Listopia


Required Reading Graphic Novels
I dislike ranking books, but here is a constellation of work that were formative, groundbreaking, or works of lasting literature.
Tags: graphic-novels

1
Watchmen
Watchmen
by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons (Illustrator) 188 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
2
The Complete Maus
The Complete Maus
by Art Spiegelman 110 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
3
V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta
by Alan Moore, David Lloyd 84 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
4
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
by Frank Miller 79 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
5
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author), Sam Kieth (Illustrator) 71 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
6
Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood
Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood
by Marjane Satrapi, Mattias Ripa (Translator) 64 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
7
Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
by Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli 44 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
8
Blankets
Blankets
by Craig Thompson 40 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
9
Batman: The Killing Joke
Batman: The Killing Joke
by Alan Moore, Brian Bolland 40 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
10
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
by Scott McCloud 36 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
11
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return
by Marjane Satrapi 32 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
12
Batman: The Long Halloween
Batman: The Long Halloween
by Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale 32 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
13
Fables: Legends in Exile
Fables: Legends in Exile
by Bill Willingham 30 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
14
Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume
Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume
by Jeff Smith 29 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
15
Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned
Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned
by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra 28 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
16
Ghost World
Ghost World
by Daniel Clowes 27 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
17
Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction
Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction
by Mike Mignola, John Byrne 25 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
18
Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come
by Mark Waid (Writer), Alex Ross (Illustrator) 24 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
19
The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House
The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author), Steve Parkhouse (Illustrator) 23 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
20
From Hell
From Hell
by Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell 23 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
21
Preacher Vol. 1: Gone To Texas
Preacher Vol. 1: Gone To Texas
by Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon 22 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
22
Death: the High Cost of Living
Death: the High Cost of Living
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author), Chris Bachalo 21 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
23
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
by Grant Morrison, Dave McKean 21 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
24
The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country
The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author), William Shakespeare (Additional Material) 20 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
25
Death Note, Volume 1: Boredom
Death Note, Volume 1: Boredom
by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata 19 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
27
Pride of Baghdad
Pride of Baghdad
by Brian K. Vaughan, Niko Henrichon (Illustrator) 18 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
28
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
by Alison Bechdel 17 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
29
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1
by Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill (Illustrator) 18 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
30
Swamp Thing Vol. 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing Vol. 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing
by Alan Moore 16 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
31
The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists
The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author), Matt Wagner (Illustrator) 16 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
32
Hellboy Volume 2: Wake the Devil
Hellboy Volume 2: Wake the Devil
by Mike Mignola 15 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
33
Hellboy Volume 3: The Chained Coffin and Others
Hellboy Volume 3: The Chained Coffin and Others
by Mike Mignola 15 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
34
30 Days of Night
30 Days of Night
by Steve Niles, Ben Templesmith 14 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
35
American Born Chinese
American Born Chinese
by Gene Luen Yang 13 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
36
The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore (Illustrator) 12 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
37
Batman: Absolute Hush
Batman: Absolute Hush
by Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee 11 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
38
Frank Miller's Complete Sin City Library [Amazon.com Exclusive]
Frank Miller's Complete Sin City Library [Amazo...
by Frank Miller 11 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
39
The Complete Persepolis
The Complete Persepolis
by Marjane Satrapi 10 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
40
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1
by Hayao Miyazaki 9 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
41
Epileptic
Epileptic
by David B. 8 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
42
Identity Crisis
Identity Crisis
by Brad Meltzer 8 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
43
Akira, Vol. 1
Akira, Vol. 1
by Katsuhiro Otomo 8 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
44
We3
We3
by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely 8 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
45
Fell Volume 1: Feral City
Fell Volume 1: Feral City
by Warren Ellis, Ben Templesmith (Illustrator) 8 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
46
Marvels
Marvels
by Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross 8 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
47
Ex Machina Vol. 1: The First Hundred Days
Ex Machina Vol. 1: The First Hundred Days
by Brian K. Vaughan 7 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
48
Lone Wolf & Cub, Vol. 1: The Assassin's Road
Lone Wolf & Cub, Vol. 1: The Assassin's Road
by Kazuo Koike, Goseki Kojima 7 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
49
Animal Man, Book 1: Animal Man
Animal Man, Book 1: Animal Man
by Grant Morrison, Chas Truog 7 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
52
Best of American Splendor
Best of American Splendor
by Harvey Pekar 7 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
53
Courtney Crumrin & The Night Things, Volume 1
Courtney Crumrin & The Night Things, Volume 1
by Ted Naifeh 7 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
54
One Hundred Demons
One Hundred Demons
by Lynda Barry 6 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
55
100 Bullets Vol. 01: First Shot, Last Call
100 Bullets Vol. 01: First Shot, Last Call
by Brian Azzarello 6 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
56
Will Eisner's New York: Life in the Big City: New York, The Building, City People Notebook, Invisible People
Will Eisner's New York: Life in the Big City: N...
by Will Eisner 6 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
58
Wolverine: Origin
Wolverine: Origin
by Paul Jenkins (Script, plot), Joe Quesada (Plot) 6 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
59
300
300
by Frank Miller 6 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
60
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
by Chris Ware 5 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
62
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
by Frank Miller 5 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
63
Joker
Joker
by Brian Azzarello, Lee Bermejo (Illustrator) 5 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
64
The Starman Omnibus, Vol. 1
The Starman Omnibus, Vol. 1
by James Robinson, Tony Harris (Illustrator) 5 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
65
Astonishing X-Men Vol. 1: Gifted
Astonishing X-Men Vol. 1: Gifted
by Joss Whedon (Writer), John Cassaday (Artist) 5 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
66
The Authority Vol. 1: Relentless
The Authority Vol. 1: Relentless
by Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch 5 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
67
Buddha Volume 2: The Four Encounters
Buddha Volume 2: The Four Encounters
by Osamu Tezuka 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
68
Buddha Volume 1: Kapilavastu
Buddha Volume 1: Kapilavastu
by Osamu Tezuka 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
69
Buddha Volume 3: Devadatta
Buddha Volume 3: Devadatta
by Osamu Tezuka 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
70
The Acme Novelty Library
The Acme Novelty Library
by Chris Ware 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
71
Lost Girls
Lost Girls
by Alan Moore, Melinda Gebbie 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
71
Buddha Volume 4: The Forest of Uruvela
Buddha Volume 4: The Forest of Uruvela
by Osamu Tezuka 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
73
Buddha Volume 5: Deer Park
Buddha Volume 5: Deer Park
by Osamu Tezuka 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
74
Buddha Volume 6: Ananda
Buddha Volume 6: Ananda
by Osamu Tezuka 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
75
Miracleman Book One: A Dream of Flying
Miracleman Book One: A Dream of Flying
by Alan Moore 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
76
Superman for All Seasons
Superman for All Seasons
by Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
77
Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits
Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits
by Garth Ennis, William Simpson 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
80
Spider-Man: Blue
Spider-Man: Blue
by Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
81
The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1
The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author) 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
82
The Sandman, The Dream Hunters
The Sandman, The Dream Hunters
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author), Yoshitaka Amano (Illustrator) 4 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
84
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 2
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 2
by Hayao Miyazaki 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
85
It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken
It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken
by Seth 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
85
What It Is
What It Is
by Lynda Barry 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
87
The Rocketeer: An Album
The Rocketeer: An Album
by Dave Stevens, Harlan Ellison 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
88
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 3
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 3
by Hayao Miyazaki 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
89
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 4
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 4
by Hayao Miyazaki 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
89
Buddha Volume 7: Prince Ajatasattu
Buddha Volume 7: Prince Ajatasattu
by Osamu Tezuka 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
91
Stray Toasters
Stray Toasters
by Bill Sienkiewicz 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
91
Promethea: Book One
Promethea: Book One
by Alan Moore, J.H. Williams III 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
93
Buddha Volume 8: Jetavana
Buddha Volume 8: Jetavana
by Osamu Tezuka 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
94
Murder Mysteries
Murder Mysteries
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author), P. Craig Russell 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
95
Spirited Away Volume 1
Spirited Away Volume 1
by Hayao Miyazaki 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
97
New X-Men Omnibus
New X-Men Omnibus
by Grant Morrison 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
98
Fables: The Mean Seasons
Fables: The Mean Seasons
by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham (Illustrator) 3 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
99
The Collected Sam & Max: Surfin' the Highway
The Collected Sam & Max: Surfin' the Highway
by Steve Purcell 2 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
100
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut
by Jhonen Vasquez 2 people voted »
didn't like itit was okliked itreally liked itit was amazing
List started by: Max (votes)
Lists are re-scored approximately every 500 seconds



