2024 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List
ALA’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table (GNCRT) is sharing the nominations for the 2024 Best Graphic Novels for Adults (BGNA) Reading List. These reading list nominations highlight the best graphic novels for adults published in late 2023 through 2024, and it aims to increase awareness of the graphic novel medium, raise voices of diverse comics creators, and aid library staff in the development of graphic novel collections.
The Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table (GNCRT) and its committees honor the entire creative team (including the writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, and translator) involved in the titles listed. All of these people play a critical role in the creation of the work, helping to lift the story and give it life.
Best Graphic Novels for Adults 2024 Selection Committee
- Leslie Flynn - Committee Co-Chair
- Joe Pascullo - Committee Co-Chair
- Mariela Siegert - Committee Administrative Assistant
- Rachel Gagnon
- Kaci Wilson
- Kellye Fleming
- Michelle Colquitt
- Todd Krueger
- Kristin Lansdown
- Ryan King
- Emily Grosskopf
- Benjamin Nanamaker
- Katelyn Williams
- Margaret Miller
- Rachel Rosekind
2024 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Top Ten
Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love & Murder. Written by Scott Snyder. Art by Tula Lotay. Color by Dee Cunniffe. Lettering by Richard Starkings. 2024. Dark Horse Books, $24.99 (9781506728308).
With the war over, former fighter pilot Hawk E. Baron travels the country as a barnstormer, performing aerial stunts and offering rides to make a living. When one such escapade introduces him to Tillie, a young woman ready for a new start, the two find themselves in a race against the past in this romantic adventure.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, Volume 1. Written by Patrick Horvath. Art by Patrick Horvath. Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. 2024. IDW Publishing, $17.99 (9798887241081).
Cozy horror series about a small-town serial killer bear named Samantha whose main rule is "don't murder the locals." When a fellow animal town folk is murdered, Samantha sets out to hunt down her rival.
Brittle Joints. Written by Maria Sweeney. Art by Maria Sweeney. 2024. Street Noise Books, $20.99 (9781951491260).
An evocative and heartfelt graphic memoir about the challenges of living with a progressive disability.
The Deviant, Volume 1. Written by James Tynion IV. Art by Joshua Hixson. Lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Edited by Steve Foxe. Design by Tyler Boss. 2024. Image Comics, $16.99 (9781534356917).
In 1970s Milwaukee, the "Deviant Killer" dons a Santa costume and commits a series of gruesome murders. Decades later, a comic book writer interviews the man arrested for the crimes just in time for another violent holiday season.
Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir. Written by Tessa Hulls. Art by Tessa Hulls. 2024. Macmillan, $25 (9780374601652).
Tessa watched her mother care for Sun Yi, both of them struggling under the weight of Sun Yi's unexamined trauma and mental illness. Vowing to escape her mother's smothering fear, Tessa left home and traveled to the farthest-flung corners of the globe (Antarctica). But at the age of thirty, it starts to feel less like freedom and more like running away, and she returns home to face the history that shaped her family.
Hirayasumi, Volume 1. Written by Keigo Shinzo. Art by Keigo Shinzo. 2024. VIZ Media, $14.99 (9781974746910).
Hiroto is just casually passing through life without much ambition or direction. But when he begins a platonic, intergenerational relationship with someone much older than he is, Hiroto begins to piece together how he can be a better person.
The Jellyfish. Written by Boum. Art by Boum. Translated by Robin Lang & Helge Dascher. 2024. Pow Pow Press, $22.95 (9782925114307).
Odette has a jellyfish in her eye, and, slowly but surely, they are enlarging and multiplying. Can she tell her girlfriend? Her friends? Her mom? She was finally getting this whole "adulting" thing, living alone in her Montreal apartment and chilling at cafes, but the jellyfish just HAD to attack. No matter, a trip to the eye doctor will defeat them, right?
Polar Vortex: A Family Memoir. Written by Denise Dorrance. Art by Denise Dorrance. 2024. The Experiment, $19.95 (9781615199051).
