Six Graphic Novels for Non Graphic Novel Readers

Even if you’ve never read one before, reading the occasional graphic novel is a fantastic way to diversify your TBR list. In addition to the many best-sellers and other types of books being sold on PangoBooks, our amazing community of sellers have no shortage of graphic novels listed. It’s an amazing universe of books to explore and there is genuinely something for everyone!

“Graphic novel” is a format, not a genre. As the name suggests, a graphic novel is a narrative work that tells the story in both words and images. Though comic-adjacent works can be overlooked as non-substantive or only for a younger audience, this is a common misconception. Graphic novels range from the complex and highly literary to simple yet clever. And most all, they are just plain fun to read.

If you’re new to reading graphic novels and not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered–here are some picks for every genre of reader.

Persepolis

by Marjane Satrapi

If you typically read coming of age tales or historical narratives, Persepolis is a great pick for you. This modern classic graphic memoir details the author’s childhood and young adult years amidst the revolution in Iran. Persepolis details a firsthand account of the contradictions between private and public life in a country fraught with political upheaval, exploring Satrapi’s personal journey towards adolescence while offering insights into the politics of late 1970s Tehran. This is one of the most recognizable and iconic graphic novels of the past few decades, and for good reason.

Gyo

by Junji Ito

If you’re a fan of horror, Junji Ito’s Gyo might be the book for you. Ito’s intricate black-and white linework and eerie stories have earned his horror manga a place in the popular indie comics canon. Set in Okinawa, Gyo begins when Tadashi and his girlfriend Kaori encounter an unusual fish with legs. Soon, Okinawa is overrun with walking marine life, terrorizing the city and carrying with them the strong stench of death –and that’s only the start of the city’s trouble.

Fair warning: Gyo (which translates to “fish” in Japanese) is not for the faint of heart. Ito is best known for his unsettling body-horror, and Gyo is no exception. If you can stomach a little gore, though, it’s worth reading on.

Nimona

by Noelle Stevenson

If you typically read YA fantasy stories, Nimona is a good choice for you. Based on Stevenson’s critically acclaimed web comic, Nimona has all the makings of a classic fantasy story. There are dragons, magic, an arch nemesis, and all told through the eyes of a deadpan and subversive shapeshifter, the eponymous heroine. Nimona and her villainous partner, Lord Blackheart, are set to prove to the kingdom that the so-called good-guys at Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t quite so heroic.

Fun Home

by Alison Bechdel

If you typically read memoirs or have an interest in LBGTQ+ stories, Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home is a good pick for you. You may recognize the author’s name from the famous “Bechdel Test,” which measures representation of women in fiction by whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man.

Fun Home, Bechdel’s 2006 graphic memoir, chronicles the author’s childhood and relationship with her father, and explores themes of dysfunctional family life, suicide, sexual orientation and gender roles. If you’re a theater fan, you may be familiar with the story in another medium. Fun Home was adapted into a Broadway musical that took home “Best Musical” at the 2015 Tony awards. When you’re done reading this one, you can fire up the award-winning soundtrack.

Paper Girls

by Brian K. Vaughan

If you’re a fan of nostalgic sci-fi like Stranger Things, Paper Girls may be up your alley. Set early morning of Halloween in 1988, this first installment in the YA series follows four twelve-year-old newspaper delivery girls who uncover a mysterious force from the future and end up caught between two warring factions of time travelers. Throughout the series, the girls frequently travel through time, encountering future versions of themselves, forcing them to come to terms with who they will later become.

Watchmen

by Alan Moore

If you typically read action and noir narratives but still want a little more substance than your average Superman comic, Alan Moore’s Watchmen is a great next read for you. The premise and visual style echo traditional comics with a story set in an alternate 1985 America where costumed superheroes are a part of daily life. Masked vigilante Rorschach investigates the murder of one his colleagues and uncovers a conspiracy to kill all past and present heroes.

Following this thread, Moore and artist Dave Gibbons illustrate a captivating world of heroes, villains, and a number of characters who fall on both sides of that divide. In many ways Watchmen remains the go-to pick for people branching into graphic novels for the first time, and with good reason. It’s a genuine page turner that explores the very medium of comic art and storytelling in deep and meaningful ways. It also spurred an absolutely fantastic sequel in the form of a recent HBO mini series.