The Best Graphic Novels for Beginners and Already-Obsesseds

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Most of us associate graphic novels with superheroes, thanks to the movies. That's fine and fair, but the medium has a lot more to offer. There are all kinds of graphic novels that use images to tell creative stories to a wide variety of audiences. If you're looking for a new recommendation or thinking about getting into comics as a newcomer here are some of the best graphic novels to check out.

What's the difference between a graphic novel and a comic book? Here's my personal definition/distinction. Comic books are single issues, bound like magazines, that tell episodic stories. Graphic novels are longer, bound like books, and tell a full narrative. However, there is some overlap. When several issues that make up a story arc or "run" of comics are bound together, they become a graphic novel. I think those should be counted as well!

I highly recommend marching into a comic book store like you own the place to buy one or all of these picks. But you can also order them online. And don't tell more hardcore graphic novel enthusiasts this, but I really love to read comics on my phone. Apps like Comixology, Marvel Unlimited, and DC Universe Infinite have huge libraries for a monthly subscription fee. You can also buy or check out graphic novels from the library and read them on Kindle, Google Books, or whatever reader app you use. What I like about them is that they let you zoom in on each panel. It helps me focus on what order I'm supposed to read everything. And I'll admit it: I'm addicted to the serotonin boost I get from swiping thwip thwip thwip from panel to panel. I buy physical copies too, promise! But that's a viable alternative.

One last thing I like to tell new graphic novel readers if that applies to you: if you want to get into a Marvel or DC character you like, don't worry about having to start way back in the 1940s with like Issue #1 or whatever. Comics reboot and reinvent something all the time, and if there's an important bit of backstory in a graphic novel that the author thinks you need to know, they'll reference it directly or put it in a footnote. The actual act of reading comics is not nearly as gatekeep-y as people would have you believe. So without further ado, here's the list!

"Maus"

This is the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize, so you know it's good. It's also, as you may be able to tell, pretty dark. Art Spielgelman interviewed his father, a Holocaust survivor, and dramatized it in this comic with animals instead of people.

"Saga"

When you're picking out your next binge-watch, do you deliberately choose something with as many seasons as possible so you don't have to make that choice again for a while? Do you hate when stories end? If so, Saga is for you. The long-running comic, first published in 2012, about two rebels from warring planets who fall in love, is weird, sexy, and kind of perfect. There are currently over 60 issues collected into ten volumes and there's still more to come.

"Watchmen"

Alan Moore's cynical take on superheroes is an indisputable classic. It has been adapted into a movie and an HBO series but nothing really compares to reading the graphic novel. It's dark and satirical. Technically it's part of DC comics, but don't expect Superman and Batman to swoop in and save the day. It's not that kind of story.

"Young Avengers"

If you know you like Marvel characters from the movies but don't know where to start, I recommend this. The "Young Avengers" are a team made up of young adults, some of whom you've seen on screen like Wanda's twins and Kate Bishop from Hawkeye, that became popular in the last two decades. They're a funny, heartfelt, messy group of youths just doing their best. They're also mostly queer, which we haven't really seen on screen. If you like "Children's Crusade," which is all about trying to save Scarlet Witch and includes plenty of your faves from the MCU and X-Men, I recommend Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie's wacky and emotional Young Avengers series.

And another Marvel comic that feels like binge-watching a great teen series is Runaways, about a group of high schoolers who become heroes when they discover their parents are supervillains.

"Hawkeye"

The Hawkeye series on Disney+ had major Christmas vibes, but also borrowed heavily from Matt Fraction's graphic novel. This is another great Marvel comic for beginners, so to speak, but more because it's so Hawkeye-focused you don't have to worry about a ton of backstory. The dry humor will have you obsessed with a superhero you maybe didn't care about before. The minimalist art is also so gorgeous and different you have to check it out. Comics don't always have to look the same way! They rarely do!

"She-Hulk"

Okay, one last Marvel recommendation. You may know Rainbow Rowell from her books like "Eleanor and Park," "Attachments," and the "Carry On" series. Did you know she's writing a "She-Hulk" comic that's still ongoing? Not to sound shallow, but pick this one up for the outfits her illustrators (Roge Antonio, Luca Maresca, Takeshi Miyazawa, cover art Jen Bartel) design for She-Hulk alone. Rowell fangirls will also not be surprised to learn that there's a rather swoon-worthy love story at the heart of this one, too. If you want something light and colorful, and wouldn't hate getting so into a comic that you're buying monthly issues, catch up!

"Star Wars: Doctor Aphra"

When I decided to read Star Wars comics, I went right for the Poe Dameron series so I could look at illustrated Oscar Isaac. No judgement, please! If you don't have a specific character you'd like to read more about in mind, I recommend Doctor Aphra. She's a morally gray anti-hero who used to work with Darth Vader. She's also an archaeologist and kind of a history buff. This breakout character has not yet been adapted in a film or Disney+ series, so if and when she does you get to be the snooty "the graphic novel did it better, actually" person. I love that journey for you!

"Nimona"

This graphic novel, which ND Stevenson (creator of "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power") started writing and publishing in college, finally got the animated movie adaptation fans have been waiting for this year. That's a perfect reason to go back and read the comic that started it all. Nimona is a shapeshifter who teams up with a disgraced knight as his sidekick. As far as Nimona is concerned, they're a pair of nefarious rebels against the world... but Blackheart, the knight, is not quite as chaotic. They're an odd pair, which always makes for good drama, and this fantasy world is not your typical swords and dirt fare.

"Heartstopper"

I know you've heard of the Netflix series. Why not pass time between seasons with the graphic novel? Yes, not all graphic novel is heroes and villains. Sometimes it's just two cuties slowly falling in love. The graphic novels get into Charlie's eating disorder and characters who are asexual, aromantic, and demisexual in addition to the gay, bisexual, and transgender kids we know in the show, at least in season 1. Sorry to just list sexualities and identities like that... but the graphic novel really represents a range of experiences!

"The Old Guard"

Am I just now realizing that Netflix has adapted a ton of graphic novels? (No, I knew... but it is still wild to see even half of them all in a list like this.) This two-part graphic novel series is about a team of immortal mercenaries in a tight-knight found family. "Misfits who find each other" is a common thread in graphic novels. Those are the best stories!

"The Walking Dead"

Reading this graphic novel might take as long as watching the AMC series. But if that's what you want, go for it! Because it takes place during a zombie apocalypse, this is a horror comic. (Can books have jump scares? Probably not, but they can give you nightmares.) And just like the television show, it's mostly about family and community led by a grumpy former sheriff named Rick Grimes. The story has so many characters you can love (and lose) and ultimately feels like reading a spooky soap opera.

"The Sandman"

Neil Gaiman's complex graphic novel was finally adapted into a series on–you guessed it–Netflix in 2022. This famous graphic novel has rich, detailed world-building and mysterious, complex characters. It's dark and twisted at times. It's romantic at times. It's an epic adventure that spans time and dimension. Don't be fooled by the medium, this is not light reading at all.

"Fun Home"

You may recognize the name Alison Bechdel because of the "Bechdel Test," a silly metric she made for observing the use and behavior female characters in film that has taken off (and gets taken a little too seriously at times IMHO). This autobiographical graphic novel is her real masterpiece. Fun Home tells the story of what happened when she came out as gay to her family, and how it lead to her father confronting his homosexuality as well.

"The Complete Persepolis"

Like Fun Home, this graphic novel is an autobiography or graphic memoir. Satrapi grew up in Iran and Austria during the Islamic Revolution in the 1980s and writes about her and her family's experiences. It's considered not just one of the best graphic novels of all time, but one of the best 21st century books, period.

"Wonder Woman Historia"

I've already shown a lot of love to Marvel comics on this list, so let's give it up to DC Comics and Kelly Sue DeConnick's "Wonder Woman." This graphic novel is for the mythology girlies out there. It's all about Wonder Woman's home and the Amazon warrior women who live there. It's more magical history than KAPOW.

And if you like DC comics by women and about women, I also recommend Gail Simone's "Birds of Prey" series.

"Batman"

I would be remiss to make a list of graphic novels without Frank Miller. Sure, his style is what lead to a lot of Hollywood directors thinking that comic book movies need to be as dark, gritty, grimy, and twisted as possible. His influences include Japanese manga and film noir. (He wrote the graphic novel "Sin City" that the 2005 movie is based on... remember that movie??) But his contribution to the medium is important! If your favorite Batman movies are the ones with Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson, this is the graphic novel for you.

"Paper Girls"

This graphic novel's television adaptation got canceled too soon by Amazon Studios. Thank goodness there's still a book to read! If you watch things like Stand By Me and Stranger Things and wonder where the stories about groups of girls who run around and get into trouble are, this is the one for you. It's about four girls who work delivering newspapers and get involved with older teenagers who turn out to be time travelers. Can street smarts help you confront your own future? There's only one way to find out.

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