Alex
Alex
180 books
5 friends
Stephen
Stephen
65 books
0 friends
Anni
Anni
427 books
4 friends
Livia
Livia
118 books
2 friends
Greg
Greg
214 books
26 friends
Charlene
Charlene
48 books
1 friend
Laura
Laura
143 books
2 friends
Adrienne
Adrienne
332 books
36 friends

More voters…


comments (showing 1-12 of 12) (12 new)

dateDown_arrow    newest »

message 1: by deleted member (new)

Where is STRAY TOASTERS?


message 2: by Kim (new)

520753 I added it for you. :)


message 3: by deleted member (new)

sorry i didn't know I could add to the list!!!


message 4: by Angel (new)

190365 Only reason I did not vote for a few more is I have not read them. Definitely picking some of these up in the near future.


message 5: by Laura (new)

270050 I meant more the entire Lucifer Series, but this one will start you off at least.


message 6: by Fenrisfil (new)

Nophoto-u-25x33 Had to add Dangerous Habits to the list, that book is the definitive John Constantine story.


message 7: by Jeff (new)

1899581 People still like "The Dark Knight Returns" and "The Dark Knight Stirkes Back?"


message 8: by Ben (new)

Nophoto-m-25x33 where is Buddha, Courtney crumrin and the night things, Enter Avariz


message 9: by Joe (new)

Nophoto-m-25x33 need to add the old boy series and vagabond series by inoue and the arrival by shaun tan - none of them turns up in a search.


message 10: by Annie (new)

Nophoto-f-25x33 Ok, so, where is Girl Genius? Definitely one of my favorites.


message 11: by Killthepopular (last edited Jul 17, 2009 12:01PM) (new)

2252836 I thought persepolis made a much better film than graphic novel. Understanding comics was a lot of academic hooey and bogus sweeping statements.

If anyone intends to read Killing joke get the new, re-coloured edition. John Higgins really sucks.

http://www.popcultureshock.com/killing-j...


message 12: by Jerry (new)

1040933 You really might consider adding Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri’s Druuna graphic novels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druuna

They are quite good.


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