love between seniors.

31. The Saga of Swamp Thing (1984)

As with Morrison, this won’t be Alan Moore’s last entry in the Top 50, and anyone who has read a "Best Graphic Novels" list will understand why. But before… that elephant in the room: Alan Moore breathed new life into the superhero horror character Swamp Thing. The whole run is great, but the first volume’s Ship of Theseus reinvention of the character is a bold and defining turn.

30. Persepolis (2000)

Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical memoir depicts her family’s struggle through the 1979 Iranian revolution and the turmoil of the years that followed. It’s more than just an eye-opening view of history from the lenses of an eyewitness, it’s a very personal narrative that’s equal parts humorous and heartbreaking.

29. New Avengers: Everything Dies (2014)

Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers run isn’t afraid to trust its audience. Too many of the big team books like Avengers or Justice League tend to sand down the rough edges or interesting characteristics to make them more palatable. But Hickman’s New Avengers launches a complex and rewarding story about a secret group within the Avengers that makes some difficult, and sometimes unethical, decisions. The whole run is worthwhile, and luckily the culminating event "Secret Wars" is one of the few in recent years at Marvel that truly lives up to its potential.

28. Secret Six (2005)

The recent love of embracing the silliness of "Silver Age" villains and humorous juxtaposition against over-the-top violence in media like the Harley Quinn show can, in some ways, be traced back to Gail Simone’s seminal Secret Six . It’s the story of a team of villains with some high body counts, but it’s impossible not to fall in love with the new takes on villains like Bane and Catman that help anchor this dysfunctional team. 

27. Footnotes in Gaza (2009)

In the prestigious but fairly limited field of non-fiction graphic novels, Joe Sacco’s Footnotes in Gaza is a standout. The book is an investigation into a massacre in the Gaza Strip during the Suez Crisis, and it makes great use of its medium in some fairly unorthodox ways while sticking to a fact-driven investigation.

26. Golden Kamuy (2018)

In many ways, Golden Kamuy is the manga equivalent to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly . It’s a Western hunt for treasure across Hokkaido in the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War. It’s a story that relishes in its early 20th-century setting, showing Japan on the cutting edge of industrialization as well as many of those either left behind by its advance or crushed under its weight.

25. Batman: The Black Mirror (2011)

In arguably the best Batman comic of the last 20 years, Bruce Wayne is nowhere to be found. At a time when Bruce is missing in action, former Robin Dick Grayson steps up to the mantle. But Snyder makes the keen observation that if the villains of Bruce Wayne’s Batman are a reflection of his psyche, then Grayson’s rogue’s gallery would look very different. The Black Mirror , impeccably illustrated by artists Jock and Francesco Francavilla, pits Grayson against villains that play with Batman as legacy and generational privilege.

24. V for Vendetta (1982)

Behind the book’s iconic Guy Fawkes mask that was once a staple at protests is a book with a fantastically nuanced look at the moral ambiguity of terrorism in the face of fascism. In one way, it’s a brutal salvo from Moore at Margaret Thatcher’s England rooted in hardline social conservatism. But the book also takes a hard look at whether the utopian vision of anarchists at the time was any more feasible and what the cost of violence is in pursuit of those goals. 

23. Sex Criminals (2013)

When a couple has sex and achieves orgasm, time stops. Literally. They use this newfound power to start robbing banks. Sex Criminals is a wickedly funny series by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky that blends rapid-fire, joke-a-panel-type humor and background gags. The main characters Jon and Suzie, though, are well-written beyond just the jokes and help seal the book’s spot on this list.

22. From Hell (1989)

A comic rarely manages to be as chilling as From Hell . Alan Moore follows the unorthodox theory that the murders were committed as part of the cover-up for an illegitimate royal birth. While the murders themselves are disturbing enough, especially with the perpetrator’s clinical detachment, what sets From Hell to new heights is its exploration and near-obsession with the occult as imagined in the darkest corners of Victorian society.

21. Berserk (1989)

It was hard to fathom what would happen to this long-running series after author Kentaro Miura died in 2021, but even as the body of work stands today, it’s one of the greatest fantasy manga of all time. The main character Guts is a legendary warrior recruited into a band of mercenaries by their charismatic leader Griffith, with whom he becomes close. But it’s a relationship strained by Griffith’s unbridled ambition and Guts’ trauma and one that feels both beautifully absorbing and doomed, which takes on new sinister implications as the series progresses.

20. Fullmetal Alchemist (2001)

Edward and Alphonse Elric are two of the most beloved manga characters, and for good reason. Fullmetal Alchemist follows the two brothers’ quest to restore their lost bodies after they tried to use the magic of alchemy to resurrect their mother. They’re endearing central characters and an excellent vehicle for exploring the steampunk-inspired setting with one of the best magical rulesets in fiction.

19. Kingdom Come (1996)

To understand what makes Kingdom Come so great, it’s important to have some awareness of what comics were like in the 90s. The anti-hero was all the rage, with the traditional heroes on the wane. Kingdom Come takes that on directly, with a story that poses the question of whether or not there’s still a place in modern comics for characters like Superman or Batman. In doing so, it tells one of the best "Elseworlds" stories and arguably the greatest Justice League story.

18. Isola (2018)

Some of Isola’s greatness comes in what’s unsaid. It’s very fairytale in its setup: a queen who has been transformed into a tiger must journey to a fabled island to reverse her curse, and she’s joined by the chief of her guards as her escort. The art of that journey, by Karl Kerschl, is astonishingly beautiful and writer Brenden Fletcher manages to make long sections of what amounts to a monologue by the queensguard feel compelling and nuanced. 

17. A Contract with God (1978)

No list of the best graphic novels would be complete without Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: and Other Tenement Stories . The book is an anthology of four stories that all handle themes of disillusionment and guilt. It’s a mature and nuanced reflection on Eisner’s own experiences in The Bronx and dealing with the death of his daughter. It’s a profound book and one that helped to shape the field over the years that followed.

16. Fun Home (2006)

No list of the greatest graphic novels of all time could truly be complete without the inclusion of Alison Bechdel's Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. The graphic memoir, which chronicles Bechdel's upbringing in rural Pennsylvania, has become a landmark of 21st-century queer literature and arguably altered the perception of graphic novels writ large. It has inspired a generation of memoirists and authors to think differently about the avenues through which we can tell our stories.

15. Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others (1998)

You could substitute any given Hellboy collection you prefer - Mike Mignola’s stories about the infernal investigator Hellboy rarely miss. But The Chained Coffin for me takes the cake for setting up the short-story collection format that’s become a defining trait of the series. The book is teeming with sardonic wit and some fantastic action, and Mignola’s art is really one-of-a-kind that’s been frequently imitated but never surpassed.

14. The Sandman: Season of Mists (1990)

Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series is set in some ways inside the D.C. universe, but make no mistake: this is very much a Neil Gaiman story. Preludes and Nocturnes is the launch of Gaiman’s series, but Season of Mists is where Gaiman’s ethereal mythology story truly starts to shine. When Lucifer abdicates his responsibilities in overseeing Hell, a power struggle ensues as various gods try to seize the reins.

13. Hawkeye (2012)

As established in number 23 on this list, Matt Fraction is funny, his acclaimed Hawkeye run with David Aja is equal parts exciting and hilarious. From start to finish, every issue is packed with jokes that almost always land and Aja’s artwork gives the whole thing a unique stylization that became widely imitated for a few years after.

12. God Country (2017)

Emmet Quinlan has become a burden on his family. He’s an elderly man living in Texas whose severe dementia has led to violent and insulting outbursts that have isolated him from nearly everyone he’s cared about and kept him from establishing a relationship with his son Roy and Roy’s family. But when a storm returns and Quinlan is reunited with a magical sword that, in his youth, had given him godlike powers, he’s granted one last reprieve from his dementia and a chance to have that relationship with his family before the god-like powers from whom the sword hails come to Earth to reclaim it. It’s a beautiful, self-contained story that seamlessly blends the cosmic fantasy of Jack Kirby and a father-son narrative that feels intensely personal.

11. Maus (1980)

Art Spiegelman’s Maus may have the look of a children’s parable about the Holocaust, but despite the mouse and cat caricatures, within is an uncompromising and brutally honest view not just of the Holocaust but a biography of Spiegelman’s father. One of the most impressive legacies of the book is how much it veers away from hero worship, depicting his father as an extremely flawed and broken man wracked with guilt.

10. All-Star Superman (2005)

Writer Grant Morrison is going to reappear a couple of times in this list from here on out, and his Superman is possibly the best depiction of the character as Clark Kent faces his mortality. Morrison wholeheartedly embraces the full history of the character and paints a compelling portrait of what makes Superman an enduring figure. It’s hard to imagine a book that manages to deliver a fitting send-off to a character that’s been around since 1938, but Morrison manages it.

9. East of West (2013)

Hickman may sometimes have too much faith in his readers. For those coming into East of West , it’s very possible to get lost in the initial barrage of names and locations. But those who stick it out, who take in its premise of a world teetering towards apocalypse in a world where the American Civil War never ended, will find an elegant sci-fi western with enough world-building and politicking to make George R.R. Martin blush. Despite its size, the book never loses sight of the core cast and the revenge tale of its central character: Death itself.

8. New X-Men (2002)

Grant Morrison said in writing New X-Men that he set out to tell one of the best Magneto stories. One issue in, he kills Magneto. The thing is: he pretty much succeeds. As with his Superman, Morrison’s X-Men both absorbs the full scope of the team’s history while simultaneously breaking much of it down into an exploration of its core concepts. With Magneto, in particular, Morrison explores the idea that Magneto may have been better and more powerful as a martyred symbol than he ever was as a flesh-and-blood villain. It’s followed by the arguably more fun Astonishing X-Men run by Joss Whedon, but X-Men has never been as meaningful since as it was in Morrison’s hands.

7. Saga (2012)

It’s easy and a little cheap to describe Saga by breaking it down into its most crucial parts. Take 1 quart of Romeo and Juliet , with its story of lovers from either side of a conflict eloping together with tragic consequences, and add a liberal amount of Star Wars , with its tale of battle and magic fought on a galactic scale. But Saga is ultimately more than the sum of its parts. The story is narrated by Hazel, the daughter of aliens Alana and Marko who come from rival factions in a cosmic battle, and it follows both Alana and Marko and the huge gallery of supporting characters pursuing or helping them. All of that’s good, but none of it puts it so high without being so unerringly earnest in its handling of Alana and Marko. There may never have been two comic characters who so accurately feel like real people in love, in all their various passions and quarrels.

6. Lone Wolf and Cub (1970)

Even if you haven’t read it, you’ve seen Lone Wolf and Cub in its influence. A disgraced wanderer doing everything in his power to protect his child. It’s Road to Perdition . It’s The Last of Us . It’s The Mandalorian. But while it’s been frequently imitated, the nuance of the original and its complex handling of themes about honor and vengeance have rarely been matched. When Ogami Ittō, executioner for the shōgun, is disgraced and his family is killed, Ittō flees with his infant son and travels as a hired sword. The central narrative is Ittō’s search for justice and his relationship with his son.

5. Animal Man (1988)

In what may be Grant Morrison’s best work, and possibly the best non-Batman story out of D.C., Animal Man is a mind-bending take on the then-neglected Silver Age hero that not only breaks through the fourth wall but deconstructs it in many ways. Animal Man is a delightfully bizarre dive into life inside a world where world resets and real-world sales figures can mean life or death to living, breathing characters. However bizarre Morrison’s Animal Man gets, though, it’s steered through by Morrison’s full sincerity and compassion for his characters.

4. Blacksad (2000)

Blacksad is rarely overly complex, either in goals or plots, but what it does is consistently tell some of the best detective noir stories in any medium since the movie Chinatown . Cynical, hardboiled private eye John Blacksad, who happens to be a black cat, investigates a series of crimes in a version of 1950s America where anthropomorphic animals replace humans. The stories are brilliant at times and the characters, Blacksad in particular, are incredibly likable. But it’s Juanjo Guarnido’s artwork that is just jaw-dropping gorgeous across every page and keeps it high on the list of the best graphic novels of all time.

3. Dark Knight Returns (1986)

If Morrison faced the unenviable task of writing a “last Superman story”, Miller’s task of crafting a “final” Batman story (ignore that there’s a pair of pretty terrible sequels) feels nearly impossible. Miller not only succeeds but helps to redefine the character in ways that cast a long shadow even today. The story follows an elderly Bruce Wayne who emerges from retirement for a few nights to don the cape and cowl one last time in a last mission to restore order to Gotham City. 

2. Daredevil (2001)

Serialized comic books, particularly those at DC and Marvel, have a reputation for lacking stakes. Characters don’t stay dead, relationships that are broken up are often reset. But Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev’s run on Daredevil excels because it’s all about consequences. Frank Miller’s run on the character is acclaimed in part for running Matt Murdock through the wringer, but Bendis’ arc is Murdock’s real low. Bendis' Daredevil is a real character study of Matt Murdock and all his warped sense of justice and Catholic guilt. Few superhero comic runs have brought the reader so uncomfortably deep into the character’s psyche. It’s all complemented by Maleev’s exceptional artwork, whose Hell’s Kitchen is bathed in shadow and whose Matt Murdock consistently looks like the most tired man alive.

1. Watchmen (1986)

In all honesty, how could it have been anything else? There are countless blogs devoted to how overrated the comics are, and they’re all wrong. Nearly every issue in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' 12-issue deconstruction of the superhero genre is perfect and genius on some level - particularly The Watchmaker, in which we follow Doctor Manhattan’s non-linear perception of the world. Every issue, every panel, feels carefully crafted and composed. Watchmen’s central mystery, who killed The Comedian, is a compelling hook for a story that dives headfirst into Cold War anxieties and meaningful questions about hero worship. Few stories can live up to the kind of reputation Watchmen has earned, but it does.

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Steph Auteri

Steph Auteri is a journalist who has written for the Atlantic, the Washington Post, Pacific Standard, VICE, and elsewhere. Her more creative work has appeared in Creative Nonfiction, under the gum tree, Poets & Writers, and other publications, and she is the Essays Editor for Hippocampus Magazine. Her essay, "The Fear That Lives Next to My Heart," published in Southwest Review, was listed as a Notable Essay in Best American Essays 2021. She also writes bookish stuff here and at the Feminist Book Club, is the author of A Dirty Word, and is the founder of Guerrilla Sex Ed. When not working, she enjoys yoga, embroidery, singing, cat snuggling, and staring at the birds in her backyard feeder. You can learn more at stephauteri.com and follow her on Insta/Threads at @stephauteri .

View All posts by Steph Auteri

Those of you familiar with my work here at Book Riot know I have a type: horror . And there are several other flavors of speculative fiction I also enjoy, from sci-fi to low fantasy to fabulism.

On top of that, I’m a sucker for a good comic series or standalone graphic novel. And when my fave genre and my fave medium overlap? All the better.

But what gets me really excited is when there’s a novelist I’ve loved for years, and I discover, out of the blue, that they’ve also dabbled in comics. Yahtzee!

As a writer who loves reading comics, I’ve occasionally wondered if I could write one myself. I’ve read books about the business and craft of writing comics. I’ve noodled around with a number of graphic nonfiction ideas.

After all my research, however, I’ve come to the conclusion that the act of creating comics requires a different writing muscle entirely, one I suspect I don’t actually have. Which makes those writers who straddle mediums all the more impressive.

Below, I share some of the best comic series and standalone graphic novels from speculative fiction writers who were already killing it as prose-only novelists. Pretty damn cool, right?

The Cape by Joe Hill, Jason Ciaramella, and Zach Howard

Joe Hill’s writing is much like his father’s (Stephen King), so of course, I’m a fan. The fact that he also writes comics doesn’t hurt. At this point, I think he actually has more comics under his belt than full-on novels and short story collections. In fact, he even launched a horror imprint —Hill House Comics — with DC Comics in 2019. But the graphic novel that haunts me the most is the 2012 book The Cape , adapted by Ciaramella from one of Hill’s short stories. In it, an 8-year-old boy who’s suffered some hard knocks in life once used an old blanket as a superhero cape. When he unearths the cape as a self-pitying adult and realizes it allows him to fly, he eschews the superhero route, instead seeking vengeance on everyone who ever wronged him.

Victor LaValle’s Destroyer by Victor LaValle, Dietrich Smith, and Joana LaFuente

LaValle is another novelist whose books I automatically purchase no matter what the hell they’re about. And his comic series are just as good. His most recent series is the post-apocalyptic Eve , but Victor LaValle’s Destroyer — his modern take on the tale of Frankenstein’s monster —remains my fave. In this limited series, we’re introduced to Frankenstein’s last descendant, a mad scientist herself, and someone who will go to extreme lengths in order to reconnect with the son she lost.

The Sacrifice of Darkness by Roxane Gay, Tracy Lynne Oliver, and Rebecca Kirby

I feel like I’m cheating here, as Gay is known best for her cultural criticism and literary fiction. But she did write the Amazon Original Graceful Burdens , which skews speculative, and this graphic novel she created with Tracy Lynne Oliver is speculative AF. As with The Cape , this graphic novel was adapted from Gay’s short story of the same name. In it, she reveals a universe in which the world has been bathed in darkness as the result of a tragic event in which a man flew an air machine into the sun, turning the world dark. The darkness persists for years, and members of the community begin to turn their resentment and hate toward the family he left behind. The fabulist story that follows is one of guilt, persecution, class, and survival…but also of love and hope.

The Night Eaters by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

I actually first became familiar with Liu’s work through her comics. I picked up issue #1 of her long-running comic series Monstress at my very first Comic Con and had her sign it. But it turns out she’s also the author of at least 19 novels (it’s hard to keep track), many of them in the realm of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Anyway. Comics fans might know her best for Monstress , but I more recently enjoyed The Night Eaters , a graphic novel about a pair of Chinese American twins struggling to keep their restaurant afloat. Their mother worries she’s coddled her kids too much, leaving them incapable of finding success on their own. So she forces them to clean up the run-down house next door, where they find a whole lot more than your run-of-the-mill mess. Book 2 in this trilogy just recently came out, and I can’t wait to read it.

The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado, Dani, and Tamra Bonvillain

I didn’t even know about speculative fiction as a genre label until I read Her Body and Other Parties , and Machado introduced me to speculative memoir as well. So, I’m thrilled to be able to include her on this list. At the beginning of this limited comic series, we’re introduced to two friends and their hometown of Shudder-To-Think, Pennsylvania, a former mining town where strange and unexplainable occurrences go unexplored. But when El and Octavia wake up in the movie theater with no memory of the past two hours, things come to a head. El wants to know more. Octavia wants to forget it ever happened. This push and pull is at the heart of what’s wrong in their small Pennsylvania town.

Earthdivers by Stephen Graham Jones, Davide Gianfelice, and Joana LaFuente

I recently spotted this one at my LCS whilst picking up items from my pull list and felt compelled to add it to my pile. A graphic novel from a popular contemporary horror novelist? Sign me up! This is apparently Jones’s comics debut, and he starts strong with a story about a group of apocalypse-era Indigenous outcasts who discover a cave that allows them to travel back in time. Naturally, they decide to use it to save the world, and to do that, they figure they need to start where all the trouble began: the “discovery” of America.

Hide by Kiersten White, Scott Peterson, Veronica Fish, and Andy Fish

I saw this one sitting right to Earthdivers and immediately recognized it as a graphic adaptation of a horror-suspense mashup that had come out the year before. Obviously, I added it to my tab. Somehow, I was even more engaged by the graphic novel than I was by the original. In this book, a group of young adults enters a hide-and-seek competition that takes place in a shuttered amusement park. All of the competitors are vying for a sizable cash reward, but they soon realize the stakes are higher than they thought.

The Autumnal by Daniel Kraus, Chris Shehan, Jason Wordie, and Jim Campbell

Daniel Kraus crash-landed into my life with the publication of Whalefall , though he already had a hefty backlist behind him. I immediately decided I had to read his entire oeuvre, which I was thrilled to discover included comics. Right now, I’m halfway through The Autumnal , which is about a woman who returns to a hometown she barely remembers after her estranged mother’s death. The book is filled with creepy folklore and small-town horror, which I love . I can’t wait to see how it ends!

You a fan of spec-fic, too? After you read these, you may want to check out these 11 speculative fiction short story collections and also this piece about the rise of the speculative novella .

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12 Picture-Perfect Grown-up Graphic Novels

For when your eyes need a break…but your mind is wide awake.

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Every title listed here ranges in tone, length, and subject, but all of them remain united in their boundary-breaking approach—and emotional depth. You’ll be moved to share them with others. You may also find yourself rereading these titles more frequently than you would a traditional book, if only to look back at the nuances of a drawing or understand the complexity of the compressed writing. (See: Polar Vortex about a daughter’s struggle to caretake her elderly mother.) Though some are technically not novels, “graphic books” doesn’t quite have the same ring…and the “picture books” category is already claimed by the likes of Winnie the Pooh. If you can think of a better name for this category of literature—one that can encompass books as varied and grown-up as the ones on this list—we’re all ears. Perhaps illustrated literature? Visual narratives? Adult comics? Drop your suggestions in the comments—along with your own favorites!

What It Is, by Lynda Barry

Through her exercises, personal stories, and insight, Barry transforms artmaking from a mysterious alchemy to a tried-and-true method. Whether you are a painter, a writer, a sculptor, an inventor, or an architect—or someone trying to unlock your artistic potential in whatever form it might take—this book will help you access your own generativity through play, curiosity, and experimentation.

Belonging, by Nora Krug

In this National Book Critics Circle Award–winning memoir, a German woman reckons with her family’s unspoken role in World War II. The book’s visual style—which blurs scrapbooking, collage, and comics—perfectly captures the author’s experience of piecing together a new cohesive family legacy out of the scraps of collective memory and history she can get her hands on.

Marry Me a Little, by Rob Kirby

Kirby married his longtime partner in 2013—just after same-sex marriage was legalized in Minnesota. While the ruling clarified the status of their relationship in the eyes of the law, Kirby was left with more questions than ever about what the institution of marriage means—both for him as an individual, for the LGBTQIA+ community broadly, and for humanity generally. Funny and intensely thought-provoking, this book will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about happily ever after.

Polar Vortex, by Denise Dorrance

With gallows humor, visual ingenuity, and a whole lot of heart, Dorrance chronicles the two chilling months she returned home to care for her ailing mother—while a literal polar vortex looms in the background.

Artificial, by Amy Kurzweil

The second graphic memoir from the acclaimed author of Flying Couch is a poignant exploration of how to hold onto a family legacy—and when to let it go. Before his death, Kurzweil’s grandfather, Fredric, was a genius conductor who fled the Nazis in 1938. Desperate to preserve Fredric's story, Kurzweil’s father trains a chatbot on the documents her grandfather left behind, and Kurzweil works with the artificially intelligent bot to immortalize their fraught family history as an illustrated narrative. The result is as strange as it is tender: a meditation on what it means to grieve, remember, and create in a changing world.

The Complete Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

In this internationally bestselling and acclaimed graphic memoir series, Satrapi paints an intimate portrait of coming of age amid the tumult of the Iranian revolution—and coming into her own as a young adult expat in the war’s aftermath.

The Best We Could Do, by Thi Bui

In this award-winning debut, Bui tells the story of her family’s escape from South Vietnam in the 1970s and their struggle to form roots in the United States in the years that follow. A narrative and artistic triumph.

Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel

Shortly after coming out as a lesbian, Bechdel learns that her father—the cold director of a local funeral home that his family referred to as the "Fun Home”—is also gay. Before she has time to process this information, her father dies, leaving behind a knot of queer identity, family history, and grief for Bechdel to unravel.

Blankets, by Craig Thompson

With detailed pen-and-ink drawings and dialogue that will pull at your heartstrings, this coming-of-age story captures the sharp force of first love, set against the muffled backdrop of a Midwestern winter. Under a fresh blanket of snow at their high school church camp, Craig and Raina fall in love. But the heat of their romance soon uncovers long-buried personal traumas and religious doubts.

March, by John Lewis

In this three-book series, legendary civil rights leader and former U.S. congressman John Lewis offers a startling, visual account of his own life story and some of the most pivotal years in our nation’s ongoing fight for racial justice, from the Freedom Rides of 1961 to the Selma March of 1965 and beyond. Though Lewis died in 2020, his story—captured in his own words and cowritten by Andrew Aydin—and the black-and-white, comic-style illustrations of Nate Powell keep inspiring us to make “good trouble.”

Maus I & II, by Art Spiegelman

The first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize, Maus —and its sequel, Maus II — stand as masterful explorations of the Holocaust and its enduring impact on the second generation. Through the use of anthropomorphic animals, Spiegelman tells the story of his parents' survival in Auschwitz and the complexities of his relationship with his traumatized father.

Stitches, by David Small

In this #1 New York Times graphic bestseller, this acclaimed children’s book illustrator takes his talent to a definitively adult subject matter: his own intensely tumultuous adolescence. At 14, Small awoke from what he had been told was a minor surgery to find his neck riddled with stitches and his vocal cord slashed, leaving him virtually mute. Unbeknownst to him, he was suffering from a cancer that doctors believed would kill him. Small’s life becomes even more precarious when he makes the decision, at 16, to run away from home and pursue his dream of becoming an artist. Harrowing, surreal, and spectacular, this book will leave you haunted.

Charley Burlock is the Associate Books Editor at Oprah Daily where she writes, edits, and assigns stories on all things literary. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from NYU, where she also taught undergraduate creative writing. Her work has been featured in the Atlanti c , the Los Angeles Review , Agni , the Apple News Today podcast, and elsewhere. She is currently working on a book about collective grief (but she promises she's really fun at parties). 

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• What is a Graphic Novel — The Art of Pictorial Storytelling

G raphic novels have been steadily gaining recognition as a legitimate form of literature, moving from the fringes to the mainstream. They offer a unique blend of art and narrative that captivates audiences of all ages.  But what is a graphic novel exactly and how does it differ from traditional novels or comic books? This article aims to answer these questions, delving into the history, structure, impact, and future of graphic novels.

What is a Graphic Novel in Literature?

First, let’s define graphic novel.

A graphic novel is often confused with the likes of other literary mediums such as the comic book. To better understand the differences between the two, let’s first look at the graphic novel defintion.

GRAPHIC NOVEL DEFINITION

What is a graphic novel.

A graphic novel is a format, not a genre. It refers to a long-form work of sequential art, often with complex narratives and developed characters. The term "graphic novel" is used to describe any book in a comic format that resembles a novel in length and narrative development. This can include fiction, non-fiction, history, fantasy, or anything in-between. 

Unlike comic books, which are usually part of serialized narratives, graphic novels contain complete narratives, whether or not they are part of a larger series. Graphic novels use both text and illustrations to tell the story, making them similar to comic books but generally more detailed and substantial.

Characteristics of Graphic Novels:

• Uses both illustrations and written language
• Contains standalone stories or complete arcs
• Covers any genre
• Typically longer than comic books with complex plots

History of Graphic Novels

The birth of graphic novels.

In some ways, the history of graphic novels can be traced back to ancient civilizations that used pictorial forms to tell stories. But their modern iteration didn't emerge until the mid-20th century. 

The term "graphic novel" was popularized in the late 1970s when writer and artist Will Eisner used it on the cover of his book A Contract with God, and Other Tenement Stories . This groundbreaking work, composed of four interconnected short stories set in a Bronx tenement in the 1930s, is often hailed as the first true graphic novel.

A Contract with God, and Other Tenement Stories by Will Eisner  •  Graphic novel examples

The success of Eisner's work paved the way for other artists and writers to explore this medium. In the 1980s and 1990s, graphic novels such as Alan Moore's Watchmen and Art Spiegelman's Maus achieved critical acclaim, pushing the boundaries of what could be achieved in this format and solidifying its place in the literary world. 

Today, graphic novels encompass a wide array of genres and styles, reflecting the diverse interests and experiences of both creators and readers.

Related Posts

• What is Anime? →
• What is Animation? →
• Best Superhero Movies of All Time →

Characteristics of Graphic Novels

Graphic novels vs comics.

The graphic novel format uses both text and illustrations to tell a story, similar to a comic book. However, while comic books typically serialize stories, graphic novels differ in a few different ways. 

Length and Completeness

Comic books are shorter, often part of serialized narratives that unfold over multiple issues. Each issue may not provide a complete story arc, instead contributing to an ongoing plot .

In contrast, graphic novels are typically longer and contain a complete narrative within a single volume, like a traditional novel. While a graphic novel can be part of a series, each volume usually presents a self-contained story.

For example, Comic books, like Batman are shorter and often serialized, with stories unfolding over multiple issues. Graphic novels, such as Persepolis , are longer, typically presenting a self-contained story in each volume.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi  •  Graphic novel examples

Binding and presentation.

