Required Reading Graphic Novels (452 books)

Required Reading Graphic Novels

I dislike ranking books, but here is a constellation of work that were formative, groundbreaking, or works of lasting literature.

all votes add books to this list

1	Watchmen by Alan Moore 4.28 avg rating — 83,224 ratings score: 32,048, and 323 people voted	My rating:
2	The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman 4.48 avg rating — 16,913 ratings score: 20,319, and 204 people voted	My rating:
3	V for Vendetta by Alan Moore 4.18 avg rating — 24,948 ratings score: 16,323, and 167 people voted	My rating:
4	The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.32 avg rating — 24,343 ratings score: 13,741, and 140 people voted	My rating:
5	Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller 4.27 avg rating — 20,099 ratings score: 13,283, and 136 people voted	My rating:
6	Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi 4.20 avg rating — 32,340 ratings score: 11,141, and 114 people voted	My rating:
7	Batman: Year One by Frank Miller 4.25 avg rating — 12,331 ratings score: 8,437, and 87 people voted	My rating:
8	Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore 4.24 avg rating — 14,950 ratings score: 8,034, and 83 people voted	My rating:
9	Blankets by Craig Thompson 4.08 avg rating — 15,131 ratings score: 7,363, and 76 people voted	My rating:
10	Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned by Brian K. Vaughan 4.20 avg rating — 13,363 ratings score: 6,255, and 65 people voted	My rating:
11	Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb 4.23 avg rating — 8,910 ratings score: 6,072, and 64 people voted	My rating:
12	Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume by Jeff Smith 4.42 avg rating — 5,772 ratings score: 5,965, and 62 people voted	My rating:
13	Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham 4.08 avg rating — 13,062 ratings score: 5,551, and 58 people voted	My rating:
14	Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi 4.13 avg rating — 13,174 ratings score: 4,978, and 52 people voted	My rating:
15	The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.41 avg rating — 17,911 ratings score: 4,908, and 52 people voted	My rating:
16	Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud 4.16 avg rating — 9,006 ratings score: 4,715, and 49 people voted	My rating:
17	The Sandman, Vol. 3: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 16,197 ratings score: 4,203, and 45 people voted	My rating:
18	Batman: Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison 4.06 avg rating — 7,224 ratings score: 4,188, and 45 people voted	My rating:
19	Death: The High Cost of Living by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 9,092 ratings score: 4,166, and 44 people voted	My rating:
20	Preacher, Vol. 1: Gone to Texas by Garth Ennis 4.19 avg rating — 8,465 ratings score: 4,149, and 45 people voted	My rating:
20	The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman 4.26 avg rating — 13,465 ratings score: 4,149, and 45 people voted	My rating:
22	The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore 3.93 avg rating — 12,193 ratings score: 4,123, and 45 people voted	My rating:
23	Kingdom Come by Mark Waid 4.19 avg rating — 6,939 ratings score: 4,033, and 43 people voted	My rating:
24	Ghost World by Daniel Clowes 3.91 avg rating — 11,215 ratings score: 3,967, and 42 people voted	My rating:
25	From Hell by Alan Moore 4.14 avg rating — 8,058 ratings score: 3,952, and 42 people voted	My rating:
26	Hellboy: Seed of Destruction (Hellboy, #1) by Mike Mignola 4.11 avg rating — 5,329 ratings score: 3,908, and 42 people voted	My rating:
27	The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 4.27 avg rating — 18,072 ratings score: 3,282, and 35 people voted	My rating:
28	The Sandman, Vol. 4: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.53 avg rating — 15,352 ratings score: 3,273, and 36 people voted	My rating:
29	Death Note, Volume 1: Boredom by Tsugumi Ohba 4.31 avg rating — 13,304 ratings score: 3,134, and 33 people voted	My rating:
30	Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life (Scott Pilgrim, #1) by Bryan Lee O'Malley 4.15 avg rating — 17,371 ratings score: 3,109, and 34 people voted	My rating:
31	Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel 4.16 avg rating — 13,499 ratings score: 3,049, and 31 people voted	My rating:
32	Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan 3.86 avg rating — 4,663 ratings score: 2,904, and 32 people voted	My rating:
