2025 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List

ALA’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table (GNCRT) is sharing the nominations for the 2025 Best Graphic Novels for Adults (BGNA) Reading List. These reading list nominations highlight the best graphic novels for adults published in late 2024 through 2025, 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 2025 Selection Committee

Joe Pascullo - Committee Chair
Deborah Zeman - Committee Vice-Chair
Louise Lalonde - Committee Administrative Assistant
J. Jared Alvarez Ginés
Mark Conner
Michael Douglas
William Kist
Sarah Maciejewski
Laila Mai-Nguyen
Alecs Schmidt-Mickunas
Aidan Skipper-Martinez
Makilah Sullivan
Ashlynn Bell
Margaret Miller

2025 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Top Ten

Between Two Sounds: Arvo Pärt's Journey to his Musical Language. Written by Joonas Sildre. Art by Joonas Sildre. Edited by Aile Tooming. Translated by Adam Cullen. 2024. Plough Publishing House, $26.00 (9781636081342).
A biography following the political and personal life of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's as he develops the sound (tintinnabuli) he eventually becomes known for, and turns to religion and the wonder of silence to expand his avant-garde style.

Confession. Written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. Art by Kaiji Kawaguchi. 2024. Kodansha, $16.95 (9781647293963).
As two men get caught in a blizzard, one of them makes a confession that he's responsible for the murder of a mutual friend. Now that he's got it off his chest, the other man is worried that he'll be his next victim as they're trapped with nowhere to run.

Dogs and Punching Bags. Written by Kaori Ozaki. Art by Kaori Ozaki. 2025. Kodansha USA, $24.95 (9781647293994).
When Nichiko reluctantly returns to her island homeland to care for her ailing father, she also finds a potential love partner in a man named Chimaki. But when she hears some rumors about Chimaki's dark past, she decides to stick around and find out the truth...

Ginseng Roots: A Memoir. Written by Craig Thompson. Art by Craig Thompson. 2025. Pantheon, $35 (9780593700778).
This is a continuation of Craig Thompson's memoir Blankets, picking up the story in the late teens, as Thompson deals with his success which has not been without complications. Covering an immense span of time, geography, and family dynamics, Thompson's story carries him through the early days of the pandemic as he explores his ties to ginseng.

Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theater. Written by Tom Scioli. Art by Tom Scioli. Lettering by Tom Scioli. 2025. IDW Publishing, $21.99 (9798887242989).
To save the world from Godzilla's terror Jay Gatsby teams up with Jules Verne, Sherlock Holmes, the Universal Monsters, and others to form the most bizarre supergroup in history.

Helen of Wyndhorn. Written by Tom King. Art by Bilquis Evely. Colors by Matheus Lopes. Lettering by Clayton Cowles. 2025. Dark Horse Comics, $29.99 (9781506740065).
Helen is the daughter of a pulp fantasy writer who, after her father's death, must go to live with her mysterious grandfather who is somehow connected to her father's stories.

Love Languages. Written by James Albon. Art by James Albon. 2025. Top Shelf Productions, $19.99 (9781603095570).
Sarah Huxley moves from London to Paris, finding loneliness instead of romance. She befriends Ping Loh, an au pair of Hong Kong expats, and they bond over language struggles. Through museums, markets, and translation apps, they create a private dialect—until deepening feelings reveal that the hardest words to translate are the truest ones.

More Weight: A Salem Story. Written by Ben Wickey. Art by Ben Wickey. 2025. IDW Publishing, $39.99 (9781603095600).
An examination of the devastating witch trials of 1692 and the lasting effects they have had on the city of Salem.

Talking to My Father's Ghost: An Almost True Story. Written by Alex Krokus. Art by Alex Krokus. 2024. Chronicle Books, $22.95 (9781797228181).
Alex's dad died from cancer. In the book he tries to come to terms with his father's death by asking family members how they deal with grief, hanging out with his mom and brother, and speaking with his dad's ghost.

Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day. Written by Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett. Art by Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett. Lettering by Tif Bucknor. 2025. Candlewick Press, $24.99 (9781536219234).
This nonfiction graphic novel offers an introduction to trans and gender nonconforming people throughout history and around the globe. It has historical figures and also explores societal roles of trans people and how Eurocentric ideas about gender spread across the world.

2025 Best Graphic Novels for Adults - Official List

Absolute Superman Vol. 1: Last Dust of Krypton. Written by Jason Aaron. Art by Rafa Sandoval and Carmine di Giandomenico. Colors by Ulises Arreola. Lettering by Becca Carey. 2025. DC Comics, $24.99 (9781799505327).
A reinventing of the classic Superman where he arrives on earth as a young adult and becomes a champion of working people the world over.

Animal Pound. Written by Tom King. Art by Peter Gross. Colors by Tamra Bonvillain. Lettering by Clayton Cowles. Edited by Elizabeth Brei and Eric Harburn. 2025. BOOM! Studios, $29.99 (9781637969779).
A retelling of Orwell's Animal Farm, where cats, dogs, and rabbits are trying to seek fairness in an animal shelter, while circumstances and thought processes between certain inhabitants make that wish challenging...

Audrey Hepburn: An Illustrated Biography. Written by Eileen Hofer. Art by Christopher Longé. 2025. Abrams ComicArts, $25.99 (9781419779916).
A graphic novel biography of the life of Audrey Hepburn. The graphic novel covers her time living through the Holocaust to her rise in fame in movies to her passion for helping the less fortunate.

Before You Go Extinct. Written by Takashi Ushiroyato. Art by Kanato Abiko. 2025. Vertical Comics, $13.95 (9781647294748).
Told through the eyes of the endangered animals they inhabit, two souls and one rock bring readers a story of cultural pressures and finding love and joy in any life.

Blacking Out. Written by Chip Mosher. Art by Peter Krause. Colors by Giulia Brusco. Lettering by Ed Dukeshire. 2024. Dark Horse Books, $19.99 (9781506740911).
With a Southern California fire season as the backdrop, a disgraced ex-cop tries to investigate an unsolved murder using "questionable" methods.

Bowling With Corpses and Other Strange Tales From Lands Unknown. Written by Mike Mignola. Art by Mike Mignola. Colors by Dave Stewart. Lettering by Clem Robins. 2025. Dark Horse Comics, $24.99 (9781506745886).
New folklore-inspired tales abound in this anthology of eight fantasy stories written and drawn by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, featuring a bonus sketchbook section. From a search for the beating heart of a long-dead sorcerer, to a pirate girl who makes a deal with the devil, to the titular boy who wins a grim prize in a game with some undead interlopers, and more. Mignola builds a brand-new world filled with the weird, wicked and whimsical in this volume that will delight longtime Hellboy fans and new readers alike.

The Confessional. Written by Paige Hender. Art by Paige Hender. 2025. Silver Sprocket, $29.99 (9798886200614).
A young vampire in 1920s New Orleans seeks salvation from a priest who may have ulterior motives for their relationship.

Eden of Witches, Vol. 1. Written by Yumeji. Art by Yumeji. Translated by Jessie Aufiery. 2024. Kana, $12.99 (9781419777936).
In a barren land where witches hide from society to protect the remains of the natural world, an apprentice witch begins a journey to a fabled place after disaster disrupts her peaceful life.

Electric Life: The Hidden Radiance of Everything. Written by Sander Funneman. Art by First Peter Brouwers. Colors by Hilary Sycamore and Peter Brouwers. 2025. 23rd St., $29.99 (9781250868404).
Electric Life invites readers on a breathtaking journey into this unseen world, revealing how electricity and magnetism affect not only humans but also our planet and the universe at large.

GAEA-TIMA the Gigantis, Vol. 1. Written by KENT. Art by KENT. Lettering by Madeleine Jose. Edited by Tomoko Nagano and Alanna Ruse. Cover Design by Adnazeer Macalangcom. 2025. Kodansha, $13.99 (9798888774366).
Long ago, a kaiju named GAEA-TIMA ravaged the seaside town, turning its inhabitants' lives upside down. After not appearing again for 10 years, it makes its return, seeming to bond with one of the town's residents, Miyako. How did the two become conencted, and what does GAEA-TIMA have in store for everyone this time around?

The Giant: Orson Welles, the Artist and the Shadow. Written by Youssef Daoudi. Art by Youssef Daoudi. 2025. 23rd St., $29.99 (9781250805942).
A biography of Orson Welles that follows him from childhood to his later years and details his troubled relationship with Hollywood.

Gilt Frame. Written by Margie Kraft Kindt and Matt Kindt. Lettering by Sophia Hilmes. Edited by Daniel Chabon. 2025. Dark Horse Books, $29.99 (9781506745947).
Together, Sam and Merry have solved some of the most notorious murders in the world. And, true to form, their Parisian vacation is cut short when they stumble upon a murder scene so bizarre that only a raging psychopath could have produced it. But to solve the crime, they have to wrestle with jewel thieves, art forgers, gun-runners, a lost puppy, and a master French detective who may just solve the crime before they do.