A daughter returns home to winter in Iowa to care for her ailing elderly mother, gamely navigating the vagaries of the US healthcare system, while coming to terms with mortality.
Rare Flavours. Written by Ram V. Art by Filipe Andrade. 2024. BOOM! Studios, $16.99 (9781608861538).
Inspired by Anthony Bourdain's passing, Rubin Baksh, an epicure and demonic Rakshasa, hires Mo, a dejected and defeated filmmaker, to shoot a documentary exploring India's cuisine and the people who make it. But Rubin's tastes go beyond food to human flesh, and dangerous enemies seek to curb his appetites.
The Hidden Life of Trees. Written by Peter Wohlleben. Art by Benjamin Flao. Translated by Fred Bernard. 2024. Greystone Books, $35.00 (9781778401657).
A graphic novel adaptation of the book by the same name. It looks at the vital importance of trees for all life.
2024 Best Graphic Novels for Adults - Official List
Fiction
#DRCL: Midnight Children. Written by Shin'ichi Sakamoto. 2023. Viz Media, $27.00 (9781974740888).
A manga retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula where Mina, Lucy, Arthur, Quincy, Renfield, and John (Joe in this version) are students at Whitby School.
A Smart and Courageous Child. Written by Miki Yamamoto. Art by Miki Yamamoto. Edited by Becca Grace & Lena Atanassova. Translated by Katie Kimura. 2024. Tokyopop, $16.99 (9781427877192).
As Sara and Kouta eagerly await the birth of their first child, Sara's hopes for the future are shaken after the attempted assassination of child activist Malala Yousafzai.
A-DO, Volume 1. Written by Amano Jaku. Art by Amano Jaku. 2024. Kodansha, $13.99 (9781646519316).
Riko saves a boy from getting hit by a truck and then learns he's got supernatural abilities. This boy (Eito) is an escaped test subject that military personnel are trying to restrain and control. Just who (or what) in the world is Eito?!
Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love & Murder. Written by Scott Snyder. Art by Tula Lotay. Color by Dee Cunniffe. Lettering by Richard Starkings. 2024. Dark Horse Books, $24.99 (9781506728308).
With the war over, former fighter pilot Hawk E. Baron travels the country as a barnstormer, performing aerial stunts and offering rides to make a living. When one such escapade introduces him to Tillie, a young woman ready for a new start, the two find themselves in a race against the past in this romantic adventure.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, Volume 1. Written by Patrick Horvath. Art by Patrick Horvath. Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. 2024. IDW Publishing, $17.99 (9798887241081).
Cozy horror series about a small-town serial killer bear named Samantha whose main rule is "don't murder the locals." When a fellow animal town folk is murdered, Samantha sets out to hunt down her rival.
Blurry. Written by Dash Shaw. Art by Dash Shaw. 2024. New York Review Comics, $34.95 (9781681378466).
In this nesting doll set of stories, small decisions can completely redirect a person's life and affect those they will never meet.
The Cull, Volume 1. Written by Kelly Thompson. Art by Mattia De Iulis. Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Edited by Charles Beacham. Design by Rian Hughes. 2024. Image, $14.99 (9781534397873).
A group of 5 best friends head out in the middle of the night to film a short movie, but they soon find out they're actually there to search for the missing younger brother of one of their group. The hunt leads them into a mysterious and dangerous otherworldly place where their lives will change forever.
The Darwin Incident, Volume 1. Written by Shun Umezawa. Art by Shun Umezawa. 2023. Kodansha Comics, $12.95 (9781647293161).
Charlie the humanzee is the only one of his kind, and he is about to try his hand at high school. But with his dark past fresh in the minds of those who live in his rural Missouri town, as well as an eco-terrorist organization that's after him, things for Charlie will be far from easy.
Deep Cuts. Written by Kyle Higgins and Joe Clark. Art by Danilo Beyruth, Helena Masellis, Diego Greco, Juni Ba, Toby Cypress, Igor Monti, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou & Ramón K. Perez. 2024. Image, $24.99 (9781534398627).
A series of short stories shows how the world of jazz has been influenced by struggle, joy, and hope over the 20th century.
The Deviant, Volume 1. Written by James Tynion IV. Art by Joshua Hixson. Lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Edited by Steve Foxe. Design by Tyler Boss. 2024. Image Comics, $16.99 (9781534356917).
In 1970s Milwaukee, the "Deviant Killer" dons a Santa costume and commits a series of gruesome murders. Decades later, a comic book writer interviews the man arrested for the crimes just in time for another violent holiday season.
Dog Days. Written by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim. Art by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim. Translated by Janet Hong. 2024. Drawn & Quarterly, $24.95 (9781770467316).
After adopting a puppy, a Korean couple moves from Seoul to the countryside so the dog will have more space. Once in the countryside, they encounter antagonistic neighbors, culture shock, and various neighborhood dogs.
Dracula. Written by Bram Stoker. Adapted by George Bess. Art by George Bess. Translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger. Edited by Mike Kennedy. 2023. Magnetic Press, $34.99 (9781951719845).
A retelling of Bram Stoker's famous novel Dracula in comic format.
Dwellings. Written by Jay Stephens. Art by Jay Stephens. 2024. Oni Press, $34.99 (9781637152911).
A collection of short horror stories all taking place in the fictional Canadian town of Elwich. The art is done in the style of the old Harvey Comics and even includes fake advertisements.
Evil Eyes Sea. Written by Özge Samanci. Art by Özge Samanci. Text Editing by Eliza Bent and Elizabeth Blackwell. Coloring Assistance by Anna Reishus. 2024. Uncivilized Books, $29.95 (9781941250600).
A feminist, political mystery set in Istanbul during the 1995 elections tells the story of two women who witness a death--or possibly a murder--on a scuba diving expedition. They try to return to their daily lives, but their lives are increasingly entangled with the political corruption, religious pressure, and economic instability that results from their experience.
Godfell: The Complete Series - God is Dead. Written by Christopher Sebela. Art by Ben Hennessy. Color by Vittorio Astone and Triona Farrell. Lettering by Jim Campbell. Edited by Adrian F. Wassel. 2024. Vault, $19.99 (9781638492016).
When God falls from the sky and lands in a world set in constant war, a berserker soldier begins a quest for home that will lead to her own pilgrimage through the fallen body.
Hirayasumi, Volume 1. Written by Keigo Shinzo. Art by Keigo Shinzo. 2024. VIZ Media, $14.99 (9781974746910).
Hiroto is just casually passing through life without much ambition or direction. But when he begins a platonic, intergenerational relationship with someone much older than he is, Hiroto begins to piece together how he can be a better person.
The Jellyfish. Written by Boum. Art by Boum. Translated by Robin Lang & Helge Dascher. 2024. Pow Pow Press, $22.95 (9782925114307).
Odette has a jellyfish in her eye, and, slowly but surely, they are enlarging and multiplying. Can she tell her girlfriend? Her friends? Her mom? She was finally getting this whole "adulting" thing, living alone in her Montreal apartment and chilling at cafes, but the jellyfish just HAD to attack. No matter, a trip to the eye doctor will defeat them, right?
King in Limbo, Omnibus Volume 1. Written by Ai Tanaka. Art by Ai Tanaka. 2024. Kodansha, $21.99 (9781646519231).
Adam and King are recruited to help resolve a recurrence of the sleeping sickness, a pandemic that ravaged society years earlier.
Lackadaisy, Volume 1. Written by Tracy J. Butler. Art by Tracy J. Butler. 2024. Iron Circus Comics, $17.99 (9781638991038).
A lovable cast of anthropomorphic cats struggles to keep its speakeasy open in prohibition-era St. Louis, Missouri. The story follows Rocky, a poetically-inclined musician as he repeatedly lands himself in trouble while trying to acquire booze for his employer's speakeasy. In the process, his shenanigans gain Rocky many powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to shut down the speakeasy.
Light It Shoot It. Written by Graham Chaffee. Art by Graham Chaffee. 2024. Fantagraphics, $24.99 (9781683966821).
After getting out of prison for arson he committed as a teenager, 20-year-old Billy moves to Hollywood to stay with his drunk, actor uncle and B-movie camera operator brother. As he works as a personal assistant on the set of a B-movie, he gets caught up in a criminal conspiracy involving arson, where he becomes the prime suspect.
The Midnight Order. Written by Mathieu Bablet, Claire Barbe, Isabelle Bathian, and Anguy Mandias. Art by Mathieu Bablet, Allanva, Rours, Daphne Collignon, Titouan Beaulin, Claire Fauvel, Quentin Rigaud, & Thomas Rouzière. Color by Cathy Fernandez & Selena Mercier. Layouts by Florent Maudoux. 2024. Magnetic Press, $39.99 (9781951719876).
This is an action-packed series of interinked short tales set in a shadowy, shared universe of witches, witch-hunters, and a menagerie of unimaginable beasts that roam the world unnoticed. Together with 13 other writers and artists, Mathieu weaves an intricate tale about Sheridan and Johnson, two of the Order's best agents, as they pursue the Seraph, an ancient power that threatens to corrupt their ranks from within.
Mothballs. Written by Sole Otero. Art by Sole Otero. Translated by Andrea Rosenberg. Fantagraphics,$29.99 (9781683969617).
After moving into her deceased grandmother's house, Ro examines the events in her grandmother's life and how her decisions have brought Ro to where she is now.
My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Book 2. Written by Emil Ferris. 2024. Fantagraphics, $44.99 (9781683969273).
Karen writes all her findings in her diary as she tries to discover the murder of her neighbor, holocaust survivor, Anka Silverberg.
Proxy Mom: My Experience with Postpartum Depression. Written by Sophie Adriansen & Mathou. Art by Sophie Adriansen & Mathou. Translated by Montana Kane. 2024. NBM Graphic Novels, $19.99 (9781681123349).
Marietta and Chuck, madly in love, are expecting a baby. But childbirth marks the end of the fairy tale. Zoe's birth didn't go as Marietta imagined, and the maternal instinct is slow to manifest itself. While she no longer recognizes her body, Marietta feels herself losing her footing in the face of this vulnerable baby for whom she is now responsible.
Rare Flavours. Written by Ram V. Art by Filipe Andrade. 2024. BOOM! Studios, $16.99 (9781608861538).
Inspired by Anthony Bourdain's passing, Rubin Baksh, an epicure and demonic Rakshasa, hires Mo, a dejected and defeated filmmaker, to shoot a documentary exploring India's cuisine and the people who make it. But Rubin's tastes go beyond food to human flesh, and dangerous enemies seek to curb his appetites.
The Sacrificers, Volume 1. Written by Rick Remender. Art by Max Fiumara. Color by Dave McCaig. Lettering by Rus Wooton. 2024. Image Comics, $16.99 (9781534397897).
In a world where gods offer peace in exchange for the sacrifice of one child per family, a sacrificed son and the rebellious daughter of a god find themselves challenging the status quo after learning a dark truth.
Search and Destroy, Volume 1. Written by Atsushi Kaneko. Art by Kaneko. Translated by Ben Applegate. 2024. Fantagraphics, $14.99 (9781683969327).
An authorized retelling of Ozama Tezuka's Dororo set in a dystopian future where mercenary robots known as "creatures" serve the human elite and victimize the city's scrabbling, desperate masses. The violent death of one of these creatures connects an orphaned thief named Doro with a mysterious girl in a stinking animal hide that conceals deadly cybernetic implants. Who is this mysterious girl? How is she killing, one by one, the city's most twisted and powerful creatures?
Second Hand Love. Written by Yamada Murasaki. Art by Yamada Murasaki. 2024. Drawn & Quarterly, $24.95 (9781770467187).