Comic books have a magazine-like format with stapled binding and lower-quality paper. In contrast, graphic novels are book-bound and printed on higher-quality paper, reflecting their status as durable literature.

Content and Complexity

Comic books often focus on superhero narratives, while graphic novels, due to their length, can delve into more complex themes and genres , from memoirs to historical fiction.

For example, the comic book series The Amazing Spider-Man primarily focuses on the adventures of the superhero Spider-Man and his battles against various villains. The narrative is serialized, unfolding across multiple issues with each issue often ending on a cliffhanger.

On the other hand, Art Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus delves into the complex themes of Holocaust survival and intergenerational trauma. It's a memoir that uses anthropomorphic characters to depict the experiences of Spiegelman's father during World War II.

This graphic novel provides a complete narrative within its pages, using the extended format to explore its themes in depth.

Maus by Art Spiegelman  •  Graphic novel exampels

Perception and reception.

Historically, comic books were often seen as lowbrow entertainment primarily for children, while graphic novels have generally been taken more seriously as a form of literature. However, this perception has been changing over time, with many recognizing the artistic and literary value in both formats.

Having explored the differences between the graphic novel vs comic it's clear that the former has carved out a unique space in the literary world. Now, let's delve into the significant influence and impact of graphic novels on literature and society as a whole.

The Legacy of Graphic Novels

The impact of graphic novels.

Graphic novels have significantly influenced literature and storytelling. They make complex narratives more accessible and engage readers who might find traditional novels intimidating.

Alan Moore's Watchmen is one such graphic novel that has garnered critical acclaim. It deconstructs the superhero genre, presenting morally ambiguous characters and exploring political and social issues.

Alan Moore’s Watchmen  •  Graphic novel examples

Moreover, the graphic novel format has found its place in education. Teachers use books like Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese to discuss topics like identity and cultural assimilation. 

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang  •  Graphic novel examples

The combination of visuals and text in graphic novels aids comprehension and engages students in a way that traditional texts often can't.

What is a Graphic Novel Evolving Into?

The future of graphic novels.

Graphic novels continue to evolve, with creators pushing boundaries in both art and narrative. Digital platforms are opening new possibilities for interactivity, like the webcomic-turned-graphic novel Homestuck , which incorporates animations and games.

Additionally, diversity and representation are gaining focus. More graphic novels now feature characters of different races, genders, and sexual orientations. Marjorie Liu's Monstress is a notable example, featuring a diverse cast and tackling themes of racism and war.

 Monstress by Marjorie Liu

Graphic novels are a dynamic and powerful form of literature, offering a unique blend of visual art and narrative. They challenge us, delight us, and remind us of the power of storytelling. 

Whether you're a seasoned reader or new to the world of literature, there's a graphic novel out there for you—be it a fantastical saga like Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, or a heartfelt coming-of-age story like Blankets by Craig Thompson. So, why not explore this exciting medium? You might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.

What is Anime?

Now that we have a solid understanding of the depth and breadth of graphic novels, let's transition from this form of illustrated storytelling to another popular medium originating from Japan. In the next article, we will explore the vibrant and diverse world of anime.

Up Next: Anime Explained →

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The Best Literary Agents Seeking Graphic Novel Submissions

Showing 88 agents that match your search.

Stephen Barr

💼 Agency: Writers House

🌍 Location: New York, US

🧑‍💻 Website: http://www.writershouse.com/

📣 Preferred contact method: Email

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Humor, Literary Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: David Macaulay, F.C. Yee, John Corey Whaley, Maggie Thrash, Christopher Silas Neal

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Jessica Sinsheimer

💼 Agency: Context Literary Agency

🌍 Location: New York City, US

🧑‍💻 Website: https://www.contextlit.com/

Genres: Fiction, Action & Adventure, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor, Literary Fiction, Mystery, New Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Cookbook, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Margot Harrison, Shannon Alexander, Jonathan Chesner, Gwen Hayes

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Warren Frazier

💼 Agency: John Hawkins & Associates

🧑‍💻 Website: http://www.jhalit.com/

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Business Book, Graphic Novel, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Short Story

Previous clients: Joyce Carol Oates, Mark Z. Danielewski, Olga Grushin, Jess Walter

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Lauren Spieller

💼 Agency: Folio Literary Management

🌍 Location: Pittsburgh, US

🧑‍💻 Website: https://www.foliolit.com/

Genres: Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Cookbook, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, Feminism, LGBTQ, Graphic Novel, Horror, Humor, Romance, Spirituality

Previous clients: Laura Weymouth, Jen Wilde, Wendy Heard, Marilou Reeder, Erica Waters

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Holly McGhee

💼 Agency: Pippin Properties

🧑‍💻 Website: http://www.pippinproperties.com/

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Previous clients: Kate DiCamillo, David Small, Jandy Nelson, Doreen Cronin, Harry Bliss, An Na

Alex Cochran

💼 Agency: C+W

🌍 Location: London, GB

🧑‍💻 Website: https://cwagency.co.uk/

Genres: Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Tade Thompson, Luke Arnold, G.V. Anderson, Nicholas Binge, Dave Hutchinson, Mike Brooks

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Caryn Wiseman

💼 Agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency

🌍 Location: Chicago, US

🧑‍💻 Website: https://www.andreabrownlit.com/

📣 Preferred contact method: Online submission form

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Diverse Fiction, BIPOC, LGBTQ

Previous clients: Kelly Starling Lyons, Tom Angleberger, Cece Bell, Debbie Levy

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Victoria Sanders

💼 Agency: Victoria Sanders & Associates

🧑‍💻 Website: http://www.victoriasanders.com

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Women's Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Spirituality, Diverse Fiction, African-American, Children's Book, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Cookbook

Previous clients: Terence Taylor, Carolina DeRobertis, Kia DuPree, Karin Slaughter, Matthew Aaron Goodman

Emily Forland

💼 Agency: Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.

🧑‍💻 Website: https://brandthochman.com/

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Humor, Literary Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction

Previous clients: Heidi Durrow, Alice Fulton, Bill Hayes, James Magnuson, Greil Marcus, Dominic Smith

Anna Olswanger

💼 Agency: Olswanger Literary LLC

🧑‍💻 Website: http://www.olswanger.com/

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Children's Book, Picture Book

Previous clients: Vince Vawter, Michael Hall, Patricia Hruby Powell, Michelle Markel, Jennifer Sattler

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What do literary agents do?

A literary agent represents your book to acquiring editors who want to publish it. In other words, an agent gets the foot of new authors in the door of a publishing house — and onto the path of getting traditionally published. 

In addition to championing you and your writing and serving as your point of contact with others in publishing, literary agents understand editors’ tastes and the types of books they are looking to add to their lists — a crucial component in getting any publishing house to invest in the works of new authors. Since most big publishers don’t accept unsolicited submissions, getting a literary agent who’s accepting submissions is the most realistic route to traditional publication, particularly for debut authors.

Aside from getting your foot in the door, what else do literary agents do?

• They are expert negotiators, combining publishing acumen with a nose for the value of good, sellable writing;
• They act as mediators between you and your publisher (when you don’t want to hurt your working relationship with an editor by talking brass tacks);
• They manage the financial and marketing side of things while you concentrate on the writing; and
• They often have strong editorial skills, helping refine your manuscript before you submit it to a publisher .

As you might've guessed, literary agents are especially important for debut authors, who often don't have a starting point in the vast maze that is the publishing industry. That's what a literary agent will become for you: a guide to help you throughout the publishing process, and kickstart your publishing career. 

New authors might be intimidated by the wealth of information and cautionary signs in the industry. It's especially tricky to research literary agents when some are open to submissions from new authors, and some are not.

If you're one of those debut authors, don't fret! We've got you covered with the resources that you need to gain your bearings. 

Resources for new authors landing a literary agent in 2024

You might think that a great book is all you need to catch a literary agent’s attention. But you’ll need to put in a good amount of work to land them — and that includes everything from the careful study of each agent's wishlist to personalizing your query letter for each candidate..

Whether you’re a new author learning how to research literary agents or an experienced writer refining your query letter, here are the resources that can give you a headstart.

Free online materials for debut authors

• How to Get a Query Letter Review (and Why It's Important)
• How to Find a Literary Agent
• How to Write a Query Letter in 7 Steps
• How to Personalize Your Query Letters 
• How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal 
• How to Write a Nonfiction Query Letter
• How to Format Your Manuscript

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The Great American Novels

In 1868, a little-known writer by the name of John William DeForest proposed a new type of literature, a collective artistic project for a nation just emerging from an existential conflict: a work of fiction that accomplished “the task of painting the American soul.” It would be called the Great American Novel, and no one had written it yet, DeForest admitted. Maybe soon.

A century and a half later, the idea has endured, even as it has become more complicated. In 2024, our definition of literary greatness is wider, deeper, and weirder than DeForest likely could have imagined. At the same time, the novel is also under threat, as the forces of anti-intellectualism and authoritarianism seek to ban books and curtail freedom of expression. The American canon is more capacious, more fluid, and more fragile than perhaps ever before. But what, exactly, is in it? What follows is our attempt to discover just that.

In setting out to identify that new American canon, we decided to define American as having first been published in the United States (or intended to be—read more in our entries on Lolita and The Bell Jar ). And we narrowed our aperture to the past 100 years—a period that began as literary modernism was cresting and contains all manner of literary pleasure and possibility, including the experimentations of postmodernism and the narrative satisfactions of genre fiction.

This still left millions of potential titles. So we approached experts—scholars, critics, and novelists, both at The Atlantic and outside it—and asked for their suggestions. From there, we added and subtracted and debated and negotiated and considered and reconsidered until we landed on the list you’re about to read. We didn’t limit ourselves to a round, arbitrary number; we wanted to recognize the very best—novels that say something intriguing about the world and do it distinctively, in intentional, artful prose—no matter how many or few that ended up being (136, as it turns out). Our goal was to single out those classics that stand the test of time, but also to make the case for the unexpected, the unfairly forgotten, and the recently published works that already feel indelible. We aimed for comprehensiveness, rigor, and open-mindedness. Serendipity, too: We hoped to replicate that particular joy of a friend pressing a book into your hand and saying, “You have to read this; you’ll love it.”

This list includes 45 debut novels, nine winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and three children’s books. Twelve were published before the introduction of the mass-market paperback to America, and 24 after the release of the Kindle. At least 60 have been banned by schools or libraries. Together, they represent the best of what novels can do: challenge us, delight us, pull us in and then release us, a little smarter and a little more alive than we were before. You have to read them.

• JUMP TO DECADE

The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald

An American Tragedy

Theodore Dreiser

The Making of Americans

Gertrude Stein

Death Comes for the Archbishop

Willa Cather

A Farewell to Arms

Ernest Hemingway

Nella Larsen

The Sound and the Fury

William Faulkner

Absalom, Absalom!

Djuna Barnes

East Goes West

Younghill Kang

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston

John Dos Passos

Ask the Dust

The Big Sleep

Raymond Chandler

The Day of the Locust

Nathanael West

The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck

Richard Wright

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

Carson McCullers

A Time to Be Born

Dawn Powell

All the King’s Men

Robert Penn Warren

In a Lonely Place

Dorothy B. Hughes

The Mountain Lion

Jean Stafford

The Catcher in the Rye

J. D. Salinger

Charlotte’s Web

E. B. White

Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury

Maud Martha

Gwendolyn Brooks

The Adventures of Augie March

Saul Bellow

Vladimir Nabokov

Giovanni’s Room

James Baldwin

Peyton Place

Grace Metalious

Patricia Highsmith

On the Road

Jack Kerouac

The Haunting of Hill House

Shirley Jackson

Joseph Heller

A Wrinkle in Time

Madeleine L'Engle

Another Country

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

The Zebra-Striped Hearse

Ross Macdonald

The Bell Jar

Sylvia Plath

Mary McCarthy

The Crying of Lot 49

Thomas Pynchon

A Sport and a Pastime

James Salter

John Updike

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Philip K. Dick

Susan Taubes

Portnoy’s Complaint

Philip Roth

Slaughterhouse-Five

Kurt Vonnegut

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Desperate Characters

Play It as It Lays

Joan Didion

Log of the S.S. The Mrs Unguentine

Stanley Crawford

Mumbo Jumbo

Ishmael Reed

Toni Morrison

The Revolt of the Cockroach People

Oscar Zeta Acosta

The Dispossessed

Ursula K. Le Guin

Winter in the Blood

James Welch

Corregidora

Renata Adler

Leslie Marmon Silko

Song of Solomon

A Contract With God

Will Eisner

Dancer From the Dance

Andrew Holleran

Stephen King

Octavia E. Butler

The Dog of the South

Charles Portis

Housekeeping

Marilynne Robinson

The Salt Eaters

Toni Cade Bambara

Little, Big: Or, the Fairies’ Parliament

John Crowley

Oxherding Tale

Charles Johnson

Machine Dreams

Jayne Anne Phillips

Blood Meridian

Cormac McCarthy

A Summons to Memphis

Peter Taylor

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

Katherine Dunn

Tripmaster Monkey

Maxine Hong Kingston

Jessica Hagedorn

American Psycho

Bret Easton Ellis

How the García Girls Lost Their Accents

Julia Alvarez

Norman Rush

Bastard Out of Carolina

Dorothy Allison

The Secret History

Donna Tartt

So Far From God

Ana Castillo

Stone Butch Blues

Leslie Feinberg

The Shipping News

Annie Proulx

Native Speaker

Chang-rae Lee

Sabbath’s Theater

Under the Feet of Jesus

Helena María Viramontes

Infinite Jest

David Foster Wallace

I Love Dick

Chris Kraus

Don DeLillo

The Intuitionist

Colson Whitehead

Joyce Carol Oates

House of Leaves

Mark Z. Danielewski

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

Michael Chabon

The Last Samurai

Helen DeWitt

The Quick and the Dead

Joy Williams

Percival Everett

I, the Divine

Rabih Alameddine

The Corrections

Jonathan Franzen

Sandra Cisneros

Debra Magpie Earling

The Russian Debutante’s Handbook

Gary Shteyngart

The Namesake

Jhumpa Lahiri

Mary Gaitskill

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

A Visit From the Goon Squad

Jennifer Egan

Karen Tei Yamashita

Salvage the Bones

Jesmyn Ward

The Round House

Louise Erdrich

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Imogen Binnie

A Brief History of Seven Killings

Marlon James

Family Life

Akhil Sharma

Fates and Furies

Lauren Groff

The Fifth Season

N. K. Jemisin

The Sellout

Paul Beatty

The Sympathizer

Viet Thanh Nguyen

Amiable With Big Teeth

Claude McKay

Lincoln in the Bardo

George Saunders

Nick Drnaso

There There

Tommy Orange

Lost Children Archive

Valeria Luiselli

Nothing to See Here

Kevin Wilson

The Old Drift

Namwali Serpell

No One Is Talking About This

Patricia Lockwood

The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

Biography of X

Catherine Lacey

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Do You Know These Novels and Their Recent Television Adaptations?

By J. D. Biersdorfer March 25, 2024

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Welcome to Great Adaptations, the Book Review’s regular multiple-choice quiz about literature that has gone on to find new life in the form of movies, television shows, theatrical productions and other formats. As Women’s History Month winds down, this week’s quiz highlights novels — all written by women within the past decade — that were recently adapted into streaming television shows.

Just tap or click your answers to the five questions below. And scroll down after you finish the last question for links to the books and their screen adaptations.

This 2017 television adaptation, which has completed two seasons with talk of a third on the way, is about several women involved in a murder investigation. The Emmy Award-winning series stars Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz, Shailene Woodley and Laura Dern. The show is based on a 2014 Liane Moriarty novel of the same name. What is the title?

“Big Little Lies”

“Pretty Little Liars”

“Tiny Pretty Things”

“Stranger Things”

The 2023 streaming adaptation of this 2022 novel stars Brie Larson as a television cooking-show host fighting sexism in the 1950s and 1960s. What is the title of the book and the mini-series?

“Little Fires Everywhere,” by Celeste Ng

“Lessons in Chemistry,” by Bonnie Garmus

“Sharp Objects,” by Gillian Flynn

“Normal People,” by Sally Rooney

“The Other Black Girl,” Zakiya Dalila Harris’s 2021 debut novel about racial dynamics in the workplace, was adapted into a 2023 television series starring Sinclair Daniel, Ashleigh Murray and Brittany Adebumola. In both the book and the series, at which type of company does the protagonist Nella Rogers work?

Managerial accounting firm

Fashion magazine

Video game developer

Book publisher

“Daisy Jones & The Six” is a 2023 streaming television show about the ups and downs of a Los Angeles rock band in the 1970s. The series, which stars Riley Keough and Sam Claflin, was adapted from a 2019 novel by which author?

Elin Hilderbrand

Elizabeth Acevedo

Taylor Jenkins Reid

The actress and producer Reese Witherspoon, who has her own book club and a penchant for the female-focused literary mini-series, stars with Kerry Washington in this 2020 adaptation of a 2017 novel about two mothers from very different backgrounds. What is the title of the novel?

“Bluebird, Bluebird,” by Attica Locke

“Swimming Lessons,” by Claire Fuller

“The Leavers,” by Lisa Ko

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