The Harrowing Game. Written by Antoine Revoy. Art by Antoine Revoy. 2025. 23rd St., $29.99 (9781250248312).
Three spirits compete by telling stories. The one who wins gets to leave. But there is something evil on its way...

Holy Lacrimony. Written by Michael DeForge. Art by Michael DeForge. 2025. Drawn & Quarterly, $24.95 (9781770467552).
Jackie has been determined to be the "saddest living person in the entire world" by a mysterious team of alien abductors. He is forced to perform his sadness over and over again on command so his captors can study and master this very puzzling, very human emotion. Until just like that, Jackie is returned to his old life. Trying to comprehend what has happened, he joins a support group.

H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu. Written by Gou Tanabe. Art by Gou Tanabe. Lettering by Steve Dutro. Edited by Carl Gustav Horn. Translated by Zack Davisson. 2024. Dark Horse Manga, $19.99 (9781506741406).
After receiving an inheritance from his great uncle, Francis Thurston gets wrapped up in the connection of the ancient god Cthulhu to human blood rituals performed in both the Arctic and Louisiana. Thurston falls deeper and deeper under a trance as he pieces together clues to the "Cthulhu Cult" and the wake of death the creature leaves behind.

Insectopolis: A Natural History. Written by Peter Kuper. Art by Peter Kuper. 2025. Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc., $35 (9781324035718).
After humanity is wiped out by some unidentified event, insects of all sorts take in an insect exhibit at the New York Public Library where they learn about themselves, each other, and entomologists throughout history.

It Rhymes with Takei. Written by George Takei, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger. Art by Harmony Becker. 2025. Top Shelf Productions, $29.99 (9781603095747).
This memoir from Star Trek actor George Takei focuses on his life as a closeted gay man, not coming out until he was 68 in response to anti-gay legislation in California. Covering his experiences in Japanese internment camps during WWII, the graphic novel explores an amazing spectrum of social justice issues spanning the 20th century through the beginning of the 21st century.

John Muir: To the Heart of Solitude. Written by Lomig. Art by Lomig. Translated by Christopher Pope. 2025. NBM Publishing Company, $24.99 (9781681123523).
This nonfiction graphic novel uses time skips to trace the life of noted naturalist John Muir, considered by some as one of the first modern ecologists. The founder of the Sierra Club had to overcome multiple challenges, including an accident that nearly blinded him. In a series of episodes, readers see how Muir lived out his passion for nature throughout his life, starting in childhood when he was criticized by an overbearing father who couldn't understand his son's passions. Through a variety of episodes on the road, readers see the many payoffs of Muir's vision.

Land of Mirrors. Written by Maria Medem. Art by Maria Medem. Translated by Aleshia Jensen and Daniela Ortiz. 2025. Drawn & Quarterly, $29.95 (9781770467545).
A village's only resident's love of a flower is threatened when a stranger arrives. The two humans set off on a journey in search of community and friendship.

Last Samurai Standing, Vol. 1. Written by Shogo Imamura. Art by TATSUZ. Lettering by Jamil Stewart. Edited by Vanessa Tenazas. Translated by Matt Treyvaud. 2025. Kodansha, $13.99 (9798888775165).
When a poster advertising a money making scheme turns into a battle royale for the participant's lives, it looks like Shujiro is going to have to kill for the money, despite promising to leave his samurai life behind long ago...

The Library Mule of Cordoba. Written by Wilfrid Lupano. Art by Léonard Chemineau. Color by Christophe Bouchard. Lettering and Translation by Lynn Eskow and Rodolfo Muraguchi. 2024. Ablaze, $24.99 (9781684972791).
When a young boy takes over the throne, his power hungry uncle issues commands in his stead. The peace that had been maintained for nearly 60 years in threatened. Books are being burned and with it culture, science and knowledge are being lost. The story follows the head librarian, a runaway scribe, a young woman, and a seemingly unhelpful donkey try to save as much as they can from the library before everything is destroyed. What do they have to give up in order to survive?

Life Drawing: A Love and Rockets Collection. Written by Jaime Hernandez. Art by Jaime Hernandez. 2025. Fantagraphics, $24.99 (9798875000492).
An episodic compilation of the work of Jaime Hernandez, profiling the life and loves of Tonta, the breakout character of Love and Rockets. While the episodes don't always seem linked, they generally profile Tonta's interactions with Vivian, her sister, and Ray, Tonta's teacher.

Metal Hurlant: Old Dreams, Young Visions. Edited by Jerry Frissen, Fabrice Giger, Amanda Lucido and Jake Thomas. Logo design by Etienne Robial. Designed by Jerry Frissen and Caroline Melamed. Layouts by Caroline Melamed. Proofreading by Elissa Hunter and Tom Williams. 2025. Humanoids, Inc., $29.99 (9798893577587).
50 year anniversary collection of Metal Hurlant, the pioneering, subversive French comics magazine introduced in the 70s.

Muybridge. Written by Guy Delisle. Art by Guy Delisle. Translated by Helge Dascher and Rob Aspinall. 2025. Drawn & Quarterly, $24.95 (9781770467729).
An amazing biography of Eadweard Muybridge, famed early photographer (motion studies, nature photography), incorporating his tumultuous personal life as he continually "pushed the envelope" of the new medium of photography, including motion pictures, throughout the second half of the 1800s.

Neighborhood Craftsmen: Stories from Kanda's Gokura-chou. Written by Akihito Sakaue. Art by Akihito Sakaue. Lettering by Abigail Blackman. Translated by Ko Ransom. 2025. Yen Press, $20 (9798855413311).
A look into the skill that went into some of the most beloved of traditional Japanese crafts. The author provides a glimpse into the lives of these fictional artisans and portrays the mastery necessary for their respective works.

The Pit. Written by Erik Kriek. Art by Erik Kriek. 2025. Living the Line, $28.95 (9781961581050).
Hugh and Sara are still grieving the loss of their son, and they seek a fresh start in an inherited house in the Netherlands. As Hugh throws himself into moving on, Sara is drawn to a set of journals that may have some connection to the cryptic carvings they've noticed in woods.

The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation. Written by Cormac McCarthy. Art by Manu Larcenet. Adapted by Manu Larcenet. 2024. Abrams ComicArts, $26.99 (9781419776779).
A boy and his father have only each other to rely on as they struggle to survive against a harsh environment and human cruelty in a post apocalyptic landscape.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. Written by Anais Flogny. Art by Anais Flogny. Edited by Lydia Nguyen. Designed by Madeline Morales. 2025. Abrams ComicArts, $25.99 (9781419785696).
Set in the 1930s, Italian immigrant Jules Tivoli meets with Chicago's kingpin Adam and falls in love as he joins the criminal underworld. After the FBI start cracking down on the mob, the pair flees to New York and that is where Jules becomes a powerhouse in the Cosa Nostra crime syndicate. The story follows Jules as he tries to survive in the chaos of love, loyalty, and betrayal.

Something, Not Nothing: A Story fo Grief and Love. Written by Sarah Leavitt. Art by Sarah Leavitt. 2024. Arsenal Pulp Press, $24.95 (9781551529516).
This graphic memoir beautifully illustrates the lives of author Sarah Leavitt and her partner Domino, and how a loss of great magnitude can affect us. The book, told through art and pictures, is a heart-wrenching way to share how one moves through grief and the different forms it takes. You learn about the chronic pain and decline that Leavitt's partner went through and the toll it took on her. It is a beautiful memorial of the two years after the death of a dearly beloved partner.

Tongues, Vol. 1. Written by Anders Nilsen. Art by Anders Nilsen. 2025. Pantheon, $35 (9781524747206).
The god Prometheus awaits his freedom while another mysterious being forments war and chaos among humans.

Veil, Vol. 1. Written by Kotteri. Art by Kotteri. 2025. Udon Entertainment, $15.99 (9781772943610).
A young woman from a wealthy family sets out on her own and stumbles upon a policeman. The two of them grow closer and develop a delicate bond through beautifully illustrated vignettes of their daily lives.

War on Gaza. Written by Joe Sacco. Art by Joe Sacco. Edited by Gary Groth. Design by C Hwang. Production by Paul Baresh. 2024. Fantagraphics, $12.99 (9798875000904).
Recounts Joe Sacco's reaction to the attacks Hamas carried out October 7th, 2023 in Israel, and Israel's subsequent and continuing retaliation.

William of Newbury. Written by Michael Avon Oeming. Art by Michael Avon Oeming. 2025. Dark Horse Books, $19.99 (9781506740836).
A raccoon monk tries to save souls by fighting the dead. He befriends a mouse thief named Winnie, who at first doesn't believe in spirits.