Two short stories explore modern women's loneliness inside and out of relationships in 1980s Japan.
Sirens of the City. Written by Joanne Starer. Art by Khary Randolph. 2024. BOOM! Studios, $19.99 (9781608882177).
Layla is a pregnant teenage runaway and orphan trying to survive the streets of New York in 1987. After a charismatic stranger invites her to a party, she is swept into a world of monsters she didn't know existed—and they're all after her.
Sketchy, Volume 1. Written by MAKIHIROCHI. Art by MAKIHIROCHI. 2024. Kodansha, $13.99 (9798888770146).
Weary of constant pressure from friends and family about her job, style, and relationship status, a thirty-something woman finds herself drawn to explore a new passion after a chance encounter with a group of skater girls.
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, Volume 1-2. Written by Jinushi. Art by Jinushi. Translated by Amanda Haley. Lettering by Kyla Aiko. Logo Design by Ti Collier. 2024. Square Enix, $12.99 (9781646092864), (9781646092871).
Sasaki, a middle-aged salaryman with a stressful job, finds relief in smoking and the smile of Yamada, a cashier at a supermarket he frequents. But one day, when Yamada is absent, he finds a new smoking buddy behind the store, Tamaya. Little does he know she's Yamada in disguise!
Steel of the Celestial Shadows, Volume 1-2. Written by Daruma Matsuura. Art by Daruma Matsuura. Translated by Caleb Cook. 2024. VIZ Media, $14.99 (9781974742745), (9781974743476).
Impoverished samurai Ryudo Konosuke suffers from a curse that warps any metal near him, making it impossible for him to wield a sword or even shave. At his lowest point, a mysterious woman offers to marry him, but what first seems like salvation soon further complicates his life.
Tender. Written by Beth Hetland. Art by Beth Hetland. 2024. Fantagraphics, $19.99 (9781683969358).
A woman trying to create the picture-perfect life she sees on social media slowly comes undone when perfection escapes her grasp.
Thunder 3, Volume 1. Written by Yuki Ikeda. Art by Yuki Ikeda. 2024. Kodansha, $13.95 (9781647294007).
When Futaba is abducted by aliens in another dimension (thanks to a disc her older brother Pyontaro brought home and set up), Pyontaro and his friends must rescue her and somehow find their way back home.
Tokyo These Days. Written by Taiyo Matsumoto. Art by Taiyo Matsumoto. 2024. Viz Media, $28.00 (9781974738809).
In this manga about the people of the manga industry, long-time editor Shiozawa retires after a failed magazine leaves him feeling disconnected from readers. Despite intending to leave the industry for good, Shiozawa's bonds with the artists and manga of his past lead him to start one final project.
Universal Monsters: Dracula. Written by James Tynion IV. Art by Martin Simmonds. Lettering by Rus Wooton. Edited by Alex Antone. Designed by Jillian Crab. 2024. Image, $24.99 (9781534397552).
After admitting a strange man into his asylum, Dr. John Seward must trust in something beyond science in order to save his daughter from a terrible fate.
Where the Body Was. Written by Ed Brubaker. Art by Sean Phillips & Jacob Phillips. 2024. Image Comics, $24.99 (9781534398269).
Multiple threads come together in this historical suburban noir set in the summer of 1984. Various characters narrate this concise mystery, eventually disclosing the victim and the aftermath of those who became involved.
Non-Fiction
Advocate: A Graphic Memoir of Family, Community, and the Fight for Environmental Justice. Written by Eddie Ahn. Art by Eddie Ahn. 2024. Ten Speed Graphic, $24.99 (9781984862495).
This beautifully illustrated graphic memoir is about Eddie Ahn, a Korean-American environmental lawyer in San Francisco. His story delves into immigration, activism, and the pursuit of the American Dream amidst environmental turmoil. Throughout the book, Eddie candidly recounts his journey into environmental activism and his encounters with racial inequality, burnout, and familial pressures.
The Boy From Clearwater, Book 1. Written by Yu Pei-Yun. Art by Zhou Jian-Xin. Translated by Lin King. 2023. Levine Querido, $25.99 (9781646142798).
An ordinary boy born in pre-World War II Taiwan lives an extraordinary life as the outside forces of war, and political machinations affect his youth and lead to his unlawful imprisonment.
The Boy From Clearwater, Book 2. Written by Yu Pei-Yun. Art by Zhou Jian-Xin. Translated by Lin King. 2024. Levine Querido, $25.99 (9781646143726).
In the second half of Kun-lin's story, he returns home to find life has gone on without him. Now he must find a place in a society where he is constantly under military supervision and feels like he has 10 years of lost time to make up.
Brittle Joints. Written by Maria Sweeney. Art by Maria Sweeney. 2024. Street Noise Books, $20.99 (9781951491260).
An evocative and heartfelt graphic memoir about the challenges of living with a progressive disability.
Chernobyl: The Fall of Atomgrad. Written by Matyáš Namai. Art by Matyáš Namai. 2024. Palazzo Editions, $19.95 (9781786751362).
A graphic account of the Chernobyl disaster.
Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir. Written by Tessa Hulls. Art by Tessa Hulls. 2024. Macmillan, $25 (9780374601652).
Tessa watched her mother care for Sun Yi, both of them struggling under the weight of Sun Yi's unexamined trauma and mental illness. Vowing to escape her mother's smothering fear, Tessa left home and traveled to the farthest-flung corners of the globe (Antarctica). But at the age of thirty, it starts to feel less like freedom and more like running away, and she returns home to face the history that shaped her family.
Gaytheist: Coming Out of My Orthodox Childhood. Written by Lonnie Mann. Art by Lonnie Mann & Ryan Gatts. 2024. Street Noise Books, $23.99 (9781951491277).
Lonnie struggles with his strict Orthodox Jewish upbringing and the belief that being gay is a sin as he realizes that he is attracted to boys. As he grows older, he comes to understand that the life and religion he was brought up in might not be the right one for him.
The Heart That Fed: A Father, a Son, and the Long Shadow of War. Written by Carl Sciacchitano. Art by Carl Sciacchitano. 2024. Gallery 13, $29.99 (9781982102937).
A son looks back on his relationship with his Vietnam War veteran father and considers how the elder's wartime experience formed the way they interact.
The Hidden Life of Trees. Written by Peter Wohlleben. Art by Benjamin Flao. Translated by Fred Bernard. 2024. Greystone Books, $35.00 (9781778401657).
A graphic novel adaptation of the book by the same name. It looks at the vital importance of trees for all life.
I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together: A Memoir. Written by Maurice Vellekoop. Art by Maurice Vellekoop. 2024. Pantheon Books, $35.00 (9780307908735).
Graphic memoir of Maurice Vellekoop, the Canadian graphic artist. The story takes readers through his life from childhood to where he is today. The memoir particularly outlines all of the struggles Vellekoop went through to embrace his identity, even when others in his life struggled to do so.
Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman. Written by Éloïse Marseille. Art by Éloïse Marseille. 2023. Pow Pow, $19.95 (9782925114239).
A bluntly honest examination of one woman's sexual exploration as a teenager and twenty-something, looking at everything from one-night stands to porn addiction to sexually transmitted infections.
Polar Vortex: A Family Memoir. Written by Denise Dorrance. Art by Denise Dorrance. 2024. The Experiment, $19.95 (9781615199051).
A daughter returns home to winter in Iowa to care for her ailing elderly mother, gamely navigating the vagaries of the US healthcare system, while coming to terms with mortality.
Transitions: A Mother's Journey. Written by Élodie Durand. Art by Élodie Durand. Translated by Evan McGorray. 2023. Penguin Random House, $19.99 (9781603095181).
Anne's world is upended when her 19-year-old child tells her that he is a transgender man. As she goes through her own transition, Anne's struggles threaten her relationship with her child, so she falls back on her scientific mind to answer the questions that overwhelm her.