33	Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1: Back on the Street by Warren Ellis (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 5,820 ratings score: 2,567, and 28 people voted	My rating:
34	Frank Miller's Complete Sin City Library by Frank Miller 4.28 avg rating — 393 ratings score: 2,467, and 27 people voted	My rating:
35	American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang 3.88 avg rating — 10,649 ratings score: 2,456, and 27 people voted	My rating:
36	30 Days of Night 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles 3.69 avg rating — 3,040 ratings score: 2,355, and 26 people voted	My rating:
37	300 by Frank Miller 3.80 avg rating — 8,155 ratings score: 2,291, and 26 people voted	My rating:
38	Swamp Thing, Vol. 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore 4.19 avg rating — 3,042 ratings score: 2,204, and 24 people voted	My rating:
39	Akira Volume 1 by Katsuhiro Otomo 4.30 avg rating — 2,238 ratings score: 2,037, and 22 people voted	My rating:
40	Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others (Hellboy, #3) by Mike Mignola 4.27 avg rating — 2,074 ratings score: 1,937, and 22 people voted	My rating:
41	Hellboy: Wake the Devil (Hellboy, #2) by Mike Mignola 4.20 avg rating — 3,111 ratings score: 1,848, and 21 people voted	My rating:
42	Epileptic by David B. 3.92 avg rating — 2,374 ratings score: 1,767, and 19 people voted	My rating:
43	Marvels by Kurt Busiek 4.14 avg rating — 2,771 ratings score: 1,739, and 20 people voted	My rating:
44	We3 by Grant Morrison 4.09 avg rating — 3,504 ratings score: 1,637, and 18 people voted	My rating:
45	Fell, Volume 1: Feral City by Warren Ellis (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 1,782 ratings score: 1,623, and 18 people voted	My rating:
46	Wolverine: Origin by Paul Jenkins (Script, plot) 3.82 avg rating — 1,873 ratings score: 1,611, and 19 people voted	My rating:
47	Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 3,457 ratings score: 1,547, and 17 people voted	My rating:
48	Absolute Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb 4.22 avg rating — 1,736 ratings score: 1,488, and 16 people voted	My rating:
49	The Arrival by Shaun Tan 4.39 avg rating — 7,512 ratings score: 1,476, and 16 people voted	My rating:
50	The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.67 avg rating — 2,941 ratings score: 1,467, and 17 people voted	My rating:
51	Joker by Brian Azzarello 3.86 avg rating — 3,047 ratings score: 1,443, and 17 people voted	My rating:
52	Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Frank Miller 3.18 avg rating — 3,502 ratings score: 1,420, and 16 people voted	My rating:
53	Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 1 (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, #1) by Hayao Miyazaki 4.41 avg rating — 844 ratings score: 1,379, and 15 people voted	My rating:
54	Ex Machina, Vol. 1: The First Hundred Days by Brian K. Vaughan 3.94 avg rating — 2,794 ratings score: 1,359, and 15 people voted	My rating:
55	Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware 4.17 avg rating — 5,698 ratings score: 1,344, and 14 people voted	My rating:
56	Astonishing X-Men Vol. 1: Gifted by Joss Whedon (Writer) 4.16 avg rating — 4,030 ratings score: 1,335, and 15 people voted	My rating:
57	Buddha, Vol. 1: Kapilavastu by Osamu Tezuka 4.11 avg rating — 1,653 ratings score: 1,323, and 14 people voted	My rating:
58	Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 1: The Assassin's Road by Kazuo Koike 4.17 avg rating — 1,122 ratings score: 1,252, and 14 people voted	My rating:
59	100 Bullets, Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call by Brian Azzarello 3.81 avg rating — 2,698 ratings score: 1,186, and 14 people voted	My rating:
60	The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.56 avg rating — 12,069 ratings score: 1,123, and 13 people voted	My rating:
61	The Sandman: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 5,766 ratings score: 1,050, and 13 people voted	My rating:
62	Buddha, Vol. 2: The Four Encounters by Osamu Tezuka 4.20 avg rating — 1,081 ratings score: 1,041, and 11 people voted	My rating:
63	Buddha, Vol. 3: Devadatta by Osamu Tezuka 4.23 avg rating — 914 ratings score: 1,039, and 11 people voted	My rating:
64	Buddha, Vol. 4: The Forest of Uruvela by Osamu Tezuka 4.29 avg rating — 808 ratings score: 1,028, and 11 people voted	My rating:
65	Buddha, Vol. 5: Deer Park by Osamu Tezuka 4.30 avg rating — 735 ratings score: 1,017, and 11 people voted	My rating:
