2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Nominations
Updated May 4, 2009
Nonfiction
Butzer, C.M. Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel. HarperCollins. 2008. 978-0061561757. $9.99.
BE THERE: witness the war's turning point, the dedication of the National Cemetary, and Lincoln's historic address.
Guibert, Emmanuel. Alan's War: The Memories of Alan Cope. First Second. 2008. 978-1-59-643096-9. $24.00.
One young man's memories of his time in World War II and the life he created for himself on two continents after the war was over.
Guibert, Emmanuel. Photographer: Into War-Torn Afghanistan with Doctors without Borders. First Second. 2009. 978-1-59643-375-5. $29.95.
In 1986, the young French photographer Didier Lefevre accompanied Doctors Without Borders into war torn Afghanistan. Guibert has taken Lefevre's notes and photographs and combined them with his art to tell Lefevre's story.
Takahashi, Shin and Iroha Inoue. The Manga Guide to Statistics. No Starch Press. 2008. 978-1593271893. $19.95.
Statistics with "heart-pounding excitement."
Fiction
Bendis, Brian Michael and Leinil Francis Yu. Secret Invasion. Marvel. 2009. 978-0-78-513297-4. $29.99.
When your enemy are the shape-shifting Skrull, trust no one!
Benjamin. Orange. Tokyopop. 2009. 978-1-4278-1463-0. $14.95.
Orange feels empty and alone, until she meets a mysterious man who makes the ultimate sacrifice.
Bisco, Hatori. Ouran High School Host Club, vol 11. VIZ Media. 2008. 978-1421522555. $8.99.
Haruhi, a commoner on scholarship, is a new Freshman to the prestigious and rich Ouran Academy. Through a twist of fate, Haruhi finds the infamous host club and manages to get roped into serving and enamoring giggling girls to pay back debts... the only catch is, Haruhi is a girl!
Butcher, Jim and Ardian Syaf. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle. Del Rey. 2008. 978-0345507464. $19.95.
"Harry Dresden, the only professional wizard in the Chicago phonebook, investigates supernatural murder and mayhem."
CAPCOM.
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, vol 1: The Phoenix Wright Files. Del Rey. 2008. 978-0345503558. $14.99.
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, vol 2: The Miles Edgeworth Files. Del Rey. 2009. 978-0345503565. $14.99.
Adapted from a video game, these follow the wacky adventures of Phoenix Wright, defense attorney, and his rival/friend Miles Edgeworth, prosecutor.
DeFilippis, Nunzio, Christina Weir and Kevin Cornell. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Quirk Books. 2008. 978-1-59474-281-1. $15.95.
Like the movie, only funnier and closer to the book.
Fraction, Matt and Salvador Larroca. Invincible Iron Man: The Five Nightmares. Marvel. 2008. 978-0-7851-3460-2. $19.95.
Tony Stark finds himself up against one of his toughest opponents - the son of his greatest competitor. And this time the son will stop at nothing to get revenge on Tony for his father's failures.
Geary, Rick. The Adventures of Blanche. Dark Horse. 2009. 978-1-59582-258-1. $15.95.
Blanche has gone off to see the world, sending home letters describing her adventures.
Goddard, Drew and Georges Jeanty. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, vol.3: Wolves at the Gate. Dark Horse. 2008. 978-1-59582-165-2.
Her enemies say she's bringing on the apocalypse, her closest allies are sleeping around, and now she has to ask a vampire for help. Is Buffy really doing the right thing?
Hardison, Jim and Bart Sears. The Helm. Dark Horse. 2009. 978-1595822611. $14.95.
Pathetic loser Matt Blurdy finds a magic helm that informs him of his heroic destiny, but he'd better shed those extra pounds and beat that murder rap in a hurry, because there are dark forces on the way to put that destiny to the test.
Hill, Joe and Gabriel Rodridguez. Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft. IDW Publishing. 2008. 978-160010237-0. $24.99.
After their father is murdered by two young thugs in a robbery attempt, the surviving family members find solace in a place where their father grew up - but not all is what it seems in a town called Lovecraft.
Hashiguchi, Takashi. Yakitate!! Japan, vol 15. VIZ Media. 2009. 978-1421517100. $9.99.
Beginning of the television game show arc.
Jenkins, Paul and Paolo Rivera. Mythos. Marvel. 2008. 978-0-7851-1597-7. $24.99.
Superhero origins: Every great story has a great beginning.
Johns, Geoff and Ivan Reis. Green Lantern: Secret Origin. DC Comics. 2008. 978-1401219901. $19.99.
Acclaimed author and long-time Green Lantern scribe Geoff Johns goes back to the beginning to retell and reenvision the classic tale of how one extraordinary man became an interstellar hero.
Johns, Geoff and Gary Frank. Superman: Brainiac. DC Comics. 2009. 978-1401220877. $19.99.
Superman and Supergirl face a terrifying threat from their home planet.
Johnston, Antony and Wilson Tortosa. Wolverine: Prodigal Son, vol 1. Del Rey. 2009. 9780345505163. $12.99.
You think you know him. The guy who’s “the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn’t very nice.” The angry, conflicted, raging amnesiac. The super-cool, bad boy antihero who deep down has his own morals and code of ethics. The vertically challenged mutant with a healing factor, a chip on his soldier, and admantium steel on his bones. Logan, Weapon X, Wolverine. You think you know him. Think again.
Kanno, Aya. Otomen, vol 1. VIZ Media. 2009. 9781421521862 . $8.99.
In the stoic and manly breast of Asuka Masamune beats the heart of a.....girly girl? Due to a childhood incident, Asuka has always hidden his love of cooking, sewing, and sparkly, shiny things behind a tough and cool exterior. When he meets the girl of his dreams and the guy who's secretly using him as the inspiration for a Shojo manga series, Asuka's life spins out of control.
