Curated category · 2006—2025

Best graphic novels

Award-winning and editorially recommended graphic novels across twenty years, organized for discovery rather than sales ranking.

Selections: 220
Authors: 195
Lists & prizes: 2

Showing 97–144 of 220

2019Graphic novels

Swimming In Darkness

Lucas Harari, translated by David Homel

NPR Books We Love

2019Graphic novels

The American Dream?: A Journey On Route 66 Discovering Dinosaur Statues, Muffler Men, And The Perfect Breakfast Burrito

Shing Yin Khor

NPR Books We Love

2019Graphic novels

The Hard Tomorrow

Eleanor Davis

NPR Books We Love

2019Graphic novels

They Called Us Enemy

George Takei, Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott, illustrated by Harmony Becker

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

All The Answers

Michael Kupperman

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Belonging: A German Reckons With History And Home

Nora Krug

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Bingo Love

Tee Franklin, illustrated by Jenn St-Onge and Joy San

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Born To Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life And Mysterious Genius Of Edward Gorey

Mark Dery

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Cake: A Cookbook

Maira Kalman and Barbara Scott-Goodman

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Che: A Revolutionary Life

Jon Lee Anderson, illustrated by José Hernández

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Check, Please!: Book 1: # Hockey

Ngozi Ukazu

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Come Again

Nate Powell

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Coyote Doggirl

Lisa Hanawalt

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Eternity Girl

Magdalene Visaggio, illustrated by Sonny Liew

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles

Mark Russell, illustrated by Mike Feehan

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Infidel

Pornsak Pichetshote and Aaron Campbell

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Luisa – Now And Then

Carole Maurel and Mariko Tamaki

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

My Brother's Husband, Volume 2

Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Sabrina

Nick Drnaso

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Shade, The Changing Girl Vol. 2: Little Runaway

Cecil Castellucci and Marley Zarcone

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

The Electric State

Simon Stalenhag

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

The Many Deaths Of Scott Koblish

Scott Koblish

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

The Prince And The Dressmaker

Jen Wang

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Why Art?

Eleanor Davis

NPR Books We Love

2018Graphic novels

Your Black Friend And Other Strangers

Ben Passmore

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

A Thousand Coloured Castles

Gareth Brookes

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

A.D.: After Death

Scott Snyder, illustrated by Jeff Lemire

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Baking With Kafka

Tom Gauld

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Black Bolt Vol. 1: Hard Time

Saladin Ahmed, illustrated by Christian Ward

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Boundless

Jillian Tamaki

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Eartha

Cathy Malkasian

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Everything Is Flammable

Gabrielle Bell

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Fire!!: The Zora Neale Hurston Story

Peter Bagge

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Hostage

Guy Delisle

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

House Of Women

Sophie Goldstein

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

My Brother's Husband

Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

Emil Ferris

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness

Nagata Kabi

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Pretending Is Lying

Dominique Goblet, translated by Sophie Yanow

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Royal City Volume 1: Next Of Kin

Jeff Lemire

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Run For It: Stories Of Slaves Who Fought For Their Freedom

Marcelo D'Salete

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Shutter Volume 5: So Far Beyond

Joe Keatinge, illustrated by Leila del Duca

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Solid State

Matt Fraction and Jonathan Coulton, illustrated by Albert Monteys

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Tenements, Towers and Trash: An Unconventional Illustrated History Of New York City

Julia Wertz

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir

Thi Bui

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

Trust No Aunty

Maria Qamar

NPR Books We Love

2017Graphic novels

You & A Bike & A Road

Eleanor Davis

NPR Books We Love

2016Graphic novels

Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet

Ta-Nehisi Coates, illustrated by Brian Stelfreeze

NPR Books We Love