66	Buddha, Vol. 6: Ananda by Osamu Tezuka 4.27 avg rating — 706 ratings score: 1,006, and 11 people voted	My rating:
67	Invincible: Ultimate Collection, Volume 1 by Robert Kirkman 4.30 avg rating — 1,262 ratings score: 991, and 11 people voted	My rating:
68	The Sandman, Vol. 5: A Game of You by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.42 avg rating — 13,539 ratings score: 969, and 12 people voted	My rating:
69	Will Eisner's New York: Life in the Big City by Will Eisner 4.19 avg rating — 270 ratings score: 961, and 11 people voted	My rating:
70	One Hundred Demons by Lynda Barry 4.31 avg rating — 1,895 ratings score: 953, and 10 people voted	My rating:
71	Daredevil Legends, Vol. 2: Born Again by Frank Miller 4.25 avg rating — 978 ratings score: 942, and 11 people voted	My rating:
72	The Sandman, Vol. 7: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.54 avg rating — 12,438 ratings score: 919, and 11 people voted	My rating:
73	Black Hole by Charles Burns 3.85 avg rating — 7,166 ratings score: 914, and 10 people voted	My rating:
74	Buddha, Vol. 7: Prince Ajatasattu by Osamu Tezuka 4.28 avg rating — 634 ratings score: 906, and 10 people voted	My rating:
75	Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli 4.22 avg rating — 4,022 ratings score: 893, and 10 people voted	My rating:
76	Animal Man, Vol. 1 by Grant Morrison 4.06 avg rating — 1,041 ratings score: 883, and 10 people voted	My rating:
77	Buddha, Vol. 8: Jetavana by Osamu Tezuka 4.30 avg rating — 611 ratings score: 800, and 9 people voted	My rating:
78	The Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 7,681 ratings score: 799, and 10 people voted	My rating:
79	Best Of American Splendor by Harvey Pekar 4.03 avg rating — 364 ratings score: 794, and 9 people voted	My rating:
80	Promethea, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore 3.89 avg rating — 2,578 ratings score: 785, and 9 people voted	My rating:
81	Superman for All Seasons by Jeph Loeb 3.98 avg rating — 1,580 ratings score: 783, and 9 people voted	My rating:
82	The Sandman, Vol. 8: Worlds' End by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.46 avg rating — 11,863 ratings score: 779, and 10 people voted	My rating:
83	Lost Girls by Alan Moore 3.57 avg rating — 1,818 ratings score: 729, and 8 people voted	My rating:
83	Naruto, Vol. 1: The Tests of the Ninja by Masashi Kishimoto 4.15 avg rating — 9,540 ratings score: 729, and 8 people voted	My rating:
85	Conan Volume 1: The Frost Giant's Daughter And Other Stories by Kurt Busiek 4.14 avg rating — 466 ratings score: 728, and 8 people voted	My rating:
86	Wanted by Mark Millar 3.54 avg rating — 2,491 ratings score: 726, and 8 people voted	My rating:
86	Batman: Killing Joke by Alan Moore 4.24 avg rating — 14,950 ratings score: 726, and 9 people voted	My rating:
88	Spider-Man: Blue by Jeph Loeb 3.93 avg rating — 595 ratings score: 724, and 9 people voted	My rating:
89	The Sandman, Vol. 10: The Wake by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.51 avg rating — 11,103 ratings score: 703, and 9 people voted	My rating:
90	Courtney Crumrin and The Night Things (Volume 1) by Ted Naifeh 4.07 avg rating — 752 ratings score: 702, and 8 people voted	My rating:
91	The Starman Omnibus, Vol. 1 by James Dale Robinson 4.32 avg rating — 523 ratings score: 701, and 9 people voted	My rating:
92	Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut by Jhonen Vasquez 4.25 avg rating — 2,840 ratings score: 691, and 8 people voted	My rating:
93	Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits by Garth Ennis 4.20 avg rating — 1,172 ratings score: 681, and 9 people voted	My rating:
94	Death: The Time of Your Life by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 4,736 ratings score: 664, and 9 people voted	My rating:
95	Nextwave: Agents Of H.A.T.E. Volume 1: This Is What They Want by Warren Ellis (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 1,076 ratings score: 634, and 7 people voted	My rating:
96	Palestine by Joe Sacco 4.20 avg rating — 2,656 ratings score: 630, and 8 people voted	My rating:
97	Powers Vol. 1: Who Killed Retro Girl? by Brian Michael Bendis 4.01 avg rating — 1,878 ratings score: 581, and 7 people voted	My rating:
98	Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman 4.35 avg rating — 32,087 ratings score: 577, and 7 people voted	My rating:
99	The Acme Novelty Library by Chris Ware 4.36 avg rating — 816 ratings score: 575, and 6 people voted	My rating:
100	What it Is by Lynda Barry 4.23 avg rating — 1,357 ratings score: 573, and 6 people voted	My rating: