What counts as a graphic novel here
In this guide a graphic novel is a bound, book-length comic: an original story, a memoir, or a collected edition of a finished run. We favor books that work whether or not you have read anything else in comics, and we say so when a book needs context.
The picks below are grouped by the kind of reading experience you want. Every card links to Amazon, and we show no prices or ratings.
Memoir and literary graphic novels
Maus by Art Spiegelman tells the story of the author’s father surviving the Holocaust, with mice, cats and pigs standing in for people. It won a special Pulitzer Prize award in 1992 and is widely taught. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a black-and-white memoir about growing up during and after the Iranian Revolution.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel is a memoir about her family and her father, and Blankets by Craig Thompson is a memoir about first love and faith. All four deal with serious subjects, so they are for mature or young-adult readers and up.
Maus: A Survivor's Tale
Art Spiegelman
A graphic memoir about the Holocaust, told with animal characters.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Marjane Satrapi
A memoir of growing up in Iran during and after the revolution.
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
Alison Bechdel
A memoir about the author, her father and their house.
Blankets
Craig Thompson
A memoir about a teen's first love and growing up in a strict religious family.
Genre graphic novels that stand alone
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is a complete superhero story that needs no outside DC or Marvel knowledge. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson began as a webcomic and became a funny, sharp fantasy about a shapeshifter and a villain. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang weaves three stories together and is a popular pick for teens and adults.
For science fiction, The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a wordless story about a migrant in a strange new city, so it needs no translation or reading level. Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud is a comic about how comics work, and a good second book if you want to read more thoughtfully.
Watchmen
Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons
A twelve-part story that remains a go-to starting point for non-superhero fans.
Nimona
Noelle Stevenson
A shapeshifting teenager signs on as a supervillain's sidekick in a funny-turns-serious fantasy.
American Born Chinese
Gene Luen Yang
Three stories, including a Monkey King tale, slowly connect.
The Arrival
Shaun Tan
A wordless story about an immigrant arriving in an invented city.
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Scott McCloud
An explanation of how comics work, told as a comic.
Series to follow in collected volumes
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples is a space-opera family drama that is best read from Volume 1 in the collected paperbacks. The Sandman by Neil Gaiman begins with Preludes & Nocturnes, and Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda is a fantasy that rewards reading in order. Invincible Vol. 1 is a superhero series that starts with a clean first book.
These are adult-band titles in our catalog, so check the content before giving them to a younger reader.
Saga, Vol. 1
Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples
A space-opera family story with adult content.
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth
The first collected volume of the dark-fantasy series about Morpheus, Lord of Dreams.
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening
Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda
A richly painted fantasy epic with mature themes.
Invincible, Vol. 1: Family Matters
Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker
A teen superhero story with strong violence.
Best graphic novels for adults
Adults who have not read comics since childhood often do best with a complete, grown-up story. Watchmen, Maus, Persepolis and Fun Home are the usual first picks. For something quieter, Black Hole by Charles Burns is a horror story about teenagers in the 1970s, and Ghost World by Daniel Clowes is a story about two friends after school ends. Daytripper is a magical-realist story about one man’s life, told in ten chapters.
Use the Comic Finder below and set the age to Adult to see more of the catalog.
Black Hole
Charles Burns
A teen-horror story about a disease that causes mutations.
Ghost World
Daniel Clowes
Two friends drift apart after high school.
Daytripper
Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá
A man's life is told through different death scenarios.
Blankets
Craig Thompson
A memoir about a teen's first love and growing up in a strict religious family.
Easier first books for younger or new readers
If you want a lighter first graphic novel, Bone by Jeff Smith is a funny fantasy adventure, and Smile by Raina Telgemeier is a memoir about braces and growing up. Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 is a friendly superhero start. These are written for younger readers and work for adults too.
Bone: Out from Boneville
Jeff Smith
Three cousins get lost in a valley with a dragon, a Rat Creature and a farm girl.
Smile
Raina Telgemeier
A memoir about braces, a dental accident and middle-school friendships.
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal
G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona
A teenager in Jersey City gets shape-shifting powers and has to work out who she wants to be.
Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Precious Little Life
Bryan Lee O'Malley
A young man has to fight his new girlfriend's seven evil exes, in a video-game flavoured comedy.
Content notes before you buy
Maus, Persepolis and Fun Home deal directly with genocide, revolution and political violence, and family trauma, in that order. Watchmen includes violence and morally murky characters. Bone and Nimona are far more all-ages friendly, though Nimona is aimed at teens. Check each book’s age rating on the listing, and look through a few pages before buying for someone else.
Format matters
Graphic novels come as softcover trades, hardcover deluxe editions and omnibuses that bundle a whole series. A softcover is the easiest way to read a single book once, and deluxe editions add scripts and sketches that mostly suit people who already love the story. Ongoing series such as Saga are best bought a volume at a time.
Many public libraries lend graphic novels in print and through apps such as Libby. What is available depends on your library, so a quick search of its catalog is a free way to try a book before you buy it.
Reading order for a first month
If you want a plan, begin with a short, complete book such as Nimona or Persepolis, then try a longer one such as Maus or Watchmen. If you enjoy those, start Saga or The Sandman and read one volume at a time. Stop whenever a book does not grab you, and try another by tone. A graphic novel you finish is worth more than a famous one you abandon.
How to choose where to start
Use this as a short decision list.
- You want one complete book: Watchmen, Maus, Persepolis, Fun Home or Nimona.
- You want a series: Saga, The Sandman, Monstress or Invincible.
- You want something light: Bone, Smile or Ms. Marvel.
- You want to learn how comics work: Understanding Comics.
Where to go next
If Maus or Persepolis worked for you, look for other graphic memoirs, which libraries often shelve together. If you liked Watchmen, try other books by Alan Moore, or the other classics in our best comic books of all time list. If you liked Saga, move on to other ongoing series. New to comics altogether? Our how to start reading comics guide covers formats and where to find them.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best graphic novels to start with?
Pick one complete book rather than a long series. Maus, Persepolis and Watchmen are the usual literary and genre starting points, Nimona and Bone are lighter, and Saga Vol. 1 or The Sandman Vol. 1 start a series. Our Comic Finder can filter by age and genre, and each card gives a short reason to read.
What are good graphic novels for adults?
Watchmen, Maus, Persepolis, Fun Home, Blankets, Black Hole, Ghost World and Saga are widely read by adult readers. They range from memoir to horror to space opera. Several deal with serious subjects, so read the description first. Use the Comic Finder with the age set to Adult to see more.
Are graphic novels real books?
Yes. A graphic novel is a book-length story told with pictures and words, and many have won literary awards. Maus won a special Pulitzer Prize award in 1992. Libraries shelve them, and schools teach them. They ask a reader to follow words, images and the order of panels together.
What is the difference between a graphic novel and a comic book?
The format is the same, a mix of pictures and words in panels. A comic book usually means a thin, stapled monthly issue. A graphic novel usually means a longer bound book, either an original story or a collection of issues. The terms overlap, and bookstores often shelve them together.
Do I need to read graphic novels in order?
Not standalone ones such as Maus, Persepolis or Watchmen. For series such as Saga, The Sandman or Monstress, read the volumes in number order, because the story carries over. Our reading-order pages show the order for several series, with a checklist that remembers what you have read.
Are graphic novels suitable for kids?
Some are. Bone, Smile and Nimona are friendly, and our kids hub lists series by age. Others, such as Maus and Watchmen, deal with adult themes and violence. Check the publisher’s age rating and look through a copy before buying for a younger reader, and use the age bands in our Comic Finder as a guide.