Kawahara, Kazune. High School Debut, vol 8. VIZ Media. 2009. 978-1421521903. $8.99.
Haruna is a tomboy who needs help finding a boyfriend. She convinces popular Yoh to coach her on how to make herself more appealing to guys, but under one condition - she can't fall in love with him!
Kim, Dong Hwa. The Color of Earth. First Second. 2009. 978-1-59643-458-5. $16.95.
The parallel stories of a young girl and her widowed mother as one grows into a woman and the other tries to live her life as fulfilled woman in a society defined by its social codes and traditions.
Kovac, Tommy and Sonny Liew, Wonderland. Disney Press. 2009. 978-142310451-3. $19.99.
Kovac bring us the story of the white rabbits maid, MaryAnn, along with all the other familiar characters minus Alice.
Lansdale, Joe R. and Nathan Fox. Pigeons From Hell: Based on the Short Story by Conan Sreator Robert E. Howard. Dark Horse. 2009. $13.95.
Hoo-doo in a haunted plantation house deep in the bayou.
Lapham, David and Tony Harris. Spider-Man: With Great Power... Marvel. 2008. 978-0785119685. $24.99.
A tale of the dangerous road from great power to great responsibility.
Lethem, Jonathan and Farel Dalrymple. Omega the Unknown. Marvel. 2008. 978-0785130529. $29.99.
Multiple award-winning novelist Lethem chronicles the weird, twisting journey of a boy with a (maybe) super-heroic destiny.
Matsumoto, Nina. Yokaiden, vol 1. Del Rey. 2008. 978-0-345-50327-5. $10.95.
Most people fear yokai, but not Hamachi. When his grouchy grandmother's soul is stolen by them, he journey's into their realm to get it back.
Millar, Mark and Tommy Lee Edwards. 1985. Marvel. 2009. 978-0785121589. $24.95.
A boy with family issues realizes he's got lots more to worry about when Marvel super-villains start invading the real world.
Morrell, David and Mitch Breitweiser. Captain America: The Chosen. Marvel. 2009. 978-0785120162. $19.99.
A dying Captain America seeks to inspire a young soldier fighting for the life of his battalion.
Obata, Yuki.
We Were There, vol 1. VIZ Media. 2008. 9781421520186. $8.99.
We Were There, vol 2. VIZ Media. 2009. 9781421520193. $8.99.
What do you do when you fall in love with a guy who is still in love with his dead girlfriend?
O'Neil, Dennis and Curt Swan. Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore. DC Comics. 2009. 978-1401220853. $39.99.
Reprinted from the early 1970's, Superman overcomes his Achilles heel, but must confront his most devastating enemy: himself.
Powell, Nate. Swallow Me Whole. Top Shelf. 2008. 978-1-60309-033-9. $19.95.
Teen stepsiblings deal with their own mental illnesses, mistaken love, and the strength of family ties.
Ryukishi07 and Karin Suzuragi. Higurashi When They Cry, vol 1: Abducted by Demons Arc. Yen Press. 2008. 978-0-7595-2983-0. $10.99.
Keiichi has moved to a sleepy little town and is settling in quite nicely when he learns of a series of grisly and mysterious murders.
Sable, Mark and Ken Lashley, Carlos Magno, et al. Teen Titans Spotlight: Cyborg. DC Comics. 2009. 9781401221409. $19.99.
The genesis of Teen Titan, Cyborg.
Saito, Ken. Name of the Flower. CMX/DC Comics. 2009. 9781401215965. $9.99.
A girl overcomes past tragedy as she lives with her distant cousin, an eccentric author.
Schweizer, Chris. Crogan's Vengeance: The Crogan Adventures. 2008. 978-1-934964-06-4. $14.95.
A first look at an adventuresome family. "Catfish" Crogan never thought he'd be a notorious pirate. but his life just took for the worse when he's branded a pirate and in the adventure of a lifetime.
Shelley, Mary and Clive Bryant. Frankenstein: The Graphic Novel. Classical Comics Ltd. 2009. 978-1-906332-49-5. $16.95.
Horror comes to life: the ethics of creation and destruction.
Siddell, Tom. Gunnerkrigg Court, vol 1: Orientation. Archaia Studios Press. 2009. 978-1932386349. $26.95.
Antimony is starting her first year of boarding school at Gunnerkrigg Court, where secrets, mysterious, and spooky events are part of the curriculum.
Smith, Jeff. RASL, vol 1: The Drift. Cartoon Books. 2009. 978-1-8889-6320-5. $13.00.
Rasl is an art thief who jumps through dimensions using something called The Drift, looking for his next heist, although sometimes he doesn't quite end up where he thought he would.
Thomas, Roy and Sebastian Fiumara. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Marvel. 2008. 978-0-7851-2654-6. $19.99.
Dorian possesses a portrait that is "the most magical of mirrors," revealing his true self.
Urasawa, Naoki and Takashi Nagasaki. Pluto, vol 1. VIZ Media. 2009. 978-1-4215-1918-0. $12.99.
The series is based on Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, specifically "The Greatest Robot on Earth" story arc, and named after the arc's chief villain. Urasawa reinterprets the story as a suspenseful murder mystery starring Gesicht, a Europol robot detective trying to solve the case of a string of robot and human deaths.
Yagami, Yu. Go West, vol 1. CMX/DC Comics. 2008. 978-1401220273. $9.99.
Naomi's adventures after she leaves Japan to search for her family in the Wild West.
Yang, Gene and Derek Kirk Kim. The Eternal Smile. First Second. 2009. 978-1-59643156-0. $16.95.
Three luminous stories which toy with the boundaries between imagination and reality. These tales are wonderful ruminations on the human condition and the power of imagination to lift us beyond the mundane.
| 
