The 50 best graphic novels and manga
The best graphic novels ranked: superhero comics, memoirs, manga and indie favourites. A top 50 with short reviews and where to read each one.
Graphic novels tell stories in pictures and words, and the format covers everything from superheroes to Pulitzer-winning memoir. This list mixes landmark comics such as Maus and Watchmen with manga, children's favourites and recent award-winners.
These are editorial picks, ranked for readability and lasting appeal, and nobody pays to be on the list. Not sure where to start? Try the book finder and get three picks for your mood.
Top 50 graphic novels, ranked
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Maus
A son interviews his father about surviving the Holocaust, drawn with mice and cats.
- Moving
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Persepolis
A girl grows up in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution.
- Moving
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Watchmen
Retired superheroes face a conspiracy in an alternate 1985.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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V for Vendetta
A masked anarchist fights a fascist British government.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes
The king of dreams escapes decades of captivity.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
An older Bruce Wayne returns to fight crime in Gotham.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Batman: Year One
Bruce Wayne's first year as Batman.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Batman: The Killing Joke
The Joker's origin and his attack on Commissioner Gordon.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Saga, Volume 1
Two soldiers from warring worlds try to raise their daughter.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Fun Home
A graphic memoir about her father and her own coming out.
- Moving
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Blankets
A coming-of-age memoir about first love and faith.
- Moving
Where to read
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Bone: Out from Boneville
Three cousins are lost in a mysterious valley.
- Funny
- Cozy
Where to read
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Understanding Comics
A comic about how comics work.
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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American Born Chinese
Three stories converge on identity and belonging.
- Funny
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Smile
A girl's experience with dental trouble and middle school.
- Funny
- Cozy
Where to read
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Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal
A Pakistani-American teen becomes a superhero in Jersey City.
- Funny
- Inspiring
Where to read
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Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt
Kraven the Hunter buries Spider-Man alive.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Walking Dead, Vol. 1
A sheriff's deputy wakes up in a world full of zombies.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Hellboy: Seed of Destruction
A demon raised by humans fights the paranormal.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile
Fairy-tale characters live in modern New York.
- Gripping
- Funny
Where to read
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Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1
The last man on Earth after a plague kills every male mammal.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Sin City: The Hard Goodbye
A brutal noir in a city of crooks.
- Gripping
Where to read
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From Hell
A graphic novel about the Jack the Ripper murders.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Asterix the Gaul
A Gaulish village resists the Romans with a magic potion.
- Funny
- Cozy
Where to read
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The Adventures of Tintin: The Blue Lotus
The young reporter investigates a drug ring in China.
- Gripping
- Cozy
Where to read
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Calvin and Hobbes
A boy and his stuffed tiger.
- Funny
- Cozy
Where to read
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Peanuts
Charlie Brown and his friends.
- Funny
- Cozy
Where to read
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Berserk, Vol. 1
A mercenary swordsman hunts demons.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Akira, Vol. 1
A teenage biker gets psychic powers in neo-Tokyo.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Naruto, Vol. 1
A young ninja dreams of becoming the village leader.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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One Piece, Vol. 1
Luffy sets sail to become king of the pirates.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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Death Note, Vol. 1
A student finds a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Attack on Titan, Vol. 1
Humanity lives behind walls to hide from giants.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1
Two brothers search for the Philosopher's Stone.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Dragon Ball, Vol. 1
A boy with a tail searches for seven magic orbs.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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My Hero Academia, Vol. 1
A boy without powers inherits one from the world's greatest hero.
- Inspiring
- Gripping
Where to read
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Demon Slayer, Vol. 1
A boy becomes a demon slayer to save his sister.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Fruits Basket, Vol. 1
A girl discovers a family cursed by the zodiac.
- Cozy
- Moving
Where to read
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Nimona
A shape-shifting girl becomes a villain's sidekick.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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Pride of Baghdad
Lions escape the Baghdad zoo during the 2003 invasion.
- Moving
- Gripping
Where to read
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March: Book One
John Lewis's civil rights memoir in graphic form.
- Inspiring
- Moving
Where to read
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Chew, Vol. 1
A cop who gets psychic impressions from what he eats.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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Locke & Key, Vol. 1
Three siblings discover magical keys in their family home.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Ghost World
Two friends drift apart after high school.
- Thoughtful
- Funny
Where to read
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Black Hole
A strange disease spreads among teenagers in the 1970s.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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The Arrival
A wordless story about an immigrant.
- Moving
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Palestine
A comics journalist visits the West Bank.
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Daytripper
A writer's life shown through different possible deaths.
- Moving
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon
What Clint Barton does when he's not an Avenger.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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Kingdom Come
The old heroes return to a world of new ones.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
Each link opens that store’s search for the book. Availability and prices vary by store and country. We may earn a commission from some stores, which never changes the ranking.
Types of graphic novels books
Looking for something more specific? These are the main kinds of graphic novels, with the sort of story or subject each one covers.
Superhero comics
Batman, Spider-Man and Watchmen.
Graphic memoirs
True stories told in panels.
Manga
Japanese series in print.
Indie and literary comics
Personal, experimental and moving.
Fantasy and sci-fi graphic novels
Sprawling worlds in colour.
Graphic novels for kids and teens
Humour, school and friendship.
Want to write and publish your own graphic novels book?
Many readers of this page are also writers. The stores in the lists above are where readers find books, while Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, IngramSpark, Lulu and Draft2Digital are the tools authors use to publish and distribute a book to those stores. You can also publish to Barnes & Noble Press and Google Play Books directly.
Our free KDP calculators help with print cost, royalties and cover size, and our publishing services can take care of setup for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best graphic novel for beginners?
Maus, Persepolis and Smile are easy to start with. For fantasy and science fiction, try Saga or The Sandman.
Is manga included?
Yes. Some of the best-selling manga series are on the list, listed by their first volume.
Where can I read or buy the best graphic novels?
Each of the 50 books has links to Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble and Google Play Books. Authors who want to publish their own graphic novels book can start with our free guides to Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu and Draft2Digital.
Not sure what to read next?
Pick a genre and a mood and the book finder will suggest three books to try.